I am writing to you today to tell you a little bit about Jill Barkley, who is running for the Democratic nomination for House District 119, Parkside, Bayside, East Bayside and the Downtown District.

Jill is a colleague of mine who has six years of experience in the non-profit sector, working on policy issues that impact victims of domestic violence and their children. She understands how the Legislature works and will represent our district in the most effective way.

Jill has a master’s degree in public administration, and has the policy and legislative experience necessary to represent Maine’s most diverse district.

She is a committed individual with the energy and skill to bring the needs of our district to Augusta.

She is committed to a broad range of social issues including education, jobs and the economy. I am particularly impressed by her focus on prevention — she says, “our neighbors struggle to overcome challenges every day. Our state’s funding for various crisis response services cost us millions. I will look at the big picture and find ways to support prevention efforts instead of short term, temporary solutions.”

That makes sense to me.

Jill has been endorsed by the League of Young Voters, Equality Maine and Rep. Herb Adams.

Anita St. Onge

Portland

Recently in Falmouth, town politics has taken a negative tone which threatens not only the process of local government but also town unity.

Unfortunately, a member of the community has distributed a flier without my knowledge that endorses my school board candidacy, while attacking Falmouth’s teachers and another candidate.

This sort of deplorable action violates my personal principles and draws attention away from the issues we should be focusing on.

My candidacy is a unique one which draws from experience as a young professional and as a student of the Falmouth school district.

My goals are to increase local government transparency through open discussions, change our health and physical education curriculums so that they inspire our students to make the right choices in life, and to bring focus back on preparing students for life as productive independent citizens.

A vote for me is a vote for partnership between all community members, not just parents, but also retirees and students alike, so that we can have real dialogue on our school system.

I hope that the public accepts my apologies that my name was attached to a document which attacks those individuals who work to educate our children and a public official who has volunteered her time to the town.

I do not stand for focusing on negatives, but rather seeking out positive proactive solutions. I encourage all Falmouth residents to reject the notions of negative campaigning and to research into the candidates that have presented themselves.

June 8 is an important day for Falmouth, one which will define the course our town will take over the next few years. Please take the time in your day to vote.

Christopher B. Murry Jr.

Falmouth

This election year we Mainers have some choices to make, and I have made a choice to support Jim Libby as state representative for House District 131 (Buxton/Hollis). Jim has the experience of being a former state representative as well as a state senator and is ready to serve again because he wants Maine to be a growing, thriving state.

With a doctorate in economics, Jim Libby knows that our state has a spending problem and he is committed to changing the out of control taxing and spending culture in Augusta. As an educator at Thomas College, Jim also knows that our kids need a good education and he supports charter schools.

He also knows that good jobs are what will keep our kids in Maine upon graduation and will attract smart, talented people to our state. To that end, Jim is committed to creating a pro-business attitude in Augusta by lowering taxes and energy costs as well as making fair, consistent rules to help create the good jobs Mainers need.

Jim Libby is experienced, fair and ready to “fight the right fight” in Augusta.

Joe Mcgrath

Buxton

Hearing from both sides in York County sheriff race

Let’s re-elect Moe Ouellette as York County sheriff.

During the seven years we have known Sheriff Ouellette, we have been thoroughly impressed by many his accomplishments.

His work with local police chiefs to bring a consolidated and collaborative approach to law enforcement in York County has resulted in teamwork and reduced the cost of law enforcement for our county.

His decision to join forces with Fight Crime: Invest in Kids (a national program to support after-school programs for at-risk youths) has literally saved lives. His coordinated efforts with Caring Unlimited and our county District Attorney Mark Lawrence led to the receipt of a $400,000 GTEA grant to create a collaborative domestic violence initiative in York County.

We recognize and appreciate Moe’s commitment to community policing initiatives, strong enforcement of violent crimes and effective coordination between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

For more detailed information, please check out Moe’s website at www.sheriffouellette.com.

Floyd and Bobbi Beavers

South Berwick

As the Democratic candidate for York County sheriff, I want to point out that the current occupant of that post has been “too little, too late” when it comes to efficient operation of the department.

When the current York County sheriff announced that he was running for another term, he stated that my concept of a strong reserve officer program was outdated. Now he is hiring four reserve officers.

What a strange world we live in. On my website as long ago as December (www.paulmainforsheriff.com), I did the math for all to see the real savings with the implementation of the reserve program.

Now he gets it. The sad fact is it’s too little, too late. Our taxes are going up 6 percent. How much more of this can we afford?

Had a reserve program been in place years ago, the savings could have offset or even avoided the layoff situation in the patrol division.

Thinking ahead doesn’t seem to be the mind set of this administration until it’s election time.

Paul Main

Alfred