"The local cruise ship-dependent businesses . . . "
I would suggest that many of these businesses are dependent on excessive, invasive, unsustainable, and now illegal levels of cruise ship tourism by choice. Many were doing just fine for decades until they saw an opportunity to profit on expanding cruise ship tourism. Despite a decade of publicly expressed public opposition to expanding cruise ship tourism, these business owners undertook their own unsustainable expansions - gambling on town council apathy about quality of life and environmental impact and town council cruise ship activism steamrolling residents. Their business model did not factor in sustained and successful citizen opposition. And like many businesses, when their bad bets failed and their bills came due they expected government to pick up their losses - in this case by obstructing and breaking the law. Well the conspiratorial Bar Harbor town councils and managers - stop doing your dirty work behind closed doors and NDAs and I'll retract that word - complied. But all their specious rhetoric and fallacious assertions have failed to convince and/or corrupt state and federal government. And for all their crying poor-mouth, these 'business leaders' have deeper pockets than Bar Harbor and seem endlessly willing to bankrupt their hometown to line their own pockets.
"Didn't you notice a powerful and obnoxious odor of mendacity in this room? There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity. You can smell it. It smells like death."
Thank you Lincoln for publishing the entire ethics complaint which demonstrates that our Maine government did their investigation thoroughly and fairly, and the handful of citizens produced their actual receipts of their expenses and gave clear descriptions of their activities, and complied with the law.
Furthermore, I have worked with some of these outstanding and selfless citizens in years past on other issues where year round residents were being impacted adversely by Big Business and the Town Managers and various Councils . As continues today, these entities were joined at the hip to thwart citizens, no matter how egregious the matter was. Most of these citizens had to dig deep into meager resources to pay for an ad, or a flyer. Some simply made their own signs , wrote numerous columns or letters to the editor , did hours and hours of research , and sat for countless hours at Council, Board ,and Committee meetings.
These citizens spent their personal time fighting for a balanced year round community ….and earned nothing for their many hours of work. Various citizens, always just a handful and differing people on the many issues over more than a decade, have worked hard to keep Bar Harbor a town where people want to live year round, not just make millions during the tourist season, and then board up the shop windows and leave.
So I save my biggest thanks to these dedicated and caring citizens who continue to fight the good fight to make Bar Harbor a wonderful place to live and work…year round…and actually much nicer for our visitors, too.
Thank you for your great coverage of this issue. This is an Island wide problem. Sadly, these tour vans are constantly idling outside of a small house museum. The amplified tours can be heard inside. We wish the Bar Harbor citizens well as they fight to save their city.
It is fascinating how people just can't make enough money , it's as if their soul depends on how much cash they can acquire while barely supporting their own workers
"The local cruise ship-dependent businesses . . . "
I would suggest that many of these businesses are dependent on excessive, invasive, unsustainable, and now illegal levels of cruise ship tourism by choice. Many were doing just fine for decades until they saw an opportunity to profit on expanding cruise ship tourism. Despite a decade of publicly expressed public opposition to expanding cruise ship tourism, these business owners undertook their own unsustainable expansions - gambling on town council apathy about quality of life and environmental impact and town council cruise ship activism steamrolling residents. Their business model did not factor in sustained and successful citizen opposition. And like many businesses, when their bad bets failed and their bills came due they expected government to pick up their losses - in this case by obstructing and breaking the law. Well the conspiratorial Bar Harbor town councils and managers - stop doing your dirty work behind closed doors and NDAs and I'll retract that word - complied. But all their specious rhetoric and fallacious assertions have failed to convince and/or corrupt state and federal government. And for all their crying poor-mouth, these 'business leaders' have deeper pockets than Bar Harbor and seem endlessly willing to bankrupt their hometown to line their own pockets.
"Didn't you notice a powerful and obnoxious odor of mendacity in this room? There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity. You can smell it. It smells like death."
Big Daddy, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Tennessee Williams
Spot on.
Thank you Lincoln for publishing the entire ethics complaint which demonstrates that our Maine government did their investigation thoroughly and fairly, and the handful of citizens produced their actual receipts of their expenses and gave clear descriptions of their activities, and complied with the law.
Furthermore, I have worked with some of these outstanding and selfless citizens in years past on other issues where year round residents were being impacted adversely by Big Business and the Town Managers and various Councils . As continues today, these entities were joined at the hip to thwart citizens, no matter how egregious the matter was. Most of these citizens had to dig deep into meager resources to pay for an ad, or a flyer. Some simply made their own signs , wrote numerous columns or letters to the editor , did hours and hours of research , and sat for countless hours at Council, Board ,and Committee meetings.
These citizens spent their personal time fighting for a balanced year round community ….and earned nothing for their many hours of work. Various citizens, always just a handful and differing people on the many issues over more than a decade, have worked hard to keep Bar Harbor a town where people want to live year round, not just make millions during the tourist season, and then board up the shop windows and leave.
So I save my biggest thanks to these dedicated and caring citizens who continue to fight the good fight to make Bar Harbor a wonderful place to live and work…year round…and actually much nicer for our visitors, too.
This!
ThankYou. To all. And for all.
Thank you for your great coverage of this issue. This is an Island wide problem. Sadly, these tour vans are constantly idling outside of a small house museum. The amplified tours can be heard inside. We wish the Bar Harbor citizens well as they fight to save their city.
Endless fascination...
It is fascinating how people just can't make enough money , it's as if their soul depends on how much cash they can acquire while barely supporting their own workers