Expand Medicaid
On Election Day, Maine voters will make a life or death decision — whether to expand Medicaid to provide health insurance to 70,000 uninsured Mainers. The Social Justice Committee of First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Kennebunk urges a “yes” vote.
For the past three years, federal funds have been available for Medicaid expansion. The Legislature has passed five measures directing use of these funds. But Gov. Paul LePage vetoed all five measures, leaving a total of more than $1 billion in federal funds “on the table.” The measure has bipartisan support, so it should succeed.
The reasons for voting yes are compelling. Coverage will include parents as well as their children. Maine’s drug crisis will be alleviated by improving access to treatment for those struggling with addiction. Bankruptcy, loss of home and destitution because of illness could be prevented. The health of Maine’s workforce will improve.
Medicaid expansion also will benefit the entire state. More than 3,000 good jobs will be created throughout Maine — most in rural areas where jobs are desperately needed. More jobs mean more tax revenue. The state will save more than $27 million. Each year, more than $500 million in new federal funds will come into the state. Medicaid expansion also could help hold down insurance premiums in the private market.
Maine can’t afford not to expand Medicaid coverage. Vote on Nov. 7, and vote yes on Question 2.
Vicki Adams
Chair
Social Justice Committee
First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church
Kennebunk
Vote no on York County casino
Notice all the note Yes on 1 signs? Hundreds of them cluttering up our roadways. I don’t know if it’s in-state or out-of-state money that is funding the yes on 1 issue, but I do know that if we allow them to shove another casino down our throat Maine won’t be the way life should be. Instead, it will be Maine the way life is everywhere else. Vote no on Question 1.
Leo Mazerall
Stockton Springs
Sprague for Bangor City Council
Please support Ben Sprague’s re-election to the Bangor City Council. I have known Sprague since he was a high school student at Bangor High School. Even then, Sprague’s care for others was apparent, like when he spearheaded a campaign to donate used clothes to people in need.
During Sprague’s college years, he advised custodians and support workers at his university about their retirement packages, which further demonstrates his desire to help those who may need assistance the most. Sprague has returned to his hometown where his service now extends into the political realm.
As a city councilor, Sprague continues to look out for the more vulnerable, specifically by supporting the schools, libraries and neighborhood projects. Sprague’s caring for Bangor is shown in his commitment to smart development and improved infrastructure. But, perhaps since I am his former English teacher, Sprague’s willingness and ability to communicate to Bangor residents impresses me the most. He provides regular updates about council work and maintains open dialogue with constituents.
We are lucky to have Sprague as our city councilor because of his commitment to keeping Bangor a great place to live, work and play. I urge my fellow residents to join me in voting for his re-election.
Susan Thibedeau
Bangor
Collins a clean energy champion
Maine has been a champion and the largest producer of renewable energy so it should be no surprise that Sen. Susan Collins has been chosen as a Clean Energy Champion by Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions because of her being a relentless advocate for clean energy over the years. In August, she co-sponsored the Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act, which proposed to create an investment tax credit for offshore wind facilities placed into service.
Earlier this year, she supported common sense over politics in casting a vote against a procedural motion that would have brought a resolution to the Senate floor to overturn the Bureau of Land Management’s methane recapture rule, maintaining current restrictions that limit dangerous methane emissions. Finally, the senator was a lead sponsor of an amendment to the 2017 appropriation for the Department of Energy to call on Congress to advance clean energy solutions, increase federal energy research and development investments, and to support efforts to preserve our air and climate.
Collins should be commended for her consistent approach to balancing our nation’s economic, energy and environmental needs.
Heather Reams
Managing director
Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions
Washington, D.C.
Support Marsy’s Law
The proposed Marsy’s Law is a request to give victims of violent crime more rights after a loved one dies at the hands of another. The Oct. 16 BDN editorial on Marsy’s Law displayed no idea what a family goes through when a violent crime is committed. More than 40 years of dealing with families suffering a death has taught me that death is so profound that it leaves loved ones out of control.
When a death occurs, the family and friends can find ways to take some control as they fill the void by seeing the person just before and after death occurs. When a death is caused by violence, that family involvement is taken away. The police move in to seal off the area, and the system takes over and information flow stops. The family is in a void, suffering from information deprivation. They cannot see their loved one or get information so they can try to understand what happened. They are left in a big black hole of information deprivation.
In the time I have helped families who have lost loved ones to violence, I have learned to be sensitive to their need to be informed and involved. Marsy’s Law is an attempt to do that.
This is an important law and needs to be supported as it is in many other states. The BDN editorial was beneath what I have seen and experienced with the paper in the past.
Robert Dorr
Waldoboro
Election notice
The BDN will stop accepting letters and OpEds related to the Nov. 7 election on Oct. 28. Not all submissions can be published.