To the editor:

On behalf of our 230,000 members, AARP Maine thanks Congressman Jared Golden for participating in our recent tele-town hall on prescription drug costs. Nearly 3,500 Mainers participated in the forum and many asked questions of Congressman Golden live during the call.

Much of the discussion focused on the latest news from Washington, including two bills which will likely be voted on soon.

Currently under consideration in the House of Representatives is HR 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019. Under HR 3, the Secretary of Health and Human Services would negotiate prices for at least 25 of the most expensive brand-name medicines. The bill would also cap out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries at $2,000 per year. In addition AARP is pushing for other improvements to Medicare such as coverage for dental, vision and hearing care.

In the Senate, we urge Senate leadership to bring the bipartisan Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019 to a floor vote this year. The bill would cap out-of-pocket costs for Medicare Part D beneficiaries and require drug manufacturers to provide a rebate to Medicare if the prices of their products increase faster than inflation.

AARP Maine is committed to working with our federal lawmakers to lower prescription drug costs. Too many Mainers of all ages struggle to afford the medications they need to stay healthy, and to even stay alive. It shouldn’t be that way. We cannot wait any longer for this to change, and urge our elected leaders to pass these bills.

Patricia Pinto
AARP Maine Volunteer State President, Portland

To the editor:

The Litter-free China! volunteers would like to request help from the folks who throw aluminum beer and soda cans from their cars. Don’t go to the trouble of flattening before discarding because we turn in cans to the Transfer Station and flattened cans are apparently not redeemable. Of course, it’s best if the cans are not tossed at all, but if you do, don’t flatten them.

Your thoughtfulness is appreciated.

Richard Dillenbeck
China

To the editor:

I would like to personally thank whoever that family is that shot an extraordinary, brilliant, 20-minute display of wonderful fireworks last night (July 4) off the north end of John Jones Island! My family floated up a bit to see who’s got what this year, but this display was well beyond anything I’ve ever seen on China Lake. Thank you very much.

Tom Lefferts
China

To the editor:

Within the context of whether the Russians interfered in our elections, it should be apparent that we need to assure our voting system is not corrupted or hacked. It might not be much, my vote, but I’d like to think it counts. Sometimes, it feels like it doesn’t. Certainly Russia and other countries are interested in our elections but so are a lot of wealthy people, corporations like Monsanto, political parties too. At minimum, they each will find a way to sway our support/vote one way, or another. They all try; as an individual, I do too. There’s a lot of political competition and debate. That part, isn’t so concerning to me. But could we all be duped and controlled by fictitious election results?

Today, we see it too often: hacks and stolen data. It happens. Electronic voting and all computer tabulations are vulnerable to corruption and control. We did it to Iran’s nuclear program, messing it up. Every day, how many hackers are at work, in China, Russia, or the CIA? Computers put voter integrity at risk, or worse. How much would election results sell for, if it was possible?

What can give us more security? Paper ballots and real people counting them, what’s wrong with that? The more real citizens involved, the more secure it becomes. We have a system for obtaining jurors now, ever done that, been selected? Make it a legal, civic duty like that. I’ll even volunteer, many would. Anyone would have an improbable task of affecting the outcome of an election with so many responsible citizens participating. Run the whole voting process with people; and we know who they are. Make election day a holiday, get everyone participating.

Take any side you want, any issue; your vote is vulnerable at best, or stolen for the worse. Please, our legislators need to do something, to put some thought of safety into our voting process and how we vote. I’m asking each of them, in representing us, to assure the integrity of our voting process by enacting the “People and Paper Act.” (I don’t write ‘legal,’ it’s not written yet; any legal, elected volunteer?) I’m hoping many will join in, support the idea. No to Voting Machines! We can’t/shouldn’t trust them.

Dean DeWitt, China resident with Charles Lang Sr. and 12 others.