“Get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything.”- Frank Dane

This column was written prior to Election Day so there will be no comments on election results but a discussion of issues involving some issues being voted on.

It is interesting not only to listen to people talk about their views of issues but to participate as well. Both of us were very busy during the June and November elections doing such things as planning events, passing out campaign materials and assisting groups or candidates when needed. We were out there fighting for the those issues we believe in and the candidates that we felt would make the necessary changes in our town and in Maine that would lead us in a new direction instead of trying to tax us into prosperity.

We do not know, of course, the outcome of the election when writing this but we do have some general comments as to the nasty fight put on by the opponents of TABOR. It simply boiled down to a fight of us against them. It was immediately noticeable that the opponents would be almost all those groups, whether unions or nonprofits, that survive off of tax dollars either directly or indirectly. Powerful lobbies and plentiful funds came in from out of state to the tune of something near $2 million dollars. Most of the funds supporting TABOR came from within the state of Maine and a significant portion of that was by individuals residing in Maine.

We, the people, fought institutions that are well structured and supported by our taxes like the Maine Municipal Association. Municipalities use property tax dollars to pay fees to the MMA for things like insurance. Isn’t it ironic that our tax dollars have been used to fight our own citizen initiatives? It is truly a shame when government employee lobbies turn against the very people that fund their employment. We both feel that we do have some wonderful public employees at all levels of government but it is obvious that their unions are fighting tax reform and relief at our expense come hell or high water. Maine is a perfect example where government spending is now the largest segment of the economy. We have said it many times but it still bears repeating. We simply cannot tax ourselves into prosperity.

Now we must take a deep look at the town of Windham. It is amazing how many campaign signs have disappeared in this community and, yes, we have heard the same thing has happened in other communities. However, the signs that have disappeared are not from both sides of statewide or local issues rather they are from one side. Care to guess which side? Pro-TABOR signs, signs for Republican candidates and signs for the local question regarding passing the amended mineral extraction ordinance have disappeared en masse.

This is a grave matter that needs a complete investigation, even lie detector tests if necessary. We are appalled at this total disregard of law and if this is how Windham projects itself, then we live in a town that has no shame. We are not speaking of the recent storms with heavy rain and high winds. We are speaking about signs that have been flattened by vehicles including bicycles or just plain stolen. It’s not the way we like to play games, that’s for sure.

It will be a fun time to write about our twist on the election results at the local, county, state and even the national level. Please remember if you didn’t vote, don’t complain about the results.