No increase in military spending
The White House is proposing to increase military spending by $54 billion, or 10 percent, while cutting human needs in the next federal budget. This will hurt most of those who voted for Donald Trump, as well as everyone else in this country.
A penny poll done six years ago of 3,500 Mainers showed that the public wanted only 5 percent to 6 percent of their individual federal income taxes to go for “defense.” Penny polls in other states have generated similar results. Compare this to the actual percentage of discretionary spending spent on the military, a whopping 54 percent, according to the National Priorities Project.
If we spent the $54 billion for education, health care and other basic needs, we would provide many more benefits to every U.S. citizen, generate 50 percent to 100 percent more jobs, and boost the economy. We would also be spending people’s taxes for things they actually want.
There’s plenty of money for good schools, universal health care, quality public transportation, higher veteran’s benefits, affordable housing and renewable energy. Unfortunately, it’s being wasted on weapons and military bases around the world that suck us into wars and deadly conflicts that make us less safe, not more.
It’s time to pull the plug on all this wasted Pentagon spending and devote more of our tax dollars to education, health care and other programs that benefit everyone.
Larry Dansinger
Bangor
Bar Harbor parking problems
A recent study done at the request of the town of Bar Harbor divulged the startling statistic that 100 cars were circling the downtown at any given moment in search of parking during the busiest part of the peak season.
Justifiably alarmed, a committee of citizen volunteers agreed to work on plans to address this problem. The parking solutions task force was formed and the results of their research will be presented and discussed at the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 23.
This is an invitation to all island residents as well as others facing this issue in their own downtowns. Make your opinion known either by attending or accessing the live stream on the Bar Harbor town Facebook page on May 23 or the recorded feed on May 24.
Elizabeth Kase
Member
Parking Solutions Task Force
Bar Harbor
Support family caregivers
There is a group of people in Maine who frequently go unnoticed and underappreciated. They are the 178,000 unpaid caregivers who provide assistance to family members or friends who can no longer take care of themselves.
As a caregiver myself, I want to thank Sen. Susan Collins for working to address caregiving through the reintroduction of the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act. AARP also has endorsed this important legislation, and it is grateful to Collins for her efforts to work on a bipartisan basis to support family caregivers. Most of us are, have been, or will be a family caregiver. Or we will need help to live independently ourselves, making this an ageless and nonpartisan issue.
The RAISE Family Caregivers Act would require the development of a national strategy to support family caregivers. The bill would create an advisory body to bring together relevant federal agencies and others from the private and public sectors to advise and make recommendations. The strategy would identify specific actions that government, communities, providers, employers and others can take to recognize and support family caregivers and be updated annually.
By supporting family caregivers, we can help people stay at home where they want to be, helping to delay or prevent more costly nursing home care and unnecessary hospitalizations, and saving taxpayer dollars. AARP appreciates Collins’ bipartisan leadership and is committed to working to pass the RAISE Family Caregivers Act this year.
Sue Hawes
Volunteer
AARP Maine
Portland
New criminal charging policy a loss for democracy
Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a new criminal charging policy that, according to a recent Washington Post article, “is expected to lead to more federal prosecutions and an increase in the federal prison population.”
Statistics from 2014 show that over 8 percent of U.S. prisoners and 62 percent of detained immigrants are being housed in privately owned prisons. Two of the industry giants, GEO Group and CoreCivics, had steadily declining stock prices beginning last July, continuing throughout the presidential campaigns, and rapidly rebounding after the election of President Donald Trump. In fact, GEO shares jumped dramatically from 21.8 to 32.8 in just one day on April 24. In addition, inexpensive prison labor from these facilities can be farmed out to UNICOR, a government-owned corporation for contracting prison labor and a component of the Department of Justice.
Voting rights for felons vary across the country, from states like Maine and Vermont where felons are allowed to vote (even if incarcerated) to states like Iowa, Florida, and Virginia, where felons and even ex-felons permanently lose their right to vote.
Sessions’ new policy is a win-win for corporate interests and voter disenfranchisement, especially minorities. It is a loss for democracy.
Eric Boothroyd
Dover-Foxcroft
Early learning challenges
The Maine Association for the Education of Young Children strongly supports Sen. Catherine Breen’s LD 1321 to promote social and emotional learning and development in early childhood. It will help us solve one of the challenges we are facing in Maine.
The Social and Emotional Learning and Development Project facilitated a survey of early learning teachers about their experiences with children displaying challenging behaviors that interfere with a child’s ability to play, learn and get along with others. The survey shows “they commonly encounter young children with serious challenging behavior.” As a result, young children in Maine are sometimes removed from early care and education settings.
Early childhood educators put their hearts into caring for children, working hard to meet their needs and help them learn. The types of challenging behavior addressed by the survey affect the child who is struggling, the other children in the room, the families, and the teacher trying to support them all.
Since educators work very closely with families and young children, they are in the best position to help. Many teachers in Maine are looking for the right tools to address challenging behaviors and the emotions that are behind those behaviors. We need policies that support young children, their families and their teachers.
Tara Williams
Executive director
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children
Cumberland