I opened one of my many letters from the Department of Health and Human Services yesterday only to find that my 1-year-old son is losing his health insurance as of Jan. 1. I know I am not the only one to have received such a letter.

I have read the news and heard about the hatred for our governor. I sometimes feel I am just a lonely voice in a sea of outrage. However, I cannot sit still while I am given one week to find replacement insurance for my child. I feel as though our state has cast my family off.

My husband and I work very hard, we buy locally and support our beautiful state in every way we can. I am repaid with a blatant lack of consideration. How will I pay for his one-year check up? How will I afford a visit to the emergency room or fill a prescription when needed? These questions should be the least of my worries, yet here they are.

My husband does have health insurance through his company. Some might ask why we don’t have our son as a dependent, and the answer is simple: Health insurance costs go up every year and unfortunately ours has gone up twice this year. We cannot afford to have our son on his plan any more.

Our state is falling apart and I blame a great deal of that on Gov. LePage.

Sarah Copperberg

Gorham

I am in favor of many of Gov. LePage’s efforts, which are painfully necessary in these difficult times. However, the recent proposal to end child care vouchers for working families is completely at odds with the governor’s stated objective of creating and maintaining jobs.

The voucher system enables low income families in which husband and wife both work to obtain child care which they otherwise could not afford.

The elimination of this program would mean that one spouse may be required to leave work completely or leave a full-time position and seek part-time work to be able to care for the children.

This program allows people to work, earn money and pay taxes. It doesn’t make sense to eliminate a program that has the potential of reducing unemployment in Maine.

Craig A. Foster

Portland

Plenty of evidence for writer’s welfare charges

If Roger Ginn (“Another View: Newspaper should not have printed uninformed opinion” Dec. 27) needs some sort of solid verification for George A. Fogg’s assertions that people on state assistance have made poor choices, he simply needs to take off those rosy glasses and open his eyes.

Unless you live under a rock, it is easy to see those around us that have ample resources, but continue to struggle because they have no discipline. It is an unpleasant fact that many people are in an unfortunate financial situation due to their own bad choices (read that “squandered their money”). That being said, it does not mean we should forsake them in their time of need, but it does mean we should take a different look as to how and to whom scarce resources are distributed.

This at best will be a difficult and thankless task. Finally in Augusta there people that have the backbone to tackle this situation. I pray for their success.

Kurt Christiansen

Windham

A reader finds no rhyme or reason in Nemitz poem

It is widely known of Bill Nemitz’s dislike, bordering on hatred, of Gov. LePage and I found the timing of his recent article, based on a positive Christmas poem, in very bad taste. The holidays are always hopeful times for positive reflection of the past year and his quipped potshots at the govenor show his true colors — a diehard Democrat with only negative comments on the current economic conditions in the state of Maine.

Maine is in terrible economic times and any new governor would have to make difficult choices in order to pull this state from the depths of our decline.

I very much doubt that Gov. LePage caused all the strife mentioned in the article and heaven forbid that Mr. Nemitz criticize the past Democratic leadership that led to the economic decline and to many of Maine’s anti-business policies.

I would hope the Press Herald would put a more positive message on the top fold of the section during the holidays and wish everyone a joyous season. And to Mr. Nemitz — bah humbug!

Joe Carion

Scarborough

CEO’s legal fight gives Maine’s 1 percenters an undeserved rap

I believe most Mainers fortunate enough to be members of the wealthiest 1 percent, so fixated upon by the Occupy movement, are difficult to distinguish from the rest of our citizenry. The majority lead modest lives, treat everyone equally and contribute frequently to all manner of charitable efforts.

Some of the most visible have endowed our colleges, museums and hospitals, the Bean and Gorman families among them. They appreciate the old adage that “with great wealth comes great responsibility.”

Therefore, it is with particular disdain that I regard the behavior of L.L. Bean CEO Chris McCormick as detailed in the recent front page article in the Portland Press Herald (“L.L. Bean CEO ordered to remove fence” Dec. 1).

To flout the rule of law, and then encumber one’s neighbors with hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to protect their rights is simply an unfathomable act for a chief executive that represents an iconic Maine company with a global brand. When enough individuals of privilege behave in such a fashion, we know how the movie eventually ends for the rest of the 1 percent — badly.

Occupy Maine would be well advised to seek a change of venue, and occupy a convenient L.L. Bean parking lot.

They could avail themselves of the store’s around-the-clock amenities. And they should not leave until Mr. McCormick does.

Eric George

Cumberland Foreside