Support for immigrants in Maine
As a lifelong Mainer, it is important to me that all Maine people are treated fairly, regardless of their race, religion, or country of origin. Maine has an immediate opportunity to restore access to basic food, health care, and income supports for immigrants. Please consider supporting LD 1317 and learning more about the real stories of our immigrant friends and neighbors who are doing their best to survive and thrive so they can make positive contributions to Maine’s workforce and communities.
Lacey Donle,
Lisbon Falls
Appreciate Bath’s cemeteries this Memorial Day
Bath has a beautiful Library Park and a fantastic Waterfront Park, too. There are other public spaces for people to enjoy, as well.
Another treasured asset are the vast cemeteries in Bath which date back 200 years. There are headstones so old that our famous weather has made the granite carvings smooth and illegible in some cases. And there are gleaming, newer monuments, too, dotting the solemn landscape. All those at rest in Bath’s cemeteries had friends and family for most, if not all of their lives. And now they rest amongst the others which predeceased them or with those that have followed. But regardless of when they were buried, they receive full-time care from the wonderful people of the Bath Parks, Recreation, Forestry & Cemeteries department and it shows.
These beautiful cemeteries are park like. There are acres of grass, several dozen ancient trees, graceful hills and pathways. The birds often hold their choir practice there, too.
In less than a week, the nation will have its important Memorial Day. May I suggest that you spend a few minutes visiting a Bath Cemetery? And bring the kids, too, as they will see how we honor our ancestors first hand. And you’ll also note where our great, great veterans are resting by observing our American flag standing proudly next to their headstone.
Accomplishments in life don’t just happen. And our great vets know all about risk, commitment and achievement. Every resident owes so much to those who pledged their lives to protect us. Come visit a nearby Bath cemetery this weekend and spend a little time in the company of sentinels that helped ensure the blessings of liberty for you and your family. You and your soul will be glad you did, guaranteed.
Ethan Jones,
Rockport
Republican priorities out of wack
Recently I read two articles about voting fraud in Texas and the effect of Trump’s tariff policies on a business in South Carolina and farmers in the Midwest (and now on Maine’s lobster industry). China has certainly been “cheating” in its economic relationships with us. Doing something about this is certainly justified. In doing so, though, how much harm to our businesses and consumers is tolerable? Likewise, voting fraud and welfare fraud are intolerable but how much harm to the vast majority of voters or welfare recipients is tolerable? For some reason, IMHO, Republicans can tolerate high levels of harm to those who are doing things legitimately. Actual voting fraud is somewhere around 2.5 thousandths of one percent. Welfare fraud around 5%. Republican policies attending to these issues result in many more legitimate voters being disqualified from voting than are actually voting fraudulently. Likewise, we do not have a truly supportive welfare system because Republicans believe that many on welfare are undeserving in one way or another.. On each of these issues, Republican response is essentially to throw the baby out with the bath water. Why do Republicans wish to respond to our country’s legitimate needs in this way?
Brian Hirst,
Harpswell
Support LD 1711
I have worked in the solar energy field since 2009, and I have seen how many barriers exist to clean energy development. Maine is among the last states for installed solar energy capacity and jobs, and we are missing out on the economic benefits of solar power. High-quality jobs are created by keeping our energy dollars close to home.
A new bipartisan bill, LD 1711, would boost the development of 400 megawatts of distributed solar energy capacity by 2024, benefiting residential, commercial, municipal, and industrial consumers. This bill will allow solar energy to help reduce rates for all Mainers and remove existing hurdles to solar energy development through several approaches, including large-scale shared community solar farms.
Many seniors, renters, and low to moderate income people are missing out on the benefits of solar energy. Community solar farms create equal access for people that cannot otherwise use solar electricity. LD 1711 would make community solar farms available to all consumers by lifting the arbitrary nine-participant cap to 200. These solar farms allow a subscription model for purchasing solar electricity, lowering individual costs by sharing it among as many.
State policies play an enormous role in solar energy deployment by helping to create competitive markets for innovative energy technologies. LD 1711 is a well-crafted bill that would help Maine catch up with our current and future energy needs.
Chuck Piper,
Searsport
Co-owner, Sundog Solar
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