Letters

Published
August 4, 2014

Letter to the editor: Why settle for second-best opponent to Gov. LePage?

I am writing in response to Donald Renn’s July 30 letter to the editor urging Eliot Cutler to wait until “the next round” to run for governor. I personally do not believe the state of Maine can afford to wait another four years for a better leader. I was baffled that Mr. Renn would admit […]
Published
August 4, 2014

Letter to the editor: LePage’s accomplishments detailed in PDF booklet

I recently received an impressive PDF booklet of Gov. Paul LePage’s accomplishments while in office from 2011 to 2013. I’m a staunch supporter, but even I was stunned by how much in one term he has done for the state of Maine. Voters who get all their news from the big three newspapers in the […]
Published
August 4, 2014

Letter to the editor: USM needs to undertake comprehensive administrative overhaul

Let me see if I understand what is going on at the University of Southern Maine: • USM has an enormous structural financial deficit. • USM has an apparently low retention and graduation rate. • USM moved then-President Selma Botman to a “special position” at her existing salary of more than $200,000 and hired a new president at […]
Published
August 4, 2014

Letter to the editor: More thought needed for ‘Clearer Skies’

I note with interest the proceedings in South Portland under the powers that be there, who didn’t like the results of last November’s citywide vote on Canada oil. The so-called “Clear Skies Ordinance” that the City Council adopted last month so horribly misses the point as to provide no sense whatsoever toward solving the world’s […]
Published
August 3, 2014

Letter to the editor: Increase clean energy’s competitiveness

As a retired energy industry consultant and an ardent foe of CO2 emissions, I found John Richardson’s analysis on tar sands oil to be exemplary (“Tar sands battleground: South Portland,” July 20). It is objective, comprehensive, factually based and fair. Too often the issue of tar sands oil is addressed by opponents on emotional rather […]

Published
August 3, 2014

Letter to the editor: School standards crucial to bridging worker skills gap

Peter Geiger’s recent guest column on school standards is exactly right (“Maine Voices: Nothing sinister in school standards,” July 27). Enhancing Maine’s current school standards to align with the common math and English standards will help improved educational rigor for our students; honors Maine’s long tradition of local control over curriculum; is an open process […]
Published
August 3, 2014

Letter to the editor: Candidates should heed concerns of older voters

If candidates are wondering which issues are of the greatest concern to Maine’s most active voting demographic, a new AARP survey can help. AARP recently surveyed 2000 registered voters in Maine, age 50 and older to see what issues they find most important for candidates to focus on. The results of the survey revealed that […]
Published
August 3, 2014

Letter to the editor: Raising minimum wage would lift Social Security

Much attention has been drawn lately to the need to raise the minimum wage. One element missing from the conversation is the long-term impact it would have on people’s lives. People working minimum-wage jobs are usually not even able to provide their basic necessities, let alone plan for their retirement. Raising the minimum wage would […]
Published
August 3, 2014

Letter to the editor: LePage’s boyhood does not seem graced by good ‘luck’

I have enjoyed reading the profiles of the candidates for governor in the Maine Sunday Telegram. On July 20, the profile was on our current governor, Paul LePage (“The early years: Paul LePage”). In the secondary headline, it says, “Tough love, hard work and luck saved the boy … .” As I read the article, […]
Published
August 2, 2014

Letter to the editor: Gun control group’s ties to Cutler ignored

In his story concerning the endorsement of Eliot Cutler by Maine Citizens Against Handgun Violence (“Gun control group endorses Cutler in Maine governor’s race,” July 25), reporter Eric Russell correctly pointed out that Cutler and Mike Michaud have similar views on background checks for prospective gun buyers – a key issue in the gun control […]

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Letters