Letters

Published
July 6, 2017

Letter to the editor: Slow growth of Medicaid so the vital program can be sustained

Many news reports, letters and op-eds claim that proposals to reform the Affordable Care Act will “gut,” “decimate” or “devastate” Medicaid. This language partly reflects the hyperbole that accompanies any attempt at welfare reform, and partly reflects ignorance about what the proposals would actually do. We heard the same dire warnings in 1996 when cash […]
Published
July 6, 2017

Letter to the editor: Repealing ACA would hurt small businesses in Maine

In the national debate about health care, the voices of small-business owners are often eclipsed by partisan rhetoric. As a small-business owner, I’m writing to flag to our politicians that quality, affordable health care is essential for entrepreneurs and their communities. The health care plan moving through the Senate threatens Main Street from all sides. […]
Published
July 6, 2017

Letter to the editor: Plaudits and thanks to Gov. LePage for a job well done

Gov. LePage achieved his primary goal of resisting exorbitant taxes on high earners, as well as warding off higher taxes on hotels and lodging facilities. At the same time, there is increased funding for education and some social services, largely because of better-than-anticipated revenue, for which LePage’s fiscal management is largely responsible. With no more […]
Published
July 6, 2017

Letter to the editor: Republican health care bill could work with revisions

Can a senator who votes for the 2017 health care bill truly believe in God? Now there is a way to make the legislation more whole for all Americans. •n There must be an individual mandate with a “no opt-out” option. This increases the number of healthier citizens putting downward pressure on policy cost. • […]
Published
July 5, 2017

Letter to the editor: Ruling on river regulation ignores rights of Penobscots

Re: “Appeals court finds Maine can regulate hunting, fishing on Penobscot River” (June 30): Underlying the federal appeals court’s rejection of legal arguments made by the Penobscot Nation is the continued refusal of the state of Maine to recognize the sovereignty of the Penobscot Nation. It is beyond sad that after so many years of […]

Published
July 5, 2017

Letter to the editor: A great democracy promotes the welfare of all its people

Re: Leonard Pitts’ June 28 column, “Caring for the common good is what we should all have in common“: Pitts hits the nail squarely. Some reject tax use for feeding and healing poor children. I reject tax use for the greatest subsidy in history, more roads for more cars, as well as weapons for more […]
Published
July 5, 2017

Letter to the editor: Gov. LePage’s behavior is obstinacy, not leadership

I believe that Gov. LePage has sunk to yet another new low. The majority of voters twice did not want him elected. He received no mandate. He says that he’s looking out for Maine taxpayers, but he is not representing me, our state employees or the poor or our immigrant neighbors, all of whom are […]
Published
July 5, 2017

Letter to the editor: Despite governor’s antics, state’s attractions remain

The government was closed down for three days, but we in Maine were not threatened by a bully. State parks are still open. Sebago Lake is as beautiful as a Longfellow poem describing the Songo River and Mount Katahdin, two examples of nature’s beauty in Maine that still exist from long ago, before Gov. LePage, […]
Published
July 5, 2017

Letter to the editor: Mercy Hospital is focused on progress and its mission

As a longtime member of Mercy Hospital’s board, I have the honor of working with a committed group of leaders as we prepare to celebrate a century of providing compassionate care to Mainers next year. Mercy has improved its finances over the past year and is projected to have a positive bottom line for the […]
Published
July 4, 2017

Letter to the editor: It takes courage to stand in the way of state overspending

Watching the deterioration of Illinois’ economic conditions on this Fourth of July serves to remind us all that the laws of economics are just as unforgiving as the law of gravity. Living beyond one’s means leads to disaster. The “tax and spend” policies of the Illinois legislature have led the state to the brink of […]

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Letters