Thumbs Up — A new tool for Brunswick

The Maine Development Foundation announced late last week that Brunswick will join nine other municipalities in Maine, including Bath, as a Main Street Maine community.

The designation represents much more than window dressing. As evidenced by Bath’s successful application of its Main Street Maine status to enhance the city’s appeal to merchants, residents and visitors, support from the private, nonprofit foundation opens opportunities for economic and community development.

As a Main Street Maine community, Brunswick will gain access to planning, promotional and technical resources that should augment existing initiatives related to the ongoing redevelopment of former Brunswick Naval Air Station property. Almost a year after the Navy’s departure and with commercial voids to fill downtown and at Cook’s Corner, this infusion of energy — and perhaps funding — comes at a perfect time.

Kudos to the Brunswick Downtown Association and others who led the effort to procure these new tools.

Thumbs Down — Taking a back seat

Is it time to change Maine’s motto, “Dirigo,” which means “I lead?”

During last week’s three-day session that served as a coda for the 125th Legislature, Republican lawmakers justified cuts to social service programs, worker protections and environmental safeguards with arguments that Maine must fall in line with other states.

The foundation for that argument, a need to create a more manageable and predictable revenue stream for state government, fell apart on the last day of last week’s abbreviated session when the Republican majority pushed through an income tax rate decrease based upon dubious, wishful fiscal assumptions.

Extensive studies by groups such as GrowSmart Maine and the Brookings Institution — and common sense — affirm that Maine’s “quality of place” sets it apart from other states. Eschewing compassion, stewardship of natural resources and workplace safety provisions will diminish that quality, subtracting one of Maine’s greatest assets when people considering whether to move or start businesses here compare us to other states.

We’re not Florida or Oklahoma and we shouldn’t try to be.

Thumbs Down — Revictimizing victims

Both Democrats and Republicans in Washington deserve condemnation for politicizing the Violence Against Women Act to court favor with voting blocs during an election year.

However, Republican-backed provisions that weaken protections for immigrants and non-heterosexuals are particularly heinous.

Abuse is abuse. We don’t need a point system based on a person’s orientation or INS status to determine what degree of protection federal law should afford them.

letters@timesrecord.com