Letters

Published
February 28, 2017

Letter to the editor: Give Portland police time to develop body camera procedures

I am writing in support of Police Chief Michael Sauschuck’s position on body cameras. The Portland Police Department is an outstanding law enforcement agency and is moving forward with utilizing body cameras in a thoughtful way, i.e., by taking the time to create effective policies and procedures for their use. There is no need to […]
Published
February 28, 2017

Letter to the editor: Protect voice of the people by fully funding Clean Elections

On Friday, the Legislature’s Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs will take action on two bills crucial to democracy. One, L.D. 413, “expands the prohibition on accepting political contributions” from lobbyists, and the other, L.D. 300, addresses funding for Clean Elections. Voters have spoken twice in referendums and supported Clean Elections. Funding for Clean Elections […]
Published
February 27, 2017

Letter to the editor: Sen. Collins must stand against efforts to harm Medicare

I recently sent a letter to Sen. Susan Collins, urging her to resist efforts by her party to tamper with Medicare. She is one of a handful of Senate Republicans who could serve as a firewall against harmful changes to a program that 306,000 Maine seniors and people with disabilities rely upon. The majority in […]
Published
February 27, 2017

Letter to the editor: President undermines the press for his own gain

The recent assault on the press and newsgathering institutions by President Trump only lays bare the truths he and his minions refuse to accept. By consistently blasting “fake news” and “lies,” he chips away the very foundation of a free and open society. Had it not been for the media, we may never have known […]
Published
February 27, 2017

Letter to the editor: Dakota pipeline fight will continue in court

Last Thursday, I watched hours of live video from the Oceti Sakowin camp at Standing Rock. Over 200 police entered the camp in full military gear, rifles drawn, with about 20 armored vehicles, to find and arrest water protectors who were unarmed, nonviolent and prayerful. It looked like a war zone, except the “enemies” were […]

Published
February 27, 2017

Letter to the editor: Referendum reform is simple: Legislate better

If Gov. LePage is so concerned (Feb. 10) that the referendum process needs to be dramatically changed to forestall a future “end run” around the legislative process, perhaps he should consider the likely reason for the proliferation of such referendums in recent years. It seems obvious to me that the legislative process in Augusta has […]
Published
February 27, 2017

Letter to the editor: Attacks on press not worthy of our nation

The importance of a free press has never been greater. Neither has the necessity of trustworthy fact checking. While most presidents can be expected to slant facts in their favor to some extent, Donald Trump’s casual relationship to facts is alarming. Social media plays to the extremists on both sides, and distrust of the media […]
Published
February 26, 2017

Letter to the editor: Playing ‘Spot the Ewings’ will pay off for fans of ‘brilliant’ photography

For many years, as I’ve read the Sports section of the Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram, I play a game I call “Spot the Ewings.” John Ewing is a longtime brilliant photographer for the Portland papers, and picking out his photos is like shooting fish in a barrel. Last Sunday’s Sports section front […]
Published
February 26, 2017

Letter to the editor: More funding crucial for Maine’s intellectually disabled

As vice president of the Maine Association for Community Service Providers, a statewide association of service providers supporting thousands of Maine citizens with intellectual disabilities and autism throughout the state, I frequently see and hear the challenges experienced by providers whose reimbursement rates for group home services have been cut over the last decade. Gov. […]
Published
February 26, 2017

Letter to the editor: Living the Gospels harder than claiming religion

On the Jan. 7 Portland Press Herald Religion & Values page (B8), Tribune News Service reporter Lesley Clark highlighted the fact that 91 percent of our congressional representatives and 71 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christian. Yet Clark noted that the share of Americans identifying themselves as Christians is declining. Why is that? Is […]

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Letters