Memorial Day
Once again, it is time to remember the sacrifices of those who gave some or all to defend the freedoms we cherish, in wars around the globe. Without those sacrifices, we would be less free, enslaved or destroyed by madmen who would decide we were no more than animals, a notion we reject.
Madmen who would jail or kill their people over differences of opinion, or merely over free speech spoken.
We will never forget the sacrifices fought for our freedoms, whether the battle was lost or won, because freedom comes with a price. The red in our flag symbolizes the blood shed to secure that freedom. Honor our heroes with a visit to a parade or other ceremony. We can never repay, but we remember.
David K. Martin
Dover, New Hampshire
Penobscot River restoration
I am responding to the April 17 letter to the editor entitled “Dam removal wrong” by Joseph King Jr. of Veazie in which he misinformed Bangor Daily News readers about the importance of removing dams on Maine rivers. Over the last two decades, river herring populations have plummeted by 95 percent. The dramatic decline of this important fish species has lead to drastic increases in the cost of herring to local lobsterman.
Positive changes have already been realized with a substantial increase in the number of alewives returning to the river, which will help our coastal fishing economy by lowering the costs of herring used by local lobsterman. There will be more recreational fishing available and the opportunity for local fishing guides to benefit from the open rivers. To learn more, I strongly recommend reading The Herring Alliance’s 2007 report, “Empty Rivers: The Decline of River Herring.”
The rivers must remain open to the sea. King continues to promote poor understanding of the greater good provided by dam removal. I am thankful for the Penobscot River Restoration efforts and support the removal of any dam blocking the migratory travels of anadromous fish, such as alewives, salmon, smelt, striped bass and sturgeon.
I am sure proud of what was accomplished by the Penobscot River Restoration Project. I can’t wait to see Atlantic salmon in these rivers. Let’s hope it’s not too late.
Michael J. Good
Town Hill
MaineCare cuts
For more than 17 years, I’ve practiced as a community mental health psychiatrist in Maine. I work for a nonprofit community mental health center that provides care for patients with all types of insurance, predominantly MaineCare.
In Maine there are very few psychiatrists and advance practice psychiatric nurses to serve such a large and primarily rural state. Many of these psychiatric providers choose to go into private practice and typically do not serve patients with MaineCare.
Gov. Paul LePage has proposed cuts to the MaineCare reimbursement rate for psychiatric medication management services, for the 2016-17 budget. The proposed realignment of payment for psychiatric medication management services in Maine will reduce current reimbursement to community mental health centers for psychiatrists by 60 percent and even greater for advance practice psychiatric nurses. Such devastating and unprecedented cuts will very likely have the following tragic effects:
— Expansion of psychiatric services into currently underserved parts of Maine will virtually grind to a halt.
— Some outpatient community mental health psychiatric medication management practices will close leaving many patients without vital ongoing psychiatric treatment.
— More patients will destabilize resulting in an overutilization of expensive inpatient psychiatric hospital beds.
— The closing of community health centers and associated job losses will have significant negative economic effects on the communities where they are based.
Marc I. Kaplan D.O.
Kennebunk
Taxing rent and board
My mother-in-law moved into Seaport Village, the new assisted living facility. In the current bill, they have added 5 percent for the Service Provider Tax.
I have looked up the law and find some things that are very bothersome. This info comes from ” Service Provider Tax Instructions Bulletin 55.”
The first statement in these instructions that bother me is: “Unlike the sales tax the Service Provider Tax is not levied on the consumer, but is instead upon the providers (seller). The law allows the provider to pass the tax on to the consumer, but only if it is separately stated and identified on the invoice to the consumer as a “service provider tax.”
To include community-support business and assisted living facilities and service is absurd. It is a tax that will be levied on people who are trying to take care of people with disabilities who have less resources.
Finally, it includes living cost — rent and board — of private-pay clients. My mother-in-law rents a studio apartment at Seaport Village. Do colleges have to pay 5 percent on the room and board they collect from students? I believe that taxing her rent under this law treats her unfairly.
Gregory G. Stone
Lamoine
Start school later
Biological changes in sleep and circadian rhythms occur in all adolescents during puberty and have the effect of delaying sleep and wake times. These changes make it almost impossible for teens to fall asleep before 11 p.m., and equally challenging to wake before 8 a.m., when high schools begin class. This interferes with the average student’s ability to obtain the needed eight to 10 hours of sleep recommended by the National Sleep Foundation.
Consequences of adolescent sleep debt and disruption have been documented for years, showing a negative effect on academic performance — decreased attention span and higher-level cognitive skills, slowed reaction times and a reduced ability to learn and remember new information.
Equally troubling are the effects of sleep debt on mood and behavior. Research has demonstrated that insufficient sleep among adolescents results in increased rates of depression and suicidal thoughts, decreased impulse control and difficulty regulating emotions.
Delaying school start times could easily address many of the potential risks that Maine teens presently face. As noted on the Start School Later website, “When schools have delayed the start of the school day, communities have seen reduced tardiness, sleeping in class, and car crash rates, as well as improved attendance, graduation rates, and standardized test scores.”
At present, LD 711, which would ensure schools start a little later — 8:30 a.m. — is set to go to the floor for a vote. It is a step in the right direction. Supporting LD 711 embodies our collective obligation to protect our youth from harm, and it affirms that we will make choices that represent their best interests.
Elizabeth Franck
Dedham