GIVE USM CIVIC CENTER

How about the idea of making the Cumberland County Civic Center part of the University of Southern Maine facilities (see "Don’t Blow It," Jan. 7, by Alex Irvine)? How about the "Gary Fifield Civic Center"?

USM’s athletic facilities at the present are not up to par in regard to an NCAA University with an 11,000 student enrollment — sad!

If and when Boulos builds this new civic center, it most likely will be booked with high-end entertainment such as rock concerts, professional sporting events (who knows, maybe the Celtics might consider playing an exhibition game in Portland again), Disney on Ice, NCAA Hockey East games, etc.; mostly groups who do not call on the Cumberland County Civic Center anymore.

I believe it would be important to have the University of Southern Maine possess an even greater presence in the Portland area, such as a civic center. As it stands right now, USM could most likely get use of the current Civic Center almost anytime it wanted, if it weren’t for the cost to the school. One of the University’s biggest uses for the Civic Center is the graduation ceremony in the spring, and that has been packed for the past four to five years. The new civic center will probably not be so accommodating without it being of even greater expense to the university — that is, if the time slot is not booked already. If the current Civic Center is passed on to USM and to the state of Maine’s educational system, then it would be possible for the school to play most of its hockey and basketball games in Portland, which could draw more support from the larger population base of the city. This would also allow the small Gorham campus ice rink to be used more for practices for either the men’s or the women’s team (whichever is not playing a game) or for public use by the student body on campus, or those living in the local community. The same would go for the small Hill Gym on the Gorham campus, with regard to men’s and women’s basketball team practices, and student-body and local community use.

Also, if the current Civic Center were associated as part of the state’s education system through the University, then it could be more easily accessible to the Maine State Principals Association, who need a larger facility for basketball and hockey tournaments. They already use USM’s Gorham campus field house for indoor track meets and volleyball tournaments. Also, the Department of Education likes to have access to the present Civic Center for the greater-Portland-area high schools, who need a large facility for graduation ceremonies in the spring. Other things that the Cumberland County Civic Center could be used for if it were under the auspices of the University would be educational purposes, such as the ones you mentioned in your article: rock-climbing wall, skate park, gymnastics, etc. These would be excellent projects and for USM’s Department of Health and Recreation program, working hand in hand with the city of Portland’s Rec. department.

You also mentioned performance space; wouldn’t the University of Southern Maine’s College of Music and its school of Performing Arts and drama department love to have the Civic Center once in a while for shows, concerts, and plays! Merrill Auditorium is much better as a performance facility for music and plays, but it is also very expensive to rent.

I like your ideas, but I believe adding the University to the mix might make it more appealing.

Roy Hulbert

Topsfield

TAX STUFF (WHY NOT?)

As a Libertarian it is rare that I agree with the powers that be at the federal government level. However, I applaud Chairman Greenspan’s comments on replacing the income tax with a national sales tax. I recommend the FairTax – HR 25 and S 25. Former Secretary of State Jim Baker also testified in favor of a consumption tax. The most telling part of the Honorable Jim Baker’s testimony was that he repeatedly reiterated that we should move to a consumption tax rather than add it to the existing income-tax system. The implication was that the move should be swift rather than gradual. I could not agree more. America is fed up with the income tax! Adding any more complexity would be a serious mistake. Let’s simplify the tax system and replace it with the FairTax.

The FairTax is the only national sales-tax plan which meets both parties’ and the administration’s requirements for a new tax system. It is a full tax-replacement plan not swayed by the winds of political change which may occur in the future in Washington. It brings transparency to the tax system and even an 11-year-old child can explain it.

Under the FairTax, No American pays any tax up to the poverty level. The FairTax package has a key component designed to protect the poor, fixed-income, and middle class, where every Americans resident with a legal Social Security number qualifies for a rebate. This makes it unique from any other national sales tax and it makes it progressive! This rebate zeroes any tax up to the poverty level, as determined by the Department of Health and Human Services. For example, a family of four receives $479 per month, rebating all federal tax on spending up to $24,900. A couple would receive $357 per month and an individual $178 per month.

Unlike the flat (income) tax or a French value-added tax (VAT), the FairTax replaces the payroll tax and the income tax with a broader tax base that is revenue-neutral for the national budget, Social Security, and Medicare, and allows working families to take home 100 percent of their paychecks free of federal income and payroll taxes. Let’s not add any more hidden and complicated tax systems to the current system. Let’s move to the FairTax! To learn more visit www.fairtax.org

Geoff Keller

Treasurer

Libertarian Party of Maine