How's the political climate in Orono? Moderate or extreme? (Old Town: live in, town)

[mainewannabe]

especially hte older ones, I wonder? Those are like big metal boxes. They DO seem very sturdy come to think of it. hmmmmm. And, I took this opinion from a very trusted mechanic. On the other hand, maybe he would have said that if I had a mercedes it was the safest car on the road. LOL.
Actually, I should have better qualified that as: ONE of the safest cars on the road. Airline pilots like saabs and audis. I've never found one of those for sale while I look so have no personal knowledge. They're very nice. Friends drive them but .... I like used cars. New cars get on my nerves. Especially that whole cost:value ratio.
THanks, forest. It's why you're trustworthy. you always say your mind plainly.

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Actually I think that studies have shown that Mercedes are safer and have been safer for more decades than any other car.

I worked LEO in Europe for three years and I have witnessed a lot of traffic accidents. Most European cars crumple real quick. I have seen Opals and fords crumple like a soda can, with us trying to cut the passengers out of the car, while the Mercedes they hit only 'suffered' the dust and wax transferring off, everyone inside Mercedes always walked out of the cars unassisted and unharmed. And the Mercedes always drove away from the accident scene, unless it had flipped [but even then they just needed the wrecker to pull them out of the ditch and flip them right again, then the Mercedes could drive away safely].

[Submariner]

My wife drives a Saab, we really like it.

They have a really good understanding of cold weather driving.

[ogre]

I find it difficult to imagine a Volvo with a handgun on the dashboard, or a shotgun rack in the rear window. [quote, Forest Beekeeper]

This image seems a bit like something one might have seen in a Far Side cartoon.

[dmyankee]

Originally Posted by ogre

I find it difficult to imagine a Volvo with a handgun on the dashboard, or a shotgun rack in the rear window. [quote, Forest Beekeeper]

This image seems a bit like something one might have seen in a Far Side cartoon.

Bill the cat and Opus the penguin, firing 9mm's out the windows!

ACK!

[moughie]

Originally Posted by dmyankee

Bill the cat and Opus the penguin, firing 9mm's out the windows!

ACK!

I Love Far Side!!! Great image there, dmyankee

[Cornerguy1]

Back to the political climate of Orono.....

[starwalker]

I saw the house with the little flags all over the lawn (red and white) on my way in to town and noticed the sign explaining them on my way out.

I didn't stop, there was a car on my bumper, though I had wanted to get a shot, and find out if there was a difference in meaning between the two colors of flags.

Anyone know?

[bubagump]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Coaster- I agree, well said.

Wide-eyed kids sit in awe of their 'learned' professors like sponges.

Maine has smaller colleges too, and two year colleges where you may find more 'working-class' students and thus more conservatives.

Orono draws kids who want to go through the four year experience and become professionals. Those kids are upwardly focused perhaps coming from the slightly more affluent families in New England.

I am a vendor at the farmer's market in Orono. We use the university's Steam Plant Parking Lot. So I do see a few students, grad students, professors and hangers-on.

There is also a large selection of foreign students and professors. They come through the market to make a connection with the locals. And some of the vendors make a very big deal of rubbing shoulders with professor so-and-so "he is from Germany you know".

I see a lot of students who do not come from this area at all. They find it quaint that local wild berries and fiddleheads are sold at the market. Such local foods are new to many of them and possibly beneath them. There are specific weekends when many of the student's parents are in town, and without much else going on, the kids take their families to stroll through the open air Farmer's Market. That is when we see a lot of very expensive vehicles, and people asking questions like: "now your eggs, do they really come from chickens? Do you folks have chickens on your farm? Do you have to touch them?".

I would say that Orono does seem to be very liberal.

A few times I have gotten into very interesting discussion with some of the folks in Orono. Since I am retired military, I have traveled a bit, I have lived in other nations; I tend to have a slightly different world-view then some of those highly impressionable kids.

Is the area largley rural? I'd like a little bit of land. I'm checking out places for relocation.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

There is rural land within 10 miles of Bangor, but the further out you go the better the price.

Orono is very liberal and the students are politically active. They register to vote in Orono or surrounding towns and vote back home by absentee ballot. Nobody seems to care. Other liberal schools in Maine do the same.

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

There is rural land within 10 miles of Bangor, but the further out you go the better the price.

Orono is very liberal and the students are politically active. They register to vote in Orono or surrounding towns and vote back home by absentee ballot. Nobody seems to care. Other liberal schools in Maine do the same.

Did you notice that the legislature seemed to forget about the idea of absentee voting when that last bill came up?