Hamilton shouldn’t head DHHS
Thanks to Lance Dutson for calling our attention to the travesty of Ricker Hamilton’s confirmation to head the Department of Health and Human Services in his Oct. 24 BDN column. This is the same person who was responsible for the failure to investigate thousands of suspected cases of abuse and neglect, and the deaths of more than 100 developmentally disabled adults under the care of Adult Protective Services within DHHS.
Only one person on the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee, Democrat Jennifer Parker of South Berwick, voted against Hamilton’s name being sent to the full Senate for confirmation. She is quoted as saying she “couldn’t support a nomination leading to more of the same.” Apparently more of the same wasn’t a problem for all the other committee members.
Imagine the heartbreak of the families of the victims.
Is this how low the bar is now set for one of the highest offices in state government? Can you imagine a professional in any other field being granted this “free pass” on behavior this egregious?
What’s happened to our moral compass?
And Hamilton felt so emboldened, in spite of all that he needed to atone for, to leave the committee with a provocative comment about their relationship to the media.
Dutson calls the confirmation of Hamilton a “terrible lapse on the part of everyone involved.” Even that seems like an understatement.
Maryann Larson
Portland
Collins hands banks a win
It is discouraging to see Sen. Susan Collins vote Tuesday to destroy one of the few impediments to the kind of rampant, wanton bank malfeasance so nobly represented by Wells Fargo that has ripped off customers from coast to coast. Way to go to bat for the little guy.
As if it weren’t bad enough that Collins voted in 2008 to give hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money to these same bankers, which Collins has now voted to protect from accountability for their malfeasance.
At least we have the soothing, comforting words of American Bankers Association CEO Rob Nichols, who assures us that the destruction of this consumer protection “puts consumers first rather than class-action lawyers.” With an annual salary of at least $1.1 million — which puts him in the top two-tenths of 1 percent — I’m sure Nichols has in his heart of hearts nothing but the best interests of common, everyday consumers.
Lawrence Reichard
Belfast
Fake news alert
In recent months we’ve all learned a new term: “fake news.” Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference between “fake news” and the real thing.
For example, I’ve heard a rumor that the U.S. House of Representatives is drafting legislation that would repeal global warming. Passage of this legislation would be such a relief for so many of us who are tired of this unseasonably warm fall. Bring back the frost and the early snowfall.
Urge Congress forward. Let’s all get behind this overdue process.
Bill Shook
Bangor
No drilling in ANWR
Earlier this year I had the chance to visit the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Located in the northeastern corner of Alaska, the refuge is one of our country’s most iconic wildernesses, rightfully considered alongside wonders like the Grand Canyon as a true public treasure.
Unfortunately, Congress just slipped a controversial proposal to open the Arctic Refuge to oil drilling into an unrelated budget bill, essentially selling off our landmarks to balance debt in lieu of responsible fiscal leadership. Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Angus King tried to remove this drilling provision, but unfortunately their efforts were not enough. I am grateful for their leadership and hope they will continue to fight to protect this incredible area before it is too late.
As a biology professor at the University of Maine, I can vouch for the ecological value of the Arctic Refuge. But as a kid from Skowhegan, I can also speak to the importance for our children’s future. My first Mount Katahdin summit in high school shaped my understanding of wilderness and taught me that development can advance our society while preserving our most iconic landscapes. The best corners of Maine define wilderness for the Northeast. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge does the same for the country, a reminder of what we gain through responsible planning, and what we lose without it.
The thought of drilling in a place like the Arctic Refuge to balance a budget fills me with shame. As the budget process continues, I hope that Congress abandons this short-sighted idea.
Brian Olsen
Orono
Vote no on Question 1
In the world of public rip-offs, Question 1 on the ballot deserves a gold star for self-dealing. It is the brainchild of international gambling promoter Shawn Scott, aided by his sister, Miami developer Lisa Scott. The legislation behind Question 1 is written so that, if approved, the state will be able to issue a gambling license to only one individual: Shawn Scott. This is a license estimated to be worth more than $200 million. A better deal for Maine would result from an open competition, not a rigged process that hands the license to one out-of-state promoter.
Scott and his associates have spent more than $4 million to get his sweetheart deal onto the Nov. 7 ballot. Now they’re spending millions more to promote passage of Question 1 through an incessant and misleading ad campaign touting unsubstantiated “facts” to get us to support Scott’s ballot initiative. None of the promises are guaranteed.
There is no performance requirement attached to Question 1. And who is this multimillionaire to decide how Maine taxes are to be spent? Why should 15 percent of slot machine tax revenue go to promote horse racing, as Scott’s initiative proposes, and only 10 percent go to Maine schools?
If you oppose having more casinos in Maine, vote no on Question 1. If you support having more casinos in Maine, vote no on Question 1. Send a message. Bring control of Maine government home. Vote no on Question 1.
David Chase
York
Lamenting animal killing
Fans of wild animals lament the loss of Big John, the bear, in the same way my wife and I were sad to see the corpse of a white deer being dragged away from its usual hangout just south of Addison on the Downeast coast. We have been entertained by this odd animal through the four years of its life, a life ended by just another coward with a gun. Shame on you, whoever you are.
Jerry Metz
Addison