Nix the sale
Thanks for your article on this subject (see "No Raises for Seven Years," by Jeff Inglis, November 16). What can we do to nix this sale?
Also, how will an unhappy Verizon act? They have stopped selling bundles that include cell phone service, so we are already paying more than customers elsewhere. There is a small area (northwest corner of Merrimack County, New Hampshire) where DSL is not available because we are more than three miles from their central office in South Merrimack. The fix could be easy, I’m told by their own technicians. A “sub-station” could be added at a pole along the loop that includes our area. This is a box that would bring lines to the box from the central office and then boost power and route lines to the blind spot in North Merrimack from this box. This would provide the slight boost in power needed.
Verizon has also suspended their program to add fiber optic lines in the three states, I am told. Thus, we are being deprived of the latest technology, even though we are between Manchester and Nashua. There seems to be no reason except for their sale plan to stop this telecommunications technological advance.
At a minimum, the Public Utilities Commission should not allow the sale to happen until all customers have the opportunity to receive FIOS technology. FairPoint will be paying for this purchase for many years and will not be capable of improving technology during that time.
Finally, is there anything that can be done to pull FairPoint’s advertisements?
There should be some reasonable credibility test that prevents this company from lying to state officials, their prospective customers and, apparently, to themselves as well.
Henry Makie
Merrimack, New Hampshire
Green up, DC
As even our newspapers are coming out with “green issues” (see the issue of November 9) we need to start taking our environmental-friendly pledge to the next level. Right now Maine’s senators and congressmen have the chance to make a monumental difference for both our environmental and economic futures. Senators Snowe and Collins have proven to be environmental champions in the past, but we need them now to make a true commitment.
In the next two weeks, House and Senate leadership will reach a final decision on the provisions of the two bills to be included in the final energy bill (see "Killing Bills," by Deirdre Fulton, November 23). The American people need our congressional leadership to stay strong in the face of intensifying industry opposition and deliver a bill that will provide us relief at the gas pump by increasing miles per gallon standards, and relief from high natural-gas prices by establishing a national renewable electricity standard.
We need to start now in order to achieve the promise of a new energy future and we are counting on our representatives to lead us.
Piper Crowell
Environment Maine
Portland
