Sign of

the times

I placed a sign at the end of my street that read, “Character Matters Kamala Harris.”

Signs were attached to it so it then read, “Character Matters Trump Vance 2024.”

My point was made.

Lawrence Vennell

Kennebunkport

 

Thanks for all the

festive fall support

A sincere note of thanks to all the Kennebunk businesses who helped make our town look so festive with an amazing collection of scarecrows. So far, 22 scarecrows have been spotted around town. Please join the fun and take a walk or drive to see how many you can discover.

Also, back again this year Mrs. Mooney’s high school art class has shared their talent painting and displaying 50 pumpkins at Tibbetts Plaza. It’s a perfect fall photo op.

Linda Johnson, community events coordinator

Kennebunk

 

Candidate develops

creative solutions

Representative Traci Gere has done an outstanding job. As co-chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Housing, she’s worked with the Mills administration and the state legislature to address our housing shortage. Results include a bill that allows three vacant district courts in York County to be repurposed into affordable housing.

Gere also co-sponsored a bill that requires mobile home park owners to notify residents of their intent to sell the land under their homes. They must also notify residents of the buyers’ offer and allow 60 days for residents to organize a homeowners association purchase.

She’s used her business background, looked for leverage points, advocated for creative solutions, and collaborated extensively with others. Her skills are supported by her deep sense of compassion for the unhoused and her commitment to her constituents.

Let’s keep her in the legislature where she will continue to develop creative solutions for Maine citizens.

Susan Walters

Kennebunk

 

A strong voice

for Kennebunk

Dan Sayre is running for re-election for District 135 in the House of Representatives and will be getting my vote. He has made economic development and educational opportunities a focus of his time in the House serving on the Joint Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business.

Dan’s experience in STEM education and his professional acumen in the fields of engineering and science provide all Mainers with a needed perspective in the House to grow Maine’s economy. He has a passion supporting educational opportunities for our children to build careers in our state.

I have spent time with Dan and understand that he listens more than he speaks and has the skills to bring our voices to the House discussion. A hard worker he works for us and has not missed a single committee meeting. Lets keep our voices heard and re-elect Dan Sayre.

Art LeBlanc

Kennebunk

 

Charter question

is nonpartisan

Every citizen of Kennebunk has a stake in the outcome of the charter vote. All will be affected by the transfer of power from the voters to the proposed town council. This is a nonpartisan issue – both Chris Babbidge and Tom Murphy oppose the adoption of the charter.

Between them, Babbidge and Murphy were elected to 10 terms in the Maine House of Representatives, and they taught for a combined 52 years at Kennebunk High School. Chris ran as a Democrat, Tom as a Republican. It is also noteworthy that 13 former selectmen with diverse interests signed a single letter to the Post opposing adoption of the new charter.

To repeat, this is a nonpartisan issue. Please read the Charter Minority Report on the town website and Murphy’s recent op-ed in the Kennebunk Post.

Betsy Smith

Kennebunk

 

Town charter is

like Electoral College

The proposed charter is strikingly like the antiquated and problematic Electoral College voting system proposed by the founding fathers of the constitution. The majority vote can be nullified by an allocation of a selected few.

The Electoral College was conceived to offset the illiterate uninformed public from the elite knowledgeable, educated land owners. The proposed charter is intended to overcome the uninformed and low number of voting public.

1.) Read the full-page minority report that was published in the Kennebunk Post. 2.) I was at a Thursday night Charter Commission presentation (1 of 3) realizing this was a sales pitch and public concerns voiced would have no impact. Result: Take it or leave it. 3.) Read the op-ed in the Post by Tom Murphy for a realistic insight into why we the voters should reject the proposed town charter form of governing. 4.) Vote no.

Albert Kolff

Kennebunk

 

Strong stock market

equals strong economy

Are you worried about your taxes going up? You should be. Just after Democrats created, approved, and signed into law the most recent two-year spending package, without any Republican support or votes, the Mills administration quietly disclosed that the state of Maine is projecting a nearly $1 billion funding shortfall for 2026-2027.

The $949.2 million shortfall includes a $636.7 million projected deficit in the General Fund and a Highway Fund gap of $312.5 million for the 2026-2027 biennium. Those numbers come from the most recent four-year budget forecast report released by DAFS Acting State Budget Officer, Darryl Stewart. In this election season it is time to vote for those who will bring common sense to Augusta.

The good news is that there is a way to pay for the tax increase. The Oct. 7 Investment News reports that according to a survey of analysts at RBC Capital Markets, a Trump presidential victory on Nov. 5, accompanied by Republican majorities in the Senate and the House of Representatives, is the best scenario for equities – your 401K will benefit from a Republican sweep.

A strong stock market also means a strong economy, so, vote Republican. And then, if you are lucky enough to have any money left after paying for groceries, heat for your home, and gas for your car, consider putting it into your 401K.

Jane Evelyn

Kennebunkport

 

Town faces growth

management challenge

Kennebunk has been my home since I was born in 1945. In fact, I still live in the same house where I started. That makes me as close to a native as Kennebunk’s rigorous standards allow. I have seen many changes in town over the last 79 years – some good and some not so much, but change is inevitable and as residents we need to proactively manage the consequences of our town’s growth.

From the perspective of a native son who has participated enthusiastically in our town meetings and served on multiple town boards over the last 40-plus years, I offer the following thoughts on the revised charter that we will all be asked to vote on.

For the last nearly two years I have been one of nine of your fellow citizens engaged in reviewing and updating Kennebunk’s Town Charter. At the outset there was little consensus among the commission members, and as our work concluded there still was no universal agreement in our rewritten document. However, the revised charter is a document forged by compromise embracing all the divergent opinions of the nine members of the commission buttressed by the input from our review of other towns’ charters, input from many of our residents and our town’s staff, as well as leaders of other Maine towns.

Your Charter Commission pursued their work in as public a process as I can remember in Kennebunk. I believe that one of the strengths of our commission came from the diverse opinions that each member brought to the table. If a working group is of the same mindset exploration becomes limited, and the final product is just as limited. Our discussions were long, spirited, and sometimes maddening. However, the final product represents what a compromise of ideas should look like. I would be incorrect to say that our revised charter is a perfect document; as none of the nine commission members agree with all of its tenets, but it is a well-crafted document, created in the light of public scrutiny and is an excellent example of how to achieve a workable compromise that will guide Kennebunk forward, and that is why I believe it should receive a positive vote.

Richard B. Smith

Kennebunk

 

Trump presidency would

torpedo democracy

Stationed in the North Atlantic during World War II, my father’s job was to scan the night seas looking for German warships. His faith and love of country inspired him to risk his life.

In 2016, as a devout Christian, Republican, and veteran, my father would not vote for Trump. Had he lived, his concerns would have deepened over the felonies, lies, and impeachments. The Jan. 6 insurrection, hawking the Holy Bible for politics and profit, and distain for veterans and generals would have sickened him.

It took a world war to stop Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito and then a strong U.S. democracy and NATO to contain lawless leaders like Putin and Erdogan, enemies of democracy and allies of Trump.

My dad feared German torpedoes. I fear a Trump presidency torpedoing our democracy and Trump, Putin, and Erdogan becoming a new Axis of Power not unlike Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito.

Joanne Hulsey

Kennebunk

 

Charter change not

a partisan issue

Some of you may remember that I ran for the Kennebunk Select Board in the last election cycle. Although I didn’t win, I remain deeply grateful for the experience. I was the only candidate who opposed adopting a town council form of government.

Once I made my position public, I became the target of disinformation campaigns and personal attacks aimed at silencing our campaign and discrediting me and my family. Despite this, I chose to rise above the negativity and stood firm in my beliefs — beliefs shaped by conversations with many wonderful people.

Changing the structure of our government is not a partisan issue. The right to vote — whether on a ministerial act or for the Executive office — is a fundamental tenet of democracy. Surrendering this right, even on procedural matters, sets a concerning precedent that should alarm us all.

J.R. Fallon

Kennebunk

 

Appreciate support

of communities

For the past 24 years the Wells Branch Fire Association has run an annual golf tournament at the Merriland Farm golf course in Wells to help raise funds for the support of the organization, the fire service in Wells, Wells Branch Community League, heating assistance in Wells, and more recently the newly formed Wells Fire Museum.

The success of the golf tournament is due in part to the financial support of many sponsors from the Wells and Kennebunk area, both large and small. This year, the tournament raised the most money of any year. It is nice to know that in the busy and sometimes hectic world we live in, a small organization such as ours can get the support of the community in which we live.

The list of those sponsors over the past 24 years is too long to show here, but we want to thank all the sponsors for that support and hope for your continued support in the future.

Richard Beer

Wells/Kennebunk

 

Come together

and save democracy

The old adage that history doesn’t repeat itself but rhymes is playing out before us in the 2024 election.

Sixty years ago the radical left created mayhem leading up to the 1968 election, fueled in large part by the Vietnam War and the draft. Today the MAGA radical right, fueled in large part by changing U.S. demographics and immigration (a worldwide phenomena however), is threatening to not accept the results of the 2024 election unless it goes its way.

In the 1960s and early-’70s the political center ultimately held while the country exited Vietnam and Cambodia and we began coming to terms with that volatile period. We have the opportunity in 2024 for the middle to hold once again if the center right and center left come together to vote for the Harris/Walz ticket.

The conservative vote in the 1960s was to maintain our democratic institutions and practices. No less today, the same conservative vote could similarly preserve our democratic institutions and practices – in short, the rule of law with no one above it. This does not mean voters need to agree on all policies. Under our democratic system we should have vigorous debate, exercising persuasion between differing views. Compromises, when necessary, should honor all sides of issues such as on immigration, job creation and the preservation of personal freedoms.

So it is up to us voters, from both sides of the political aisle, to once again preserve our democracy for the sake of our children and grandchildren. They are depending on us. Let’s come together to continue our American experiment. Vote Harris/Walz.

Anthony Dater

Kennebunk