Undue Influence, Katahdin Region, Part 2
By David P. Cyr
In my last column, I asked a very pertinent question; is all this secrecy in our best interest?
Did anyone out there hear about the sale of Fleet Bank? Did you read about it in any paper? Cariboulakecrows, Inc., originally bought the bank. On 3/4/04 it was sold to " Two Ducks On An Island, LLC." Next to the bank, the former Rollins` Heating Office building was sold to "Two Ducks on an Island, LLC," on 4/16/04. The old Steeves` Hardware and Warehouse have also been absorbed. The other buildings that have been pursued by the odd ducks LLC, are the bowling alley,The Sports Wear Shop, Newberrys, The GNP Barn, and the list gets longer every day.
The first question that comes to me is probably hitting you right now. Who is intending to do what to our Main Street? If someone has a plan to rebuild, tear down, or re-shape our small shrinking town in any way, shouldn't we be involved? Or did the same people who decided that the Wilderness Society was a good thing for this paper mill town already make these decisions? The best question is: Do they know something we don't? The answer is, YES! Millinocket is just another dying town that the movement has effectively removed the industry from. My research into several communities of similar size indicates that once the property values have bottomed out, the bottom feeders move in. Having the advantage and profits from previous community dissections, the bottom feeders are just another part of the profitability of the wilderness campaign. The green groups have constructed a perfect land theft system, and at every level of exchange a profit has been built in. Wonder who's idea that was? The only losers, of course, are us.
It is important to realize that all the green groups have only one desire, control. They effectively control every level of State Government. Why do you think Roxanne Quimby was able to close the states`number one snowsled trail and use the roads on her property to cut off access to the logging industry? In a normal State, the Governor would step in and claim the ownership of the trails by eminent domain to protect the businesses adversely affected by her action. In a normal State, the governor would step in and place a heavy tax burden on anyone who would purchase property with the expressed intent of cutting off the States` # 1 industry. But in Maine, it is acceptable practice to help close down the businesses in the northern half. In Lebanon, Israel and Syria, this practice is called State Sponsored Terrorism, In Maine it is called the North Woods Legacy.
The twenty or so members of the Northern Forest Alliance can be compared to a freight train with The Nature Conservancy as the locomotive and boxcars to follow are, Restore, Wilderness Society, Sierra Club, etc. Under the guise of resource protection, always proposing to help us with solutions they have decided are "best for us", a determination that is made without any input from us, over and over again. This freight train, as strong, deceptive, and politically connected as it appears, has nothing to do with saving the environment, because it is all about control. Those individuals who maneuvered their way into positions of power, influence the publics` perception on a daily basis.
Their rewards have been well documented by two investigative journalists at the Washington Post. The Post has uncovered several campaigns that have rewarded "Green" self appointed community leaders with huge tracts of land, placing them in permanent positions of power and wealth. All this is done under the umbrella of what is best for us. Did anyone ask you what YOU thought was best? Don’t` worry they won't. Just as the Wilderness Society is being shoved down our throats, no matter what the degree of protest, I feel we are all about to have the "Maine Highlands project" introduced the same way. This project will come in dripping with all the sweet syrup the Greens can pour on it. This project will produce jobs, diversify the local economy, and make our community the gateway to the North Woods. Be prepared for all the fluff/ press they can muster, the vast majority will never question the motives behind the "Maine Highlands" because we all want to believe the best in people. History dictates that, greed and power bring out the worst in people.
There are those who will proclaim that I am upset about my project being stopped, or that I have an axe to grind, but the truth is, I'm not the first, and I won't be the last, and my struggle to complete my project has uncovered some very ugly facts. The plain pure truth is that the paper industry did not fall down due to a poor economy. My investigation takes me back to 1956 and has produced credible evidence on State of Maine letterhead that the paper industry did not fall down, it was torn down. Look for a third installment.
David P. Cyr, a lifelong resident of Millinocket, Maine gave up his seat as a member of the Millinocket Planning Board, prior to his election to the Millinocket Town Council. While he retains his seat on the Comprehensive Planning Committee, he also holds a seat on the Board of the Millinocket Historical Society and Katahdin Area Television. Along with his membership in the Maine Leaseholder’s Association and the Fin And Feather Club, he was recently elected to the Steering Committee of the Maine Woods Coalition.