Vote yes on OOB Question 1

To the editor,

“You can pay me now or you can pay me later.” If anyone remembers that old automotive commercial from the 70s, you’re in good company. That TV slogan has stuck with me over the years, reminding me to always make good business decisions in the moment to avoid costly catastrophes later. That is a principal that has guided me when making important investments as a business owner in Old Orchard Beach.

Right now, Old Orchard Beach voters have this very question before us — should we pay now, or pay more later? Question 1 asks to approve repairs, upgrades and expansion to our aging wastewater system — a system that is undersized, outdated and beginning to fail.

Without a doubt, voting YES on Question 1 will save us money. That 35-year old system is going to fail and if we are put in an emergency situation, it will cost all of us a lot more money when it does.

I’ve been doing business in this town for decades and I’ve watched the Town spend hundreds of thousands taxpayer dollars to make patchwork fixes just to keep that old system functional. We are wasting our money.

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Interest rates are extraordinarily low and our town has very little debt. A YES on Question 1 would enable the town to borrow at 1.5-percent, which is unprecedented. The cost to residents will be less than 50 cents per day, or $14 per month, on a home valued at $300,000.

To me, this makes good business sense, and it is a prudent financial decision which is why I’ll be voting YES on Question 1.

Tom LaCasse
Owner of The Brunswick

Re-elect  Susan  Collins

To the editor,

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is an invaluable asset to York County, but unfortunately, the future of these jobs may be in jeopardy, which is why we need Senator Susan Collins in Washington more than ever.

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This year the federal government has spent a lot of money in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which means some tough decisions will have to be made in the years to come. Whoever wins the presidential election will look for ways to control tax increases on the middle class by tightening spending. This will put pressure on defense spending. The military looks to base realignment and closure, known as BRAC, rather than reducing force strength or capability as the preferred means of cost cutting.

PSNY pays attention each time a BRAC committee is authorized by Congress. Other submarine yards outside of Maine are very willing to tak on work assigned to PSNY, so keeping our shipyard open will be difficult.

Of the current Congressional delegation, only Susan Collins has the experience necessary to keep PSNY open. She worked through the BRAC process before in 2005, and was instrumental in keeping it open.

It is Susan’s seniority in the Senate that will provide essential guidance to the entire delegation in navigating the challenges that lie ahead. With her victory on Nov. 3, that experience is maintained. Her defeat carries with it a loss from which there is no recovery. Nobody else can step into her position of being a moderate capable of dealing with both parties. No other member of the Maine delegation can replace her seniority in the Senate and in various Senate committees. So please, join me in voting to re-elect our greatest champion, Senator Collins.

David Woodsome
State Senator, District 33

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