To the editor:

It is no wonder taxpayers get frustrated with the way our government spends money.

Last week, three 65-foot ice breakers were sent up the Kennebec River to break up the ice that usually blocks the flow of the river around Augusta in the spring.

Anyone living along the Kennebec could have informed the Coast Guard that they would find no ice in the usual places. There has been little ice coming down the river all winter.

Normally, we who live on Arrowsic would see large chunks of ice coming down the river at this time of year. The river has been clear of ice, or nearly so, for several weeks.

The Coast Guard could have easily saved the taxpayers thousands of dollars by asking someone who lived near the river in Augusta to have a look at the river. What a waste of fuel and money that exercise was.

No wonder the Coast Guard has budget problems.

Bart Chapin,
Arrowsic

letters@timesrecord.com