Lane/Tommy: Will the proposed bus service from Bridgton to Portland be a boon or boondoggle? When one looks at a government project, whether the sewer extension from Westbrook to South Windham, a ship for the Navy or bus parts for the Windham School Department, all the taxpayers see are tremendous cost overruns for which we, the taxpayers, end up footing the bill.

Tommy: Mass transportation is in itself a great idea. However, there are many circumstances that can make it a successful venture or a financial disaster for taxpayers. Take it from someone who grew up using mass transportation in New York City where the transportation systems are connected. I had the ability to travel through all five boroughs of the city because the infrastructure was there. When one looks at a bus running up and down Route 302, how are the passengers going to get from other locations to ride the bus? Obviously a huge piece of infrastructure is missing and it’s a piece that taxpayers cannot afford. The biggest drawback to a successful public transportation system is a lack of population and therein lies Maine’s problem. New York city has millions and millions using its transportation system every day while the entire state of Maine has a population of 1.2 million spread across the entire state.

Lane: One of my biggest worries about the proposed Lake Region bus line is the taxpayers’ money. The recent Lake Region Weekly article stated that 13 percent of the cost would come from the fare revenues paid by users and 87 percent would come from government grants and municipal contributions. It is obvious that the majority of funds are coming from the taxpayers, whether they ride the bus or not.

Remember at the same time the state of Maine is looking to revive the Mountain Division Railroad so how much will Windham and other towns have to “contribute” toward that? This state already faces a tremendous deficit and it is predicted that there will be a more significant downturn in our economy for the near future. As 58 percent of the funding for this bus system comes from government grants, what happens when those grants dry up? As Windham’s municipal share is 30 percent, are the taxpayers of Windham ready to pony up 30 percent of the total cost of this proposed bus system?

Lane/Tommy: We are confused as to how someone could state that 13 percent of the costs will come from the users when the fares have not been determined. Another variable is how many passengers will be frequent riders on a daily basis. We all know Americans love their automobiles and we do not believe that will be given up easily. After all, Maine is a rural state without the ability to pay for a complete transportation system. Are people going to be willing to ride on a bus for a significantly longer period of time when the convenience of their own car will shorten travel time?

Tommy: Where will the majority of riders come from that will use this bus system? Will it be the poor and welfare recipients of the Lake Region riding into Portland or will it be the unemployed coming from Portland who will take away jobs from Windham residents? Won’t Windham High School students be thrilled because all the jobs in North Windham will be taken and they can take the summer off!

To Lane and Tommy of Windham there appears to be a common thread between the project at Keddy Mill in South Windham and this proposed bus from Bridgton to Portland and that is Windham’s economic developer. Both these projects will cost Windham residents money, but is he a Windham resident? So why should he care if Lakes Region residents travel to Portland to spend their hard-earned money there instead of Windham, Raymond or Bridgton? We must also state that there appears to be an economic benefit for Portland so why does Portland get the gold mine and we in the Lake Region get the shaft?