I couldn’t agree more with Steve Hamblen’s May 27 letter to the editor, “Why do officials drive far beyond the speed limit?”

I have experienced many state of Maine vehicles, those that look like everyday cars but have the www.maine.gov on their license plates, driving between 76 and 82 mph.

One night last month on a trip from Augusta to Portland, I clocked two 12-passenger fully loaded “Go Maine” vans traveling at 76 and 81 mph. Weeks later, on a similar trip, three fully loaded “Go Maine” vans passed me at more than 76 mph. Those passenger vans are notorious for very poor handling at high speeds.

Trust me; most calls to the state of Maine on speeding vehicles get ignored.

Sadly, aggressive action will only be taken after they pull bodies from a wreck.

Larry Davis

Hallowell

 

Anti-abortion bills too restrictive on rights

 

I am an active member of the League of Young Voters. As a young woman hoping to raise a family in Maine, I am writing to express my opposition to all bills before the Legislature that would limit women’s access to abortions.

Historically, Maine’s government has kept out of a woman’s personal decisions about whether to have a family. That’s the way it should be.

I am particularly concerned about two bills that pose serious health risks for women. Proponents of L.D. 116, An Act to Require a 24-hour Waiting Period Prior to an Abortion, say they would like to give a woman extra time to rethink her decision. But like all women, I have to make serious health choices all the time, like whether to get an HPV vaccination or mammogram.

I don’t need my government telling me how long I should think about my own health care. By requiring two separate appointments before receiving an abortion, L.D. 116 would make many women jeopardize their own health by delaying the procedure.

L.D. 1457 would require minors to have written and notarized consent from a legal guardian before having an abortion. I wish that all young women could discuss difficult situations with a parent, but I remember many of my friends in high school who never had that kind of support at home.

Other states with similar laws have seen more youth traveling across state lines to have an abortion. Again, this would result in more delayed abortions, and therefore greater health risks.

Too many women already lack access to important ob/gyn health care services. We don’t need additional barriers between women and their health.

I ask legislators to be pragmatic about L.D.s 116 and 1457, and vote against unnecessary health risks for Maine women.

Emma Halas-O’Connor

Portland

 

Watergate the dividing line for media’s use of discretion

 

I remember the good old days before Watergate, when the media did not report everything they knew out of consideration for individuals, the good of the country and everything in between (one example being JFK’s romantic entanglements).

The excitement surrounding the Watergate scandal forever changed the “gentlemen’s agreement” long held by the media. I admit to happily participating in all the disclosures, discovering that there was news 24/7.

But now, I can’t count the number of public persons whose lives, marriages and careers have been ruined by the enthusiastic reporting of sexual peccadillos.

There are not more indiscretions than in the “good old days;” we just know about them now.

In a frenzy for ratings, new information or not, the Arnold Schwarzenegger infidelity and resulting progeny has overcome any possible media outlet.

I understand that this is the existing protocol, but what I have found alarming is the fact that no one has considered that a teenage boy’s true parentage has been disclosed to the world, including his private world.

The whole world has learned that his mother is an adulteress, and the person his friends now know is his father turns out to be a very public figure.

Apparently, his mother disclosed the truth of his birth to him at an earlier time. How devastating do you suppose this is to this adolescent? Not to mention the devastating effect on Schwarzenegger’s wife and legitimate children.

The public has a “right to know,” despite the LePage administration’s now-canceled move to no longer announce legislative information in The Press Herald and other papers.

But when children will be needlessly hurt, no member of the public needs to know personal information about public people to sell papers or increase TV ratings.

Life is not a reality show. Sex is a fact of life. Private family matters should remain private.

Rachel Schwartz

South Portland

Give Eydie Pryzant support for Falmouth School Board

 

Please join me in voting for Eydie Pryzant for Falmouth School Board on June 14. As a former state senator representing Falmouth, I had the pleasure of speaking with Eydie in 2008 about the school consolidation referendum.

Eydie led a group of concerned citizens who opposed the plan to consolidate the Falmouth schools with MSAD 51 and worked hard to defeat it. Falmouth voted against consolidation in 2008 and its defeat has allowed Falmouth to remain the stand-alone, independent, high-performing district that it is today.

Eydie will continue to bring that level of commitment and perseverance to the Falmouth school district as a school board member.

As a 20-year Falmouth resident, mother of three children who have gone through the Falmouth schools, and a 12-year school volunteer, Eydie is knowledgeable about our school system.

She has volunteered extensively, in many capacities, in Falmouth’s elementary classrooms, the Middle School library, and served on the district’s math and advanced placement curriculum committees. Currently, she is president of the Falmouth Parent-Teacher Organization.

Eydie is committed to a high-quality education but remains concerned and respectful of the impact on the taxpayer.

She will work collaboratively to maintain an optimum educational experience for all students and at the same time will seek efficiencies in the system.

Jerry Davis

Falmouth