Letters

Published
January 5, 2011

Letters to the editor, Jan. 5, 2011Too much wasted on military

The front pages of The Portland Press Herald properly feature local news items that are of central interest to us all. But we must turn to the inner pages of the newspaper to be aware that our nation is still at war. We are in the ninth year of fighting in two countries at a […]
Published
January 4, 2011

Letters to the editor, Jan. 4, 2011Some advice for a new governor

Having served as co-director of Gov. Angus King’s transition team with primary responsibility for making recommendations to Gov.-elect Paul LePage for hiring senior staff members and the Cabinet, there are a few principles you may wish to consider: 1. Once you take office, be careful what you say. It has a way of becoming state […]
Published
January 3, 2011

Letters to the editor, Jan. 3, 2011People with jobs will also have food

The 5-year-old looked up at his mother and said, “Mommy, I’m hungry.” “No, dear,” she replied, “you are obviously unable to read the newspaper or you would understand that you are suffering from ‘food insecurity.’ “ “What’s that?” he asked. “Well,” she began, “that is when you think you want food but you are not sure […]
Published
January 2, 2011

Letters to the editor, Jan. 2, 2011’Cost shifting’ hurts the insured

Who pays for health care? A federal district court judge in Virginia has ruled the new federal health care law’s individual insurance mandate unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court will eventually decide that issue. However, nonprofit hospitals (all Maine hospitals) are still required to provide care, regardless of ability to pay. So who pays? Who pays […]
Published
January 1, 2011

Letters to the editor: When electricity fails, seniors need help

A suggestion for seniors: Having “weathered” 40 hours without heat and light last January, and 80 hours without it in December 2008, it is a good idea to advise people, seniors especially. who live in all-electric buildings that should power be out for an extended period of time, they should call local police to find […]

Published
December 31, 2010

Letters to the editor, Dec. 31, 2010Tales of season’s first snow

It wasn’t supposed to happen. At least it hadn’t been forecast. But suddenly, there it was. About 3:30 in the afternoon of Dec. 20, it started. Large flakes blanketing the sky, rapidly covering everything. By rush hour, it was a disaster, with 200 cars off the road in Scarborough alone. Three police cars and a […]
Published
December 30, 2010

Letters to the editor, Dec. 30, 2010: ‘War on drugs’ a futile effort

An estimated 17,000 annual U.S. deaths are attributed to illegal drugs — “the tip of the iceberg” of destruction. NPR just reported more than 30,000 Mexican deaths over five years in that smaller country’s drug war. The greatest damage occurs farther beyond our borders, for example in destruction of the social fabrics of Colombia and […]
Published
December 30, 2010

More letters to the editor, Dec. 30, 2010: Bear-baiting will never be right

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife would have us believe that “Bear hunting in Maine remains a sport in all its forms.” (Maine Voices, Dec. 3). The forms department spokesman Travis Barrett is alluding to are hounding and baiting, both practices that are outlawed in a number of states because many hunters believe that […]
Published
December 29, 2010

Letters to the Editor: Ethics ruling riles on Cutler Files

So you can break the law, maintain an anonymous website that spews negative information about a candidate and, by doing so, influence the outcome of a statewide election (“Author of Cutler bash site broke law,” Dec. 21), and your punishment is a $200 fine and your identity is protected. I’m glad to see that justice […]
Published
December 28, 2010

Letters to the editor: GOP leadership does little to inspire

With all the lofty rhetoric coming from the newly revitalized Republican Party, I find myself having moments of optimism that finally the “conservatives” will live up to their names and be the principled, pragmatic idealists they claim to be. Then reality hits me like a December gale. Lost in the the recent Republican celebrations was […]

Sign In:

Letters