LePage ignores voters
I think Gov. Paul LePage is all mixed up. On the one hand he says he will take all his initiatives directly to the people because he can’t get along with the Legislature. On the other hand he will not approve funding of voter-approved bonds.
So once again it is clear it is only the way he wants it, not what the people of Maine want.
Hope MacDonald
Millinocket
Lessons from Francis
Having just watched Pope Francis’ address before Congress, I was totally impressed with his call for dialogue. He nailed a central point that seems to be slipping away in our government and other governments around the globe.
We as a people, if we are to survive and prosper as a society, have to be open to dialogue with one another. We have to be able to see both sides of any of the points of contention that seem to be plaguing us.
I felt his speech was a gentle reminder to those in Congress that they are not just representing one faction of their electorate but all of them. That they are entrusted and have a duty to work for the good of all the people that they are supposed to be representing.
The politics of division and noncooperation have to come to an end, or we as a nation will self destruct. We as citizens of this great nation need to demand better from our representatives in our country and our state. We need to demand that they participate in a dialogue, where both sides of the issues are addressed openly and honestly.
Thomas Bonner
Alexander
Increase bus ridership
I wholeheartedly commend Joan Ellis Sept. 19 OpEd, “Why Bangor needs a bus that runs in the evenings on Sunday.” Joan perfectly put into words why the expansion of Bangor’s bus service is so critical. Lack of access to consistent public transportation serves as an economic and social barrier to many in our city.
As a candidate for Bangor City Council, I have heard Joan’s sentiments echoed while knocking on doors and talking to many residents. It is one of the chief issues I would work to address as a member of the City Council.
I have spoken to those in and out of city government, including bus superintendent Laurie Linscott. What is clear is that we must all work to change the culture and stigma around the bus system, and encourage more people to utilize it. Increased ridership leads to more funding and expanded hours. I therefore support and encourage Joan’s challenge for more people to ride the bus, and I would use a position on the city council to elevate this challenge.
It is also important to focus on improving other means of transportation, such as safer roadways for cyclists and safer sidewalks for pedestrians. As a member of the city council, it would be my goal to examine all these pieces and work toward a comprehensive plan to make Bangor accessible for anyone who lives here.
Sarah Nichols
Bangor
Reauthorize WIC
Soon, Congress will be voting on the reauthorization of the Maine Women Infants and Children Nutrition Program, or WIC.This program helps put food on the table for the folks that need it the most.
I know that my single mother wouldn’t have been able to take care of the two of us if it hadn’t been for programs like this one. I believe it’s necessary to support these sorts of public assistance programs because I’ve seen first-hand the kinds of impacts they make. Thanks to the help we received, I’m a college graduate, taxpayer and voter.
As a voter, I want to know that my representatives have the best interests of the people in mind and that their values are strong and moral. The people that stand to lose the most if WIC isn’t reauthorized are among the most vulnerable in our state.
Rep. Bruce Poliquin is a single father, and he understands what parenting entails. Unlike him, however, there are people in our state worrying about where their family’s next meal is going to come from.
Please, speak out in favor of protecting Maine families, and make our voices heard. Mainers do not turn their backs on those in need. We roll up our sleeves, get our hands dirty and work hard to make our communities great for everyone. Do the right thing and look out for the well-being of the women and children of Maine.
Derek Boudreau
Bucksport
Less, not more, oil drilling
Faith communities are talking about the environment a lot these days on the heels of the Pope’s call for action on climate change in the encyclical released this summer and with his visit to the U.S. As a pastor here in Portland, I am excited that people of faith are taking action. Maine is already experiencing serious impacts of climate change, from decline in our lobster and shrimp populations to an increase in ticks and tick-borne diseases.
We have a moral obligation to act as our dependance on fossil fuels is not only harmful to our planet but also harmful to humans. The congregation I serve, St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, has taken this call seriously by investing in and installing solar panels to decrease our dependence on oil and other fossil fuels.
I was appalled to hear of Shell Oil’s plan to drill in the Arctic. This is a terrible idea that is not moving us forward in our care for the environment. We need to drill less, not more.
This means we also need to ensure that the effort in the U.S. House to lift our decades’ old ban on exporting crude oil does not come to fruition. Lifting that ban will lead to more global warming pollution, more spilling, more transporting oil across the nation and exporting it out of U.S. ports such as South Portland right here at home.
Our Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins need to oppose lifting the ban on crude oil.
Maria Anderson
Portland