300 million -- how many more?

My oldest child was born in 1967. That was the year America saw its 200 millionth citizen. On Tuesday our population reached 300 million. There have been major changes over those 39 years.

In 1967, Vietnam was escalating, Israel saw a Six-Days war, in the movies Woody Allen was James Bond in “Casino Royale”, Dustin Hoffman “The Graduate” being told that the future was “plastics”, and Congress was passing laws against age discrimination.

Now there is a new Bond in a new, more serious, “Casino Royale” and the President has signed a law in violation of 14th Amendment Habeas Corpus rights for those under our jurisdiction.

In this re-election period, it is worthy to note that Congresswoman Olympia Snowe wholeheartedly advocates depriving those under our jurisdiction Constitutional protection. She even advocates a Constitutional amendment to allow denial of Freedom of Speech.

Only 39 years from expansion of, to denial of, our rights as citizens and residents of this once great nation. In thirty (30) years we will see our 400 millionth citizen. What rights will they receive, or be denied? Will this nation even be recognizable?

North Korean has detonated it’s first atomic bomb. The Bush “axis of evil” has a nuclear component. Osama Bin Laden is free and we are NOT doing anything to change that; we can’t, our troops are in Iraq protecting, actively increasing, Saudi OPEC oil profits.

(After the election I might put it together for you, explain why the GOP says nothing about full price Venezuelan oil via EXXON and SHELL, but screams about discounted oil from CITGO.)

Senator Snowe votes with Bush on everything which has the effect of expanding our deficits and the war; but, pre-election, she wants to reassess so that post-election it will be “business-as-usual.”

Here in Washington County, it is time to plan for our future. In that future, our changing demographics must be placed within a context of world demographic and economic change. Regions controlling product, or finance, will prosper while all others are bleed dry.

Two hundred years ago, Washington County controlled product – lumber and ships – if we turn to LNG, we will again.

The disparity of voodoo economics – Right-wing Reaganomics – is real and growing. We are not, nor will we ever become, a “jet-set” destination. Jet-ports make no economic, or rational, sense. Slots? The physical machine is the equivalent of LNG – the money goes to the distributor; right now, that is some Las Vegas corporation is the endpoint for gambling money, and here, Canada gets the LNG and oil revenues. Both locales are talking expansion.

In 30 years, our current shore front property will underwater. That means the habitat being “protected” by new 250 setback laws will not exist. Those who doubt global warming, and deny melting ice caps, will challenge this as they do everything factual.

I suggest page 13 of the November issue of DISCOVER. You will see photographic proof of how our climate has changed since 1868. It is proof that many of us can confirm in their own family albums.

Habitat destruction is assured – with, or without setbacks – for the sake of our long-term economy, halt new construction on any shore land less than 25 feet above current sea level. There are many issues to consider, put Washington County first. VOTE!

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