Nealley for council

I have known David Nealley and his family for most of my life. I know for a fact that David really cares about Bangor and that he wants it to be the best it can be. He is very sensitive about those who struggle to pay their bills, especially in this difficult economic time.

David’s ego is big enough to challenge anyone, yet he is humble enough to listen to everyone. He is extremely loyal with plenty of courage to take on tough issues and the skill to champion them.

Bangor will be well-served to have David back on the City Council.

Darwin “Wes” Morse

Bangor

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‘Potential for greatness’

I have never felt as strongly about a candidate’s potential for greatness as I do for Barack Obama’s. In cynical times such as these, when we have come to expect so little of our leaders, Sen. Obama is a beacon of hope. I believe he has the intelligence, the vision and the intestinal fortitude to put our country back on the right track. His views on job creation, alternative energy, health care, taxes, and ending the war in Iraq are all in the best interests of the nation as a whole and Maine in particular.

I urge readers to go to barackobama.com to learn where Sen. Obama stands on the issues, what he plans to do, and how he plans to pay for it. Not in vague, general terms, but in specific terms and in detail.

I’m confident that if readers see Sen. Obama’s plans, they’ll be as enthusiastic as I am in supporting this great man in this time of great need.

Christina Ganz

Steuben

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Collins a GOP cog

Mainers should know that both the content and financing of Susan Collins’ TV ads come from national Republican action groups dedicated to re-enlisting a Republican edge in Congress. While she has achieved some benefits for Maine, she [has] almost always favored the business sector over the public. She has done nothing to curb health care costs, nothing to stop the Iraq war, nothing to create jobs or increase wages. In fact, she’s done very little for the middle class at all.

However centrist, Collins is but another cog in the Republican congressional machine that has brought a steady decline of living to most Americans, enormous cost-of-living increases, stagnant pay scales and a wasteful and wrongful war. Fine to work for diabetes research but what about bigger issues, like the needs of the average voter?

Mainers need to look in their wallets and think long and hard before they choose again the principles that have now brought us to the brink of 1933.

Dennis Lopez

Rockport

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Vote no on question 1

Maine’s Bureau of Insurance has certified that Dirigo Health reforms have saved the state of Maine over $100 million in their first three years, and this year’s savings has been determined to be approximately $49 million.

The funding derives, in part, from small taxes on beer, wine, and soft drinks. At the same time, the law lowers the taxes on health insurance claims. Not surprisingly, the beer, wine, and soft drink industries are up in arms, because they fear that other states might do what Maine did. The industry got a referendum on the November ballot to repeal the small taxes.

The DirigoChoice program has served 28,000 hardworking Maine families and small businesses since it began. The average cost per member per year is $2,700 with a similar comprehensive health insurance policy in Maine costing over $5,000 per person per year.

DirigoChoice is designed to help subsidize premiums for people under 300 percent of the federal poverty level on a sliding scale, thus leading to more coverage for more people. The Dirigo product is unique in the marketplace with full coverage for preventive care, mental health parity and no barriers on pre-existing conditions.

The program has worked. The funding has not. That is precisely why the new law must be saved and people must vote “no” on question 1.

Bill & Marilyn Voorhies

West Tremont

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Sara Stevens qualified

I have known Sara Stevens for years and want to speak of her qualifications for the Maine House District 17 election.

Sara has been very active in the community, and she has contributed her energy and experience to benefit our civic and charitable organizations. She is a “go-to” person to get the job done. Sara recognizes the importance of getting people involved to make a difference in their community. Sara is mindful that most issues have valid, legitimate arguments on both sides. Her skills at listening, analyzing and negotiating will serve District 17 well.

Please support Sara on Nov. 4. We will all benefit by her service.

Christopher Winstead

Bangor

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GOP guts government

If you’d like a summary of what’s wrong with the Republican Party today, consider two oft-cited quotes from Ronald Reagan.

The first is: “Freedom is always just one generation away from extinction. We … have to fight for it and protect it, and then hand it to [our children] so that they shall do the same, or we’re going to find ourselves spending our sunset years telling our children … about a time in America … when men and women were free.”

And the second: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

The first quote, used by Sarah Palin in the vice-presidential debate, was Reagan referring not to the threat of totalitarianism, but to the imminent enactment of Medicare! These quotes should remind us of the hostility toward a social safety net and toward a positive and important role for government that characterized Reagan’s thinking and remains with us today in the beliefs of most Republicans. They see individual initiative and free markets as capable of doing it all. They see government as the problem, not part of the solution. Little wonder that when given a chance to govern they do so badly, appointing incompetents and gutting the agencies they are charged with running (e.g., FEMA, EPA, FTC, SEC, Justice Department).

The big problems facing America today — environment, health care, national security, nuclear proliferation, education — are not problems that the private sector can deal with effectively. Efficient, intelligent government leadership is required.

Shane Hunt

Palermo