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Enough is Enough: 37 years since the Vietnam War ended
By Robert E. Macdonald
Mayor of Lewiston
It marks a time in our nation’s history when social disorder became a daily occurrence. Family against family, neighbor against neighbor.
A time when scared boys became brave men only to be condemned by cowards trying to salvage their manhood in the eyes of the public. A time when answering your country’s call to serve brought on public condemnation.
Monday, April 30 marks the official end of the Vietnam War. Thirty-seven years have passed, and times have changed. Those once branded as “baby killers”, those once spat upon and pelted with bags of chicken blood, those who upon returning home were forced to hide their service in Vietnam in order to resume a normal life—they are now looked upon as heroes. Many who once condemned them, especially those with political ambitions, now wish they had served.
Op/Ed: Setting the Record Straight about L/A Arts
By Odelle Bowman
Executive Director
L/A Arts
Last week, Auburn Mayor Jonathan P. LaBonté wrote a piece in his “Thoughts From the Mayor” section that requires a little clarification about L/A Arts and our impact on the Cities of Lewiston and Auburn.
Unfortunately, Mayor LaBonté did not wait for the due date for responses from the City Council on March 14 at 3 p.m. before writing his remarks, and therefore much misinformation has been presented.
There are many organizations providing arts programming, but none that offer the diversity of initiatives meant to support the arts and the community across a wide array of disciplines as L/A Arts; such is the role of an arts agency. Additionally, we lend support and are strong collaborative partners to many arts and cultural organizations in the community and have done so for 38 years.
Mayor LaBonté suggested that L/A Arts is not the designated arts agency for both the Cities of Lewiston and Auburn. When the Joint Agency Budget Review Committee asked for documentation supporting this designation, I provided documentation from The National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support material from The Maine Arts Commission.
Perspective: Cost of Obamacare much higher than promised
By Rep. Rich Cebra
(r-naples)
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree has some explaining to do.
On March 14, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) revealed that the cost of the so-called Obamacare initiative has doubled. Two years ago, when the Affordable Care Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a razor thin margin—with no Republican votes—we were told that the 10-year cost of the plan would be $940 billion.
Democrats turned cartwheels around the Capitol because the grand total came in under $1 trillion. President Obama said if the cost had been higher, he would not have signed the bill.
It is now clear that the Democrats deliberately used phony numbers to drag this monstrosity across the line. The non-partisan CBO was told to “score” the 10-year cost from 2011 to 2020. But Obamacare does not start until 2014, so the CBO’s projection actually accounted for just six years of cost.
Now we’re told that Obamacare will cost $1.76 trillion from 2013 to 2022, the first nine years. Most likely the total from 2014 to 2023 will exceed $2 trillion, considering that the 2022 cost is now pegged at $265 billion.
Enough is Enough: Good school system is critical to a successful city
By Robert E. Macdonald
mayor of lewiston
A superior, or at least a fairly good school system, is essential in order to grow Lewiston into an economically prosperous community. People of means with the financial ability and the business savvy needed to uplift our city will look for a good school system for their children, a system in which their children are given the educational tools needed to obtain skills equal or better than their parents.
Decades ago Lewiston embraced a program called Model Cities. This well-intentioned program, designed by bureaucrats heavy into theory but lacking common sense, a key ingredient in the success of any program, lead Lewiston into the abyss of poverty and decay.
At the start of 1960s, you could eat off the floor or street in any neighborhood in the city. By the end of the ’60s you could not see the floor or street, as they were covered by dirt or trash. Model Cities spent millions of dollars to replace cleanliness with filth, a population rife with not only a philosophy of entitlement, but also no appreciation, nor need, for an education.
Griffths on the distinction between hearing and listening
By Dave Griffiths
tct columnist
Greetings for the first time since last July. It’s been too long, but my business travel schedule (writing classes for the feds) ramped up, and I let certain obligations slide. So now I’m back. And thanks to those of you who’ve been asking about the column.
What got me going this time was blatant rudeness, which, like negativity, is an attitude that many of us find way too easy to adopt. Allow me to give you a couple instances, then I’ll link the whole thing to boring people.
Up until a few weeks ago, I was a steady fan of a certain sports talk show out of Portland. Two hosts and a crazy cast of callers display wide knowledge and the sort of irreverent humor that I’ve found lacking on other such shows around the country. Well, one Monday morning, someone called in with a theory about the Red Sox. I don’t recall the details, but I do remember that one of the hosts—never averse to a high-pitch, slam-dunk, ranting put-down of athletes and callers alike—took his sarcasm to an extreme. The caller had a reasonable point of view, but the host didn’t care about reason that morning and kept interrupting and talking over the guest. At one point, the caller said, “You’re acting like a two-year-old.”
Thoughts from the Mayor: New committee should extract information from joint agencies
By Jonathan P. LaBonté
Mayor of Auburn
The Joint Agency Budget Review Committee, created by myself and Mayor Macdonald of Lewiston, includes two city councilors from each city that meet to review the budget requests from the organizations that are funded by both cities, such as Lewiston Auburn Economic Growth Council, L/A Arts, Great Falls TV and others.
Elected officials from both cities, as well as members of the public, were invited to attend these meetings held over the last week.
There are number of key points that need to be raised as the cities assess the performance of these agencies, some of which that have existed with little to no reform for decades. The committee should collect the “governance” documents that create the joint committee or service and references whether the cities have an obligation to fund. Some of these efforts lack such a document, such as LA Arts, and others have never had a formal city committee—it has just been past practice to provide funding.
Enough is Enough: St. Patrick’s Day, more than just a Hack Holiday
By Robert E. Macdonald
Mayor of Lewiston
“Erin go bragh.”
It’s St. Patrick’s Day Weekend, and suddenly there’s not a Frenchman (nor a Frenchwoman) to be found in the whole town.
Those of Irish descent will break out their yearly green ensemble and proudly parade around the town. This day also affords Lewiston’s French descendants an opportunity to break out their La Kermesse outfit in order to join in the parade.
In Ireland, pious Irish men and women honor St. Patrick by flocking to Mass, receiving Holy Communion and prayerful reflection on the Saint’s life—a fitting homage to the man who brought Christianity to her shores.
Enough is Enough: Do you hear those footsteps behind you?
By Robert E. Macdonald
Mayor of Lewiston
Bang! Pop! Pow! Sirens, blue and red lights. Police cars and ambulances. Language so foul that it could not be used in an X-rated film (but pales when compared to the language of today’s inner-city youth).
Hard-working men and women seeking the bottle to alleviate their frustrations brought on by their thankless jobs in one of Lewiston-Auburn’s mill. They fought in the bars. They fought in the streets. They fought the police.
Sometimes the police fought other police officers trying to instill respect for the badge on an unruly citizen. This was a typical weekend during the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s on Lisbon Street in Lewiston.
Enough is Enough: “Golly Moses, natcherly we’re punks!”
By Robert E. Macdonald
Mayor of Lewiston
As a child, did you dream and fantasize your life upon reaching adulthood? Did you visualize being a doctor? A lawyer? A teacher? An auto mechanic? A hoodlum?
Later in life, if you fulfilled your childhood aspirations, was it all you expected it to be?
Let us suppose that after many years of continued study and many professional conferences, you reached the height of your profession. The skills you developed elevated your status among your colleagues and the public at large. Then one day, from out of nowhere you are presented with a problem that your training had not prepared you for: clients with whom you could not communicate. This is one of the many problems facing Lewiston teachers and staff today.
When they first come into the country, non-English speakers should be immersed in our language and culture before they are allowed into our public schools. Our current policies are dictated by alleged experts in Washington D.C. and Augusta, Maine who have a better understanding of the maintenance needs of their offices than the problems facing today’s schools.
Enough is Enough: SSI and an apartment to die for
By Mayor Robert E. Macdonald
Mayor of Lewiston
During my career with the Lewiston Police Department, my partner and I were assigned to investigate a horrendous conflagration that destroyed or damaged 11 buildings in the Knox, Birch and Bates Streets area of Lewiston. Our prime suspect fled to Portland, trying to blend in amongst his relatives and acquaintances in order to become invisible.
We spent an entire week in Portland interviewing witnesses and trying to track down our suspect. Our investigation took us into neighborhoods that made many of Lewiston’s poorer neighborhoods appear to be high-rent districts.
Interview after interview were conducted in filthy apartments, sporting the latest in lay-about décor: little or no furniture, a table strewn with cigarette butts, ashtrays and liquor bottles, a state-of-the-art TV with a game box surrounded by large comfortable chairs. Many even had their own personal alarm/protection system—a large vicious dog. Add to this the aromatic scent of dog feces mixed with the faint whisper of urine; in their world, this was an apartment to die for!
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