It’s been interesting reading the letters to the editor in the Bulldog for the last few months. The main topic of the published columns seems to be the NECEC Project. The content and tone of these letters vary, but the main themes presented by them seem to be:
1. We don’t like anyone to make a profit in the public sphere (especially large companies).
2. We don’t like large companies (especially foreign-owned ones).
3. We really don’t like anything that happens in Maine to benefit anyone from out of state (especially Massachusetts).
4. We’re not very good at planning but very good at reacting.
5. We have tunnel vision when it comes to impacts of projects on the beauty and historic culture of Maine (we fulminate about 75 feet of clearcut in a remote area but make no big noise about the swallowing of acres and acres of Maine farmland for highly visible solar energy projects).
6. We are not above using public issues for personal political advantage.
It’s clear to me that the NECEC Project has stirred strong feelings in a segment of the Maine population and has raised a lot of noise. I am very interested to see how the Mainer votes in the peace and quiet of the voting booth.
Michael Webber
Strong
