Letters

Published
September 12, 2016

Letter to the editor: Republicans fail to rein in LePage, then cast blame

The Republicans in the State House, who are refusing to do anything to rein in our clearly dangerous, embarrassing and volatile governor, are now in the position of the proverbial (stereotypical) liberal parent, who, when faced with the damage their child has done to persons or property, responds with serious hand-wringing and something like “… […]
Published
September 12, 2016

Letter to the editor: LePage’s words, not mural, are the real hate speech

Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling thinks that depicting the governor as a member of the Ku Kux Klan verged on hate speech and is a “step too far.” He thinks that the portrait trivializes the KKK. Not at all. Gov. LePage may not be burning crosses or lynching black men, but his insistence on singling out […]
Published
September 12, 2016

Letter to the editor: Thank LePage for making Maine a national joke

It’s always gratifying when Maine, tucked up here in the far northeast of the country, gains national recognition. It happened recently: I was listening to “A Prairie Home Companion” on Sept. 4, and Garrison Keillor was touting the virtues of Minnesota in his monologue. Among other things, he said: “Our politicians tend to be serious, […]
Published
September 12, 2016

Letter to the editor: Flap over LePage’s remarks, mural, troubling

The recent flap over race and our governor has been most disconcerting. Apparently, a reporter told Gov. LePage that a legislator had called him a racist, and the governor went on a tirade. Someone threw out the bait and he struck, most unfortunately. I have noticed that the governor has not named the reporter. All […]
Published
September 11, 2016

Letter to the editor: Poliquin owes answer to question about Trump

A wise man once said to me, “You may not like where I stand, but you’ll always know where I stand.” Shortly after the shootings at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, I spoke with a staff member in Rep. Bruce Poliquin’s office about these events and the need for a common-sense approach to address such tragedies. […]

Published
September 11, 2016

Letter to the editor: Concerns about governor are best given in private

After reading Steve Bentley’s Maine Voices column in the Maine Sunday Telegram’s Sept. 4 print edition, I believe that if Bentley is so sure that his professional opinion on Gov. LePage’s issues is true, he could have been kinder by writing to the governor and offering his help instead of joining the public bandwagon attacking […]
Published
September 11, 2016

Letter to the editor: Real Mainers love LePage, want him to stay strong

Gov. Paul LePage made remarks out of anger that were distasteful. He apologized. Let’s move on. But if I had the governor’s ear, I would offer this advice: Never let an opponent know they’ve gotten under your skin – ever. Most of the governor’s antagonists aren’t even Mainers. They’re from “away.” Drew Gattine is from […]
Published
September 11, 2016

Letter to the editor: Newspaper should explain standards for commentary

Please explain why the commentary by Steve Bentley, “Maine Voices: Alcohol is clouding LePage’s view,” in the Sept. 4 Maine Sunday Telegram (Page D2) was followed by an online “note to our readers” saying the column “did not meet our standards” and “should not have been published.” It was, by far, the most knowledgeable and […]
Published
September 11, 2016

Letter to the editor: Governor’s remarks should spark dialogue with kids

I have always been compelled by differences. It is one of the factors that led me to teaching. In my first years, I taught in a poor neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. My students were African-American, Puerto Rican, Dominican and West Indian. None of my students were white. They were energetic, curious and challenging. In […]
Published
September 11, 2016

Letter to the editor: War on opioids hurts legitimate users

I no longer feel sympathy for those who abuse pain medications. Yes, they need addiction treatment, but at what expense? I am a 57-year-old Maine resident who is totally disabled because of a central nervous system disease that has left me with incurable chronic nerve pain. This condition makes working impossible. I’ve been unable to […]

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Letters