To the Editor:

I was outraged at the passage of LD 1207 in the last legislation session.

Sponsored by Rep. Dale Crafts, R-Lisbon Falls, and co-sponsored by Sen. Garrett Mason RLisbon Falls, this bill ended the collective bargaining rights of the workers at DeCosters egg farm in Turner.

Employees and their supporters worked tirelessly for decades to improve the deplorable conditions there, but this bill turns back that hard-won progress.

Now it appears that the influence of money is in play in Maine politics, through the passage of this bill.

The media have reported that both Crafts and Mason received campaign contributions from Moark LLC, the current owners of DeCosters, as well as from the farm’s general manager and another company official.

It’s also been reported that Crafts received money from Austin “Jack” DeCoster, who was called before Congress for the conditions at his other outof state egg farms.

This is a clear case where money is tied to sponsorship and passage of legislation that takes away prior labor protections for these specific workers — protections that included overtime pay.

The voters of Senate District 17 have a far better choice in Colleen Quint, who will represent all the people of the district.

Joni Foster
Lisbon Falls