Winter is upon us, and we are faced with a substantial increase in costs for heating our homes. For those who can afford it, that increase is an inconvenience. For others, it is a tragedy. It means a choice between a decrease in money available for food and medications or being cold.

I applaud Gov. Baldacci’s attention to the situation. Maine does not have money to spare, but this goes beyond the niceties of life. The oil barons have made sure that their own pockets are well-enough lined with profits so that they will not suffer from the increased costs of heating. They don’t seem to care about the harm they have inflicted on others.

I support the governor’s effort to make sure that the safety of folks whose lives are disrupted by the extra demand on their funds are not jeopardized. The heating project deserves to be funded at a level that will ensure that each case is handled in a way that will prevent a tragedy from happening. Winters in Maine can get brutal. Let’s not inflict that brutality on those who can least afford it.

Dominique P. Casavant, Auburn