BROTHERLY LOVE

Diamon — a noisy rattle snake: all rattle but no bite.

It amazes me that such an eloquent columnist can have his head buried so deeply in the sand. Al Diamon’s recent “Filboid Studge” cheap attempt to characterize Jonathan Carter’s gubernatorial campaign (May 8th, “Politics and other mistakes”) reflects how ignorant, and irrelevantly noisy Al Diamon can be. All rattle! Nothing constructive. No bite!

I have known Jonathan Carter for 51 years, to be exact. He is my brother and I have not always agreed with or supported all of his platforms; however, nothing in my brother’s campaign is disingenuous, as implied in Mr. Diamon’s article. Nothing has been “repackaged.” Jonathan Carter is honest, direct, genuine and passionately committed to improving life in Maine for all. He sincerely wants businesses and the diverse people of Maine to flourish and prosper. He wants to preserve individual rights and freedoms, but also protect the environment, which is the absolute foundation for a wholesome and viable society. If anything, with his experience, Jonathan Carter has matured and learned the necessity for compromise and balance. Nothing, I repeat, nothing, Mr. Diamon, about Jonathan Carter is false or “repackaged.” Carter only has honest concern for Maine and respect for its citizens. Mr. Diamon, let me help you lift you head out of the sand.

Jonathan Carter’s actions reflect his words (rare today). He believes in clean elections; he runs a clean campaign. He preaches to protect the environment; he practices what he preaches — he drives a hybrid car (70 mpg). How can conserving energy in any way be harmful? Mr. Diamon, I ask you, would you rather have your children or grandchildren die in a war fighting in the Middle East over oil just so you and others can drive fuel inefficient motor vehicles; or would it be more prudent to research and implement new technologies that allow us not to depend on foreign oil?

Mr. Diamon is concerned about “gas tax collections” plummeting if we all became fuel efficient and that the roads would then become potholes! How ludicrous. How ignorant. It seems to me that the potholes are in Mr. Diamon’s brain and he ought to fill those with some common sense before he rattles his snake-like tail with so much hogwash noise. Really, Mr. Diamon, take a good look at yourself. Remember, when you point a finger at someone else, three fingers point back at you. Mr. Diamon makes a lot of noise but has no rational solutions. This is shallow criticism — nothing constructive.

Jonathan Carter wants to encourage businesses in Maine and would welcome new industries (including logging industries) that are environmentally responsible. He wants to create new jobs in Maine. For example, instead of shipping harvested timber to Canada to be milled; then to North Carolina to manufacture furniture; why not have all of this done in Maine creating new jobs and businesses? Simple straight-forward logic!

In the realm of healthcare reform, Jonathan Carter has a solution. Others cower to special interests (i.e. insurance companies). The HMOs are sucking the life out of small businesses. Jonathan Carter promotes a non-governmental, single-payer plan that would save the people of Maine millions of dollars. Politically, this is not necessarily popular but he believes it is the only solution, and, Mr. Diamon, if you took the time to really learn the details instead of reacting with such irrational noise, perhaps you would see this is the best solution to the health-care crisis. This is something no other politician has had the fortitude to confront. Because once again, Mr. Diamon, they are beholden to special interests. It is time for you to lift your head out of the sand, take a shower and get clean. Here’s to clean elections, Mr. Diamon, and a cleaner environment.

Peter K. Carter, M.D., F.A.C.S.

York

DIAMON=SOUR GRAPES

Al Diamon’s assessment of Jonathan Carter was very distasteful. It reeks of sour grapes for sure.

Why would AD be so fearful of Jonathan Carter. He is the only candidate without corporate ties. Is that dangerous to the people of Maine?

Jonathan Carter does not fear the truth. He has many issues and is not afraid to voice them. My past experience listening to candidates is most boring. They have been for the most part very wishy-washy, never really saying anything that they could be pinned down to. The promises they make are never fulfilled. I would like AD to name anything that John Baldacci has ever done for Maine. JC, along with other Green Independent Party people, was trying to call attention to the plight of the mill workers up north who were being shoved aside by an outside logging company. Maine’s members of Congress did not join Carter and the Greens and those people are still left out in the cold. AD, why don’t you go up north and interview these people?

Yes, we need energy efficient cars and trucks. The health problems caused by exhaust fumes are getting to be critical, filling up emergency room space that could be better used for severe emergencies. Asthma is on the rise not only in adults but in children as well. But asthma is not the only health problem caused by automobile and truck exhaust fumes.

Our roads could be kept in repair longer if more goods were moved by rail. It is not the automobile that is breaking up the roads. This would lessen the need for higher gasoline taxes.

Our industrialized way of life, while at first brought better living conditions to most, is doing a turnabout — something we must all recognize if we are to rid ourselves of the pollution that is ruining our living environment. Those who saw the public television special with Bill Moyers entitled Kids and Chemicals now realize this is no laughing matter.

Lastly, I would suggest that Al Diamon scrutinize the other candidates for Governor and see if they are willing to say something intelligent regarding their campaign issues.

It’s most unfortunate that members of the media must earn their money condemning grass-roots democracy.

Ruth Gabey

West Gardiner

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

Al, you served a pretty thin gruel for “Breakfast in America” (5/10/02). As much as I appreciate Saki’s literary contributions, I found the Filboid Studge analogy rather clumsy. But, as long as we are working with breakfast food imagery, let’s roll with it. I perceive Jonathan Carter as granola. The vast majority of people aren’t initially going to like it, but it’s good for them. I admit, when my doctor insisted on me choking down a quarter ounce of the stuff every morning to reduce my cholesterol, I rebelled. Much the same way the public will choke on measures that will insure greater fuel efficiency, wiser forestry, and long-range economic policies that benefit the citizens of Maine. John Baldacci is a “palatable” convenience product, packaged by PAC’s flush with fresh stacks of lobbying monies, bland as corn flakes, yet never quite living up to the nutritional claims printed on the side of the brightly decorated container. The traditional Republican product can also be found conveniently in your ideological supermarket. But that breakfast sausage is going to kill you. It means a rollback on environmental legislation, more pork for the rich, and anorexia for the poor. Not a healthy diet for either social stratum, I’m afraid.

Your depiction of Jonathan Carter as an “unpalatable environmental fanatic” being re-packaged as a “healthy progressive populist” makes no sense to me. Respect for nature is not in contradiction with concern for human life. In fact, it’s synonymous! Your contention that Jonathan, or by extension, the Maine Green Independent Party advocate “the shutting down of logging operations to turn the Maine woods into a tourist attraction” rings more toward timber company propaganda than legitimate journalism. After decades of being fed pablum from the two party system, I’m one voter ready for an all-natural grain.

John M. Flagler

Alfred

WHATêS IN A NAME? PLENTY!

I’m writing in response to “comic book geek” Sam Pfeifle’s article from the May 3 issue of the Phoenix. In “Spider-Mania,” Mr. Pfeifle discussed the new Spider-Man movie and how it may affect die-hard fans who, like himself, grew up with Spidey in his different incarnations. I am proud to say that the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends cartoon is also among my favorites.

That is why I must correct Mr. Pfeifle’s error when he said that Starfire appeared in the cartoon. To clarify — Starfire is actually a DC Comics heroine whose real name is Koriand’r. She is an alien princess from the planet Tamaran who had a relationship with Richard Grayson, the original Robin.

The character Mr. Pfeifle is thinking of is Firestar, a Marvel Comics heroine whose real name is Angelica Jones. She is an Earth-born mutant with the ability to (among other things) heat objects by emitting microwave radiation from her body.

Any self-respecting comic book geek would know that.

Chris Schmidt

Scarborough

 

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