The bum’s rush

To the editor:

It’s been less than a month since Maine voters overwhelmingly repealed a law that would have banned sameday voter registration, and some legislators are already talking about new ways to make voting harder be requiring voters to produce photo identification at the polls.

Many of the people who voted “yes” on Nov. 8 in support of same-day voter registration were people on Social Security or World War II veterans, members of the “Greatest Generation.” The fought to save this country and the right of people to vote.

If legislators succeed in passing new ways to make voting harder, we’ll have to do it again next year. Next time, let’s vote all the bums out of office too.

Can you see an old lady going to the polls to vote and when she’s asked to produce a photo ID, she’s got to pull everything out of her bag? Everything could fall on the floor — billfold, cards, etc. — and make a big mess, even though she’s been voting for decades.

Pretty soon, some of these legislators will be telling us when to go to the bathroom — or the outhouse.

Next year, I am voting all the bums out.

Conrad LeBourdais

Topsham

Where do you stand?

To the editor:

There has been a great deal of discussion about the proposed train depot location and the policies concerning what to do with dilapidated buildings in Brunswick.

People are angry and feel that there is a lot going on behind the scenes that culminates with decisions that are severely impacting neighborhoods. To help clarify the positions of our elected and appointed officials we need to hear from them individually.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I ask the Brunswick Town Council members, the head of the Village Review Board, and the town manager to answer the questions listed below. Please don’t base your answers on the current town policies because that merely shows what the current rules are and not what you think as individuals.

— Do you support putting the train depot in the proposed site and believe it is the best choice for that neighborhood and the town when there is a viable alternative site in East Brunswick that is not in a neighborhood?

— Do you support the current standard for action on repairing or removing a building being based on whether it is about to fall down or not and believe it is best for neighborhoods and the town? Do you believe a better standard for action would be a residential building must be able to receive an occupancy permit and be deemed inhabitable to remain in its current condition would be better for the neighborhoods and town of Brunswick?

DeWitt Kimball

Brunswick