Voice, choice and control

I’ve heard over and over again that being a part of the RSU gives us a voice, gives us choice and gives us local control. Let’s think about this.

Voice: When does the RSU 21 board ever listen to the voice of the people in Arundel? Parents urged the RSU 21 board not to eliminate transportation to Thornton Academy. Residents pressed them to retain Arundel’s legal right to school choice.

But the board looked the other way. They passed a policy forcing Arundel middle schoolers to attend Middle School of the Kennebunks starting in 2017, and then added insult to injury by eliminating high school transportation to any but Kennebunk High School. Does the RSU 21 board truly give Arundel a voice? If so, they certainly don’t listen.

Face it, we have no voice.

Choice: The RSU 21 board PROMISED Arundel residents that they would always have middle school choice. No one, not the RSU 21 superintendent, not the RSU 21 school board, refutes this statement. Yet, in one quick sweep, both choice and transportation were eliminated for Arundel. I’d say that leaves us with no choice.

Control: The RSU 21 board now has control over our K-8 Students. What’s next? Moving our fourth and fifth graders out of M.L. Day? Adjusting the cost-sharing formula next year? And which community consistently opposes the bloated RSU 21 school budgets, only to see them pass in the end?

The RSU 21 board is stacked against Arundel. They do what they want, whether Arundel likes it or not. Arundel has no control.

No voice, no choice, no control. As taxpayers of Arundel, it’s time to wake up. It’s time to stop letting the RSU 21 board pick our pockets while we look the other way. It’s time to be leaders instead of followers.

I urge you to lead by voting YES on June 14. Let’s begin the process of withdrawal. Let’s take back our voice, our choice and local control. We can do this!

E. Paul Raymond Arundel

Chenette has right kind of experience

There were many concerns back when Justin Chenette first ran for public office when he was 21 about his experience, and he proved them all wrong. There is no one that works harder for our community than Justin.

Now he has four years under his belt being in the state Legislature. Take it from me having run multiple businesses, after a couple years of doing a job, you either know it or you don’t.

Justin knows what we need and what our community needs. The best kind of experience you can get is listening to the voice of the people. That is something I promise you Justin does. He is a hands-on type of leader.

He was the only legislator who spent time trying to save the Saco Drive-In with me when I was managing it. Justin spearheaded our efforts in Saco and across the state to make sure we were doing everything we could to galvanize support for converting to digital technology and keep our doors open.

It was beyond him. It was really about helping me preserve a landmark. I will be forever grateful to Justin Chenette for his dedication to the cause. That is the type of experience that is needed in Augusta and what we need to continue on the local level.

Join me to voting for Justin Chenette as our next senator. A vote for Justin is a vote well spent.

Ry Russell

Saco

Hobbins gets things done

Congratulations, Democratic voters in Maine Senate District 31: you have two great primary candidates on June 14. Of those two, Barry Hobbins is the guy to get things done.

I have served two terms in the Maine House of Representatives with Barry. He is always the person to turn to for help, advice and strategy. In this age of term limits, he has deep institutional knowledge of the Maine Legislature due to his many years serving the people of Maine.

He spent long hours crafting the Omnibus Energy Act of 2013, which set a new direction for energy options in our state. His work on telecommunications and access to Narcan to save lives for overdose victims has helped us all. Barry is also hard at work to upgrade the court system for our state, allowing access for all in safety and fairness.

Most importantly, he is one of the very few legislators in Maine who has access to the governor’s office. Although in a better political climate there would be open communication between the chief executive and the Legislature, Barry is now the representative who can talk to the governor.

I urge all good Democrats to make your choice Barry Hobbins for Senate on June 14.

Rep. Deane Rykerson

Maine House of

Representatives, District 1

Dobson will help right Poland Spring wrong

A horrible precedent has been established in Fryeburg, Maine, recently. Poland Spring Water aka Nestle Waters International, has won an incontestable right to invade this town’s water supply for 45 years – a multi-generational claim on the land. Furthermore, since they are an international organization, nobody is allowed to interfere with their “expected profits.”

There has never been a contract, according to USUNCUT, “that ties up local water resources for such a long time, in American history.” This legal precedent can now be extended to other communities, especially ones where the public are left out of the decision making. Once privatized, prices can skyrocket, leaving locals powerless.

This is according to a heinous provision of NAFTA, called ISDS: investor-state dispute settlement.

LePage is not content to drown Mainers in deep poverty. By helping this predator company to claim this town’s water, He has allowed a necessity of life, which Mainers have enjoyed at cost, to become the property of foreigners. Mainers will be told there is no money for abatement costs for the pipes going to their homes. Water will become unaffordable. Not the way life should be.

It will take a concerted effort to keep Poland Spring Waters and other multi-national corporations within bounds now that the Maine Supreme Judicial Court has rendered its spurious decision.

As a candidate for state representative in District 9, Laurie Dobson is committed to keeping water rights in the hands of the people of Maine. You can depend on her to uphold the people’s right to control their own necessities of life. I urge you to vote for her on June 14th.

Bruce Childress

Kennebunk

District 4 lucky to have Hymanson

The people of House District 4 (Ogunquit, part of Sanford, part of Wells and part of York) are fortunate to have Rep. Patty Hymanson as their voice in Augusta. She has proven herself to be a thorough and dedicated legislator during this session.

I especially valued her expertise gained from her years in medical practice. Her concern for the well-being of Maine people and her insight as a doctor make her a valued member of our caucus.

She also has an approach to problem-solving that I find refreshing. She is willing to consider a wide variety of alternatives and work with people of all backgrounds and members of both parties to come up with the best answer to a given problem.

It is a real pleasure to serve alongside Rep. Hymanson.

Rep. Jeff McCabe

House Majority Leader