Trump is making inflation worse

Egg prices have hit an historic high. Trump has done nothing about them. The costs go up, Trump does nothing.

Food prices are expected to rise 3.3% in 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. What is Trump doing about this? Nothing. He said he was going to bring them down.

Trump is actually making the cost of living for ordinary American higher just by his own actions.

His tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada will likely mean an increased cost of about $1,200 a year on average, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a non-partisan economic research organization. What is Trump doing about this? He created this increase all on his own.

Where is the help he promised to ordinary Americans with their cost of living. The answer: nowhere. He’s actively making it worse.

Bruce MacDonald,
Boothbay

IRA and infrastructure law essential for Maine’s future

It is important for Maine and America’s financial future that we do not allow Trump and his henchmen to destroy the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These bills have spurred the transition to cleaner electrical energy and are lowering the price of electricity for Americans. The experts predict that if the IRA is destroyed, your electricity will cost 10% more and in some states, e.g. Texas, it will cost 40% more.

The IRA is also responsible for a booming battery industry developing in the USA. This is because new EV’s do not get a tax credit unless most of their parts are made here. If the EV tax credit is abolished, then the battery industry will wither and we will again fall behind the Chinese in renewables.

The Natural Resource Council of Maine estimates that Maine has received $2.2 billion in direct and indirect public and private investment in Maine due to the IRA and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These funds include money spent on large-scale solar, wind and energy storage. All this spending has increased jobs in Maine. For example, $6 million has been spent on a heat pump factory in the second district estimated to provide 200 jobs.

The IRA helps Mainers get tax credits for insulating their home, installing heat pumps, installing rooftop solar and home energy audits. The administration advocates getting rid of these programs to help continue tax cuts for the rich. Please consider telling your legislators, especially Sen. Collins, that you want the IRA and its benefits for average Mainers to continue.

Nancy Hasenfus,
Brunswick

The real reason for Rep. Libby’s censure

In my opinion, Joanne Hall misunderstood why Laurel Libby was censured (“Censure a violation of Rep. Laurel Libby’s rights,” March 7). She was not censured because she expressed her opinion about trans women participating in women’s sports. She was censured because she published pictures and personal information about a trans woman participating in sports. Her doxing put that individual unnecessarily at risk.

Douglas Robb,
Bath

Standing with Rep. Libby on girls’ sports

I am writing to speak to you about girls’ sports.

Only females should be in girls and women’s sports. Recently, it has really been coming out in the open that males have been infiltrating into girls’ and women’s sports in Maine and in our country.

In Maine, Rep. Laurel Libby stood up to stand for girls and keeping males out of girls’ sports, and she was censured for it! We each need to stand against boys being in girls’ sports and all that entails, like staying out of girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms!

Males are scientifically known to have a different biological makeup than females. It doesn’t mean one is better than the other just that they are made differently and that is how it is meant to be. It is unfair for males to take over girls’ sports. It is taking away their place in competing fairly and gaining true recognition for what they do. Women have had to fight to be seen for exactly what they can do and that is being stripped away by males trying to take their places. We each have a role to play, one is a male and one is a female, and that is a good thing because we compliment each other.

Mary Boie,
Topsham

Legislature did the right thing by compromising on budget

I would like to thank all the leaders of the Maine state Legislature: Senate President Mattie Daughtry, Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart, Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau, House Majority Leader Matt Moonen and House Republican Billy Bob Faulkingham for working together to pass the recent Supplemental Budget.

The compromise you found to break the deadlock honors core values shared by all of us — protection of our most vulnerable citizens together with fiscally responsible spending. With compromises such as limits on General Assistance and continuation of funding for essential care givers, each “side” had to give a little to gain a lot — the health of thousands of Mainers through MaineCare.

To echo the chant spoken at last weekend’s Women’s March in Augusta, “This is what democracy looks like.”

Betsy Williams,
Brunswick