Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

Support tourism or multinational corporations

George Smith's recent column claiming that fishermen don't care if there are industrial wind turbines on our mountains would be laughable, if it weren't such a serious subject.

Smith, who saw to it that the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine took a large donation from First Wind and then took a large "sponsorship" himself from the same developer, can hardly be called unbiased about the subject.

Working guides all over the state are hearing the same thing from their clients: "If the turbines go up, we won't be back." Some guides already have lost clients.

Forget that industrial wind is a scam on the American taxpayer, forget that it doesn't reduce carbon dioxide emissions or fossil fuel use, even forget that it is destroying wildlife and wildlife habitat, along with property values and human health.

Just remember this: The state of Maine has a choice to make. It can support its oldest and largest industries -- tourism, which accounts for $10 billion and 170,000 non-subsidized jobs every year in the state. Or it can support multinational corporations who steal our tax money to turn Maine into an industrial wasteland with projects that will never have any payoff beyond the "tangible benefits" money spread around to make people believe that they are getting something for nothing.

If Mainers listen to Smith and the others who are taking money (mostly our tax money) from the wind companies, our economy will suffer. If we choose to support and defend Maine tourism, then we will continue to be a destination for money-spending tourists for generations to come, even more so as every other state in the Northeast gets defiled by useless, over-subsidized wind turbines.

David P. Corrigan

Registered Maine Master Guide

Fletcher Mountain Outfitters

Concord Township