My congratulations to Trooper Duane Doughty and Sgt. James Urquhart for doing the right thing in making a tough decision regarding Sgt. Robin Parker being stopped on the Maine Turnpike for driving erratically.

I give Sgt. Parker a lot of respect for stepping up to the plate, admitting his mistake and not trying to blame it on the stress of the job or personal problems.

When I worked in law enforcement in the 1960s, all we used were field sobriety tests.

If we stopped someone we thought was impaired, we would take them to the police station, keep their car keys overnight and call someone to come and pick them up.

The person had to agree to this and if they didn’t, we would take them to the Cumberland County Jail. I realize that many things have changed since the 1960s, but back then it seemed to work quite well.

What if Sgt. Parker had been involved in a fatal accident on the turnpike?

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What would his fellow officers think then?

The rules for operating motor vehicles are meant for everyone!! Regardless.

I get a little peeved when his colleagues say that his consequences regarding the incident are more serious than they would be for the public.

We all have a lot to lose if we get stopped for OUI: our privilege to drive, embarrassment for ourselves and families and possibly losing our job because we cannot get to work from rural areas.

The solution is don’t drink and drive!!!

Buck Buchanan

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Parsonsfield

Aircraft carrier museum has more lives than a cat

I was dismayed to read in the most recent issue of Portland Magazine a letter from Richard Fitzgerald, the self-styled CFO of the “USS John F. Kennedy Museum, Portland,” about an agreement between his group and the one that the U.S. Navy has selected to sponsor the siting of the retired aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy in Rhode Island.

Mr. Fitzgerald’s letter announces that should the Navy determine that the selected location is not a suitable berth for this mothballed behemoth, the Rhode Island sponsor group will work with his organization to help bring the carrier to Portland.

He further notes that the Navy deems this to be “a good strategy.”

Eternal vigilance seems to be required here. This foolish idea seems to have more lives than a cat.

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Ellen D. Murphy

Portland

Proposed MaineCare cuts would affect disabled, elderly

What will happen to me if LePage cuts my drugs and co-pays for the elderly and disabled program? I am on disability and worked full time until I completely, obviously, couldn’t work anymore. My employer did not want to let me go, but said they would back up my claim for disability.

Trying to live on Social Security disability is impossible, even with housing help and the type of MaineCare that I have (which helps with medication and doctor visit co-pays).

I have always held at least a part time job because SSDI is not enough to live on.

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Plus, I like to work. I just have too many limitations to work full time.

I am an asset to society because I am active in raising money for food pantries and animal shelters.

I don’t sit in front of my TV all day drinking beer. I don’t even have a TV. I got rid of it to save money. But I have had no part-time paid work for about a year and a half now. And I’m looking.

My food stamps were already cut so badly, I have to rely on poorly stocked food pantries. I don’t think I could eat one more plate of rice and beans.

This is a no-win situation for me and others.

LePage thinks only full-time working people are worthy.

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People will die if these cuts are made.

So, Gov. LePage, why don’t you just get your hunting rifle out and kill all of us off who are a drain on the Department of Health and Human Services budget.

Then you all can have your fancy state dinners and upper-class lifestyle.

I’ll even invite you for dinner. I’ll be having a goulash of some sort.

Arin Quintel

Berwick

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I simply cannot understand how the governor could consider the wholesale closure of all assisted living facilities. I have lived at Portland Center for Assisted Living for the past six years.

I have been a Type 1 diabetic for over 51 years and suffer some of the complications of that condition.

I am totally blind.

I can no longer use a Glucometer by myself to test my blood. I can no longer recognize and count out my own medications. I can no longer use a white cane for mobility. I can no longer always tell when my blood sugar drops suddenly.

I have always been and still am a fiercely independent person.

Living here at PCAL allows me to be the person I want to be while giving me the assistance I need for daily living.

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Knowing that there is someone here who knows my needs is very important to me.

This assisted living facility is what I need at this point in my life.

There are 152 residents just like me living here at PCAL.

Not one of us is here because we want to be, like someone on vacation having a good time.

We are here because we have to be.

I would like the governor and the legislators to tell all of us where they would like us to go now.

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Martha Rafter

Portland

If wealthy are job creators, then where are the jobs?

It is time for the reactionary right to do a bit of research.

Check out the effects of the policies of deregulation and tax breaks for the wealthy since 1980 and prior to the 1929 depression. Then look at the effect of massive government spending from 1939 through 1980.

What you will see is that most segments of society and the economy flourished under what some would call socialistic plans, and that very, very few flourished under the policies favoring the wealthy.

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To me the logic is simple. If the wealthy are job creators where are the jobs? If one supports the folks making little, they will spend most of their income and pay tax on that income.

Some need to get over the specious fear of labels like socialism, communism, liberalism.

We have been socialistic since we defied the monarch in 1775. We declared all people were created equal.

John Wood

Hollis


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