I am writing to say thank you for including Victoria Wallack’s news stories in your paper. You provide information and a viewpoint on many important issues which are ignored by the Portland Press Herald.

Recent stories such as “Meals, lodging tax-hike plan seen as ‘defying logic'” and “Maine barely makes the grade in economic report card” are stories covering important issues affecting all Mainers, which are for all practical purposes ignored by the bigger newspapers. I often learn more about what is going on in state government from your paper than anywhere else. This is a very valuable service to all Mainers – educating and equipping us with the facts so we can be informed and engaged.

Your coverage of the ongoing disaster with the state Medicaid payment system, almost totally ignored in the Portland Press Herald, is another great example of terrific reporting. This is a huge failure by the Baldacci administration, costing Mainers literally millions of dollars, and has been virtually ignored by the Press Herald.

The role of the press is to report the news, both good and bad, embarassing though it may be to our elected officials. Please keep up the good work and put more of those articles on the front page.

Susan Hamill

Scarborough