The May 7 article “Republican candidates for Maine governor just forged another alliance,” written by Daniel Kool, intentionally or unintentionally underscored the fallacy of ranked-choice voting. Why are Republican candidates looking for a second choice vote when, ideally, they are in it to win first place? Leave it to short-sighted Mainers and a politically calculating secretary […]
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the editor of the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.
Portland should not be skeptical about opportunity zones | Letter
I was discouraged by the skepticism described in the May 2 cover story, “Is Portland throwing away an opportunity (zone)?” In an environment where even market-rate housing is difficult to build profitably, opportunity zones offer a critical tool for bridging the feasibility gap in order to create the housing Portland desperately needs. It is important […]
If you care about healthcare, rank Hannah Pingree No. 1 | Letter
Hannah Pingree is the right choice to be Maine’s next governor. She has shown strong leadership on one of the issues most important to Maine families: making healthcare more affordable and accessible. As a retired family physician and former state senator, I have seen how policy decisions affect patients, families and communities. Maine needs a […]
Don’t forget about the dangers of State Street, High Street | Letter
These streets shouldn’t be one-way racetracks.
We have no choice but to leave Maine, the US | Letter
My wife and I cannot afford to continue living in Portland, where we have worked and raised our family. We cannot afford our rent, at more than $2,500 per month, not including utilities. We cannot afford my Anthem premiums through the ACA, which increased from $606 per month to $1,232 per month this year. One […]
Bellows is Maine’s best bet for positive systemic change | Letter
I have very carefully noticed most problems discussed during the gubernatorial primaries are rooted in one, broad, overall term: social justice (equal access to wealth, health, well-being, privileges and opportunity). I have listened carefully to all gubernatorial candidates, with one standing out as most progressive for social justice: Shenna Bellows. Bellows often describes positive systemic […]
Vote Matt Dunlap for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District | Letter
In the June 9 Democratic primary for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, one candidate stands above the others: Matt Dunlap. He’s the state auditor, and has worked carefully and diligently on Maine’s finances. When he was Maine secretary of state, Dunlap was a member of what was supposed to be an “election integrity” commission to review the […]
Teachers are overpaid? Please. | Letter
National Teacher Appreciation Week is celebrated annually, from Monday through Friday, during the first week of May. My wife is a special education teacher. She works every single weekend without being paid for it. She does not occasionally work on the weekends. She works every weekend. If I ever again hear someone complain about how […]
System at fault in Shalom House tragedy | Letter
The recent tragedy at a Portland group home should have every client-facing social services agency on high alert. Safety in these settings is often left to the workers. Staff are left to “make assessments” on clients’ mental stability. De-escalation training is great and almost always required in these settings, but is it enough? This is […]
Thank you, Ted Turner | Letter
As a hard of hearing child who loved old movies, I owe a great deal to Ted Turner and his creation of Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Long before accessibility was widely discussed, TCM airing classic films, with captions, opened a whole world to me. While many movie theaters were not accessible then — and too […]