CLICKBACK ON ‘SHORTS,’ JOBS

This week, the BDN’s interactive feature, ClickBack, seeks comment from editorial page readers on the resignation of former Maine Warden Service head Tom Santaguida, the rise of wood pellets as a fuel, and the Maine economy. To participate, go to bangordailynews.com and click on the ClickBack icon. Some of the comments posted at the ClickBack page will be featured on the BDN’s OpEd page on Friday. Readers are also encouraged to post their own ClickBack questions.

Former Maine Warden Service head Tom Santaguida claims he was “set up” to lose his job. Does something smell fishy here?

Santaguida, who fished recreationally for lobster, was found with nine lobsters smaller than the legal minimum size by a Maine Marine Patrol officer in October. He was first warned, then, upon review by the department, was issued a summons for the infraction. Santaguida then resigned. Was justice served? Should he have been given a warning and kept his job? Or must someone entrusted with upholding and enforcing fish and game laws face a higher standard? Is there a conspiracy at work here, as Santaguida and some of his supporters suggest? Did Santaguida ruffle the wrong feathers, and were the “short” lobsters planted to get him in trouble? Or is the explanation more simple, that Santaguida did not know how to properly measure lobster, as the investigating officer found?

Will wood pellets emerge as a dominant home-heating fuel?

As a response to the high cost of heating oil, many Maine households are considering converting to heating with pellet stoves and furnaces. Will the growing pellet manufacturing and pellet stove industries continue to expand? Will Maine serve as a model for other Northern states? Or could pellet production falter and leave homes stuck without an adequate supply?

Maine gained jobs, compared to last year. Is the state economy beginning to recover?

A state Department of Labor report shows Maine netted 700 more jobs from May 2007 to May 2008. Is this a sign that the worst is over? Will the national and state economies begin to expand again, despite high energy prices? Do you feel secure about your job?

Has confusion about gender identity gone too far?

Reader takei asks: The outpouring of compassion for the gender conflicted child in Orono is very admirable, but if a child identifies as a tomato should we put a sticker on him and leave him in the produce section? What if he thinks he’s a horse? Should we take him to school in a trailer? When is it time for a reality check?

Respond by going to bangordailynews.com and looking for the ClickBack logo.