Letters

Published
March 10, 2015

Letter to the editor: Proposed bear hunting bills fly in the face of recent vote

In November, the residents of Maine voted resoundingly to defeat Question 1 (a ban on bear baiting, hounding and trapping). Now state Rep. Denise Harlow, D-Portland, has introduced several bills aimed at putting in place the same ban voters defeated. Two bills – An Act to Prohibit Hunting Bear Using Dogs and Trapping, along with […]
Published
March 10, 2015

Letter to the editor: Proposed LePage cuts needlessly hurt immigrants

At a time when Maine’s median age is the highest in the nation and we don’t have enough young people to fill jobs, the governor’s proposed budget cuts regarding refugees and asylum seekers hurt the very people who could help our economy. Just as immigrant workers helped the Industrial Revolution at the beginning of the […]
Published
March 9, 2015

Letter to the editor: North Yarmouth has plenty of positives to focus on

The Portland Press Herald must have had a slow news day when it decided to put an employee disagreement in a small municipality on the front page (“Escalating tensions leave a Maine town in turmoil,” March 3). As a former selectwoman and active community member of North Yarmouth, I can assure you that North Yarmouth […]
Published
March 9, 2015

Letter to the editor: Judge’s prescription ruling only benefits Big Pharma

In understanding U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Torresen’s ruling making it illegal for low-income Mainers to purchase their prescription drugs from anyone but price-gouging Big Pharma, it might be helpful to know that as of 2014, a U.S. district court judge made a tidy little $199,100 a year. Clearly the ever-fair, balanced and objective Torresen […]
Published
March 9, 2015

Letter to the editor: Medical science should drive school start times

As an educator and parent, I was thrilled to see the Portland Press Herald advocating for students and science over economic convenience (“Our View: Later high school start would be good for kids,” Feb. 28). I also loudly applaud Portland’s school board for considering the same and at least balking at an earlier start time. […]

Published
March 9, 2015

Letter to editor: Cain’s retread candidacy in 2nd District is troubling

The recent news that Emily Cain will once again run for Congress in the 2nd District is very troubling. So far, 2nd District U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin has attacked the environment and women’s rights and has been nothing but a peachy-keen friend to his buddies on Wall Street. In other words, it is imperative that […]
Published
March 9, 2015

Letter to the editor: LePage wrong to oppose bond for senior housing

Re: “LePage and head of Maine Housing Authority oppose bond for senior housing” (Feb. 27): These decision-makers are risking the independence of our Maine seniors and our disabled. The KeepME Home initiative would help our seniors. As a housing advocate who provides direct service to seniors, some of my most challenging days involve watching seniors […]
Published
March 8, 2015

Letter to the editor: Assisted-death legislation would offer a different choice

I’ve followed with interest the coverage on assisted-dying legislation and hospice. I like that dying is becoming a more public conversation. It needs to be. I applaud the Press Herald for publishing on the topic. I’m concerned that some stories promote an idealized version of dying: a calm patient in a bed surrounded by loving […]
Published
March 8, 2015

Letter to the editor: How can anyone oppose a cleaner Penobscot River?

Colin Woodard’s March 2 article (“LePage calls EPA’s tribal waters ruling ‘outrageous’ “) reminds me of a Penobscot Indian I once knew. When asked to identify his personal meaning of “sovereignty,” he answered that he saw it as the freedom to fish off Indian Island and then eat what he caught. His response to the […]
Published
March 8, 2015

Letter to the editor: Penobscots deserve gratitude, support in water-quality fight

The state of Maine is insisting that the Penobscot Nation’s reservation, which consists of islands in the Penobscot River, does not include the river itself. Why? One reason is that the state’s water quality standards are not up to federal requirements. Recently, when the Penobscot Nation attempted to enact water quality standards that were as […]

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Letters