Sen. King fights for pre-existing conditions coverage
I want to thank Sen. Angus King for his continuing advocacy for people with pre-existing health conditions. Four years ago, my granddaughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a horrific and unpredictable disease that places enormous burdens on her and her family from which there is no reprieve. Just to exist, she requires insulin deliveries, pump changes, medicine and immense amounts of very expensive technology.
The current attack in Congress on pre-existing conditions coverage is making her family fear losing protection accorded by the Affordable Care Act. Without that protection, my granddaughter might once again be considered a “liability” in the insurance world with astronomical and probably unaffordable premiums or copays.
King understands the importance of requiring insurance companies to provide reasonable insurance coverage in pre-existing health situations and has worked diligently to maintain this coverage. We need to support his work by voting for him this November.
Marilyn Hotch
Camden
A few bad actors
After months of characterizing constituent contact as sluggish on the issue of Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, Sen. Susan Collins recently acknowledged that she has, in fact, been hearing from us. Unfortunately, she chose to highlight only the calls by some bad actors, leaving the impression that vile messages are the norm.
The messages aired on a recent newscast were disgusting and indefensible. We, too, were appalled. But we are also frustrated.
In recent weeks, Maine newspapers published scores of letters to the editor opposing Kavanaugh. Hundreds of Mainers visited Collins’ district offices, shared detailed case reports with her legislative staff, and flew to Washington, D.C., to meet with her personally. Thousands called, emailed and attended peaceful protests. Constituent groups bought full-page ads in newspapers, and rallied to hand-deliver hundreds of personal letters to her DC office. To make these Herculean efforts and be told we’re not being heard is infuriating and insulting.
The Kavanaugh nomination will come to an end soon, one way or the other. But there will be other nominations and other bills, policies and actions constituents will want to weigh in on. Collins should lay the groundwork now to encourage a positive tenor for those future conversations. Stop holding up the bad apples and instead hold up the good ones. Doing that won’t win the support of people who disagree with her votes. But it might win their respect.
Karin Leuthy
Camden
Kelli Whitlock Burton
Waldoboro
Women aren’t puppets
Concerning Roe v. Wade, we humans were not created to be puppets on a string. As individuals, we do have a right to make personal choices even though this right carries the risk of making the wrong choices. This right does not exist only for the male gender, it also exists equally for the female gender. Women were not created to be puppets on a string.
Irvin Dube
Madawaska
Kavanaugh an abortion foe
I am periodically reminded, as a proud member of Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights, that I have been an activist in the feminist movement for 47 years, beginning in the 1970s working with activists from Portland to Presque Isle. I remember the day in 1973 when Roe v. Wade was decided. My fear that women’s right to choose will eventually be undermined is very real given Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
Kavanaugh’s antagonism toward a woman’s right to choose is clear. Last year, he tried to prevent a detained immigrant teenager from seeking an abortion under Texas’ onerous laws. Kavanaugh issued a decision, as part of a three-judge panel, that would have forced this girl to further delay her abortion, putting her in jeopardy of reaching the state’s 20-week limit on abortions. His decision did not prevail in the full D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, but his vigorous dissent signaled his continued hostility toward her freedom to decide.
Reproductive rights are under serious threat. Both mothers and grandmothers who have fought from the beginning and the young women who followed are weary of the fight for women’s reproductive freedom, but we fight on. I urge Sen. Susan Collins to vote no on confirmation of Kavanaugh.
Lois Galgay Reckitt
South Portland
Poliquin’s campaign signs
I am delighted to see the sudden gusher of giant, out-sized campaign signs for Rep. Bruce Poliquin everywhere, for they’re the clearest declaration that he’s funded by and totally beholden to big banks with deep pockets, and not regular working people.
Michael Grillo
Penobscot
Mills for governor
In the upcoming election in November, I am voting with certain goals in mind. These include the expansion of Medicaid in Maine, the protection of women’s reproductive rights, support of renewable energy sources, support of education, tax relief for small towns and elections determined by a majority.
I have heard people who agree with me on these policy priorities talk about voting for a third-party candidate. This is not a very strategic choice because such a vote will support the opposite of the policies we favor. The key to a meaningful vote for a third-party candidate is ranked-choice voting, and a strategic vote is one with the greatest chance of getting this implemented in all Maine elections.
The strategy to get ranked-choice voting for state elections is simple: vote for the Democrat Janet Mills for governor. She is committed to supporting the steps necessary to amend the Maine Constitution in order to implement it in state elections. The Republican, Shawn Moody, will fight ranked-choice voting just as Gov. Paul LePage did.
Once it is implemented, we will be able to vote for a third-party candidate without contributing to the victory of those who oppose everything we stand for. But if we don’t vote strategically now, we will be facing the same dilemma again.
Mills is an excellent candidate for other reasons, but the most important reason I’m voting for her is that she is the key to getting ranked-choice voting implemented in all state elections.
Please join me in voting strategically.
Jean Bourg
Unity