Collins fights for Maine’s health
Sen. Susan Collins has been a leader in fighting for the best interests of Maine’s kids and health. On tobacco issues, for example, she has fought the industry’s efforts to target kids, even as many of her colleagues have tried to do the industry’s bidding. We need her leadership now more than ever.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been running powerful TV ads to encourage smokers to quit and discourage kids from starting in the first place. The ads feature real people explaining how smoking has ruined their health and lives. The Tips from Former Smokers campaign has helped hundreds of thousands of smokers quit and saved tens of thousands of people from dying prematurely. Despite this impressive record, some in Congress have tried to slash funding for the program.
In addition, some members of Congress want to weaken new rules the U.S. Food and Drug Administration just issued to protect kids from a new generation of tobacco products, such as candy-flavored e-cigarettes and cigars.
Collins should continue to support efforts to reduce tobacco use, especially among kids, and reject these attempts to weaken our nation’s fight against tobacco. I thank her for protecting kids, not the tobacco companies.
Brooke Jandeau
Fort Kent
Saltonstall for House District 94
Betsy Saltonstall and I share a passionate belief in education, and we met through our advocacy for Maine’s public schools when we both served on the board of directors of the Maine School Boards Association. Through our tenure, I came to recognize Saltonstall as a thoughtful collaborator and a tireless advocate for Maine’s teachers, principals and schools because she believes educating our children is an important function of our local communities, states and nation. Saltonstall knows it is essential that we prepare the next generation for the workforce, research and development, civic engagement and becoming involved parents.
Saltonstall supports the recent reauthorization of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which has returned control of standards and assessments back to the states. As a state representative in the Maine Legislature, her experience and knowledge while she was a member on the Rockport school board will be a valuable asset when the Legislature begins to craft legislation to address the changes in Every Student Succeeds Act for our public schools. Saltonstall would like an increase the state’s share of education funding, which would aid in reducing local property tax burdens.
Saltonstall grew up here and chose to return to raise her sons, and she cares about her community and Maine deeply. Please give her the opportunity to show you her dedication by voting for Saltonstall in the June 14 Democratic primary to represent House District 94. She is the strong voice Camden, Rockport and Islesboro need in Augusta.
Kristin Malin
Georgetown School Committee
Georgetown
Spear for House District 92
I am writing in support of Democrat John Spear’s candidacy for state representative for House District 92, which includes Criehaven, Cushing, Matinicus, St. George, South Thomaston and Thomaston. Under Maine’s term limit law, Chuck Kruger, who has represented this district for the past eight years, is prohibited from running again.
Fortunately, District 92 has an excellent candidate in Spear of South Thomaston. Spear’s skills and experiences, not to mention his temperament, will serve us well in Augusta. I and other people who have worked with Spear know he will do a great job for us in the State House.
Although he is running unopposed in the June 14 Democratic primary, I urge all eligible voters to turn out that Tuesday and cast their ballots for Spear to demonstrate the level of support he has in District 92.
Loren Andrews
Cushing
Monument opposition strange
The opposition to a national monument in the Katahdin region is getting stranger. Gov. Paul LePage, for example, spent much of last week condemning all Mainers not living in the Katahdin region for having the temerity to voice an opinion on the proposed monument and the jobs and economic boost a national monument would bring to the region and state.
Meanwhile, Rep. Bruce Poliquin’s remedy to gather more comments about the monument proposal from the Katahdin area is to organize a congressional field hearing that does not allow for public comment and is hosted by a congressman from Utah.
In Augusta, a forest products lobby group claims a national monument somehow will have a negative impact on two paper mills that no longer exist. Not to be outdone, lobbyists representing snowmobilers and hunters argue against a monument because it would guarantee the protection of all the things they actually like — hunting, fishing and snowmobile corridors.
Finally, there are those folks who holler “Don’t take our land!” when, in fact, it’s not their land to be taken — it’s private property. It could be their land, it could be my land, it could be everybody’s land if a monument is designated.
Stephen R.J. Castner
Hallowell
Orono Civil War statue move
Regarding Rosemary T. Sullivan Sidelinker’s May 16 BDN letter to the editor about the Gardening and Cooking Club of Orono losing the place where it has met, I understand this move is to make room for the Orono Historical Society, which is moving from the Keith Anderson Community House to make more room for the Orono Parks and Recreation Department.
The Orono Historical Society has undertaken the task of refurbishing the bronze Civil War soldier statue to his original state. The current thoughts from several Orono residents is to place the soldier either at Bennoch Road cemetery or Webster Park as opposed to by the town office. The reason for this as I understand it is so children do not play on it. If parents taught their children about respect for others’ property, this would not be a problem. If the soldier is placed at the cemetery, what will stop kids from playing on him? If put in Webster Park, the same will happen, and this is where he resided most recently and was vandalized by his rifle being broken out of his hands and taken.
The best place for him would be in the center of town, where he can be seen by all.
Gary Noyes
Orono