Letters

Published
May 7, 2015

Letter to the editor: Portland’s new plastic bag fee seems to be working

Portland’s new fee on plastic bags seems to be working, according to my counting as I await my wife in the checkout line. Each time I’ve taken note, the number of shoppers using recyclable bags, or no bags at all, is consistently about four times the number using plastic bags. I have not surveyed the […]
Published
May 6, 2015

Letter to the editor: LePage uses backward logic to hold conservation bonds

Re: “Maine lawmakers, governor spar over land conservation bonds” (April 28): The governor seems to be confused – or maybe he is just out of touch with what he believes he believes. Maine voters have approved $11.5 million for land conservation projects. This would indicate to me that the residents of Maine want to spend […]
Published
May 6, 2015

Letter to the editor: Wastewater treatment plays vital role in Portland-area water quality

I enjoyed reading Matt Byrne’s recent article “Casco Bay is healthy, but trouble spots grow” (April 28), which reported on the state of Casco Bay. The article highlighted pollution concerns from surface water runoff and helped remind us that human activity impacts our water quality. As development continues, protecting our waterways becomes more and more […]
Published
May 6, 2015

Letter to the editor: Portland could regulate bikes instead of cars

I read with great interest the suggestion from the Portland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee about extending Portland’s already draconian parking harassment until 9 p.m. (“Group asks Portland council to consider extending parking meter hours until 9 p.m.,” May 1). Awesome idea – don’t get me wrong. Let’s face it, Portland needs the extra money. […]
Published
May 6, 2015

Letter to the editor: Take pride in investing in our future through taxes

In 1948, Tom Delaney wrote a song titled “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven, But Nobody Wants to Die.” If he were alive today, he might pen a sequel titled “Everybody Wants Good Government, But Nobody Wants to Pay.” When I graduated from college, my dad told me that in the future I would earn […]

Published
May 6, 2015

Letter to the editor: Potential banking changes dangerous for the economy

It’s been six long years since then-Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke, then-Fed board member Janet Yellen, et al., unleashed the federal printing press. This action helped propel the cost of borrowing to a historic low, and the reward for saving has been eliminated. Now the banking industry has sent up trial balloons suggesting that it […]
Published
May 5, 2015

Letter to the editor: Don’t party on porches until they are up to code

Having worked on old buildings for over 40 years, I have seen numerous examples of dangerous underconstruction. The three stacked porches shown on the front page April 24 (“Death in fall adds to calls for housing office”) are a prime case. The accidental death of one man is terrible, but the potential exists for a […]
Published
May 5, 2015

Letter to the editor: Amend vulnerable parts of economic development tool

As a Millinocket-region business owner and resident who sits on the board of directors for Maine’s New Markets practitioner CEI Capital Management, I have a unique view of the program’s intent and demonstrated success. So I find it deplorable that anyone would abuse this powerful economic development tool, whether in my hometown or anywhere else. […]
Published
May 5, 2015

Letter to the editor: Don’t cut larger bottles from Maine’s deposit law

Four days after your April 19 editorial supporting L.D. 1204 – “Our View: Recycling finance idea no threat to bottle bill” – several dozen citizens lined up in Augusta to testify otherwise. L.D. 1204 is the beverage industry’s proposal to remove 32-ounce-and-larger containers from Maine’s deposit law and instead create a temporary fund to subsidize […]
Published
May 5, 2015

Letter to the editor: ‘Payday at the mill’ series sparks comment, commendation

The articles in the recent series by Whit Richardson, “Payday at the mill” (April 19 and 26), are excellent pieces of investigative journalism. As president and CEO of Putney, Inc., I would like to comment on the April 26 article mentioning us in connection with Advantage Capital. Mr. Richardson states that “Advantage Capital threatened to […]

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Letters