Is the East-West Highway a done deal? (Bangor, Brunswick: how much, buy)

[Submariner]

So long as Canadian interests can build their Canadian road, using Canadian money, and no US tax dollars are spent. Then I don't care.

The idea has been debated on this forum before of using US tax dollars to pay for a Canadian road on US soil. That I stand opposed to.

One of our posters, once explained how US tax dollars were never going to be spent on any Canadian road. He went on to say how this corridor was going to be used for US resources. I begged and begged for that poster to tell us what US resource we were talking about. After many months of silence, it finally seems to have became obvious that no US resource was ever going to be transported on this Canadian corridor.

Now it seems that US tax dollars have been stopped from being spent to further Canadian interests.

If Canadians want to spend their money, to buy land, to build a road, to further their own private industry, I dont care.

If my taxes are not effected, then I dont care.

Raising my taxes, to benefit a foreign nation; is a topic of which I would care about.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Submariner would have his own interchange about a mile from his house. Just hop on I-95 and journey to see the world. He would also have his own ATV or Snowmobile trail. How about that? An ATV and snowmobile bridge across the Penobscot River would greatly enhance recreational opportunities.

[Maineac]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

When the paper industry sold all of its land the sellers left behind a virtual scorched earth. All of that land is contaminated by conservation easements, covenants codicils and conditions enough to tie it up in courts forever. The first east/west highway study was done in 1948. That predates the Stud Mill Road and the Golden Road. The feds never built an Interstate highway going east and west up here. Every decade or so, another study is done, but Portland area legislators always fight it.

Now a private company wants to build the road and the environmental industry is going berserk, right on schedule. They spread all kinds of lies. I attended a meeting two days ago and posted some statements from that meeting on the first page in this thread. Refer back to it from time to time. The project manager said that no recreational trails, farm roads or logging roads would be blocked. There would be a 220 mile recreational trail for all purposes along the corridor. You'll be able to ride an ATV from Quebec to New Brunswick across the rivers and across I-95.

Don't hyperventillate, RMoore007. The environmental industry lies.

As you ride down I-95 some time, take note of all the local roads that were dead ended by the new road. The private road won't do that. The project manager said so.

"Contaminated by conservation easements." None other than the paper companies traded those conservation easements for tax benefits, e.g., the West Branch Corridor, which actually did nothing to prevent them from utilizing the land except maybe for camp leases, which was something too managerially intensive for GNP to deal with at the time (1986). Complete boondoggle on the taxpayers. They profited the shareholders immensely on their way out the door. There is no "environmental industry" to go berserk. Just Mainers concerned they are once again being lied to. Personally, bring it on. Like I said, I'll retire on an E/W highway, but I don't think it will do one lick of good for the State overall after its built other than a few tax dollars and it'll be sad to see. We should all blindly believe everything anyone that is intent on making a profit says to us. By the way, that's fertilizer my dog is leaving on your lawn, and since you can't see my straightpipe from my toilet into Cold Stream Pond, what business is it of yours? I'd love to see an honest balanced, factual study of the whole concept, but the extremes, as above, both seem to want to prevent that.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

As I said above, everybody likes clean air and clean water. That is not the issue. Private enterprise and private land is the issue.

"We reject the idea of private property."
Peter Berle, President of the National Audobon Society

[Submariner]

'Private enterprise' and 'private land' is NOT the issue; when government subsidies, increased taxes, and eminent domain land confiscation occurs.

I am in favor of 'private enterprise' on 'private land'.

The E/W corridor has not been a topic of private enterprise on private land previously.

The E/W corridor has been a topic of government spending, increased taxes, and eminent domain land confiscation.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

That was never proposed. That is a red herring fear tactic

[Maineac]

Unfortunately, in this situation, what is a "red herring" and what is not a "red herring" will remain up in the air given that the political "fix" appears to be "in" and Maine voters got nothing to say about it. This is a "big picture" problem and does not bode well for future generations. With the road will come certain political power over the citizens of the region, both U.S. and Canada. No? Don't think the Irvings wield not just a little clout over the same region currently? A little more than you or I? Way more than you or I? Let's answer some questions: has anyone studied the irrefutable effect of constant diesel exhaust on Western New Brunswick, Calais, etc., from the prevailing west NW winds? What towns will be most dramatically affected by the dirtiest vehicles on the road? Is it even a problem, or should it be simply dismissed for the almighty dollar? I see the potential of an air quality issue from Bangor to Eastport. Now, answer this: is this thing going to entail a 2,000 foot wide corridor, as I have seen stated, or not? There's no doubt the primary roadbed corridor would be a couple hundred feet at most, but how do you reconcile 2,000 feet with the claim about maintaining trails, access, woods roads, etc.? 1000 feet? Giving out back easements after you've done all your acquisitions? Taking an easement only so the underlying landowner remains responsible for the property tax? This whole thing is being kept close to the vest so when the DO do what they want, it will be too late. Nope, lemme go scale Calais to Coburn Gore - straight line about 160 miles. Based on that, and the 2,000 figure, we're looking at nearly 40,000 acres that will fall under a "private police force", be fenced off, and I'm going to guess inaccessible. Why? Liability. Trucks doing 80+mph on a private road don't want you there. Otherwise you'll sign off all your rights just to get on the road. You won't have any rights crossing it just to get north, either. This from the gang soon to bring you private education and private prisons. Where there's a buck, they want to take over. How does this differ from what's-her-name - Quimby - from creating the State of Quimby out of her land, charging access, putting in a private police force, etc., etc. It doesn't. It's landowner rights. And it's too much. And if you think for a single minute that Peter and the Irving kids are going to just stop and give up when they come to that one landowner who won't sell, you're deluded. Up steps whomever in Augusta will benefit personally and kicks in the theretofore unused eminent domain under the U.S. Supreme Court's rule in the New London, CT case. Thanks guys. The government can take your land or family home and give it to private concerns. Weird case because the right was stymied. "Do we protect property rights like good talk radio listeners espouse, or do we take the property from the defenseless and hand it over to the monied?" Guess what happened. Let me say one more time, I'll profit wildly from this road, but I think it's an extremely bad idea. Wow. I just found a 2010 post where I said "I wish Peter Vigue would run for Governor." How things change when true colors appear.

[RMoore007]

I just don't know now so I will probably wait and comment on the next E/W Highway thread that starts next year. If it happens, I will look for a silver lining and make the best of it.

[Maineac]

EGG sactly R. That's the way I look at it. I don't have the energy anymore and a bucks a buck these days. I don't think there'll be a long-term silver lining. It's a private highway intended to cut Maine in half, both figuratively and politically, to the benefit of a very few, most of whom don't call the U.S. home. I view it as the polar opposite end of the "NO" spectrum that some over-radioed listeners call "rural cleansing" and the BOO! "Agenda 21" hogwash. I like to term the proposed E-W highway at the other end of the asininity spectrum "corporate rural cleansing." If that doesn't fit the opposite of "rural cleansing" to a tee, I don't know what does.

[Submariner]

For now, they seem to be back-room ruminating.

It was touted that this project would not be carried by the tax-payers. On this forum a poster made claims of such. ... Then we found that it was. What color of herring is that? $300k was already ear-marked for this 'private project', plus more to follow. Then people threw a fit. Like when house-training a puppy, noses were rubbed in the poop of their misdeeds, butts were spanked and the tax-payer feature of this private project was halted.




On this forum, it was touted that a Maine resource was going to use their corridor. Then we begged for anyone to disclose the Maine resource. On this forum, the question was asked. - repeatedly - ... silence ... Months later, it seems to have been mutually agreed that there is no Maine resource being transported. Another herring? Was this lie a purple herring? A carrot was being waved on a stick, but the carrot was no more than smoke and mirrors. No Maine resource, no Maine economy, no Maine benefit.



The 'red', blue and purple herrings are the claims that:
this corridor was never planned to be tax-payer funded;
and that it was in some manner to benefit the Maine economy.



Foreign-national truckers driving their loads through Maine, will need: fuel, food and hookers. Outside of those limited 'industries', there is no Maine economy to be benefited.

If there is any other Maine economy to benefit? We would all love to hear what it is. Surely after all these months, there must be some other 'benefit'.

ATV trails? Give me a break. Over 90% of Maine is forest. Is there some shortage of places to ride an ATV? I have not heard of any shortage.