Snow report and more from Maine

• We have had a record cold streak here in Maine and after another big dump of snow more extreme cold is on the way.  To me 'climate change' means disruption of the normal, traditional, weather pattern where you live.  That's what we've had the last few years in Maine - year round - and this winter is our hardest yet since moving here in 2003.

• To my Florida friends who wonder if we are ready to surrender and come back to Florida - while I can't speak for Mary Beth - I say no, I am staying here.  Remember I had my DNA tested recently and 1% of me comes from Finland/Northwest Russia! The cold is in my bones - I love it.

• I had a call this morning from a VFP member in the Boston-area who informed me that Tom Gale had died yesterday from a heart attack.  I last saw Tom in late-September at their annual BBQ of the Smedley Butler Brigade chapter of VFP.  We had our photo taken together but I can't find it.  He was a good man and I am sad to hear of his passing.

• We've heard the bill has now been written that would give General Dynamics Corporation $60 million from the taxpayers of Maine.  It should be assigned to an upcoming Taxation Committee public hearing - likely January 22.  We need to increase our outreach to the public to alert them about the corporate welfare giveaway that is being proposed by my own State Rep. Jennifer DeChant and Sen. Eloise Vitelli - both Democrats.  It seems that it does not mean much to call yourself a Democrat anymore. If you truly stand with the poor then how can you propose a corporate tax subsidy for the 5th largest weapons corporation in the world when we have 43,000 kids in our state living in poverty, out of a population of 1.34 million in Maine?  Just makes no damn sense to me.

Made by Lisa Savage in Solon, Maine.  She is a public school teacher that daily sees many of these poor and neglected kids.  For her all this is very real.

I am so tired of politicians saying they care for the poor and then watch them turn around and carry water for a mega-corporation that has more money than god.  Yesterday someone sent me an interesting quote from Fortune Magazine about General Dynamics.  It goes like this:

 "Boeing makes planes; Raytheon makes missiles; General Dynamics makes money.”

 Enough said....

Bruce