In response to the Page A2 Associated Press article on unemployment statistics and conspiracy theory, I would like to point out an alternative and much more likely conspiracy (“U.S. unemployment: Politics, statistics morph into conspiracy,” Oct. 6).
It’s led, perhaps, by companies like Jack Welch’s General Electric (a company that stores its profits offshore and pays a smaller percentage of its gross income in taxes than even Mitt Romney) and other cash-rich companies.
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Under the auspices of maybe the U.S. Chamber of Commerce or Americans for Prosperity or Americans for Tax Reform and perhaps some other members of what Hillary Clinton called a “vast right-wing conspiracy,” these companies have simply refused to hire people when they normally would.
I suggest that they may have conspired to keep unemployment high until after the election — at which time they would open the floodgates of hiring if Mitt Romney were to get elected.
My guess is that if President Obama gets re-elected, the conspiracy would break up and companies would put their cash to work and start hiring people anyway.
Otherwise, why did Jack Welch (of all people) have the idea of conspiracy so easily at hand after unemployment numbers were announced? Was it because his own conspiracy to keep unemployment high was not working so well? Especially when your article made clear that it would be virtually impossible to game the unemployment numbers.
Conspiracy theory is such a fun (if empty-headed and evidence-free) game. And the nice thing about it is that anyone can play.
Chris Queally
Scarborough
New citizens urged to vote, take part in government
I was born in Somalia in 1983. I lived in a small farming village with camels, goats and cows. I had so much fun there when I was little, but we had a one-party system, or you could say, a dictator.
Somalia has been destroyed by civil war and chaos. Now I live in Maine with my husband and three children. I work at L.L. Bean and help the elderly in their homes.
There are about 2,000 Somalis living here. Many of them, though they are now citizens, don’t understand what we learned in American citizenship class, that we have to be active and speak up about what is fair. That’s what a democracy is. We didn’t have a democracy in Africa. We may never have voted before. I know I never have.
But I’m going to this time. I will register at Westbrook City Hall. I urge the Somali people in Maine to register at your town or city hall and vote any day from now until Nov. 6. I invite civic and church groups to help us register and explain why it’s important for Maine’s new citizens to vote!
Sowda Mohamed
Westbrook
Slain envoy was descended from victimized people
Regarding the killing of the Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens: He spent his life working for peace.
What people don’t know is that he and his family are members of the Chinook Indian Nation. His mother is Mary Commanday, first cousin of two tribal elders in Pacific County, the historic homeland in Washington state of the tribe that met Lewis and Clark.
Al-Qaida and others say in the name of religion they are carrying out these murders and burnings. That is never religion, to carry out murder.
With Chris Stevens’ Native American background, I’m sure he knew how Native American children were taken away for not speaking English or not turning Christian. Children were put into government schools, abused, sterilized and murdered by the hundreds in the United States and Canada.
So an ambassador for peace was murdered while al-Qaida says it’s in the name of religion?
Margo Lodge-Seven Oakes
Peaks Island
Stronger Medicare could be Olympia Snowe’s legacy
Now that Congress has returned to Washington, it is expected to focus on controlling costs for programs such as Medicare.
I believe legislators must support effective and efficient home health care, which can control Medicare costs by reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and helping senior citizens to live more independently at home.
Maine already has well over 260,000 Medicare recipients, about 20 percent of all state residents, and our population age 65 and over is expected to increase by more than 100 percent between 2000 and 2030.
Yet Congress could impose additional Medicare reimbursement reductions on home health services, limiting access to care and the opportunity for greater efficiency.
The home health community believes Congress can also help address the nation’s fiscal challenges by proposing legislation to strengthen Medicare’s integrity and reduce costly fraud and abuse.
As a home health professional, I want to thank Sen. Olympia Snowe for her support of home health care. I know that, before she retires, she will continue to help older Mainers by supporting reimbursements for Medicare home health services and voting to strengthen Medicare integrity.
Catherine Graham
Portland
If re-elected, De Angelis will speak up for all constituents
South Portland has a unique system that allows voters to choose city councilors in every district of the city, rather than just the voter’s own district. No matter whether you live in Ferry Village, Knightville, Redbank or somewhere in between, your vote counts in the District 3 City Council race, and I encourage you to cast your vote to re-elect Councilor Rosemarie De Angelis.
Councilor De Angelis has been one of the most responsive public officials I have ever met. She always answers emails and always returns phone calls. She listens to her constituents — from every area of the city — and takes the time to carefully consider their needs and concerns.
No matter whether you’re liberal or conservative, rich or poor, young or old, a homeowner or a renter, a native South Portlander or “from away,” Rosemarie De Angelis will be your voice on the City Council.
Adrian Dowling
South Portland
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