Letters

Published
August 9, 2015

Letter to the editor: Shelter must turn kids away because of lead paint

In regard to Naomi Schalit’s Aug. 5 article on the ongoing problem of lead poisoning in Maine (“Despite state law, thousands of Maine children still suffer from lead poisoning”): I work at H.O.M.E. Co-op, a private nonprofit in Orland that runs several homeless shelters, and we have had to close one of our family shelters […]
Published
August 9, 2015

Letter to the editor: Minimum wage should increase, but not to $15

I believe the minimum wage should be raised throughout this state, but not to $15 per hour. It should actually be raised across the country. At most, it should be $10 to $11 per hour, but it needs to be based on the level of skill or work performance. If we raise wages to or […]
Published
August 9, 2015

Letter to the editor: After long silence, we are addressing racism in U.S.

I am a black man living in Maine for 15 years, an African-American male with an opinion about racism in this, my beloved country. The long silence about racism is what breeds suspicion. America has lost its desire and ability to listen and talk about racism without criticism, blame or punishment. America lapsed into a […]
Published
August 9, 2015

Letter to the editor: Program can help women suffering after abortion

There are too many women who are talked into or coerced into getting an abortion. Many of them later realize that getting an abortion was the taking of a life, and they live with the pain and grief of an abortion. These women need help and compassion, not finger-pointing. There is help available at Project […]
Published
August 8, 2015

Letter to the editor: Rude clerk undermined the fact that every veteran matters

A short time ago, I mailed a file of information to a Veterans Affairs regional office in my area. This data was to support a claim for death benefits. This claim was not in compliance with a given deadline; this, I do admit. However, instead of politely telling me that no exception would be made, […]

Published
August 8, 2015

Letter to the editor: Demonizing obesity can cause damage to children

When I read the Washington Post article about how often obese kids are unaware of their weight (“Fewer U.S. children think they’re overweight when they are,” July 19), my immediate reaction was one of concern, but not for the reasons outlined in the article. As someone who weighed 200 pounds by age 16, I am […]
Published
August 8, 2015

Letter to the editor: Voters need to boot officials over Biddeford cover-up

Whenever child rape accusations emerge in any community, the reaction becomes everything to the case. It establishes the direction of proceedings and investigation. It sets the tone of either disbelief, or that of determined victory over the problem. When a municipality is involved, however, the initial reaction can appear to take on a life of […]
Published
August 8, 2015

Letter to the editor: Portland’s growth rate is far from ‘unbridled’

Portland’s residents bestow our city “exalted status” as “the center of the universe,” according to Bob Casimiro in his Aug. 3 letter. The thrust of his hyperbolic argument is that Portland is suffering “unbridled growth.” A comparison of Maine’s largest city with Weymouth, Massachusetts, is the basis for his argument. This comparison is fundamentally flawed. […]
Published
August 8, 2015

Letter to the editor: LePage uses coercion, not blackmail, to get his way

Enough already! Gov. LePage did not allegedly “blackmail” Good Will-Hinckley, the Maine Community College System or the Franco organization. He “coerced” them into doing his will. “Blackmail: Payment extorted to prevent disclosure of information that would bring ruin or disgrace if made public.” “Coerce: 1. to restrain or constrain by force, especially by legal authority. […]
Published
August 7, 2015

Letter to the editor: Sen. Ted Cruz’s recent rhetoric makes him difficult to trust

Listening to Sen. Ted Cruz answering questions during Monday night’s Voters First Forum in New Hampshire, I was taken with his rhetoric on Obamacare. Here is someone who wants to destroy all aspects of the program when his family has, according to The Washington Post, enrolled in the exchange. Sen. Cruz is also one of […]

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Letters