Money doesn’t grow on trees, but, boy, can it turn trees into political mailers. My mailbox buckled this election cycle as special interest groups spent tens of millions, mostly in the form of attack ads. That’s why I was glad to see the Secretary of State’s Office validate the signatures from the Protect Maine Elections campaign.

While many of these mailers will help me start up my wood stove this winter, I would be happier without them. Billionaires should not be able to buy influence just because they have the money. I trust them and their super political action committee ads about as far as I can toss their private jets. Frankly, I’m tired of the voices of Maine voters being drowned out by big-money spending.

Likewise, it is deeply concerning that foreign governments can legally spend endless amounts of money influencing outcomes of statewide ballot initiatives. While foreign governments are not permitted to contribute to candidate campaigns, a dangerous loophole allows foreign government spending in referendum campaigns unless explicitly prohibited by state law. This runs counter to the entire purpose of ballot initiatives, which were created to give Mainers a more direct voice in their democracy.

Fortunately, the Protect Maine Elections initiative would ban contributions from foreign governments to referendum campaigns and affirm Maine’s support for an anti-corruption amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Let’s protect Mainers’ voices in statewide ballot initiatives and get dark money out of politics for good.

Jeremy Lynch
Gorham

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

Letter to the editor: A new way for older Mainers to cherish the outdoors

Next »

Letter to the editor: ‘Hunter Biden’s Laptop’ will not reverse Trump’s loss