Letters

Published
October 23, 2016

Letter to the editor: Immigrant’s first vote a reminder of precious right

Thank you for the article about Abbas Marwan and his family and their joy at the honor of being able to vote in America. It is a nice reminder for so many of us (most of us?) at how our own immigrant ancestors must have felt. I also liked his awareness of the importance of […]
Published
October 23, 2016

Letter to the editor: Should we cancel election for lack of viable candidates?

It is a common practice for corporations, educational institutions and sports teams to open a search for qualified candidates to fill significant positions in their organizations. Occasionally, however, the search does not attract a pool of viable candidates, and the search is suspended or closed. Given the pool of presidential candidates that we have this […]
Published
October 23, 2016

Letter to the editor: Acadia park too protective of lane leading to West Pond Cove

West Pond Cove is roughly 1.8 miles from the entrances to Frazer Point in the Schoodic section of Acadia National Park. The short lane accessing the cove has historically been used by the local population as a place to launch kayaks. It is a safe and easy put-in. It does not require carrying kayaks a […]
Published
October 23, 2016

Letter to the editor: Lack of respect for veterans chafes

For my friends of my generation, who survived the Vietnam War. We either fought or protested, sometimes both. We marched in the streets or marched into an unwinnable war to be killed, maimed or captured. Though some veterans were reviled when they returned, to our collective shame, time has shown us that the bravery of […]
Published
October 23, 2016

Letter to the editor: Ranked-choice voting will give us the leaders most of us want

Question 5 asks whether to allow voters to rank the candidates, from first choice to last, and require a majority of the vote to win in elections for governor and the U.S. and Maine Senate and House. Nine of the last 11 governors were elected by a minority of the vote, so the vote is […]

Published
October 23, 2016

Letter to the editor: Where’s the school aid we’ve already voted on?

Somehow, I seem to remember a binding question about four or five years ago that required the state to pay all the school systems the 55 percent they were supposed to get. Then again, I also remember a promise that all Maine Lottery money was supposed to be earmarked for schools, so the towns didn’t […]
Published
October 23, 2016

Letter to the editor: Sen. Volk took brave position on asylum issue

I’m voting in my first election, and I’m voting to re-elect Republican state Sen. Amy Volk. Last year, Amy took a brave position when she created an amendment to the budget that would give asylum-seekers 24 months to become legal Mainers. She took heat for this position, but she knew it was the right thing […]
Published
October 23, 2016

Letter to the editor: Gun background checks will prevent more tragedies

If Maine had background checks for those purchasing guns, my son might be alive today. He died at age 24 from a gunshot wound, and nothing will erase that tragedy or the suffering it caused. But voting “yes” on Question 3 on Nov. 8 could prevent future tragedies. We submit to background checks every time […]
Published
October 23, 2016

Letter to the editor: Objection by Mills, Anderson to legal pot both tardy and silly

The latest objection to Question 1, by state Attorney General Janet Mills and Cumberland County District Attorney Stephanie Anderson, that it legalizes marijuana use by minors, does not pass the straight-face test. First, wasn’t it Mills’ job to point out problems in the measure’s language months ago, during her review of it, rather than waiting […]
Published
October 23, 2016

Letter to the editor: Maine can show nation the ranked-choice way

Should Question 5 pass, Maine would lead the nation by adopting this improved system of voting. Ranked-choice voting will improve upon the way Maine citizens now vote. Adopting ranked-choice voting promises to strengthen the democratic process, improve the tenor of election races and help the prospects of independent candidates outside of the two major parties. […]

Sign In:

Letters