Dear Editor:

This letter is in response to Dennis Brown's letter this week in the Register online (“Getting tiresome”), chastising my positive stand on accepting federal funds that have already been set aside under the Affordable Care Act to provide health insurance to more Mainers. Reading his letter, you would think I was some lone radical liberal looking to expand the role of government. In contrast to the views he expressed about my stand on this issue, your readers would perhaps like to know that some 60 mainstream Maine organizations agree with my position. These organizations include the Maine Hospital Association, AARP, the Maine Medical Association, The American Heart Association, the MAine AFL-CIO, The American Diabetes Association, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, The Maine Council of Churches, along with dozens of others. You can see the full list at covermainenow.com/coalition-members.php.

Of course, these organizations could also be wrong about this issue, and Dennis could be right, but I doubt it. Accepting these federal dollars that have already been set aside for this purpose will allow affordable health care insurance for 70,000 more Mainers. This about common-sense good public policy. Healthier Mainers mean better lives for them, and lower costs for all of us. Not to mention in addition, that it is estimated that some 4,400 new jobs will be created over the next ten years in Maine as a result of accepting this Federal money.

I am proud to stand with this large group of sensible Mainers in support of broader access to affordable quality healthcare for more of our people.

Rep. Bruce MacDonald
Boothbay