2021 – Page 2710 – The Portland Press Herald

Our View: Schools need clarity on COVID rules

by The Editorial Board March 16, 2021March 16, 2021

Strict social distancing rules, which may not be needed, mean most schools can’t reopen full time.

The Recycle Bin: Maine legislature a battleground for plastic bag bans

by Harry Hopcroft The Recycle Bin March 16, 2021March 15, 2021

There are 25 towns in Maine that have enacted an ordinance that either bans single-use plastic bags or requires stores to charge for them. When, in 2019, the 129th Legislature voted to adopt LD 1532, it made Maine the fourth state to enact statewide limitations on the use of these bags. The law had wide […]

Letters

Letter to the editor: Former Rep. Poliquin backs vote suppression

March 16, 2021March 16, 2021

Bruce Poliquin’s opinion piece about restricting voter rights reminds me how glad I am that we no longer hear from him on a daily basis. The elephant in the room is “the big lie.” If there were voter fraud it would warrant an examination of what went wrong and what needs to be fixed. But […]

Op-eds, Opinion

Commentary: For the People Act takes Maine’s election values nationwide

by Alison Smith Special to the Press Herald March 16, 2021March 16, 2021

Voter-friendly policies, like Election Day registration and small-donor matching funds, strengthen democracy.

Letters

Letter to the editor: U.S. defense spending out of proportion

March 16, 2021March 16, 2021

On Feb. 26, USA Today ran a front-page article on our defense mission and spending. In the article, author Kim Hjelmgaard relayed some interesting facts: • The United States currently has an annual defense budget of more than $730 billion. The official Chinese defense budget for 2020 was $178 billion. • The United States has […]

Forecaster Opinion

Superintendent’s Notebook: Ed techs punch above their weight

by Xavier Botana March 16, 2021March 15, 2021

Educational technicians – better known as ed techs – are the glue that holds schools together. I speak from experience: I started my career as an ed tech. Principals and teachers rely on ed techs. Portland Public Schools has 235 ed techs – almost 1 in 5 of our employees. Their titles give a sense […]