Choice is

everything

More than 50% of the U.S. population are adult females who, through voting, have the power to create a country where we thrive, have control over our bodies, receive the reproductive healthcare we choose, and determine our own futures. A country where we decide whether or not to bear children, with laws that protect the privacy between us and our doctors.

The Republican Party has fully embraced the far-right Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. Their goal is to ban abortions nationwide and imprison doctors who provide services for women with unwanted pregnancies, even when necessary to save the mother’s life. They plan to ban safe drugs that terminate early unwanted pregnancies and even go so far as to ban contraceptives.

Safe and accessible abortions save lives, especially those of minorities and low-income women. Those working to limit our rights to these services need to be defeated at the ballot box.

When we vote for candidates who respect women and pass laws that protect our reproductive healthcare needs, we can live lives of our own choosing — and that will make all the difference.

Denise Penttila

Kennebunk

 

Time limit

strictly enforced

If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. We went back to the bad old days at the Sept. 10 Kennebunk Select Board meeting.

At a well attended meeting that included new residents, secretary Lisa Pratt wielded her five-minute time clock with an iron fist. First, Patti Sass Perry was asked to stop talking about her concerns about ordinance petitions during the charter public hearing. Next, former legislator, select board, planning board member and American government teacher Tom Murphy was told he hit the time limit for voicing his voting rights concerns about the charter. Finally, during the public comment period, town advocate John Costin addressed the board about the town’s purchase of guns and ammunition. As he described what he perceived to be purchasing guidelines and policy irregularities, he was cut off. He asked for three more minutes, but by roll-call vote, Kortney Nedeau, Bill Ward and Pratt denied him extra time. His testimony was interesting, compelling and I’ll bet, information the board members didn’t know.

There was no line of additional speakers. Neither Sass Perry nor Murphy were offered extra time, which they could have used to sum up their concerns. All looked bemused to be silenced. As an audience member, I felt their courage to speak at the podium turn instead into loss of dignity.

What was demonstrated? That the board is unwilling to hear new information? That they can’t learn from residents? Is this the town government atmosphere we want to show new residents?

What the select board can do apparently, is make grown women and men sit down. And they can forestall participation. With this arrogant power now, imagine how a town council – with perhaps the same personalities – will treat your voice and voting power.

Susan A. Bloomfield

West Kennebunk

 

Know where your

elected officials stand

I recently contacted our state senator, Susan Collins, imploring her to stand up for our democracy, have the courage of Liz Cheney to put country over party and endorse Kamala Harris for the presidency. I received the following reply, “While I have indicated that I will not be voting for either major party candidate this year, I do not base my support or opposition of a president’s priorities on whether or not I supported their campaign.”

Senator Collins’ response is troubling. She is either saying she is not going to vote or she is voting for a third party. It is Sen. Collins’ patriotic duty as a citizen much less a U. S. senator to vote and if she does vote it will be third party. Once again, using double speak, Sen. Collins wants it both ways.

The residents of Maine should know where their elected officials stand.

Jill Miller

Kennebunkport

 

Voters do

your homework

The Kennebunk Charter Commission’s recent reports to the public have been disingenuous at best and misleading at worst. Their comments to educate voters on the most significant changes in the proposed new charter ignore by far the most significant change.

In the Kennebunk Post of Aug. 16 and an opinion column of Sept. 6, the commissioners led their comments with statements that revised recall provisions were the centerpiece of the new charter. They then went on to note, almost in passing, that other new provisions would pass authority for land use ordinances from the voters to elected officials, i.e. the town council.

But neither commissioner even mentioned the draft’s Section 2.1.4 Enumeration of Town Council’s Powers: 1. To enact, amend and repeal all Town ordinances.”

Yep, all town ordinances –  noise ordinances, plastic bag ordinances, balloon ordinances, fireworks ordinances, even dogs on the beach ordinances – would not be up to the voters anymore. Seven elected officials who may or may not be a representative cross section of the voters will be empowered to flip the switch.

Incidentally, changes to land-use ordinances are listed as the second enumerated power after the all-ordinances provision.

Moral of the story: Voters, do your homework, talk to your friends, ask questions. Do not be misled by self-serving voter education campaigns that may omit by far the most significant change in your rights as a voter.

Betsy Smith

Kennebunk

 

Candidate’s efforts

in Maine Senate

I will be voting to re-elect Henry Ingwersen to the Maine Senate so that he can continue working for us in District 32. I first met Henry when he campaigned for the State House in 2017 and learned he spent years as an elementary school teacher, a small businessman, farmer, and a beekeeper.

Henry has served on the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Health and Human Services Committee, and is Senate chair of the Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee.

As a result of his efforts, teacher pay has increased, state education funding is now at the mandated 55% level, and thousands more Mainers have health insurance and dental coverage. The environment is also a significant priority for Henry, who was one of the first to raise concerns and awareness of the hazards of PFAs.

To learn more, visit, henry4senate.org. Let’s keep hardworking Sen. Ingwersen in Augusta.

Patricia Boston

Biddeford

 

Signs stolen

from yards

As chair of the Democrats of Kennebunks & Arundel, three weeks ago it was my privilege to deliver Harris/Walz yard signs to voters from our three towns. Enthusiastic residents marched off with signs to place them in individual yards.

In Maine, signs are always permitted on private property, but not permitted on public ways until six weeks before the election date – Tuesday, Sept. 24. For many of our neighbors, the elation of planting their Harris/Walz signs was short-lived as no sooner had they placed signs on their property, than the signs were stolen. It is a theft to take signs from someone else’s yard.

Many of the victims ask why this is happening. I will not speculate on that, but if you want a Harris/Walz sign, rather than stealing one, please head over to the Democrats of Kennebunks & Arundel Campaign Headquarters at 62 Portland Road, Unit 1, in Kennebunk, and pick up a sign. We will give one to you.

If the goal of sign stealing is to dampen resolve, that will not work because sign owners are persistent. An Arundel sign-theft victim picked up two new signs and mounted them high above their yard in a tree; a West K couple resorted to a critter cam to identify sign stealers.

Luckily, signs don’t vote; people vote.

Penelope Gruen

Kennebunkport

 

Continue health

care leadership

Some of Donald Trump’s record on health care:

Signed legislation to improve the National Suicide Hotline;

The most comprehensive childhood cancer legislation ever was signed into law which will advance childhood cancer research and improve treatments;

Right-to-Try legislation expanded health care options for terminally ill patients;

FDA set a new record for generic drug approvals in 2017, saving consumers nearly $9 billion;

A blueprint to drive down drug prices for American patients was released, leading multiple major drug companies to announce they will freeze or reverse price increases;

Expanded short-term, limited-duration health plans;

More employers allowed to form Association Health Plans, enabling more small businesses to join together and affordably provide health insurance to their employees;

The Independent Payment Advisory Board, also known as the death panels, was repealed, and the USDA invested more than $1 billion in rural health care in 2017, improving access to health care for 2.5 million people in rural communities across 41 states.

In the years ahead, we need to continue his kind of leadership and ability to get things done.

Jane Evelyn

Kennebunkport

 

Senate candidate

visits Arundel

Demi Kouzounas, candidate for US Senate, has an incredible story. From Saco, Demi is the daughter of Greek immigrants. Demi spent summers as a young girl working at her parents’ restaurant in Old Orchard Beach, where she learned the value of hard work, which included witnessing the struggles and rewards of running a small business.

The first in her family to attend college, Demi graduated from the University of Maine and later earned a doctorate in dentistry from Tufts. Serving in Germany in the US Army during the Cold War with her husband, Joe, ingrained in her a sense of duty, patriotism, and a desire to serve her country.

Now, a practicing dentist, Demi understands the critical role small businesses play as the backbone of our country and is humbled by the limitless opportunities afforded to her and her family by this great country and the great people of Maine. Active in nonprofits, co-founding Dentists Who Care for Maine which facilitated the start of Bright Smiles, a children’s dental program, she also served as president of the Maine Dental Association, advocating for greater access to dental care for low-income families and rural communities.

Demi will be in Arundel on Sept. 30 at 11:15 a.m. at Bentley’s Saloon to tell her story, talk with constituents, and join in the celebration of Bentley’s 20th year in business – another American success story – starting from humble beginnings to becoming a well-known and popular destination. To RSVP, jack@demiforsenate.com.

David Jones

Kennebunkport

 

More eyes on

all proposals

I am a member of the Kennebunk Planning Board, the Charter Commission, and previously served on the Comprehensive Plan Committee. I want to provide clarity on our proposal to give land-use ordinance approval ability to the proposed town council.

The planning board reviews residential and commercial subdivision applications, and (usually) approves them, often with conditions. We also review changes to the Zoning Ordinance, which can include minor adjustments in specific zoning districts, changes required for the town to be in compliance with state laws, and contract zones, which are proposals that may not meet all performance standards, but provide benefits in some way and affect only one property. Examples are the Cousens School affordable housing project, an accessible home for a disabled veteran, the Pilot House rebuild, and the Avesta project that will provide 70 units of affordable housing for seniors.

These ordinance changes are vetted by the planning board through a review and public hearing process, and then sent, with a positive or negative recommendation, to the select board, which holds additional public hearings. Under the old (2008) charter, the select board can only deny proposals. It is not empowered to approve them. The ones that aren’t denied must be sent to voters at the next election – which may not take place for months.

Such a long wait creates an unnecessary obstacle for projects and changes that have already been vetted as desirable, and demands that voters learn the details of proposals that are applicable only to a single property or minor ordinance. This demands extraordinary patience on the part of the applicants, and lots of homework for voters. A move from the old select board to a town council would allow the town council to be empowered to make these decisions. The planning board would continue its current role, which provides two sets of eyes on all proposals, and multiple opportunities for public involvement, which is the goal of the Charter Commission.

Janice Vance

Kennebunk

Copy the Story Link