I am originally a Connecticut resident who moved to southwest Florida in 1979.

I often visit family in South Portland and love it here.

We in southwest Florida fought off-shore drilling for years and were conned into believing there could be no hazard to the environment or our lives and lifestyle.

The BP oil spill showed the truth and the horrifying potential of Big Oil in the Gulf. I am in real estate in Bonita Springs and have lost over 80 percent of my income directly attributable to the oil spill and the fear by tourists and property buyers that our shores would be ruined for years to come and that it could happen again.

Many families lost their jobs, their homes, their businesses and will never recover from the “spill, which could never happen.”

It seems that the people here need to wake up and understand that a disaster can happen here and will at some time and when it does everything will change.

I understand the people who are for what “Big Oil” wants, they work for Big Oil and they are afraid of losing their jobs. Who wants to be seen as the bad guy voting against his boss?

Tar sands are the next accident waiting to happen. When do the oil companies have enough money, when are profits high enough?

Our planet is in trouble, we should be concentrating on alternate energy sources, not perpetuating the use of carbon-based fuels that only kill our planet slowly but surely.

Vote for the Waterfront Protection Ordinance and keep tar sands out of South Portland!

Martin Wallerstein

Bonita Springs, Fla.