Op-ed about Sen. Collins and The County was all wrong | Letter

Letter to the Editor Challenges Maine Sunday Telegram Op‑Ed on Sen. Susan Collins

CARIBOU, ME – A resident of Caribou, Maine, has written a letter to the editor criticizing an opinion piece on Sen. Susan Collins that appeared in the Maine Sunday Telegram on September 6. The letter, posted on the Press Herald website, questions the accuracy of the op‑ed titled “Susan Collins has scant claim to ‘County roots’” and urges the paper to enforce stricter fact‑checking on future commentary.

Chris Lydon, a local businessman, argues that the Collins family are “upstanding citizens in Aroostook County.” He notes that the family’s company, S.W. Collins Company, employs many residents and contributes to the community’s welfare. According to Lydon, the business built eight wooden structures that were subsequently donated to the city of Caribou to support a new holiday tradition. He also says the company regularly backs other charitable initiatives in the region.

Lydon further states that Sen. Collins demonstrates a strong “County work ethic.” He claims the senator’s record shows she has missed “not more than 10,000 votes,” a figure that underscores her consistent presence in congressional sessions. The letter’s author notes that he has spoken with the senator on six separate occasions during the current year. In one conversation, Lydon expressed appreciation for Collins’ support of the Animal Freedom from Testing, Experimentation and Research (AFTER) Act. The bipartisan bill aims to ensure that retired laboratory animals are adopted or housed in sanctuaries rather than euthanized, a cause that Lydon says is worth supporting.

While acknowledging Collins’ legislative achievements, Lydon’s letter calls out the op‑ed for what he perceives as factual inaccuracies. “What type of fact‑checking was done on this piece?” the letter asks. “They should have found that much of what was written was simply not factual.” The writer urges editors to hold opinion pieces to a higher standard of accuracy and to provide readers with reliable information.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has not yet issued a response to Lydon’s letter. The Press Herald will continue to monitor the situation and report any follow‑up from the newspaper’s editorial staff.