Letters
LETTERS
Thursday, June 20, 2013: Maine’s workforce, health care and wind power
on June 19, 2013, at 2:13 p.m.
Live and retire I am writing in response to the June 14 BDN article, “Is Maine’s population too old and white to be sustainable?” While it is important to prepare for the possibility of labor shortages due to baby boomers retiring and decreased numbers of younger workers, there are workforce ...
Wednesday, June 19, 2013: Bears, clean elections and Eliot Cutler
on June 18, 2013, at 5:09 p.m.
Bear facts I believe Katie Hansberry is on a personal crusade that overshadows the good that the Humane Society of the United States is known for and which most of us support. In voicing her own opinion in a June 13 BDN OpEd titled, “Give voters chance to end bear ...
Tuesday, June 18, 2013: Misleading OpArt, virtual therapy and Dennis Dechaine
on June 17, 2013, at 5:50 p.m.
Bear OpArt misleading On June 12, the BDN published an OpEd, “Give voters chance to end bear hunting cruelty,” written by Katie Hansberry, a lobbyist with the Humane Society of the United States. Above the OpEd was a BDN staff artist’s depiction of a scary looking trap called the Newhouse. ...
LETTERS
Monday, June 17, 2013: Invasion of privacy, 38% of voters
on June 16, 2013, at 1:11 p.m.
Immigration reform The May 31 BDN post on Ethan Strimling and Phil Harriman’s Agree to Disagree blog about the immigration reform bill in the U.S. Senate is misleading and confusing. The comment that the bill, S.744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, requires “security benchmarks to be ...
Saturday, June 15, 2013: Eggs, three-way elections and cutting services for the elderly
on June 14, 2013, at 12:04 p.m.
Split votes In response to Michael Gleason’s June 11 letter to the editor: Don’t blame Eliot Cutler for our inadequate election system. A candidate should not be elected with less than 50 percent of the votes cast. A run-off election or a preference given at the time of the first ...
Thursday, June 14, 2013: Government hurting preschools, get care close to home
on June 13, 2013, at 3:03 p.m.
Burden on taxpayers Almost everything we buy in Maine may be about to get more expensive. That is the Democrat-controlled Maine Legislature’s answer to solving our most recent budget crisis: Pass the cost onto the taxpayer. Instead of confronting Maine’s chronic overspending problem, the Legislature is preparing to increase the ...
Thursday, June 13, 2013: Immigration, volunteerism and general assistance
on June 12, 2013, at 12:41 p.m.
Become one people This country was formed by the broadly supported belief that everyone should have the same rights and opportunities regardless of national origin, color, wealth, education, sex or sexual orientation. I believe our current immigration system betrays this vision, is outdated and widely disrespected. Americans-in-waiting are working hard, ...
Wednesday, June 12, 2013: Immigration, welfare and gun control
on June 11, 2013, at 2:21 p.m.
Xenophobia The June 6 BDN OpEd by Jonette Christian, “Immigration reform: Get it right this time,” is a classic example of an attempt to rationalize xenophobia and to equate immigration with the source of economic and social demise. She justifies her paranoia by citing a Nobel laureate economist and the ...
Tuesday, June 11, 2013: Graduation, school lunch and Eliot Cutler
on June 10, 2013, at 2:32 p.m.
BHS graduation thanks Bangor High School is very appreciative of the opportunity to hold the graduation ceremony for the class of 2013 at the newly minted Cross Insurance Center. The center management and staff contributed significantly to making the graduation a great success, and we look forward to holding future ...
LETTERS
Monday, June 10, 2013: Vaccines, Medicare and oil
on June 09, 2013, at 9:01 a.m.
Vaccine list LD 754, which if passed would have required that a list of vaccine ingredients be provided to parents when children are vaccinated, stirred up a hornet’s nest after passing in the Maine House. It lost in the Senate. If parents were informed of vaccine ingredients, would they choose ...
Saturday, June 8, 2013: Global warming, school lunches and the east-west highway
on June 07, 2013, at 12:09 p.m.
Heat and profits Alan Boone’s June 6 BDN OpEd “Time To Turn Down The Heat” trots out all the same old half-truths used by global warming denialists everywhere. The standard modus operandi is to claim that there’s still uncertainty and doubt by large numbers of scientists and that the “alarmists” ...
Friday, June 7, 2013: Support the senior center, disappointed in school
on June 06, 2013, at 5:53 p.m.
Governor one-term It’s time for corporations and the wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes. Close the tax loopholes that favor the wealthy, and let’s have a tax code that is fair for all Maine people. The days of trying to imply the Democrats are taxers and spenders are ...
LETTERS
June 6, 2013: Air quality and Bachmann
on June 05, 2013, at 3:12 p.m.
State of the air The BDN did a great job recently covering the improvements in Maine’s air quality, as outlined in the American Lung Association’s 2013 “State of the Air” report. The report certainly encourages us that progress can be made, but it also reminds us that there is important ...
Wednesday, June 5, 2013: Memorials, ER care and Medicaid business
on June 04, 2013, at 12:12 p.m.
Daily remembrance I would respectfully disagree with Lorraine Maher’s assertion in the BDN May 30 that growing up, Memorial Day was a celebration for all who have passed away. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. The ...
LETTERS
Tuesday, June 4, 2013: Lobsters, Memorial Day and wind farms
on June 03, 2013, at 1:58 p.m.
Get out, vote Six towns of RSU 20 will vote on June 11 on whether to withdraw from the district, but a big percentage of the voters need to turn out and cast a yes vote or no ballot. No blanks. In my town of Northport, we need 389 citizens ...
LETTERS
Monday, June 3, 2013: Medicaid, US jobs
on June 02, 2013, at 3:39 p.m.
Legion salute For more than 36 years, members of Lee Graham Post 97 American Legion in Howland have visited nine cemeteries in the area to honor deceased veterans who have served our country. This year’s parade began at the Howland Park, with Sen. Emily Cain, D-Orono, placing a wreath at ...
LETTERS
Saturday, June 1, 2013: Suicide awareness, save public schools
on May 31, 2013, at 1:36 p.m.
Help the veterans Rep. Mike Michaud’s OpEd in the May 27 BDN struck home. What keeps his program from happening? Funding. So what about some real veteran support? Given the number of yellow ribbons, the flags waved at parades and even the Major League Baseball camouflage hats, there would be ...
LETTERS
Friday, May 31, 2013: Small businesses, IRS and veterans
on May 30, 2013, at 1:13 p.m.
Help small businesses The governor and legislators who champion improving the business climate in Maine should accept the federal funds available for expanding Medicaid. I believe this will, in fact, avert stiff penalties on many Maine businesses. Republican lawmakers need to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of LD1546. They should ...
LETTERS
Thursday, May 30, 2013: Veto, Memorial Day and immigration reform
on May 29, 2013, at 11:51 a.m.
Tilting at windmills, highways I am writing about two important issues facing the state. The first issue concerns the east-west highway. Rather than spend millions of dollars on construction of a highway, how about an east-west railroad? Second, concerning the issue of wind turbines and location: The wind turbines would ...
LETTERS
Wednesday, May 29, 2013: Toxic chemicals, cigarettes and property taxes
on May 28, 2013, at 12:52 p.m.
Pass LD 1181 Protecting pregnant mothers and our children from harmful chemicals seems like an issue everyone can agree on. The Legislature is presently considering a bill — LD 1181, An Act to F urther Strengthen the Protection of Pregnant Women and Children from Toxic Chemicals. This bill would move ...
Orono man enters not guilty pleas in Cable kidnapping, murder
LePage speaks frankly to Dirigo Girls State delegates
LePage fails to surprise on Medicaid expansion
The cost of requiring more renewable power
A vote against the budget is a vote for a state shutdown
Maine Sports Hall of Fame revokes Dana Wilson’s 2012 induction
American Lung Association retires number of cyclist killed in Trek Across Maine
Retiring Hermon High School athletic administrator Soucy maintains love of sports
Pats’ Hernandez questioned in homicide case
Midcoast multibajillionaire knows what her husband is doing before he does it
The Esther II: A father’s boat, a son’s heart
