Letters

Published
September 25, 2015

Letter to the editor: Income bar is set too high for Mainers needing court-appointed defender

The financial requirements to qualify for a public defender in Maine are so restrictive that a household subsisting on food stamps may be forced to hire their own private attorney if charged with a crime. The landmark case Gideon v. Wainwright resulted in the government being required to provide legal defense in criminal cases to […]
Published
September 24, 2015

Letter to the editor: Young Ahmed fits no terrorist profile

With regard to a recent letter by David Ryder (“It’s reasonable to question suspicious-looking devices,” Sept. 19) in support of treating 14-year-old Texas student Ahmed Mohamed like he was Timothy McVeigh or 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, church bomber “Dynamite Bob” Chambliss, I felt the writer left out a few important points. It seems that if the […]
Published
September 24, 2015

Letter to the editor: For improved democracy, try ranked-choice voting

I recently moved here from another state, and while I have been pleasantly surprised with a lot about Maine, I have been most surprised that Maine is on its way to improving the democratic process through ranked-choice voting. Ranked-choice voting is simple and nonpartisan. Instead of voting for one candidate, Mainers rank the candidates on […]
Published
September 24, 2015

Letter to the editor: Distracted drivers are potential killers on the road

I have reached the end of my tolerance for distracted drivers lost in cellphone conversations, and especially those idiots who stubbornly continue to text while driving on the highway, city streets and when stopped at intersections! I have followed drivers while on 295, their heads bowed forward in heavy traffic, driving under the speed limit, […]
Published
September 24, 2015

Letter to the editor: Women must stand united against domestic abuse

“Study: Maine ninth in rate of women killed by men” read the headline on Page B1 of the Portland Press Herald on Sept. 16. As I read the article full of statistics, committees and lists of recommendations, the situation continues to get worse. Why? From my own experience, which I shared July 23 (“Maine Voices: […]

Published
September 23, 2015

Letter to the editor: Kentucky clerk should keep born-again status out of it

Kim Davis, the headline-grabbing county clerk from Kentucky, claims to be a born-again Christian and has cited that as one reason why she must ignore her sworn oath of office and must refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. My mother, a notary public here in Maine for almost 40 years, is also a […]
Published
September 23, 2015

Letter to the editor: Let student-athletes raise money by serving real needs

There are so many schools attempting to raise money for their sports programs by selling water bottles, towels and other useless items. Why don’t we have our youths enlist (and begin a program that would benefit the Portland community) to rake an elderly person’s yard in the spring and fall, or offer to shovel during […]
Published
September 23, 2015

Letter to the editor: Portland can’t deny it’s a ‘sanctuary city’

Your story “Portland corrects Le-Page: It is not a ‘sanctuary city’ “ (Sept. 16) is itself incorrect. On June 2, 2003, city ordinance 2-21 went into effect. For all intents and purposes, it prohibits police from inquiring into the immigration status of anyone, even if they have committed a felony such as murder or rape. […]
Published
September 23, 2015

Letter to the editor: Vote yes on 2 to temper pro-development planners

We need to rein in Portland’s runaway development approval process. The Planning Board, with misinformation from a pro-development-at-any-cost planning staff, unanimously recommended allowing development at the Portland Co. site that will block treasured public views, without even knowing what the owner plans for the 10-acre site. City councilors, except David Marshall and Kevin Donoghue, approved […]
Published
September 22, 2015

Letter to the editor: Strimling has qualities to lead Portland

I was so excited to see that Ethan Strimling has jumped into the race for mayor of Portland. I will be supporting him wholeheartedly. As one of the state senators for this great city, having someone who knows how to bring people together is an essential skill set for the job. Besides having served in […]

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Letters