Dem Corps OP/ED Portland Press Herald 7/31/08 by Al Sicard, Executive Director
Decision Doesn't Answer Water Questions:
A battle over a water district's deal with Poland Spring may have ended, but Maine needs statewide policies.
The Kennebunk-Kennebunkport-Wells Water District recently tabled a thirty year agreement with Nestle, parent company of Poland Spring water. This decision to turn down millions of dollars was made only after hundreds of citizens united in opposition and made their voices heard.
That may have ended this battle but the larger issue remains: "Does Maine want to increase its role as a water exporting state?"
It is not fair to have a multi-national giant like Nestle go town to town until they tie up all the water resources they can. After all, it is said, "Water is the next oil." These towns lack the resources to independently educate the public and make decisions about their most precious natural resource that will affect several generations.
Therefore we ask the State of Maine take a leadership role and form policy that will protect groundwater as it presently does surface water.
Vermont has enacted this type of legislation and a similar bill hopefully will be submitted to the next legislature. Only then will a discussion take place that will address:
1) Water Abundance: Do we have an excess or a limitless supply? To hear the Nestle engineers the answer would be "Yes." But independent research is needed to assure citizens we can safely increase our role as a water exporting state without adversely affect ground water tables in adjacent property.
2)Traffic: Where does this water get extracted and how does it travel to its bottling plant(s) and to the turnpike and the stores where it is purchased? Presently, one hundred truck trips are made daily on Route 112 between the Poland Spring Hollis plant and the Saco entrance to the turnpike. Waste water also travels in takers daily from Hollis to Old Orchard Beach along the same route. These roads were never made to handle this volume of traffic. And Nestle wants to ratchet up output of this and other plants.
3) Taxes: What is the State and Municipal revenue stream? If it were any other natural resource (oil, gas, coal, etc.) extracted from Maine land it would be taxed. Why does Nestle get a free pass? The State and municipal budgets and ultimately the state taxpayers sure could use the help!
4) Other Large Commercial Water Users: Luckily, the KKW Water District was approached by Nestle and it was fairly easy to rally people given their track record here and overseas.
But what if it had been Fred Forsley of Shipyard Beer or Stan Bennett of Oakhurst Dairy (who also sells bottled spring water) wanting a similar agreement for thirty years of water?
My guess is that because these are examples of fine Maine companies, the outcome may have been different. Therefore, we believe the State needs to enact legislation that treats all large commercial users equally and fairly.
Be careful what you ask for! We know there will be an army of Nestle and other lobbyists but it will be balanced by citizens from across this state that have already been impacted by this vacuum left by the State's inaction.
Once this discussion has taken place in Augusta, we can then move forward with policies and legislation in place that protect our most valuable resource: water. OP/ED Portland Press Herald 5/24/08 by Al Sicard, Executive Director
Maine Needs Oil Buying Groups
We were pleased to pick up your paper and read that Auburn was including residents in its discounted oil buying program. However, we were stunned to see Maine Oil Dealers spokesperson Jamie Py call the buying program something akin to “Soviet Russia.” (PPH 5/15/08 “Auburn Lets Residents Join its Bulk Oil Deal”)
Naturally the MOD will continue to oppose these buying groups who cut in to their profit margin. Our group has saved hundreds of Maine families hundreds of thousand of dollars in heating oil costs over the three years we have been working collectively. We say, as oil is at historic highs, Maine consumers need relief and we have organized to help. Churches, unions, neighborhoods, companies and others have organized to form groups as well.
Why the rub? Well the MOD says it is against a two tier pricing system. That occurs where one customer gets their “rack price” and someone down the street gets a lower price because they belong to a group who has negotiated a better rate based on volume. This two tier system was in fact created years ago when landlords and other larger oil users were, and continue to be given, volume discounts. So, our position is the two tier system can be eliminated easily…let the dealers give each consumer the lower price! This, of course, will not happen so groups like our have formed to shift the power of pricing back to the consumer.
80% of Maine homes are dependent on heating oil. It is not a luxury, it is a life or death necessity in the deep, dark New England winters. For the first time, many homeowners now pay more to heat their home than they pay in property taxes to their municipality. So it’s no trivial matter as we approach and will surpass $4/gallon cash prices.
Speculators have also entered the heating oil market driving up prices because they know people can quickly change their driving habits to save gas but it is much more difficult to cut down on their heating expense. And, partially as a result of this, home heating oil’s price per gallon has overtaken the price of gasoline at the pump. That has never happened and signals danger in the market.
We must remind Mainers that oil is at these historic levels without:
---a major hurricane disrupting supply
---a major oil refinery fire disrupting supply
---a major disruption in supply in war zones or other oil producing regions
Experts say any one of the above events will instantly drive oil to $150-$200/barrel which translates into $4.50-$5.00 gallon.
This type of education is what Dem Corps does with our members. We also explain the different plans like pre-pay and budget…and assure members that our dealers does buy futures to guarantee the price throughout the winter season. Downside insurance protection is a foreign term to many Mainers but we help explain that especially to those who feel the oil prices may come down during the lock in period.
In fact, we explain that prices are volatile and they must make their own decision about oil plans. According to State Energy statistics, Mainers saved money being on a heating oil plans 13 out of the last 16 years. So, this is not as simple as price shopping for a gallon of milk and Dem Corps does it part to educate the consumer so they can make their best informed decision.
Our motto is “Democrats Building Community” and we believe there is strength in numbers. This is true in politics and also in economics. We applaud the City of Auburn and challenge other municipal, county and state organizations to follow their lead.
For Immediate Release: 4/21/07
Contact: Al Sicard 841-8493
Democrats Distribute CFLs to Celebrate Earth Day in Biddeford
Members of Maine’s Young Democrats and Dem Corps, a non-profit group fostering volunteerism, distributed over 150 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to celebrate Earth Day. Volunteers fanned out over Biddeford neighborhoods to help residents use less electricity thus eventually lowering the emissions of greenhouse gases created during the production of electricity.
Greg Dumas, Dem Corps board president, says it is a small part to help the environment. “If we can get 150 homes in the local area to switch to CFLs, others will follow and we can eventually reduce carbon dioxide production and do our small part to reverse this global warming trend,” he stated at a Democratic breakfast in Saco before the neighborhood walk.
The group says the CFLs were donated by funds earmarked for this project over the past several months. Dumas says he hopes they can roll out similar neighborhood CFL drops all over the state. They were joined on the walk by York County District Attorney Mark Lawrence who is an announced candidate for the 1st District Congressional seat now held by Tom Allen. Adam Cote, President of the Maine Young Democrats and also a Congressional candidate, assisted in the CFL distribution. | 
Maine Young Democrats and Dem Corps Volunteers before they headed out distributing free CFLs ~ Photo by Al Sicard |