Grass-roots campaign
We have already entered into the 2016 presidential campaign, like it or not. And there is much to like since Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont threw his hat into the ring, seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party. He will not be a spoiler and consistently rebuffs the television journalists hoping to instigate personal attacks on his Democratic rivals. Sander’s campaign is all about the issues that affect the 99 percent of Americans, whose increasing productivity has been rewarded with decreasing prosperity.
Sanders has consistently fought for the middle and working class since his career in public service began as mayor of Burlington, Vermont. He has not amassed a millionaire’s fortune from his service in the House of Representatives and the Senate. He is consistently ignored or dismissed by the media and is relying upon volunteers and small donations to challenge the front runners and repair the damage done by the political class’ slavish service to corporate interests.
As we recoil to see our local taxes rise, and local economy sink, it is important to realize where the resources in one of the wealthiest and most productive economies have gone: Upwards to the 1 percent. It is important to know who is fighting to reverse that trend. It is important to know Sanders is counting on all of us to create the grass-roots campaign to restore sanity and balance to our democracy.
Jay Skriletz
Perry
Wrongfully convicted
Many that are innocent have been accused of committing a crime that they have not committed. Kalief Browder of the Bronx, New York, was 16 years old when he was accused of stealing someone’s backpack with a credit card, debit card, a digital camera, an iPod and $700 inside.
He was arrested two weeks after this incident supposedly occurred. Browder spent three years awaiting trial.
While he was there, he was beaten in the showers by prison guards where there were no cameras. There was a point where they would barely feed him. He even tried to commit suicide several times while he was in jail and after he got out. His jail experience changed him, and missing three years of his life put his future in jeopardy because he wasn’t able to graduate from high school and go to college. This was unfair because he wasn’t guilty. The charges were eventually dropped.
According to the Criminal Justice Research Center, 10,000 people are wrongfully convicted of committing a crime each year. Some reasons why people are wrongfully imprisoned is eyewitness misidentification, false confessions and having bad lawyers (which Browder had).
Our justice system should be a lot better than what it is now because 10,000 people per year should not be getting wrongfully put in prison for something they didn’t do.
Micary Verville
Portland
Drug test CEOs
So Gov. Paul LePage is looking out for the taxpayers by proposing a bill to require drug testing for all TANF recipients, along with forbidding ex-felons from receiving public benefits.
If he really wants to prevent potential waste of taxpayer money, why not test CEOs and executives? After all, corporations are now people, and Maine corporations receive millions of dollars in tax subsidies.
I would care more about how our corporate “people” are spending their subsidies than a few needy people who might be the exception to the rule and waste some pitiful food stamp money on less than wise choices.
It is unconscionable discrimination to assume all welfare recipients abuse drugs just because they are in less fortunate circumstances in their lives than CEOs who receive millions of our dollars without a question asked of them.
Jim Womeldorf
Montrose
Out-of-state ‘facts’
It is not even campaign season and yet once again, out-of-state special interest groups are spending money to convince Maine voters what they should do. The only problem is they do not have accurate information.
Some Mainers may have received attack mailers accusing Sen. Linda Baker, R-Topsham, of sponsoring legislation to extend term limits from eight to 16 years. This is blatantly false on two counts.
First, it accuses Baker of being the prime sponsor of LD 1012, which is not true. She is one of 33 co-sponsors to the bipartisan legislation. Sen. Amy Volk, R-Scarborough, is the bill’s main sponsor. Second, it says that Baker wants to do away with Maine term limits, which also is not true. The bill was a constitutional amendment to change the term of senators from two to four years.
It was the sponsor’s intent that senators would still only be allowed to serve a maximum of eight years as it is now. Four-year terms would cut down on the amount of campaign money spent every two years, especially tax funded Clean Elections money, which like term limits, the public voted for through the referendum process.
Mainers should not trust their opinions to some group of people from away. Look the bill up on the Maine Legislature’s website.
Nathen Cloutier
Bowdoin
End of life care
The Joint Standing Committee for Health and Human Services held a public hearing on May 15 about LD 1270, An Act Regarding Patient Self-Directed Care at End-of-Life. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, and co-sponsored by nine others, is closely modeled on Vermont’s Act 39, Patient Choice and Control at End of Life.
I was excited to go to the hearing because I am committed to the needs of dying people and believe our dying is the most intimate event we will ever experience. It was my first time to the state house and first time being an actual participant in the legislative process.
Supporters came forward with both professional and deeply moving personal stories, demonstrating a very clear understanding of the bill. Voices in support, voices in opposition, voices offering neither for-or-against critiques: all heard, all noted and all to be taken into working session.
My feeling is that the personal stories and experiences of all who came to support LD 1270 sent a clear, unified message to our legislators: It makes good sense to embrace this end-of-life option for Maine.
Each of these legislators, I believe, will do their best to comprehend the bill, learn about end-of-life prescriptions and how LD 1270 proposes to make this a safe process for competent, terminally-ill adults who want to choose an end-of-life prescription to use as their death becomes more imminent.
We here in Maine took a good first step.
Valerie Lovelace
Westport Island