Freedom, not free
To the editor:
We honor our military, whether serving overseas or at home. When you attend a function of a service organization such as the American Legion, VFW, etc., you are helping us to help our military from the time they enter the service until they die.
We greet them at the airport; we send packages to those fighting the war; we offer help in many ways to the homeless veterans; and we do not forget them when they are living in a veteran’s home or in their own home. We need your help to help them, so consider attending a dinner or some other function at your local Legion or VFW or other service organization.
Kathy Robinson
New Sweden
Deficit problem
To the editor:
What is wrong with the Democrats with their “Affordable Care Act” and other non-American ideas? Americanism is capitalism, not to be confused with greed or communism. Where do they get the idea that a full-time employee would be anything less than 40 hours a week? It is only good business and good for the bottom line to not pay benefits to all employees. When employees work more than 40 hours, they are subject to overtime pay. It is much better to have part-time employees, no benefits and still get them to work extra, up to 40 hours and not be forced to pay extra.
Why should the government help those with no health insurance join larger groups to get access to better rates? After all, many of these companies now have a 20-percent profit margin. If some of these rates go down, that might affect their profit.
Social Security, another entitlement program, we are told is going to run out of money. Why should the government care about the retired population, especially when less than one-third of the U.S. workforce are offered a retirement program through their employer?
We need to spend our money wiser, like the billions to our friends in Egypt or the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Could that be part of our deficit problem?
Jim Flavin
New Sweden
Maybe there should be one more M added to MMA
To the editor:
MMA, Maine Military Authority, specializes in renewing heavy equipment for the military. I understand that they do high-quality restorations. So I ask why can’t they be MMMA, Maine Military and Municipal Authority, specializing in military and municipal equipment restoration. A large portion of our municipal and school budgets leave the region to purchase new fire trucks, school buses, plow trucks and other heavy equipment. It would be great if that revenue could circulate a while longer in this area.
I would advise a newly established MMMA to buy some tired equipment and do their magic on it and showcase it. Then use it as loaners as they restore our communities’ equipment for much less then the half a million dollars for a new fire truck that Presque Isle just decided to send out of the community (ouch).
Andy McGlinn
Presque Isle
