Time for Bloomberg
Donald Trump talked big about lowering the price of prescription drugs, but instead about the only thing he’s done is take big money. Trump promised nearly 80 times to lower drug prices or claimed he already had — yet, in the first six months of 2019, 3,400 drugs increased their prices at a rate five times higher than inflation. We need a president who won’t sell us out, and who can take real action to lower drug prices. Mike Bloomberg will be that president.
Where the president has delivered nothing but empty promises, I believe Mike will deliver real results. As Mayor of New York, he championed the importation of low-cost drugs from Canada, and launched the BigAppleRx prescription card, which saved New Yorkers more than $1.5 million in its first six months alone. He will continue these efforts into the White House, increasing competition, widening availability and lowering prices across the board.
It’s time we had a president who works for us, not special interests, and gets it done for the American people. It’s time to send Trump and his cabinet with former pharmaceutical executives home. It’s time for Mike Bloomberg.
Raymond Bickmore
Charleston
Yes on Question 1
I am a pro-vaccine doctor, and I am voting yes on Question 1.
I have practiced for 27 years as a family practice naturopathic doctor and delivered over 800 babies as a certified midwife. I provide and administer free vaccines from the state to make them affordable and available to my patients, but it’s a bad idea to have the government and business dictating medical decision-making between a patient and their provider.
We know that no vaccine is 100% safe and no vaccine is 100% effective. Therefore, given there is a risk, just as there is with all medications and medical procedures, the burden of decision making must be by the individual or parent, not me as a doctor, not the state or the vaccine manufacturer. If we take the decision away from the individual and give it to the government, we risk the best decision for each individual.
Other doctors and healthcare providers that care for babies and children like me support a yes vote on question 1, because they understand informed consent and informed choice is and should be a respected cornerstone of the medical relationship. Free choice with respect to our bodies is not only a foundational principle of medicine but, on a broader scale, it is the core of our democracy. When we allow the government to take over parental rights and individual rights with respect to the personal body, we all lose something inherently sacred.
Please join me in voting yes on Question 1.
Sarah Ackerly
Topsham
Vaccines saves lives
On March 3, Maine will be the first state in the nation to vote at the ballot box on the vaccine laws that protect children from infectious disease in our schools. The Maine Dental Association supports protecting Maine’s children and urges community members to vote no on Question 1.
Maine’s dentists are proud to join with our physician, nurse, public health and hospital colleagues who are committed to preventing the spread of infectious disease in our schools and communities.
Vaccines are safe and effective. Unfortunately in the 2017-2018 school year, Maine had the seventh highest rate of vaccine opt-outs, with vaccination rates that put our community immunity below safe thresholds for disease outbreak.
Vaccines protect all Mainers, including vulnerable children and adults who cannot be immunized for medical reasons. We urge Mainers to vote no on Question 1. I support the new vaccination law as a health professional and as a father with children in our public schools.
Dr. Brad Rand
President
Maine Dental Association
Hampden
Why I support Warren
When President Obama took office in 2009, he inherited an economic catastrophe from the former Republican administration. Now we’re told by President Trump that the U.S. is in the midst of an economic boom. However, that boom is built on a raging deficit approaching over a trillion dollars according to the Congressional Budget Office.
On March 3, Maine Democrats will have the opportunity to vote for their candidate to become the party nominee for president. This election stands out as the most important in my lifetime. Will we elect a president who will uphold the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law, as well as establish a sound economy that will meet the needs of all — not just a privileged minority?
We’re fortunate to have many gifted Democratic candidates who understand a constitutional pledge and the law. I’m supporting Elizabeth Warren because she has the knowledge, skills, plans, determination and integrity to guide our nation and citizens on a path to an equitable economy, scientific environmental policies and sufficient social supports for all citizens to succeed.
Mary Jane Bush
Bucksport
Disregarding our rights
The BDN editorial on Question 1, “Vote no on Question 1. Don’t let preventable diseases make a comeback,” makes a lot of good points on why the state should vaccinate children attending public schools. The fact is that vaccines do help prevent diseases from spreading and ultimately help to protect everyone, but this new law takes it to a whole new level by forcing nearly everyone who would attend kindergarten to college at public and private institutions to be vaccinated.
There are many reasons people would refuse vaccination. The first being that they just don’t want any vaccination at all. Many believe that modern-day vaccinations can cause serious allergic reactions and people even claim that it is a cause of autism. Even though it has been scientifically proven not to, the idea that it can creates a concern to many parents.
Secondly, certain religions are against introducing these vaccines into their bodies. Most mainstream religions today do not limit their following from taking vaccines, but there are some religions that reject vaccination, like some forms of Islam and Christain Scientists.
I’m fully aware of the court cases that have ultimately ruled in favor of forced vaccination in schools, but it feels wrong. I am not personally restricted by any of these, and for my whole life I have received these vaccinations, but I believe that the new law is disregarding our rights and infringing on America’s core principals.
Salvatore Caccamo
Oakland