If the agenda of the new LePage administration is really for smaller government and paring down the budget by trimming wasteful spending, how does the push for more stringent identification requirements for voter rights fit into this philosophy?

I have seen no strong evidence of voter fraud in Maine, so why does government need to get bigger over a concern that may not even exist?

Apparently, there is strong evidence that this may turn into an expensive requirement, as the government would have to provide free IDs for the many voters who do not have a picture ID already. There is also strong evidence that this new hurdle to get to the voting booth would be enough to mean that significant numbers of legitimate voters would fail to vote.

Although my own political values and beliefs are diametrically opposed to our newly elected administration, I am doing my best to keep an open mind that, at the very least, the reform proposals coming out of Augusta are well-intentioned and aboveboard as I search for common ground. Initiatives such as this one that seem to me to promote bigger government and wasteful spending over a nonexistent issue make it very difficult for me to maintain that perspective.

If reform proposals are really targeted to reduce the size of government and trim wasteful spending, let’s at least be consistent. Our state is in crisis mode and many people who are already struggling just to get by are being asked to make even more sacrifices. There is plenty of work to do on the real issues without raising non-issues to clutter the agenda, threaten our freedoms and take another bite out of the budget.

Phyllis Reames

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Portland

In your Feb. 21 editorial, “Prove there is a problem before requiring voter ID,” you made this horrendous concession: “If there is a serious problem with voter fraud, losing those voters (who don’t have ID) may be an acceptable cost to ensure the integrity of the results, but what is the evidence of fraud in Maine and what form does it take?”

The effect and intent of voter fraud is to minimize legitimate votes and, ultimately, disenfranchise legitimate voters. Your statement is tantamount to giving in to such fraud.

Your overall point, that Maine has not been shown to actually have a voter fraud problem, is valid. For example, there are those who do not like seeing naturalized immigrants voting in state and local elections on the basis that they simply do not like immigrants. This does not mean naturalized immigrants to Maine are committing voter fraud and, based on public records, the opposite is true. L.D. 199 and L.D. 203 will make a “mountain out of molehill” that might not even exist.

However, saying that losing any legitimate voters (the elderly or disabled, as you point out) is acceptable, as the net result of stopping voter fraud, only furthers the problems caused by such fraud. Your unfortunate concession betrays your larger point and helps to support the passage of the pending legislation.

Joshua Smeltzer

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Westbrook

As a young person who came to Maine for college and has been working and living here ever since, I know how important it is that Maine has an easy and accessible system for voter registration. I was very disappointed to learn that not one but two different bills were introduced at the State House that would present unneeded difficulties for voters at the polls.

L.D. 199 would require voters to present a photo ID that reflects their current residency, while L.D. 203 would eliminate Maine’s same-day registration policy. For young people who are often changing residency, both of these policies would make voting more challenging.

For the past two years, I have been an active member of the Maine League of Young Voters, an organization that works tirelessly to promote participation and engagement among young voters in Maine. In our view, it could not be more important that young people in Maine get more involved in politics. We have a unique perspective that needs to be heard; we will inherit our nation’s debt, we will see the impacts of today’s environmental policies, and our careers depend on the state of Maine’s ability to promote job growth.

At the same time, we have seen a decline in voter participation among young people for the past 30 years, according to the State Department’s website. If our goal should be greater voter participation and civic engagement among young people in our state, it seems that both of these bills would be working in the opposite direction.

We need policies that encourage participation instead of creating obstacles. I sincerely hope that our legislators will vote to protect voter participation in Maine.

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Emma Halas-O’Connor

Portland

Yarmouth students show generation has right stuff

In this day and age, we see many news items of kids, from grammar school through college, doing stupid, irresponsible and dangerous things: drugs, cigarettes, sex acts, stealing, killing, bullying, etc.

The Portland Press Herald ran a story written by Melanie Creamer on Feb. 9 regarding a group of students from Harrison Middle School in Yarmouth. They absolutely did the right thing — they raised money to buy water filtration systems for a Haitian orphanage. The very best solution to helping folks help themselves — no bottled water!

Then on Feb. 19, another story ran about the Ten Commandments being removed from the high school’s walls in Pearisville, Va. The best part of this story? The students themselves took it upon themselves to print out the Ten Commandments and stick them on the outside of their lockers.

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These two stories lifted my heart, and have given me lots of hope for America’s future. God bless them!

Barbara Britten

Shapleigh

Getting there from here pits turtles against hares

I am responding to the letter Tim Hildreth wrote Feb. 17 about the driving habits of the good people of Maine. I agree with him 100 percent.

I am going to have a heart attack waiting for the driver in front of me waiting for both ways to be absolutely clear before venturing into traffic. If you can’t figure it out, then you shouldn’t be driving.

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I moved to another state and if you didn’t go until it was perfectly clear, horns, bad language and an assortment of gestures were directed at you. Some drivers would pull around you to get into traffic.

And please go the speed limit, not 10 mph below it. There, I feel so much better and hope this letter will prompt the slowpokes to either get off the road or get it in gear.

Amy V. Turner

Biddeford

On behalf of the “worst drivers in the country,” I wish to offer a heartfelt apology to Tim Hildreth of Westbrook.

Sorry Tim, I guess we Maine “turtles” simply didn’t realize just how important you think you are.

Mike Mulkern

Portland

 


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