Patients first
I am glad to hear The Aroostook Medical Center is dedicated to continuing safe and quality care, as they are proud to announce, but let us as a community understand how TAMC receives the “A” safety ratings they are able to promote. TAMC is rewarded with these safety ratings because of ancillary staff members and RNs who give overwhelming efforts to provide outstanding, nationally recognized patient care.
It is the nurses and ancillary staff members who are working in high-acuity areas, short-staffed, often coming in early, working late through lunches, breaks and well past shift ending time to make sure safe patient care is delivered. But this also creates staff burnouts, injuries and illnesses that occur because of unsafe overtime. Currently in my department we have 15 unfilled shifts posted — 15!
TAMC nurses have always placed our patients first and will continue to do so, even as we strike. We thank the community for their support and understanding. Nurses of TAMC want to continue to uphold TAMC’s safety ratings, but we must take action as we are no longer able to maintain the inappropriate levels of staffing, tasks and duties required of us. As TAMC employees, we are asking for support from our community so TAMC management may understand our commitment is not to better ourselves economically but to ask for reasonable staffing, recruitment and benefits for our proven dedicated staff nurses.
Chelsea Holmes, RN
Presque Isle
Not much to ask
Many of us live on a budget where we weekly make decisions based on a scarcity of dollars. Sometimes we spend a little less at the grocery store or only fill half the gas tank.
But I think we’d all agree that limiting education possibilities for our children because the top 2 percent of wage earners in our state don’t contribute their fair share to public education is a bad idea.
Stand Up for Students will be Question 2 on the ballot when you vote this fall. Stand Up for Students proposes a 3 percent surcharge on the wealthiest Mainers’ incomes: Those who make more than $200,000 per year. That’s $30 for every $1,000 over $200,000. Individuals who make less than $200,000 will see no change. It hardly seems much to ask so our schools can be funded at the level the state agreed to fund them at in the first place. It hardly seems much to ask that all our children have the same educational opportunities. It’s not much to ask when you think about Maine’s future.
Improved educational opportunities mean the potential of lower crime rates, better education and better paying jobs. And we know an educated workforce is more attractive to business.
Improved education is a win-win for all Mainers, and all it will cost is $30 out of every $1,000 for those who make above $200,000 after deductions.
Our students should not have to attend a school whose educational tank is only filled halfway. Please Stand Up for Students in November and vote yes on Question 2.
Keith Newman
Addison
Better than Busby
Outer space calling Chris Busby! Put your foil hat on! Come on, BDN, you can do better than his wacky conspiracy theories.
Even so-called opinion writers need to back up their statements with facts. Busby has plenty of opinions. Perhaps the wildest one yet is his conspiracy theory involving the Maine Game Wardens the U.S. Navy and the disappearance of hiker Gerry Largay. If I were Largay’s family, I’d find a way to sue him for his reckless, irresponsible comments. He gives all of journalism a bad name. At the very least, he leaves a bad taste in readers’ mouths.
Barbara Greene
Topsfield