Letters

Published
May 18, 2014

Letter to the editor: Choosing to be poor leaves woman dependent

After reading the article by Laura McCandlish (“The Farm-to-Table Family: One mother uses food stamps at the farmers market,” May 11), I feel the need to respond. Though the article is about farmers markets, the real story is about Samantha Ricker. She has a master’s degree in sustainable business (is that one of those majors […]
Published
May 18, 2014

Letter to the editor: Drugs to alleviate pain also need to be watched

Concerning the recent letter on opioid prescribing (“MaineCare opioid limits unjustifiable,” April 30): The writer fails to grasp the crucial importance of balancing the usefulness of opioids against the risk of addiction and abuse. Both sides of this equation are real and important, and to focus on one and not on both is a serious […]
Published
May 18, 2014

Letter to the editor: Better ways to raise money than holding out a tin can

As I pulled into a convenience store this weekend, I noticed people standing in front of the door. It was a parent or two with four or five kids around 12 years old, asking for money for the kids’ ball teams. Now we all know that school budgets are stretched thin. I have kids in […]
Published
May 18, 2014

Letter to the editor: Maine Republican Party reinvigorated by Gen207

Upon reading his obituary in a newspaper, Mark Twain supposedly said, “The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Same goes for the Republican Party! Maine’s conservative youth are flocking to the party, not just to campaign for their elders, but to run for office. They are “living” leadership today with the support of […]
Published
May 17, 2014

Letter to the editor: Student test scores are no way to grade teachers

In response to the May 14 article “In doubt: Using student test scores to measure teacher quality,” I offer the following observation. If you designed a controlled experiment (uncontrolled experiments being largely worthless) in which two teachers of roughly the same experience and education taught the same material, for a discrete period of time, to […]

Published
May 17, 2014

Letter to the editor: Crow hunt does nothing but make Maine look bad

I was taken aback May 12 when I read this story in your “Local & State Dispatches”: “Comments on proposed crow hunting seasons sought.” Gee, we have until May 30 to respond? I went to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife website, and I could not find any listing about a “crow hunt.” […]
Published
May 17, 2014

Letter to the editor: Portland bag fee might help, but we must stop littering first

When the wind blows mightily, instead of new spring leaves on Portland’s trees and shrubs, our city’s landscaping is festooned with plastic bags, as is every chain link fence in Portland and environs. Plastic bags and every description of trash fly through the air. On one particular day, a berm between Hannaford and Back Cove […]
Published
May 17, 2014

Letter to the editor: Michaud will govern with compassion, unlike LePage

Every day, I work with resourceful health care professionals who serve people who are homeless, refugees, immigrants and others who cannot pay for their health care. Most of the patients we see have complex medical conditions made worse by their lack of health care. These are the people who have been directly affected by Gov. […]
Published
May 16, 2014

Letter to the editor: The Affordable Care Act will surely prove itself

Re: “Steve Robinson: Michaud’s support for Obamacare certain to haunt his bid for governor” (May 10): The Affordable Care Act is 906 pages long. The law is helping “us move closer to more affordable and stable health care coverage.” Mike Michaud (and Susan Collins) would “fix” the law if the Republicans would allow the bill(s) […]
Published
May 16, 2014

Letter to the editor: Hamas not worthy negotiating partner for Mideast peace

The editorial printed April 30 headlined “Another View: Palestinian accord should not end Mideast peace talks” does not consider several essential points: Hamas is an Islamist terrorist organization that seeks Israel’s destruction and attacks innocent civilians. Any Palestinian government that includes Hamas cannot be a negotiating partner unless it meets longstanding demands in U.S. law: […]

Sign In:

Letters