In Other Maine News

In other news around the state of Maine the city of Bangor continues it's slide into the drug capital of the state. An area now extending from lower Ohio Street across to Walter street up to Hammond street and recently the convenience stores of Union street has become a crime zone. Further out in Capehart the area of Bolling Drive has become a hotbed of not just petty crime but serious violent crime.

This has citizens concerned, talking about crime has not been a pastime folks in Bangor often spent much time with. It is increasingly becoming a concern. With the methadone clinic, Shaw house, being a service center for a large geographic area and providing shelter for a large homeless population there is little Bangor is doing to reduce the strain on it's police force. The question could be asked as well if the police force is equipped to deal with what is becoming a constant quandary. When one sees the panhandlers on every street corner in the area it is our responsibility as Christians to feel bad for them but we also have to be realistic enough to know that this is a symptom of some very big concerns for citizens of the area.

Down the highway a bit in Newport the school district has got itself into serious financial trouble. Evidently some kind of bookkeeping error occurred over a few years and some of the towns in the district were not billed correctly. This led to a large shortfall upon discovery. An emergency loan was proposed and voted down on election day. This led the Superintendent to make drastic cuts the next day, all extra curricular activities were cut except Varsity teams, several teachers were cut, and much of what makes a school more than just classes was gutted. He had no choice.

In Frankfort the citizens have completed their two stage voting to leave their school district and join Hampden's. This makes geographic sense but will not be a cure all. The rest of the towns in that RSU, including the largest of Belfast, is said to have groups pondering their retreating from the district as well.

Closer to home the debacle in the Orono, Veazie, Glenburn school district shows no sign of abating. Money concerns are the primary problem there.

What does this mean. Simply put that the consistent failure of the state to meet it;s constitutional obligation to pay a certain percentage of the cost of education. Towns are at a point where they can do little but cut services or raise taxes. Raising taxes is not usually an option.

Down in Sullivan an eighth grader found some brownies in the kitchen and took them to school to share with his friends. Unbeknownst to him they were pot brownies his Mom had made. Mom claims she has a health issue which the pot helps, she has not had the funds to get the medical marijuana use certificate. Look it is not something we want to have happen, that is a kid taking pot brownies to school, but the state has gone overboard by taking the child from his Mother and even after an initial hearing continuing to do so. If we are going to start taking kids from parents who use a little herb now and again we better improve our foster care system by a great deal. That will cost money.

The real point in this discussion is Maine needs, all states need, to just grow up on this issue. Like gay marriage, the citizens of the country are ahead of the government on the issue of marijuana. Legalize it, Tax it, and get on to stopping real crime. I would like to be able to send my daughter to the local Rite Aid without worrying.

Thanksgiving will soon be upon us. It might not seem like it but we should all remember we have much to be thankful for. More on that later.