Ask any older person if they would prefer to receive nursing care or other supports in their own homes, and the answer is likely to be “yes.” Referendum Question 1 on the November ballot plays on Maine voters’ wishes and hopes by promising free home care for everyone. If people want real action on home […]
Christine Gianopoulos
Posted inLetters, sj-web
Question 1 is not the answer
Question 1 on the November ballot proposes a 3.8 percent tax on certain employers, individuals and households in Maine. The money from this new tax is for home care for seniors and disabled adults. But as much as $6.5 million could be used for a separate, new bureaucracy to run the program. The new program […]
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Posted inLetters, sj-web
Support for ranked-choice voting
Ask anyone the meaning of democracy and most will say “majority rule.” Yet, some in the Legislature want to stop ranked-choice voting, which Maine voters enacted in 2016 to make sure their elected representatives were supported by a majority of voters. Voter participation is down because many people believe the system is rigged and controlled […]
Posted inLetters
Who is in control?
The two dominant political parties in Augusta finally have something they agree on — limiting the rights of voters. A bill by Sen. Eric Brakey, supported by local Sens. Nate Libby and Garrett Mason, will change the citizen referendum process to limit voter rights. Sen. Brakey has said “the constitutional rights of Maine people should […]
Posted inLetters
Vote ‘yes’ on Question 5
Many people are turned off by the current election and feel like most candidates fall too far to the left or right of their views. Those who are convinced that something has to change can make a difference by voting “yes” on Question 5 — ranked-choice voting. That instant run-off method of counting ballots means […]
Posted inLetters
C. Gianopoulos: A vote for the future of Maine
I am voting for Eliot Cutler for governor. He understands it is important to protect all that makes Maine unique, and that difficult changes are necessary to get out of this perennial “back of the pack” economic situation. He does not have to answer to the entrenched interest groups in both political parties who like […]
Posted inLetters
C. Gianopoulos: Invest in support services
In her guest column, “Maine’s nursing homes shortchanged” (Feb. 9), April Nichols reminds the public of the disconnect between what we say, “we respect and care for vulnerable elders,” and what we do, which is try to deliver care on the cheap. We say that the people who provide the services do important work and […]