Take close look
at proposed charter
There is an element of the proposed new Town Charter that is not likely to get coverage in the commission’s promotional campaign.
Current Charter: Section 3.03: “Select Board member (sic) shall be compensated at rates adopted by the Annual Town Meeting …”
Proposed Charter Section 2.1.6: “The Town Council shall, by ordinance, determine the compensation of Town Councilors.”
Charter commissioners Babbidge and Bloomfield objected to the proposed compensation arrangement, noting that it would constitute a conflict of interest. They argued that a council supporting an increase in its own compensation should not be the beneficiary of that increase until a full election cycle (i.e., three years) has passed.
In contrast, other commissioners argued that the voters would have veto power over the new compensation ordinance by, 1.) organizing a 500-signature petition drive to overturn it or, 2.) voting down the whole town budget. Both of these options put an unreasonable burden on voters who oppose the council giving itself a raise.
This is just one reason voters need to take a close look at the proposed charter before casting their absentee ballots or going to the polls in November.
Betsy Smith
Kennebunk
Expanding Medicare
savings program
Every Mainer should be able to age with dignity in the community they know and love. But when I speak with older neighbors here in Kennebunk, I often hear that they are struggling to make ends meet, and they frequently bring up that they’re concerned about being able to afford their medication. No one should be forced to choose between paying for housing, food or medicine.
To address the strain of rising costs, the Legislature has made it a priority to pass measures to reduce the burden on older Mainers. This includes passing legislation to expand eligibility for the Medicare Savings Program. This vital program helps older people living on fixed and low incomes pay for their Medicare-related premiums, deductibles and copayments. It also assists with Plan B premiums, which are typically deducted from Social Security. As lawmakers, my colleagues and I know that every dollar counts for many folks, and the Medicare Savings Program will put money back into the pockets of those who need it most.
This expansion is anticipated to bring substantial relief to more than 45,000 Mainers. While the benefit amount varies depending on the individual, it typically averages around $7,300 annually, which can be a lifeline for many.
The decision to expand the MSP is not just good policy, it fulfills our commitment to our older friends and neighbors. To learn more, please reach out to our local Area Agency on Aging by calling 1-877-ELDERS-1.
Dan Sayre, representative, House District 135
Kennebunk
What has become
of Republican Party?
As someone who always respected the Republican Party, although admittedly, it has been years since I cast my vote that way, it still troubles me to witness what has become of the GOP. We now have a party that continues to shift their power and influence over to the religious zealous, hard-right extremist and many others, who lack any form of long-term strategies and vision for our country and only want what they want and now.
And to top it off, I and others are currently offered a candidate who has repeatedly dragged our country down and has no respect for anyone, including himself, and certainly not our Constitution. So I need to once again ask myself, how and why I could even consider supporting someone who earned his latest well-earned label of Donald “Benedict Arnold” Trump?
Jim Thompson
Kennebunk
A representative
for the times
Being part of the team to elect our first woman president thrills me to no end. Kamala has proven to be an outstanding spokeswoman for our party and will bring so many positive results in the White House and the world.
What a fine representative for our lives and times. It’s time to feel good about our government and she has just started to refine the skills of governing.
Elizabeth Bodner Cumiskey
Kennebunk
The Trump
fairy tale
For many Donald Trump supporters, a big part of his allure as a presidential candidate — the reason they stand in line for hours to attend his rallies and vote for him again and again and now again — is his street cred as a billionaire businessman. Master salesman. Genius deal maker. Bestselling author. A man with the Midas touch. Everything he touches turns to gold, even his New York penthouse apartment has gold ceilings, golden plant pots, and a golden escalator (the gold toilet is probably apocryphal).
Except it’s all a big fat lie, a lie created in a fake office on a fake television show about a fake entrepreneur. You probably watched it. Likely enjoyed it. The show was a huge hit that ran for 15 seasons. You guessed it: “The Apprentice.” A so-called “reality show,” hosted by Mr. Trump, that was about as real as the magic mogul’s vast real-estate empire (buoyed by $400 million of his father’s money and run through bankruptcy court six times).
Donald Trump is a media creation as hollow as the golem of Jewish folklore, a man-made human-like creature made from clay and given life through magic; in this case, the magic of TV production, including writers, producers, set designers, lighting experts, hair and makeup professionals. And while created with good intentions, Trump, like the golem, can become dangerous and run amok.
All this is documented in “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success,” a new book written by journalists Russ Buettner and Susanne Craig. A recent headline in the New York Times captures the truth: “He Wasn’t a Billionaire. He Just Played One on TV.”
Donald Trump, the self-made brilliant billionaire businessman does exist. If you believe in fairy tales.
Steven Price
Kennebunkport
Less combative
more collaborative
When I ran for the school board three years ago it was in the middle of teacher contract negotiations. I thought that the school board did not want to increase teachers’ salaries. Because that is what I read in the paper and saw online, I wore red. I marched in the Kennebunk “Red for Ed” parade. The first few months on the board I learned a lot about those negotiations. I wondered who it benefitted to tear our community apart over inaccurate information; I wondered why I had only heard rumors about unmet asks instead of offers.
Negotiations take place in confidential rooms. Offers that eventually become contracts exist for months prior. We hear pieces of leaked information and one-sided views of asks, but never all of the asks and all of the offers. There is no board member that doesn’t want to increase teacher pay, not then and not now. As a parent and the daughter of teachers, I hope we see the contract resolution soon. As a former board member and community taxpayer I wish all of the asks and offers could be made public so our communities could witness the full and complicated picture.
I hope we can stop doing this every three years. I hope we can change the cyclical negotiation process to be less combative and more collaborative, as most of our other negotiations are. This process is unhealthy – bad for our community, bad for our school district, and bad for our teachers. Maybe it will take fact-finding or arbitration to break this cycle.
Amanda Downing
Kennebunk
Politics, ‘the art
of the possible’
Henry Ingwersen has served Maine Senate District 32 (Arundel, Biddeford, Dayton, Hollis, and Lyman) with great distinction. Henry is a consummate gentleman who, through his demeanor and conduct, promotes civil political discourse. Henry embodies the axiom: politics is the art of the possible. He takes a pragmatic, collaborative approach to policy making. Henry takes a direct active role in addressing constituent issues.
As a retired teacher and a devoted grandfather, Henry’s work in the fields of education and the environment demonstrates his commitment to shaping a better world for future generations.
Through his membership on the Health and Human Services committee, Henry has been instrumental in the promotion and protection of the interests of senior citizens.
As chair of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee Henry has been dedicated to the preservation of farmland and to the protection of the natural resources of our state.
I strongly encourage the voters of Maine Senate District 32 to re-elect Henry Ingwersen, a man of integrity and intelligence.
Joe Wagner
Lyman
What is
the attraction?
The pro-Trump letters published in the Post these past few weeks have left me wondering what attracts these writers to Trump. Is it the venal attacks on people of color, the sickening sexism, the fictional claims about migrants, the denigration of those who are injured or killed in the military, or the mockery of people living with disabilities? Do they laugh when Trump brags about robbing women of their reproductive choice?
Do they cheer when he threatens to gut retirement benefits and healthcare, dismantle public education and roll back environmental regulations? Do they dance with glee when he vows to pardon those who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6? Do they shrug their shoulders when he vows to jail members of the press and retaliate against those who oppose him?
If the answer to any one of these questions is yes, maybe it’s time for them to reexamine their sense of duty to their community, their humanity and their common sense.
Gregory Courtney
Kennebunk
More transparency
needed at school district
The RSU 21 school district is broken. I don’t have children in school anymore, but I do have grandchildren in the district and I do pay 68.35% of my taxes to it. Like most people, I have not participated actively in the inner workings of the district, however it has come to my attention of the dysfunction of the administration. Contrary to statements from the superintendent, it is highly unusual when you have mass resignations shortly before or immediately after the school year ends. This was the case with the entire high school guidance department as well as the principal and other staff.
While there are always a number of individuals that move on for a number of reasons, having worked in a neighboring district, I can attest that anyone planning to make a change does it well before that time. Most positions are advertised from late winter to early spring and are filled before the end of the year. What you get after that are individuals that are typically less qualified or come with issues. Even the best recent college graduates are spoken for before then. This all portends to a disconnect between the administration and staff.
The school board held a meeting on Aug. 30 without proper public notice so they could hire a human resource officer at $137,000 When budget time comes we’ll hear how there isn’t any fat in the budget to trim. I personally know a woman who was fully qualified with a CDL license and all necessary endorsements for driving a school bus and was told they were all set for drivers. She was immediately hired to drive for Sanford schools. Why then are they still claiming to be short-staffed?
The Post should do a more in-depth story about the wonderful symposium that inspired and energized all the staff. That’s not the way I’ve heard it from people who were there. There wasn’t any standing ovation. I’ve heard that keynote speakers can cost several thousand dollars. Great investment. It’s no wonder that the teachers are incredibly frustrated and haven’t been able to receive a new contract. Even rats know when to jump off a sinking ship. The public needs to stand up and let the school board know it needs to be more transparent and that this is unacceptable.
C. Wayne Cutting
Kennebunk