Why is everyone so surprised at the destruction wrought by last week’s storms? For decades, climate scientists have warned of impending damage to coastal communities resulting from rising sea levels and increasingly extreme weather. Whether one believes that human activity or natural meteorological cycles are to blame, the data clearly indicates that low-lying areas adjacent […]
letter to the editor
Letter: Past time for Biden to nominate a successor
Time is running out for President Biden to announce his retirement and send the nomination of a moderate politician to the Democratic National Convention. The path to a repeat defeat of Donald Trump in 2024 grows narrower and narrower as Biden’s overall approval ratings are at an historic low and disaffected Blacks, Latinos and young […]
Letter: Republican attitude toward climate change leaves me cold
I recently read stories in the Press Herald about the unprecedented flooding of Maine’s coastal communities, the new installation in Gorham of the Cross Town 175 MW/350 MWh battery storage for our grid, and about Donald Trump winning the Iowa caucuses. Two of these stories feature the disasters we should consider as the Republican Party […]
Letter: Establish free campgrounds for the homeless
There really is an obvious answer to the homeless issue. Municipalities should establish community campgrounds that are open to all. Anyone could lie there or pitch a tent overnight, for as long as they want, for free. Toilets would be necessary, with a water supply. Some opaque fencing would offer containment to the grounds and […]
Letter: Israel guilty of genocide
On Jan. 11, South Africa presented its 84-page charge of genocide – perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinians of Gaza – to the United Nations’ International Court of Justice. I don’t need that much paper: 23,000 Palestinians have been murdered; 10,000 of these have been children. Scott Hammond Portland Correction (Jan. 21, 2024): A previous […]
Letter: Support federal campaign finance reform
Last November, 86% of Maine voters approved an initiative to prohibit foreign government spending in state elections. In a swift punch to the nose of us voters, however, four federal lawsuits have since been filed against the new law by Central Maine Power, Versant and others. They allege that foreign-government controlled entities have a First […]
Letter: Respect everyone on roadways
We can all practice good behavior on the roads: drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. But it’s drivers who have the potential to kill.
Letter: Needed bill reins in big business
Rick Gowell’s opinion piece, “Small rural businesses threatened by consumer protection bill” (Jan. 10), grossly misrepresents an important bill before the Legislature that would protect Maine’s small businesses from abuse by large corporations that dominate markets. Unfairly monopolizing industries is already illegal under federal and Maine law. But monopolization can be exceedingly hard to prove, […]
Letter: Join the fight against hunger
We may not be able to stop wars half way around the world, but we can make life better for children.
Letter: Look to the city’s future
Three cheers for artist Lauren Fensterstock and the case she makes for not allowing the former Children’s Museum at 142 Free St. to impede development of the Portland Museum of Art’s proposed new campus at Congress Square (“To move forward, Portland must loosen its grasp on history,” Jan 10). Fensterstock argues that the many benefits […]