In your recent article, “Vigue turns ambition to an east-west highway,” Peter Vigue calls the opponents of the east-west highway “unprofessional,” “threatening” and even “ecoterrorists.”

He says, “This is not the way we do things in Maine”

To set the record straight, the majority of people who are raising their voices in opposition to the proposed east-west corridor are responsible, hard-working Maine citizens with legitimate personal and local concerns.

At the recent meeting in Dover-Foxcroft, there was no heckling or disrespect by anyone except Vigue, whose defensive accusations were an insult to those at the meeting.

We asked important questions related to the future of our communities and way of life in a respectful and honest way. His responses were evasive, defensive, dismissive, accusatory and hostile.

For example, he said he will not release the route of the intended highway because he thinks the landowners would be intimidated by opponents into not selling their land.

Doesn’t he think it is the right of the Maine people whose lives will be affected to know if their homes, farms and communities will be affected by the massive corridor?

If Vigue wants to hear our concerns, as he professes, then he would do well to really listen to people who simply have a different vision and values. He should stop making threatening and improper characterizations, and start having serious, honest discussions with us, not just backroom negotiations and dealings with legislators and Canadian corporate executives.

We are not terrorists, backward, radical or a threat, unless Vigue believes that the very act of questioning or disagreeing with him is threatening. Open discussion is the way things are done in Maine.

 

Lesley Fernow

Dover-Foxcroft

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