Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to letters@bangordailynews.com
Invest in child care
The need for increased availability of quality child care and early childhood education has been recently highlighted in the Bangor Daily News by Thomas College President Laurie Lachance and retired Brig. Gen. Rob Carmichael. Their perspectives are valuable to all of us, not only here in Maine, but as a nationwide mandate for building stronger communities throughout our country.
Countless families of all socioeconomic levels must contend with the challenge of finding quality daycare placement for their children, in order to allow them to work knowing their kids are being nurtured and well-cared for. Early education helps to instill both the soft and hard skills that lay a foundation for developing individuals who are inquisitive, productive and self-assured. Our present workplace environments generally require both the hard skills of competency in literacy and numerical reasoning, as well as the soft skills of developing empathy, generosity and responsibility.
Investing as a society in quality child care education for those families who must, or choose to, have it available as an option contributes to stronger communities as well as a vibrant economy.
Jamie Gaudion
Dover-Foxcroft
Tax cuts and COVID-19 relief
Using reconciliation to avoid a filibuster, Republicans in Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the act would add $1.9 trillion to the deficit. No Democrats voted for it. In terms of dollars, these tax cuts went overwhelmingly to the very wealthy and large corporations.
Last week, using reconciliation to avoid a filibuster, Democrats in Congress passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. No Republicans voted for it. The funding provided in this bill goes to ordinary people and their families, small businesses, and assistance to state and local governments. It stands to reason that Republican voters will be loyal and go along with the unanimous Republican “no” vote and reject all benefits that this act provides by passing their benefits on to some neglected wealthy family or large corporation.
Duane Hanselman
Holden
End stigmatization of abortion
March 10 honored abortion care providers, and I celebrated our local independent clinic Mabel Wadsworth Center on Abortion Provider Appreciation Day. Our local providers have shown themselves to be resilient and compassionate while navigating the continued stress of COVID-19. They put the patient first and honor their choice on whether to continue a pregnancy. I am grateful for the provider that trusted me and was able to perform my abortion without restrictions.
Abortion is continually separated from other health care based on a minority’s opinion on the procedure. Gallup polls that show that nearly 80 percent of people in our country want abortion to remain legal. However, abortion rights across the country are continually eroded. In his presidential campaign, President Joe Biden supported ending the Hyde Amendment, a federal funding prohibition, which would give some of our most vulnerable citizens access to abortion care. I urge Biden to submit his presidential budget this spring without the Hyde Amendment.
I urge Rep. Jared Golden and our senators to speak out and support its elimination. It is time for the stigmatization of abortion to end, and allowing people access to the health care they deserve is a first step. While we advocate for access to care, we must also support our providers who show up through harassment and worse to care for our community. Abortion providers are essential health care workers who do not receive the recognition they deserve, and I appreciate them.
Aislinn Canarr
Winterport