Letters

Published
October 17, 2017

Letter to the editor: Keep fighting oil drilling in Arctic wildlife refuge, Sen. Collins

The Senate will soon be voting on President Trump’s directive to drill for oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge – the largest national refuge in the country and critical breeding habitat for millions of birds that migrate to all Lower 48 states, including Maine. To her great credit, Sen. Susan Collins has voted against […]
Published
October 17, 2017

Letter to the editor: For leader and visionary on city council, elect Bree LaCasse

When I think about the importance of good people running for office, I think about people like Bree LaCasse. Bree is a hard-working, civic-minded Portlander who has demonstrated important leadership skills in both her professional and volunteer work. Many Portlanders have come to know her through her work invigorating Congress Square Park, improving our schools […]
Published
October 16, 2017

Letter to the editor: Portland’s Question 2 aims for smart, fair development

Although Portland’s Question 2 is not perfect, the current planning process is far more flawed. Case in point: Last October, city staff proposed looser zoning language solely to give one company, Americold, a 60 percent height bonus on West Commercial Street. Ultimately, the City Council approved the bonus, without clear proof of need, but at […]
Published
October 16, 2017

Letter to the editor: As Portland councilor, Kim Cook would help balance municipal, school priorities

I’ve been honored to represent North Deering, Riverton and Deering Center on the Portland City Council for the past three years. As I retire, I’m pleased that Kim Cook is running for the District 5 seat. Kim is exactly the type of leader Portland needs: smart and experienced, with a pragmatic and collaborative approach to […]
Published
October 16, 2017

Letter to the editor: Marpheen Chann would help small businesses as Portland city councilor

Marpheen Chann will be a new voice for change as the next councilor for Deering Center, North Deering and Riverton. He will represent the diverse interests of our neighborhoods effectively with his eclectic experience. Portland seems to be too focused on the city’s downtown and too focused on catering to tourists and wealthy out-of-staters as […]

Published
October 16, 2017

Letter to the editor: Expansion of MaineCare would save lives and money

I write to encourage Mainers to vote “yes” on statewide Question 2 to expand MaineCare. Medicaid expansion saves lives. A recent American Journal of Health Economics article by Benjamin D. Sommers supports this. His analysis estimates that a life is saved for every 239 to 316 adults who get Medicaid. MaineCare expansion would cover 70,000 […]
Published
October 16, 2017

Letter to the editor: Platitudes are poor substitute for progress after tragic shooting

The prayers offered by Rep. Bruce Poliquin and many other politicians are the last resort of 'hollow men.'
Published
October 15, 2017

Letter to the editor: Cutting taxes can be easy if we cut defense spending

Politicians say they want to cut taxes (“Senate Republicans struggle for budget, tax cut votes,” Oct. 11). Here’s an idea: Cut $125 billion a year from the Pentagon. This is the amount a Defense Department-commissioned group identified as waste in the $600-plus billion military budget. We taxpayers spend more on the Pentagon than on any […]
Published
October 15, 2017

Letter to the editor: Gun owners need to be part of solution to gun problem

First, I want to state that I am not against the Second Amendment at all. However, after the Las Vegas incident, I am concerned, since it occurs to me that I now need to start being afraid and concerned that my next-door neighbor could be doing exactly what this man did prior to the shootings. […]
Published
October 15, 2017

Letter to the editor: Democrats passed ACA deliberately, in good faith

I actually gasped when I read columnist Jim Fossel refer to what he called the “rushed, insular, partisan nature” of the Democrats’ passage of the Affordable Care Act (Oct. 1). There were months of open hearings in which liberals, like myself, had to watch the bill drop from a single-payer idea to a public option, […]

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Letters