Letters to the Editor
Raising sexual assault awareness
To the Editor:
One of the most underreported public health problems facing millions of people in the United States is sexual assault and non-consensual sexual contact. It affects 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men over the course of a lifetime according to the Center for Disease Control. Sexual assault can take place anywhere at any time. It can include unwanted sexual contact and advances.
Victims can experience life-long negative health effects of sexual assault both physically and psychologically.
April is recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Public knowledge and education can reduce the overall incidents of sexual violence and help foster healthy relationships. It is important to know appropriate boundaries and adopt practices and behaviors that reduce risk factors that can lead to non-consensual sexual assault.
There are many resources in the community that can help if you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault.
Rape Response Services is one such resource. They may be reached at 1-800-310-0000. The Spruce Run/Womancare Alliance advocates focus on preventing domestic violence and can help if you need assistance with safety planning, support or problem solving. They may be reached at 1-800-863-9909.
Aaron Bennett
Guilford
EBT abuse isn’t a ‘victimless crime’
To the Editor:
The people of central Maine are some of the most generous people on the face of the earth. Perhaps I’m biased, but I really feel this way.
I have seen so many countless examples of Maine people pitching in with their own time, labor and finances when they hear of someone who is in a desperate situation. It is the greatness of you, my neighbors, that gives me this strong desire to represent you in Augusta.
Sadly, government often abuses the generosity of the people it is supposed to represent. With the recent revelations of the inappropriate use of EBT cards across the state of Maine and also the use of Maine EBT cards in other states, I thought surely a majority of legislators could agree that our welfare system was in need of some commonsense reforms. I wish I could say I was surprised to see that the party in the majority is not a strong proponent of commonsense.
We all want to help our fellow man. I know that you all agree with me that it is important that our poor and needy do not go without the basic necessities of life. Unfortunately, there seems to be a disconnect between the taxpayer and our Democrat majority on what constitutes a basic necessity of life.
Something tells me that the people I talk to in stores, Grange halls, churches, restaurants, and at the gas pumps in Somerset, Piscataquis and Penobscot counties do not view casinos and strip joints as a basic necessity of life.
An ATM at Seacoast Bingo had nearly $4,500 in EBT withdrawals. We have spent over $360,000 in taxpayer funded welfare dollars on tobacco products in three years, according to DHHS. Bars, bowling alleys, liquor stores, smoke shops, amusement parks, and the list goes on and on. These are not basic necessities.
These programs are funded by your tax dollars earmarked to be used for the essentials of living. Isn’t it fair to ask that these monies specified for this purpose be used for that purpose?
It is not wrong to ask for help. We all want to help, but taxpayers should not be asked to fund an individual’s addictions, personal pleasures, and extravagances.
Because of this corruption, the truly needy, as usual, are being ignored. The Democrats want to expand this rather than fix this. My Republican colleagues and I offered a commonsense reform solution to this problem. Not remove people from the rolls, but limit the EBT use to its intended purpose.
The Democrats called this un-American. Is it un-American for Maine people to expect accountability for how their tax dollars are spent? How is common sense not American?
The Democrats also called the EBT abuse a “victimless crime.” To say I disagree with Democrat Party is an understatement. The many elderly and truly needy, who cannot get benefits due to this abuse, are certainly victims.
The already overtaxed residents of Maine, who are funding the thoughtless lifestyles of so many, are also victims. There is no such thing as a victimless crime.
My fellow Republicans and I tried to present a commonsense welfare reform bill. The majority party refused to even allow debate. This is not the way to represent the taxpayers of Maine. Augusta needs a healthy dose of common sense.
That’s why I am running to be your Common Sense Senator and, once again, bring reason back to central Maine.
Rep. Paul T. Davis
R-Sangerville
Health care numbers tell the story
To the Editor:
I just saw “The Healthcare Movie”, a comparison of the U.S. and Canadian health care systems. Rep. Paul Davis was there but unfortunately left early.
Had he been able to stay, Paul would have learned some statistics that I think he and his Republican and Democrat colleagues would find both surprising and disturbing. Here are some of them.
It is reported that 45,000 people die in the U.S. each year because they have no health insurance. The number of Canadians who die each year because they have no health insurance: zero.
In 2010, 922,819 Americans declared bankruptcy related to medical illness (Harvard Medical School, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts), and the majority of these people had health insurance. The number of bankruptcies due to medical illness in Canada: zero.
The average deductible and copay costs for a normal delivery in the U.S. is $3,400. The average cost to a Canadian for a normal delivery: nothing.
The average cost for the first year’s recommended seven “well baby” visits in the U.S. for the uninsured is $668. The average cost to a Canadian for these visits: nothing.
According to Maine Allcare, 105,000 Mainers have no health insurance, even after 25,000 signed up under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 200,000 remain “underinsured”, with $5,000 to $15,000 deductible, “catastrophic” health insurance.
In the rest of the country, 40 million Americans still have no health insurance, despite millions signing up recently under the ACA. The number of Canadians without health insurance: zero.
The Canadian system is not perfect. Drugs are not covered, and there are longer waits for specialist referrals, elective procedures, and certain tests, like MRI. The median wait for an MRI is two weeks and for seeing a specialist, about a month (Wikipedia). However, when there is an urgent need for a test or referral, it gets done quickly.
While health care appears to be free, Canadians pay higher taxes to cover the cost. The movie’s website quotes the 2005 single person income tax rate in the U.S. (29 percent) vs. Canada (32 percent), a difference of about 10 percent more in Canada.
This translates into $3,000 extra for someone paying $30,000 in federal income tax. After adjusting for health care inflation, this roughly matches the $5,600 a U.S. single paid in 2012 for health insurance.
Our media, fed dis-information by the health insurance industry, portrays the Canadian health system as inferior.
However, statistics and Canadian polls clearly show three things: Canadian health outcomes overall are better than those in the U.S.; Canadians spend substantially less per person on health care than we do; and the majority of Canadians like their system and would not want an American-style system.
Maine Allcare, the Healthcare Movie, and Physicians for a National Health Program have websites for you to learn more.
Bob Lodato
Charleston
Supporting self-governance in Dover-Foxcroft
To the Editor:
Some Dover-Foxcroft voters are circulating a moratorium petition that would place a 180-day ban on any progress toward constructing a corporate utility corridor through our town on its way to Canada from Canada through Maine for the primary purpose of profit-making by Canadian-based transnational corporations.
Our deadline for collection of signatures is April 28th in order to have this moratorium before the electorate at our June 10th Referendum Ballot voting day.
The moratorium would allow time to have town-wide thorough discussions about what is the best step forward to avert inappropriate over-development by outside corporations in our region that bring little or no economic benefit to us as residents.
We hope to self-govern in our towns well into the future by civil and lawful approaches such as passing ordinances that allow us to continue self-governance. We decide the future of our town, not corporations that exist for profit only at the expense of our towns and rural landscape in which we choose to work and live.
Many people in central and northern Maine are working hard to establish and develop a local economy since many of the region’s mills have closed and moved overseas.
Multi-national corporations are not entering our area to assist in this process but to replace it with their own mode of profit-making that excludes ordinary citizens and voters. This moratorium is a first step in one of the approaches to assure local and regional resilience by and for the people who live here.
If you are a registered voter (in that you voted in the last gubernatorial election), you are qualified to sign the moratorium.
Two public venues will be available for you to do so on the next two Saturdays before the April 28th deadline for submission of the moratorium petition signatures: on Saturday, April 19 at the storefront at 16 E. Main Street next to the Center Theatre from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday, April 26 at the municipal building during the annual town meeting at 9 a.m. until the Town Meeting adjourns.
You may also call 564-8687 if you would like to sign by contacting one of the petition circulators anytime before April 28th.
Sidney Mitchell
Dover-Foxcroft
District 4 challenger weighs in
To the Editor:
I had to read with amusement Mr. Davis’ letter where he referred to Mr. Thomas as his opponent for the senatorial seat. Assuming Mr. Davis wins the primary, I am in fact his opponent. I am running as a Democrat for the seat.
Unlike most Republicans, I am not subject to a particular ideology. However, my approach to governance is far removed from any approach that either Mr. Davis or Mr. Thomas takes.
I will be creating a Facebook page for the campaign which will be centered on the use of the Internet since my funding will be most likely limited. However, I promise to offer a rational, pragmatic approach to the problems and needs of District 4 that focuses on the people and not on narrow ideological themes that pervade the Republican Party.
Keep attuned for my biography and my thoughts on serving the people. By the way I do agree with Mr. Davis that Mr. Thomas’ bill is unnecessary. All fact checking should be done independently of the government.
David Ziemer
Orneville TWP