I was displeased, but not surprised, to read that last week’s Portland City Council meeting devolved into disagreement during a discussion of housing options for the asylum seekers. This city has responded with great goodness and I am proud of what we are doing, but we cannot allow this challenge to divide us – or distract us.
Our single focus should be on making sure these new Maine residents have appropriate homes, services and support while they cannot legally work, and the chance to become productive Mainers when they are able.
We’ve made our city a shining example of what can happen when we move past prejudices to accept and welcome the new families Maine needs. Let’s not spoil it by descending into petty blaming.
Patricia Washburn
Portland
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.