Dear Editor:

To the Boothbay region community:

On behalf of the membership of the Boothbay Region Fish and Game Association, I'd like to take a moment to remember Fred Blake. Fred could be found on many fall Sunday afternoons at the club turkey shoots. While he may not have put his own skills to the test as often these past few years, he loved to watch the younger eyes as they dusted the clays and he truly enjoyed the shooting sports as much as any one among us. Fred came to the shoots for the fellowship of the sport and added to our shared experience. Well liked and well respected, Fred Blake will be missed.

Dear Editor:

At a time when a news report claims that Maine is the Highest Taxed State with the lowest household earnings in the country, this Taxed payee could not stand it any longer and had to put pen to paper. This brief letter is centered on the potential abuse of power and the theory of eminent domain.

Recently, the general public has been made aware that the State of Maine's newest prison facility at Warren is not meeting population expectation requirements. I believe that this facility was intended to meet requirements for 20 years. Warren has been operating for roughly six years and the public is learning of overcrowding? Hmmm!

Everyone who pays taxes should be asking themselves how did the Department of Corrections and the State let this happen. This is a huge oversight with obvious negative consequences that warrant very close scrutiny and thorough investigation with results that lead to someone leaving their position.

I also understand that our state government had knowledge that there were issues within the Department of Corrections and hired a private consulting firm that conducted an extensive analysis. I believe that I read that the state chose not to appreciate any of the recommendations from that study.

Am I correct in understanding that the study was extremely expensive and nothing was worthy to apply to Maine's system? This administration is fantastic at spending hardworking folk's money. Whether it is making the wrong investments with the mortgage industry or the Department of Human services when they lose their money.

What we read in the newspaper and hear on the local news, is brief and very general in nature. However, it gives me the impression that this drastic maneuver to take over and shut down the county jails is fairly immediate. Certainly if you were going to do something this radical, wouldn't you try to phase this in a systematic and affordable manner, over a long period of time?

This last minute knee jerk reaction to alleviate overcrowding by the Governor is simply absurd. A State system that was allowed to operate and recognized to have potential problems is now the counties responsibility? There is absolutely nothing right about that concept. There is a huge difference between the State prison system and the county jail system. As previously mentioned, what we read and hear on the Governor's plan looks to be a shotgun approach of ideas that place an unbearable fiduciary responsibility on the people that voted him in office. Ironically, in the case of the counties of Lincoln and Sagadahoc who saw the need, came together, put the idea of a new jail to a vote, are now in this administrations gun sights.

A better plan needs to be considered. Consolidation and streamlining is not a bad thing if done correctly. I have been through this process while in the military and understand the agony of reorganizing and downsizing. I strongly suggest you review the Maine Sheriff's and Commissioners Association joint plan that establishes the Maine Jail & Community Correction System. I have already heard through the media, from those supporting the concept of eminent domain. They claim that the incorporation of a Maine Jail & Community Correction system establishes another bureaucracy but, if you are utilizing staff already on the payroll, the reorganization is transparent. This plan has clear goals and objectives with matching benefits that include long-term cost saving, improved humanitarian needs and improved criminal justice system practices. This is a rock solid plan that needs to be appreciated.

Maybe the state needs to look at what some of the counties have done in order to administratively manage their budgets rather than set precedence by forcing the county to pay for what has traditionally been a state requirement.

Richard E. Saxon

LT. U.S.Navy, ret.

Bowdoinham