Caucus for Sanders
I dislike politics but I do want to see our country head in a better direction rather than where it is currently headed. So here I am involved in a political campaign. I am a Bernie Sanders supporter. Sanders is bringing a long overdue political revolution to our country and it is happening with such great momentum that I don’t’ think it can be stopped. I finally feel some real hope for an upcoming presidential election.
For anyone out there who wants to see real change and not politics as usual, this is the time to become involved. Right now the best thing that can be done to help is to vote in the Democratic caucus Sunday, March 6. Go to MaineDems.org to find out where your town’s caucus will be held and the time. You must be registered as a Democrat to vote in the Democratic caucus. If you are registered unenrolled or not registered at all, you can register as a Democrat anytime prior to the caucus, including the day of the caucus.
Also for anyone who is not currently 18 but will be by Nov. 8, 2016, you can register to vote and partake in the caucus. This could not be a more important election for a young adult to become involved in. It could be a real game changer for your future.
Please take this important step to keep this revolution moving to bring about positive change for all.
Carol Gorecki
Orneville
Cole deserves recognition
I totally agree with Dan Brook’s Feb. 19 BDN letter to the editor that Natalie Cole did not receive appropriate recognition at the Grammys.
There was no individual tribute for her as there were for many other music legends that passed in 2015.
Cole over the years received numerous awards for her music, including several Grammys. Do her achievements not warrant an individual tribute as the Grammys gave to other musicians who passed in 2015?
My wife and I have had the pleasure of attending two of her concerts. Both concerts were done with much class and professionalism. Her performances and music will always be a memorable highlight to us.
Rodney Duplisea
Bangor
Replace caucuses with primaries
Very shortly, we will be caucusing for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees and I have to ask why. Why caucus rather than vote by a primary election? As an election official for my town, I attend election conferences and workshops and it is drilled home that we must take care not to “disenfranchise” the voter.
In my humble opinion this is exactly what the caucus process does for the majority of voters. Many people feel that voting is a private thing. They like to come to the voting place, mark their ballots and be gone without any fanfare. For many, the caucus process is not only time consuming and confusing, but also intimidating causing many to forgo the process all together.
This is the most important public office for which we vote. Shouldn’t we vote for it in a way that ensures the maximum amount of people would participate? It makes no sense to me and, from others I spoken to, I’m not alone.
Julie Bonin
Dixmont
Pre-K a wise investment
As a police chief, I would like to add my perspective on the Feb. 19 BDN article about how prekindergarten has helped stem the tide of decreasing student enrollment and thus state aid for education in our community. I applaud and support RSU 13’s efforts to reach our student population at this early level. While those are legitimate reasons to support the creation and expansion of pre-K in our public schools, I would like to share why I support it: high-quality early learning is one of the best tools we have to reduce crime in the future.
Numerous studies have shown that kids who participate in high-quality early childhood education programs are more likely to graduate from high school, less likely to need special education services and, most important to me, are less likely to become involved in criminal behavior. Setting children, especially at-risk children, on the right path early in their lives is key to ensuring they do not see crime as their only option later in life, but instead become productive members of our communities. The high-quality pre-K education students in Rockland are now enjoying can have lifelong benefits for them and their families, and also our entire community. The skills our youngsters are learning today in pre-K lay the solid foundation for their later development -– not just academically -– but also cognitively, socially and emotionally.
Our kids deserve the best we are able to give them in life from the very start, and, from a law enforcement perspective, I know the benefits of public pre-K in our community will be immeasurable down the road. It should be preserved and expanded.
Bruce Boucher
Chief of police
Rockland
Support ranked-choice voting
In 2015, Maine residents demonstrated support for a fairer electoral system by putting ranked-choice voting on the November 2016 ballot. The current two-party system is not working for Mainers, but for the interests of the Democratic and Republican parties. Ranked-choice voting levels the playing field for a diverse range of candidates and restores power to the hands of voters.
Currently, two powerful, ideologically opposed parties dominate our electoral system. Individuals feel pressure to vote strategically for dominant party candidates to avoid wasting their vote on a less popular candidate. Ranked-choice voting alleviates this issue by enabling voters to rank candidates by preference. If one candidate receives a clear majority, then he or she is elected to office. If no candidate receives a clear majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and those votes are recast in favor of the second-choice candidate. This process is repeated until a clear winner emerges.
With ranked-choice voting, a real majority elects politicians to office. This is huge, considering that candidates have won with an average of 45.5 percent of the vote in gubernatorial races since 1974. Ranked-choice voting ensures that candidates appeal to the entire population, instead of pandering to a small base.
Ranked-choice voting represents the future of our democracy, a system that Mainers of all political ideologies can support to reclaim their right to a real electoral majority.
Elizabeth Hopkins
Wells