To the editor:
A few “noteworthy noticeables” recently featured in Maine newspapers include Peter Vigue, Cianbro CEO, who is planning a gigantic Brewer Modular Home Development and Richard (and Anne) Collins, American Life Insurance Co. CEOs, who donated one of the largest financial gifts to UMO in its history. These two northern Maine natives exemplify the level of good deeds that thousands of our Valley people execute in every part of our Nation and confirm the difference we do make in America. Our notorious work ethics, coupled with resourcefulness, integrity and experience living in a dual culture, have consistently enabled us to develop into fine and dynamic leaders. We believe that our State administrators should recognize the phenomenal talents and skills of our northern Maine people and trust our advice and measures taken to “drive forward” our progress and advancement in our region.
We are not confident that our State leaders have efficient political vision. From education, economic growth, business orientations, highway developments and other infrastructures, we feel that our politicians and bureaucrats are at odds with reality. They are ready to compromise our people with exaggeration, manipulation, and disrespect to our honest society. They are weak in sustaining competitive economic strength, both nationally and internationally and they do not follow modern times. It appears that with the blessing of their environmental issues and the U.S. Corps of Engineers, they are ready to dictate most decisions to us or for us, right or wrong. This atmosphere is not acceptable to us. Why can’t we make decisions based on good common sense, with fairness, equality and justice to all?
Are we a corrupt government, depriving people of their basic right to economic progress and quality of life? How can we be better at pursuing a more attractive economic atmosphere with incentives, such as safer and more efficient transportation to/from northern Maine, to encourage economic growth for our strong and talented labor force? Just think for a moment of the vigorous young people who would prefer to stay in our beautiful area if only they were provided opportunities for developing markets, jobs and entrepreneurships. Why wait for such positives? Why don’t we plan and cultivate that vision?
We respectfully ask again our Governor and Transportation Commissioner Cole to change course and to correct past misdeeds on our Highway North issue. As recently read on the Bangor Daily News regarding Presque Isle’s bypass project, Raymond Faucher of the Transportation Department was quoted as saying: “County residents were critical of the proposed highway project” and in the same news report, Rachel Rice wrote that “construction could begin in 2010 or 2011”.
Faucher’s statement is not truthful. At last year’s Frenchville Highway Hearing, we were in unanimous agreement on a highway plan to the St. John Valley. We represent more than double the Presque Isle population. The time to get going with this Highway is now, not in four to five years.
Presque Isle is only one of Aroostook County’s numerous communities. They do not have the right to keep us hostage, to unilaterally dictate and delay an Aroostook project so important to improving the quality of our present and future lives. They need to stop their controlling and greedy attitude. They need to stop their squabbling and their wrangling and to work with our County as a whole.
Accept what other prosperous municipalities have established and benefited from with exits to your City. Getting properly connected will provide much greater and more efficient access to your hospital and medical facilities, schools, airport, shopping districts and other services customers and visitors seek.
Our past Transportation Department has wrongly created this kind of division in our County. We have heard too many unwarranted arguments and excuses for delaying this project. Funding capabilities have long been available as they have been pre-allocated by our Federal Government with the strong backing received from our Congressional Delegation. We demand an immediate end to this manipulation. It is just undemocratic, unfair and unacceptable.
Our honest Survey done two months ago, through our City and Town Managers from Kittery to Bangor, revealed that at least 90 percent of Maine’s population believes that this highway should have been completed a long time ago and the Augusta bureaucrats do not have the right to treat the St. John Valley as second-class citizens. Highway North is the strongest link to “wheels of progress”.
We call on our politicians for their Political Will. We call on our business leaders to get involved with us to bring home job creation, a new vision for healthy economic growth and opportunities. No one appreciates and considers more thoughtfully the impact on our natural environment as do our County people. Let us have our say. Our people certainly deserve better.
John F. Dionne
Grand Isle
