This November I will cast my vote for Kyle Bailey, who is running for a seat in the State House of Representatives, District 27, which comprises part of Gorham and part of Scarborough. While I have not yet met Kyle, in reading his biography I like that he was taught at an early age the […]
Forecaster letters
Posted inThe Forecaster
Letter: Balentine has forgotten impact of GOP tax cuts
John Balentine (“All that, without the bag of chips,” Aug. 7) secures his favorite snack items (i.e., sandwich, bag of chips and drink) at the ” … Subway sandwich shop, which I love because it’s both healthy and tasty.” However, and rather sadly, he now has to “give up” some of his items (“ … […]
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Letter: Reelect Hepler to Maine House District 53
Allison Hepler is a superb example of a true “public servant.” In this cynical time of self-interest and super tribalism, many politicians will vote for party power over principles. As with our great leaders of the past, Allison has served tirelessly with integrity for many years as selectperson in Woolwich and currently as our legislator […]
Posted inThe Forecaster
Letter: Balentine’s assumption about education questioned
I have two questions about John Balentine’s opinion piece (“Rise from your foxholes, teachers,” Aug. 13). Am asking in the name of factual information. 1. Where has it been proven that “remote learning has been a failure”? I am not a teacher and I do not have children in school, but I have heard from […]
Posted inThe Forecaster
Letter: GOP legislators’ priority appears to be political theater
While we’re all busy just trying to stay alive, there’s speculation that Republican legislators in Maine are staging an attempt to disparage Speaker of the Maine House Sara Gideon in order to score points for Susan Collins. Democratic state legislators have voted twice to return to Augusta to finish work on hundreds of bills, 74% […]
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Letter: Wartime analogy ‘fitting’ for Trump, Balentine
It’s so perfect that when John Balentine gets all snarky with our teachers and belittles their health concerns (“Rise from your foxholes, teachers,” Aug. 12) that he fittingly invoked this as an example: “President Trump fittingly invoked a wartime analogy when he portrayed the fight against the virus as a war against an invisible enemy. […]
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Letter: Homelessness is a structural, not personal, failing
John Balentine claims to “appreciate the plight of homeless people” (“Why do Portland’s homeless get special rights?” July 31) and has “long pondered” what would help “turn their lives around.” His appreciation, however, is superficial and his “ponder” shallow. He claims “drugs and alcohol, as well as mental illness and family breakdown” are major causes […]
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Letter: Balentine needs a dose of reality
Special rights for the homeless! They and their White Walker-like advocates are setting up tent encampments on our property, like Portland’s own Army of the Dead (“Why do Portland’s homeless get special rights?” July 31). Woe is us! More hallucinogenic sausage ground from the mind of John Balentine. Having gone through what was probably an […]
Posted inThe Forecaster
Letter: Higher minimum wage doesn’t drive inflation
I get you can’t silence opinion writers for muddled logic. Surely, though, The Forecaster has journalistic obligations to not print untruths. In his self-pitying ode to the $5 sub sandwich, “All that, without the bag of chips” (Aug. 6), John Balentine infuses his typically thin gruel of grievance and non-sequitur with at least one straight-up […]
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Letter: Balentine should follow the science further
I am pleased to see Mr. Balentine give credence to science (“Follow the science and reopen schools,” July 24). However, he does not follow the science far enough. Researchers note in “Addendum to: Children are not COVID-19 super spreaders: time to go back to school” in The Archives of Disease in Childhood: “Schools will not […]