Lights out in Portland to save $$

I think it's a good idea to shut off as many streetlights as possible in order to save money. With car and house alarms affordable for households, street lights are mainly needed at intersections.

Yikes-just what are they paying taxes for in that community? Tainted water and no lights. Welcome to the age of pay ,pay pay and get nothing in return

The first Portland resident to be assaulted (or get in an accident)once they do shut off street lights will be rich because they would have great cause to sue the daylights out of the town for creating that condition. Hey Portland, how about other steps first. No town paid cars with gas cards. Cut back overtime. Turn off lights in offices with windows like they do in my office. Maybe the dreaded 4 day work week. C'mon, something smarter than having the town in the dark.

The lights are out and nobodys home in the Portland Town Hall.

This is getting more rediculous day after day......

Soon....there will not be enough money that can be collected.........

How about taking out the bulbs in every other street light instead creating "dead" zones..........makes more damn sense

I smell a law suit comming SOON..........

I disagree with street lights being shut off. I was followed home one evening after work and I was unable to get the plate number because a tree was blocking the street light making it too dark to see much of anything! There are other ways to save money than to sacrifice people's safety.

I think it is a very dumb idea. Can't imagine people wanting to walk, or even drive around on dark streets. Of course the CRIMINALS will love it! Sounds like they could care less about people's safety!!!!

Reader wrote:

I disagree with street lights being shut off. I was followed home one evening after work and I was unable to get the plate number because a tree was blocking the street light making it too dark to see much of anything! There are other ways to save money than to sacrifice people's safety.

I was going to say the same thing but I didn't think there was any crime in Portland

Where does the tax money go? 1st off all its like inviting criminals to steal and secondly its just silly!

Street lights off ---- crime up!!!!
A dumb thing to do...

Reader wrote:

I disagree with street lights being shut off. I was followed home one evening after work and I was unable to get the plate number because a tree was blocking the street light making it too dark to see much of anything! There are other ways to save money than to sacrifice people's safety.

Sounds Paranoid?

PUBLIC SAFTEY

We spend billions trying to be safe and they are worried about lights that are there for public Saftey. This is just one example of why OUR Govt has lost touch with reality!

here comes the thiefs and the home invaders who was the dumb bell braindead clown to come up with that

it is my understanding that the towns pay a set price no matter how much they use the lights. i have a street light in my home town in front of my home.. it was out and when cl&p repaired it it was on for 24 hours for about 3 months.. i contacted the first selectman and was informed that cl&p was contacted several times about it . when i mentioned about the cost that was when i was informed that it was not costing the town any more money.. i soon called cl&p and asked about homeowners conserving energy. i was given the whole story and when they were finished i asked the following.. why do you want me to conserve energy when l sit on my porch on a sunny day and look at a street light on for 24 hours a day wasting energy.. it was immediatly repaired. they did not care when the town called because it was a fixed rate.. what does the town pay for and what is the actual cost ??????????

Off the subject a tad.........I worked for a contractor equipment rental company that was contracted with state to provide them with air compressors, jackhammers etc.........one day a DOT guy called and ordered an air compressor, with a single jackhammer, he ordered a 185 CFM machine, they could have used a smaller one...when they came to pick it up I talked the guy into takin the smaller one...... writing on the rental contract " smaller machine taken, so monthy charge was $200.00 less" the state refused to pay the bill....it went past 120 days, not unusual for the state to pay in 120 or 180 days.........to make a long story short.I was told to "reinvoice" at the higher amount and it would be paid..........

This is the mentality that the state has.....we are getting screwed each & every day..........

I am 110% for saving tax dollors but darkness brings more crime too. Its another catch 22 situation.

It doesn't sound like they are proposing to turn off whole sections of the town. Does anyone who posted actually know what lights are proposed to be shut off or is everyone just making assumptions that the town is returning to the stone ages? I'm sure this isn't the only way the town is looking to save some money and some of teh lights included in this proposal may actually make sense.

Where I live in Derby we had a few lights not working on a busy street - cars and pedestrians. In the dark zones, the cars blined pedestrains.
I lived in Springfield MA when the same idea was put in place. Dumb move, crime went up, I was almost attacked in my own front yard.
I will agree that there may be some lights that can be done away with - as in everything there may be some waste, but I believe that looking to save $30,000 or more from a town like Portland will be cutting into public safety.
Think about it - why do businesses put up lights and run many of them into the night well past business hours? Businesses are always looking out for the "bottom line". Government needs to do the same - cutting street lights may lead to an increase in crime, leading to lower property values....

shuting off the lights is not going to stop them from raising the taxs so lets keep the lights on and we will continue to pay our taxes

It's the politics beating around the bush instead of fixing the real problom like anything else in this country