I write to alert firefighters, teachers, state workers and other public employees about legislation that is presently hung up in the U.S. Senate and how it would help these workers and retirees. The Social Security Fairness Act (S.597) would eliminate unfair penalties on public workers: the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. These laws […]

Some thoughts on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and my beloved city of Portland. From Longfellow’s journal: “March 29: At night, as I lie in bed, a poem comes into my mind – a memory of Portland – my native town, the city by the sea.” Our city is the city of Longfellow, whose statue, enthroned, sits […]

In 2017, I came down with a serious illness. It took weeks for the doctors to find a correct diagnosis. I was in and out of three different hospitals. Finally, I had surgery and slowly recovered. During this difficult time, the doctors and nurses who treated me were – to put it simply – kind. […]

Despite the climate change-denying attitude of the incoming administration, good climate news is emerging. In the U.S. Congress, climate change is starting to be recognized as a fact rather than a political issue. More Republicans are facing the climate crisis and are interested in doing something about it. When Rep. John Curtis, a Republican from […]

In her op-ed of Dec. 10 (“Lay this election directly at the feet of Fox News“), Beth Franklin, with good reason, blames Fox News that we are such a badly misinformed citizenry and have elected for president a man so monumentally unfit for the job. But viewers of Fox News and the rest of us […]

Topsham letter writer Raymond West, who declared that the president-elect is “Portland’s enemy” (“Portland, beware President Trump,” Dec. 9), is no doubt correct. During his last term in office he proved to be an enemy of the values that communities like Portland hold dear: diversity, public good and democratic ideals. As for his suggestion that […]

It is inspiring to hear of the University of New England’s recent announcement that it will be offering free tuition to qualified low-income students, provided they show an economic need and graduate from high school with a GPA of 3.85. Good for UNE, and good for Maine. As a retired educator, who spent time wearing […]

I am a retired teacher and clam digger. Ever since 1983, I have been outraged by the grossly unfair Windfall Elimination Act. Maine is one of 27 states in which our Social Security benefits are reduced by 40% if someone is a retired teacher or some other public service employee. H.R. 82, which would repeal […]