Letters

Published
May 5, 2011

Letters to the editor, May 5, 2011: Cyclists were on the roads first

Rep. Ralph Sarty’s April 26 column questioning bicyclists’ rights to public roads ignores the history of road rights in this country. Bicycles were using America’s roads 25 years before the first motor vehicles. The fact is, there would not have been any paved roads for cars if cyclists hadn’t organized to promote them. Founded in […]
Published
May 4, 2011

Letters to the editor, May 4, 2011No need to drill for more oil

I oppose the increased pressure to facilitate oil drilling within the United States. The president has announced that it is his administration’s policy to lower our dependence on foreign oil. I support the president in this policy. But that does not mean that we forget the lessons of a year ago in the Gulf of […]
Published
May 3, 2011

Letters to the editor, May 3, 2011Election looming on school budget

Last May, Portland voters chose whether to continue to hold annual elections to validate the school budget. By a narrow margin, the question was answered in the affirmative. As a result, this year’s school budget validation election will be held on May 10. Tremendous effort goes into preparations for every election, including scheduling and training […]
Published
May 2, 2011

Letters to the editor, May 2, 2011Mural ruling not ‘win’ for governor

Judge John Woodcock’s decision to deny a temporary restraining order in the Labor Department mural case came as no surprise, as he had noted during oral arguments that federal courts are reluctant to interfere in state affairs and are inclined “to allow the status quo to exist while a more ordered and thorough process is […]
Published
May 1, 2011

Letters to the editor, May 1, 2011Food safety vital to Maine farmers

We are small farmers who agree with Maine Cheese Guild President Eric Rector (“A growing concern,” April 24) that farmers who oppose safety regulations “don’t want to bother” and are making a political statement. It would be foolhardy for those of us trying to get our neighbors to try locally grown food to take a […]

Published
April 30, 2011

Letters to the editor, April 30, 2011Fishing stock growth too late for many

Your editorial of April 24 (“New catch limits signal success of new fish rules”) leaves the impression that groundfish stocks have increased as a result of a single year of catch-shares management. In fact, stocks have increased as a result of nearly a generation of engaged fishery management and sacrifice by commercial fishermen. Nonetheless, as […]
Published
April 30, 2011

More letters to the editor, April 30, 2011Billboards’ return finds no fans among readers

If Rep. Dennis Keschl of Belgrade and Sen. Doug Thomas of Ripley, the sponsors of proposed legislation to permit the resurrection of billboards, feel businesses do not currently have sufficient capability to advertise, they should take a trip outside their districts and experience the blizzard of signage on Route 302 in Windham, or on the […]
Published
April 29, 2011

Letters to the Editor, April 29, 2011Early education good for kids, state

While I agree wholeheartedly with business leaders Eileen Skinner, Tom Peters and Dana Connors that early childhood investments can pay dividends for Maine’s economy (“Educate kids early to help everyone later, businesses say,” April 20) I have another reason to support these programs: They are important to our national security. As a retired Army general, […]
Published
April 28, 2011

Letters to the Editor, April 28, 2011Coyotes not to blame for deer decline

Coyotes have been in Maine since the 1940s. They are now as much a part of Maine’s ecology as are deer, moose and lobster. The wisdom of nature placed coyotes here to fill the void created by the brutal and mistaken removal of wolves from Maine a century ago. Top predators are vital for the […]
Published
April 28, 2011

More Letters to the Editor, April 28, 2011Legislator’s push to legalize marijuana worth support

Legalize marijuana as soon as possible. We are going to need every beneficial product of this easy-to-grow weed. I don’t smoke pot and have no burning desire to do so. Nicotine and caffeine are my drugs of choice. I don’t want the kids in this world consuming anything that separates them from what’s real and […]

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Letters