Alex Lear
Staff Writer
Alex Lear is a lifelong Mainer who has spent 25 years in journalism -- the first 20 as a reporter for newspapers in Damariscotta and Falmouth, then as Opinions section editor for the Sun Journal and now a digital producer with the Maine Trust for Local News. His long-running “Learics” column won first place in the Maine Press Association’s 2023 Better Newspaper Contest. He and his wife Lauren are kept young by their 9-year-old daughter Alaina. Send feedback and suggestions to Alex.
Posted inLetters, Opinion
David Oshansky: No barrier equals no safety at shelters
My wife and I are retired, 10-year volunteer cooks for the St. Martin de Porres Shelter. St. Martin is the safest, cleanest, most well-organized shelter we had the privilege to serve at. Why? Because of rules. During my military career my wife and I served a number of local shelters around the U.S.A. and witnessed […]
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Posted inLetters, Opinion
Eric Brakey: Stop inflation by stopping runaway spending
It’s bad enough that Maine people are among the highest taxed and lowest paid in America. Now inflation is destroying what little Mainers can save and eroding the value of incoming paychecks. Politicians offer plenty of excuses for rising prices, but few are willing to admit the driving cause because so many have their hands […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Laurie Hearne: ‘Working class folks are being driven into poverty’
Who would have thought that Lewiston would become a place where working class people — educational technicians, like myself — can barely afford to live, due to exorbitant rent increases? Many of us are female, over age 55, and will likely end up on welfare/Social Security — maybe. We will have to work two full-time […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Rich Lowry: The Russian way of brutality
Where the Russian military goes, war crimes are sure to follow. It is a reflection of a twisted Russian political culture that has never developed an appreciation for individual worth, democratic accountability, or humanitarian norms. Vladimir Putin is not to be confused with Lenin or Stalin — he paints his horrors on a much smaller canvas. But his cold-eyed brutality is characteristically Russian.
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Sheila Richardson: ‘Aghast’ at COVID funds used fraudulently
I wonder if anyone beside me is aghast at Lester Holt’s evening national news program last week (“Fraudsters use COVID relief program money to purchase luxury items,” April 5). Our government allotted $1 trillion in 2021 to help save small businesses during the pandemic. Lester said those trillions went mostly to scammers like the “farmer” […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Joyce Crane: With loan forgiveness, someone always pays
There is no such thing as loan forgiveness. It just means that the person who took out the loan and promised to pay does not have to pay as promised. Still, the loan doesn’t disappear. Somehow, someone will pay. Someone who didn’t get the benefit will have to pay the price — a senior on […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Maurice Dionne: Remove all trees threatening power lines
In reference to the April 7 article, “Storms batter aging power grid,” Maine was listed as one of the worst states being affected. Maine, as the most forested state in the Union, needs to remove all trees that threaten power lines, which in turn would greatly protect the power grid. Maurice Dionne, Wales
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Patricia Bernard: Is Biden doing enough to punish Putin?
Russia continues to devastate Ukraine. President Biden says he’s doing this, that and the other to “punish” Russia, but I wonder if what he’s doing is really hurting Vladimir Putin that much. Biden signals ahead of time what he’s going to do, giving Russia time to counteract his threats. I’m sure Putin has hidden his […]