In 2017, Mainers voted overwhelmingly to expand Medicaid. In fact, it was the largest win in nearly two decades for a citizen’s initiative. Fort Kent voted for Donald Trump but supported Medicaid expansion by double digits. Waterville, where Gov. Paul LePage was mayor, voted for Medicaid expansion with 68 percent of the vote. Brewer, which voted decisively for Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin, voted to expand Medicaid. Even Auburn voted for it by an eight-point margin.

While there is still a lot of disagreement about health care in the U.S., there is a powerful and growing consensus that it is economically damaging and morally abhorrent to abandon the poorest and sickest in our society to the wolves in the market.

That’s why it’s astounding that, a month after Mainers said that they want more Medicaid, Bruce Poliquin voted for a tax cut for the wealthy while Republican leadership assured us that the cost would be covered by gutting Medicaid.

Miri Lyons

Boothbay Harbor