So you can break the law, maintain an anonymous website that spews negative information about a candidate and, by doing so, influence the outcome of a statewide election (“Author of Cutler bash site broke law,” Dec. 21), and your punishment is a $200 fine and your identity is protected. I’m glad to see that justice has been served!

David Moltz

Portland

 

The Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices seems to have taken its procedural cues from analogous congressional ethics committees.

In a 180-degree twist of ethics, the members treat misbehavior of important people extremely tolerantly, when exactly the opposite — strict and emphatic intolerance of those who betray public trust — should prevail.

Political insiders conspired to commit one of our scummier civil violations — anonymous libel (which conceivably changed an election result) — and one was found guilty of failing to issue a “disclaimer” and given a meaningless fine. None was identified, which is the only really important result that should have occurred.

The ethical arguments and logic of Dick Spencer, Eliot Cutler’s attorney, stand in stark contrast to those of the commission, which apparently, by the way, has not looked up “libel” in a dictionary. May Spencer’s approach someday prevail in the higher workings of our society.

Lyman A. Page

Kennebunkport

 

Learn about health care from MPBN radio program

 

If you think you know all there is to know about the new health care reform law, The Affordable Care Act, then I respectfully suggest you think again.

During the past few years, we’ve heard the pros and cons about health care reform and the new law. Some of the information is accurate, some not, some misinformed and some is just plain misleading.

On Dec. 8, MPBN radio broadcast Healthcare Reform: Impact and Opportunities, a Speaking in Maine presentation featuring Ron Pollack, a nationally recognized health care reform advocate.

Pollack’s talk lasts approximately one hour. He is very knowledgeable with regards to the recently passed law. In addition to describing the benefits of the new law, he addresses some of the concerns expressed by opponents, such as “death panels,” benefit reductions in Medicare for seniors, added costs, etc.

If you’re interested in the reform law but are unsure of it due to the rhetoric, I would urge you to take the time to listen to the full presentation.

To have a better understanding of this law is critically important with our governor-elect and attorney general discussing the possibility of joining a lawsuit with other states opposed to the law’s enactment.

It is part of the Audio On Demand feature on MPBN’s website.

Roger Beeley

Scarborough

 

U.S. immigration policies contribute to problems

 

It is about time the people of America started talking openly and honestly about immigration and the effect it is having.

When I was in school during the 1960s and 1970s, teachers and school children used to discuss the problem of overpopulation. Because of this and other factors, the American people did the responsible thing and had fewer children (about two per family on average).

If we had continued at that rate, the U.S. population would now be between 225 million and 250 million, but instead it is around 310 million and rising.

The reason for the rise is because the politicians changed the legal immigration rate from 250,000 a year to 1 million a year, plus allowing 1 million illegal immigrants a year to stay.

Adding 250,000 immigrants a year is sustainable because that is roughly the amount of people who leave the country each year. But 2 million a year is not feasible because at that rate we will have close to 400 million people by the year 2050.

Why did politicians up the immigration rate? Two reasons: 1) to keep their Ponzi scheme called Social Security afloat, and 2) to help alleviate world poverty.

The question is: How does bringing poor, uneducated people to this country help Social Security? And we are kidding ourselves if we think we are doing anything meaningful about world poverty when the world has a population of 3 billion making less than $2 a day. The United States has 10 percent unemployment and limited resources. Think about what immigration means to those people.

Roger Hale

Naples

 

New Maine House member wants ‘rudderless ship’

 

In his column of Dec. 5, Bill Nemitz introduced us to some members of the new Legislature. I feel called upon to take Rep. Beth O’Connor, R-Berwick, to task for her remarks about President Obama and the role of government in our lives.

O’Connor stated in a “Letter to America” that President Obama was either stupid or evil. President Obama is definitely not stupid, and his academic record is proof of that. She may not trust book learning from one of the best universities in our country, but I do. I want someone way smarter than I at the helm of this state and this country.

Government is necessary for a safe and orderly society. Without it, we run the risk of becoming a bullying band of brigands, like the Totally Enraged Anarchists of the tea party.

Government gets involved in our lives because we usually make a mess of it when left to our own devices. Government is necessary because without it the truly needy, whose numbers are on the rise, will have no voice or support.

According to O’Connor, people like her, but do not count me among her admirers. Her own words reveal an evil intent — the abolishment of any form of government. The entire fabric of society will have to become a pile of tatters in a rudderless ship aimlessly adrift on the sea of chance before O’Connor will admit that government is necessary.

Her toxic brand of snake oil is selling well in some areas of this fine state. I, for one, refuse to fall prey to the popularity of this particular peddler of populist pablum.

Charles Oehrtmann

Windham

 

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