“Sen. Collins, we need real support, not a public relations tour.”
“Once again, Mainers deserve answers from Sen. Collins and, instead of getting them, we are left in the dust.”
Maine’s small business owners have been sounding the alarm that the Paycheck Protection Program that Senator Susan Collins wrote is failing too many of our small businesses. In the last two weeks, small business owners have written to Maine’s papers to share their difficulties with the program, arguing that too much funding went to large publicly traded companies as Maine’s small businesses are still struggling to get the support they need.
Other letter writers called out Collins for enabling Trump’s assault on the Affordable Care Act and for her ridiculous claim that Trump learned his lesson from the impeachment trial. It’s clear that voters have seen enough to know that Collins won’t lift a finger to hold Trump accountable.
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Portland Press Herald: James LaPlante: Support leaders who really help small business
Sen. Susan Collins is touting the success of the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Paycheck Protection Program in helping Maine small businesses. As the owner of two small businesses in Maine, I don’t agree. It was disheartening to see the lion’s share of early assistance go to publicly traded companies while I could not even get a status on my loan application. [...] It’s time for our politicians and leadership to start learning from their mistakes and create a better system for small-business support in near future. As a voter, I will support those with the foresight and planning to effectively help small businesses in Maine.
Portland Press Herald: Christian Hayes: Collins touts supposed victory while small businesses struggle
A bigger problem: Those who need the funds simply can’t get them. Nationally, only 5.8 percent of those who’ve applied for PPP loans have received them. Studies show small businesses owned by women and people of color have been even less likely to get loans. That’s because restaurant and hotel chains can apply for PPP loans as long as each location has under 500 employees. The result is 4 percent of borrowers getting nearly half of the available funds. The business owners of Maine – the ones who took a risk to start a company and contribute to the economy of Maine – are desperately awaiting the support Sen. Collins is touting. Sen. Collins, we need real support, not a public relations tour. Maine livelihoods are at stake.
Bangor Daily News: Beth Schultz: Workers and their health
When Sen. Susan Collins supported the GOP tax giveaway in 2017, she also voted to eliminate the ACA’s individual mandate. This change, of course, prompted the GOP to take legal action to invalidate the ACA. Collins’ fingerprints are here. If the Supreme Court overturns the ACA, how many Mainers will become uninsured during this pandemic? One estimate from the Urban Institute indicates that the increase will be 164%. On May 6, President Trump repeated his rallying cry to overturn the ACA. In the middle of this pandemic, this reaches a level of cruelty unsurpassed by any president and his political party. Let’s not forget that Collins’ actions have enabled this situation. Does she deserve to be re-elected in November? I think not.
Lewiston Sun Journal: Liesha Petrovich: Sen. Collins should make a statement
While Sen. Susan Collins did not attend the protest, she has been silent on the issue. Given that she is both the senior senator of Maine and part of the same party as Brakey and Johansen, it is her responsibility to make a statement on the event. Has she not made a statement because she agrees with the protest? Does she not agree with Gov. Mills’ actions? Is she too afraid to speak out against her own party? Once again, Mainers deserve answers from Sen. Collins and, instead of getting them, we are left in the dust.
Bangor Daily News: David Cox: A lesson for our leaders
And our senator, Susan Collins, has linked her name to President Trump, who seems to care more about opening the economy and keeping his stock market numbers high for re-election than he does the health of his fellow Americans. She made her decision to be one of his apologists when she cast her vote against his removal, stating that she thought he had learned a lesson. The lesson he learned then is in full effect now. He can do whatever he pleases, from doing nothing to declaring absolute authority, and no one will do a thing about it. We need to teach them both a lesson in November and vote them both out.
Bangor Daily News: Mark Brown: The lesson Trump learned
I must admit that Sen. Susan Collins was right in January when she said she believed President Donald Trump had learned his lesson. The lesson he learned is that while Collins and her Republican colleagues are in control of the Senate, he can get away with anything. He has removed independent inspectors general, retaliated against whistleblowers and ignored requests for constitutionally mandated congressional oversight. I believe he has abandoned his constitutional mandate to protect Americans while increasing the wealth of his family and friends.
Portland Press Herald: Sydney Duck: Win or lose, Collins will still get richer
The median income for Maine families for many years has moved little. With inflation, one could say the line is flat and runs behind the national figures. Interesting figures in light of the fact that our senators – Susan Collins and Angus King – are each multimillionaires. And getting richer! [...] So, our incomes flatline, and Collins (our employee) gets richer!
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