Letters

Published
March 1, 2016

Letter to the editor: Trans-Pacific trade deal would do severe damage in U.S.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership looms for a congressional vote this year. There are serious concerns. Despite the debate over whether it will increase trade, what will be left of our democracy? The TPP requires all nations that sign it to make laws and policies conform to the agreement. But this is an agreement our lawmakers did […]
Published
February 29, 2016

Letter to the editor: Low-income tenants face systemic discrimination

Portland’s affordable-housing problem is more than just inventory. There is systemic discrimination built in. Since the big fire in 2014, city inspectors have become so technically accurate that landlords don’t want their units inspected. Result: Fewer units available. Landlords such as Avesta advertise one level of rent, but when they find out you have a […]
Published
February 29, 2016

Letter to the editor: Subsidized rents carry hidden costs

Recent articles on Portland’s rental crisis seem to deal with symptoms rather than causes. Sociologists agree that among America’s strengths has been the horizontal and vertical mobility of its people: That is, the willingness to follow opportunity geographically and the ability of each generation to exceed the economic attainments of their parents. When Horace Greeley […]
Published
February 29, 2016

Letter to the editor: A vote for Bernie Sanders is a vote for a principle

Come on, folks! Are you in agreement that the Republican Party has some rather unsavory characters running for the presidency? Are you happy with the status quo that’s been operating our government for several decades? Are you apprehensive about throwing your support behind Sen. Bernie Sanders because of the scare tactics being offered up by […]
Published
February 29, 2016

Letter to the editor: LePage, fellow Republicans renege on debt to taxpayers

Both the governor and Republicans in the Legislature have been spending a lot of time lately defending questionable corporate tax giveaways. Now, with a new report saying Maine will take in $73 million in extra revenue, these staunch advocates for returning the people’s money don’t want you to see a dime. When you get a […]

Published
February 28, 2016

Letter to the editor: Tenants misusing ‘service animal’ title

Re: “Sorry, no kangaroos: Service-animal impostors face crackdown” (Feb. 22): I wholeheartedly agree with having some sort of state and/or federal certification for any “service animal.” I work in the affordable-housing field and daily see requests for “service animals” to be allowed because of a disability (we are then not allowed to ask what that […]
Published
February 28, 2016

Letter to the editor: ‘Intellectually lazy’ LePage lacks character, courage

Thank you for the Feb. 14 editorial, “Our View: LePage shows little interest in governing.” It was a relief for me to read this. It was also a wake-up call. I have become so used to the governor’s antics that I may have begun to turn a blind eye. He is just so exasperating! You […]
Published
February 28, 2016

Letter to the editor: Transgender bathroom use, sex assault separate issues

In response to Ted Bennett’s letter to the editor (Feb. 15), suggesting that transgender people using a bathroom that corresponds to their identity would somehow traumatize women who have been raped, I would ask: How much does he know about sexual assault on women and their response to it? Women’s bathrooms are fitted with closed-door […]
Published
February 28, 2016

Letter to the editor: Homeless pregnant women deserve our compassion

I was concerned to learn that St. Andre Home has to end two of the agency’s primary programs: its adoption program and Starling Place (a group home for pregnant women). I would expect that these programs could be supported by both pro-life and pro-choice groups. I have noticed Gov. LePage’s presence at pro-life events and […]
Published
February 28, 2016

Letter to the editor: North Woods national park would benefit all

Growing up, I didn’t know much about Maine, but I could see dark green lines around Acadia National Park and the Allagash National Wilderness Waterway and knew that those were places I wanted to visit. The “national” status literally put them on the map. As a former chaplain and hotel employee in the national parks, […]

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Letters