While I was perusing the local headlines for the latest election “faux-pas” by the two gubernatorial front-runners, I encountered a story in the Press Herald on whether non-citizens should be allowed to vote in Portland’s local elections. It is a fair question to ask, since they pay their taxes like everyone else.

But, I don’t think Beth Stickney, the executive director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project in Portland, made a convincing argument.

The notion that it is “too hard” and “costly” to become a U.S. citizen is absurd. Why don’t we just waive high school transcripts to get into college also?

Matter of fact, while we are at it, let’s just eliminate every requirement to get into graduate or professional schools.

I am an immigrant from Haiti; I came to this country when I was 13 years old. I was a minor, my dad was a U.S. citizen, I did not have to take any tests, but I would have gladly taken one if it were warranted.

My mom is going through the naturalization process right now. She is not bitter; she understands that being an American is a privilege, not a God-given right. Shouldn’t a citizen of the United States be able to speak and write English?

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I don’t believe the city of Portland ought to adhere to the fact that becoming a U.S. citizen is a long and complicated process, therefore it should allow non-citizens to participate in local elections because they are required to pay their taxes.

The League of Young Voters and Beth Stickney need a better argument than that.

Puerto Ricans, U.S. Virgin Islanders and people of Guam are U.S. citizens, so I guess they should start voting in general elections too because they pay their taxes to the U.S. government.

James Edouard

Westbrook

 

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I was both surprised and disappointed with your editorial against allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections (“Voting rights should not be extended to non-citizens,” Oct. 16).

And yet in the next breath, you state that the increasing number of immigrants in Portland should play a larger role in the civic life of the community.

Your position smacks of the “Separate but Equal” philosophy of an earlier American society that promulgated an agonizing period for blacks and discriminated against generations of Italians, Irish, Jews, Greeks, and many other immigrants who helped to make America great.

I consider your editorial position hypocritical, narrow and sadly lacking in understanding what democracy is all about.

Petros Panagakos

Portland

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Elected mayor in Portland unnecessary, too expensive

 

I would bet that Robert E. Parker does not know the names of the present seated members of the Portland City Council, judging from his Oct. 18 letter to the editor.

Cheryl Leeman is the stalwart of the council. She has served one or at most two terms as mayor. I don’t remember whether or not she was serving when Bob Ganley died.

What I do remember is her superb handling of the honor and emotion of those days.

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The current charter changes before Portland citizens is to elect a very expensive mayoral position which in actuality would have no more authority for a mayor than the current mayor has.

The change for which we will vote includes a ridiculous mechanism for choosing the final candidate, does not specify the salary of over $60,000 a year, has a four-year term that is too long, and gives the mayor double authority with chairmanship of the council.

Citizens don’t need a charter change. They need to be more aware of the quality of the candidates they choose for the council, and they need to recognize that the present one-year term is not a written regulation. The council can re-elect a mayor as often as five members vote to do so.

Esther B. Clenott

Portland

 

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When I moved to Portland 21 years ago, I didn’t hear complaints about lack of political leadership. Now this is the cry of the Press Herald (“Question 1: Portland should have elected mayor,” Oct. 18).

An elected mayor will not necessarily give us “political leadership,” as the editorial claims. It will give us an expensive elected mayor who will hold that office for four years and have very little power.

And the way that mayor is proposed to be elected is also something that’s disturbing. I’m not interested in the ranked-choice voting process. The process we’ve been using is fine.

I’ll stick with the one-year figurehead mayor rather than a powerless four-year figurehead mayor.

Margery Niblock

Portland

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Land conservation bond deserves voters’ support

 

Over the past two decades, Maine voters have overwhelmingly supported Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) bonds that have helped protect 26 sites in Cumberland and York counties alone.

Local projects include trails along the Presumpscot River in Portland, woodlands in Falmouth, two seabird nesting islands in Casco Bay, two active farms in Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough, Florida Lake in Freeport, lands adjacent to Scarborough, Ferry and Sebago Lake beaches, and a trail linking Bradbury Mountain with Pineland.

Question 3 on the Nov. 2 ballot will give us the opportunity to conserve more of Maine’s beautiful landscape, authorizing $9.75 million for future projects. Voting in favor of Question 3 gives the Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust, and your local land trust, the ability to protect the places we value most in our communities. The LMF Program works in partnership with willing landowners, local communities, land trusts, state agencies and businesses to identify potential projects and leverage federal, local and private funds for land conservation.

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Land for Maine’s Future helps keep Maine a desirable place to live, protects our natural heritage, provides greater public access for recreation and supports our economy with natural resource-based businesses.

Our investment today will yield invaluable returns in the future. As I watch my three children running on the trails through the woods, splashing in the water or eating local farm- fresh food, I know that I am making the right choice in supporting the LMF bond. I hope you will join me in voting “yes” on Question 3.

Penny Asherman

President, Chebeague &

Cumberland Land Trust

Cumberland

 


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