Brian Hirst’s letter in the paper (“Attacking MEA gets personal,” Feb. 19) has stirred me to write, as I heartily agree that there is “immense benefit to our communities and students to have a mix of skills, interest and abilities represented in the local public school.”

Having listened to an interview with Stephen Bowen, Maine’s education commissioner, I was also impressed with his ideas on a system based on student proficiency.

However, I am very concerned at even a suggestion that public tax funds be used in any way to support private schools.

Our children’s education will be improved if, and only if, teachers are effective in their classrooms and are supported with the materials they need.

Also, returning to neighborhood schools whenever new structures are required would encourage much-needed parental involvement in the students’ education, while reducing the time and resources wasted on unnecessary busing.

Our youth must become well educated, and/or proficient at a skill if they and our economy are to prosper.

Without question, our clearly limited public resources must to be used to meet these public needs.

Carole Sargent, Brunswick  

Moderates should forgo ego, do what’s best for Maine 

I read with alarm of all the wannabes who are considering a run for Olympia Snowe’s Senate seat.

It calls to mind Maine’s last gubernatorial election, which split the moderate vote.

We ended up with the worst candidate: LePage.

I hope that the moderates who are considering a run will remember the disaster of two years ago and forgo ego for what is best for Maine.

Don’t split the vote again!

Barbara Doughty, Portland 

Maine should guarantee workers a living wage 

Maine is in a rough spot economically. Health insurance costs have gone up 66 percent, and housing costs have gone up 44 percent, with only a 22 percent rise in income from 1999 to 2009.

There have been bills passed to try to help Mainers, but they haven’t addressed the root cause.

The underlying factor is making sure all working Mainers are making livable wages.

In Cumberland County, the livable wage is calculated at $9.87 an hour after taxes, which might cover housing, food and other basic necessities.

This is the lowest estimation of money you can scrape by on.

It does not leave any room for emergencies.

The second an unexpected expense came up — say, you needed your heater fixed (it is cold this time of the year) — you’re in trouble.

The biggest problem with the livable wage is when it is compared with Maine’s minimum wage of $7.50.

If you’re making the minimum wage and working full 40-hour weeks all year, you’ll make about $17,000.

It’s hard to imagine getting by on that. If wages went up, then the working class would be more stabilized.

Some people say that if minimum wages went up to livable wages, then businesses couldn’t stay afloat.

Two economists, David Card and Alan Kruger, disproved this and showed that when workers receive higher wages, they tend to spend more, and in some cases, local businesses even do better.

Most minimum wage-paying jobs are in the service and retail sectors, which are very unlikely to leave the state for any reason.

From San Francisco to Baltimore, more than 100 cities have enacted livable wage laws and have yielded positive results.

Maine should guarantee workers a livable wage.

At the very least, it needs to account for inflation when adjusting the minimum wage in order to help and protect business and families.

Andrew Gager, Kennebunk 

Attempts to weaken clean air laws should be blocked 

Airborne pollution caused by coal-burning power plants is toxic and has serious health consequences such as cancers, pulmonary and cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Air pollutants also damage the eyes, skin, kidneys and nervous system.

I see the impact that unhealthy air can have in my work as a nurse who focuses on chronic disease.

People with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have increased respiratory illnesses.

Unhealthy air causes people to miss school or work, leads to costly hospitalizations and health deterioration in young and old.

Reducing emissions from these plants is vital for the health of our children and grandchildren as well as the health of all Maine people.

The Clean Air Act is a life-saving public health intervention that protects communities across the country from dangerous air pollutants.

Rolling back clean air protections and not supporting the reduction of mercury and other toxic air pollution from industrial, commercial and institutional boilers and process heaters is not an option for the people of Maine.

Any effort to delay or limit the Environmental Protection Agency from protecting public health should be discouraged. Clean air should be a top priority for Congress.

I urge Maine’s senators to support the Clean Air Act and oppose any amendment to the bill that would block, weaken or delay lifesaving protections under it.

Kathy Beers, Portland  

Coping is not the way to go to control rising gas prices 

In regard to the editorial that was in the paper on Feb. 28 (Other Views, “Time to stop wishing for gas prices to go down”), we should not roll over and cope with high gas prices.

If one is to believe the Maine Voices column of Feb. 23 (“For gas prices, the law of supply and demand gives way to speculation”), everyone in America should be writing to their representatives in Congress to have H.R 5660 repealed.

The factor that is beyond most consumers is the unregulated speculation that is being done on oil futures by hedge funds and investment bankers.

Price increases are a fact of life, and we all have learned to cope.

To be taken to the cleaners by speculators is not a way to go. Then again, how far down the road do we have to wait for a 54.5-mpg car when the standard is still a “proposal”?

Come on, America, write your representatives today and get this H.R. 5660 off the books! I did.

Walter Arsenault, Scarborough