A political game changer
On June 12, voters will have a chance to reaffirm their support for ranked-choice voting. You might be a little confused by all the lawsuits, repeals and repeals-of-repeals. Just remember this: Nothing worth fighting for is easily won.
Ranked-choice voting is worth fighting for. It’s a game changer. The game it changes is politics, and politics affects every aspect of our lives. It doesn’t change politics to benefit a particular party, but changes politics to benefit people.
People are sick of the two-party system. We all want to be able to express our values in the most important political action we can take: voting. But we can’t do that very well when our only choice is Republican or Democrat. Yet when we step outside of the stifling two party system, we pay the price with spoiled elections and minority rule.
That is because we are treating the symptom, not the cause. The cause is not the two parties themselves, but our rule of allowing candidates to win with a plurality of the votes. The most important thing about ranked-choice voting is one rule change: a candidate needs a majority of the votes to win. The ranked ballot is just the best way to figure that out.
With that one rule change, we can do away with the entire concept of a spoiler candidate. This means more candidates, more parties, more choice. Vote “yes” on Question 1 if you’re ready for real change. It’s worth fighting for.
April Thibodeau
Westport Island
Olson for Congress
Political discussions often pivot around the concept of electability. In this post-Citizens United world, that often means the possibilities of a candidate are defined by the extent of the financial resources available, or essentially how many television ads one can air. From that perspective, our democracy is damaged and barely functioning.
When considering the candidacy of Craig Olson for the 2nd Congressional District seat, the fact that in debates his political and policy insights are the most honed and informed, his passion for constructive change is motivated by his life experience, including being the father of three daughters, battles with cancer and the American health care system, and the challenges of a small-business owner, should not be erased by name recognition or depth of financial support. The purpose of a meaningful political campaign is to identify the best candidate. I urge all voters to consider which candidate stands for their concerns, who is motivated to be their advocate, who is experienced, thoughtful and informed to make wise decisions on their behalf. That person may be Olson.
In this environment of the electorate rejecting the dictates of party bosses and ossified political alliances, it is time a principled, sincere voice for working families be heard. Listen to Olson.
Tom Tutor
Islesboro
Hayes a true leader
I am a new resident in Maine. My family moved here for the lifestyle, and we are loving it. We do need to be more competitive, and I think Terry Hayes can provide the required leadership we need.
Hayes, an independent, has identified partisanship as the biggest problem in Augusta. Fortunately, over the years as a state representative and now as state treasurer, she has earned the trust and support of policymakers on both side of the aisle, so she is the most well-positioned candidate to work with all stakeholders and make significant headway on the problem. She believes the solution begins with leveling the playing field during election season, and her entire campaign models this aspiration. She walks the walk.
She is a fervent supporter of ranked-choice voting because she believes the negative campaigning and lack of choices in the current system foster the divisive climate in the State House.
Overall, Hayes believes process matters. How we do things matters. The overarching goal beyond the end to partisanship is more transparency, accountability and collaboration in Augusta so that voters can believe in the efficacy and efficiency of government again.
All specific policy proposals and aspirations related to the economy, education, infrastructure flow from making these structural fixes once and for all. That’s why she is so focused on election reform. So, I will be voting for Hayes for governor in November.
William Allen
Newry
What would Carson think?
Robert Paarlberg wrote an interesting piece, featured in the April 26/27 paper, about organic food and Rachel Carson. I quickly looked up the topic in the index of my various Carson biographies and histories. Neither J.I. Rodale nor organic farming were in the indexes.
I found the information about organic farming requiring larger land area astounding. “This means that if the United States had raised all of its crops organically in 2014, we would have had to cultivate an additional 109 million acres — an area equal to all parkland and wild land area in the lower 48 states combined. The result would be a different kind of silent spring, caused not by chemicals but by needless destruction of wildlife habitat,” Paarlberg writes.
Worth repeating, I think. What would Carson think back in 1963 when “Silent Spring” took the world by storm? Her “Sea Around Us” remains my favorite of all of her books, all four of them became best-sellers on the New York Times list. President John F. Kennedy certainly had Congress consult Carson before regulating DDT and chemicals being sprayed everywhere.
Carson is credited with advocating keeping nature in balance and the environmental movement beginnings. Paarlberg gave us more to think about.
Martha F. Barkley
Belgrade Lakes
Hayes for governor
I met Terry Hayes nearly five years ago while working on a local campaign. Hayes was a Democrat, and I remember how impressed I was as a Republican to hear a Democrat speak so candidly about corruption and stonewalling in Augusta. To me, it was clear that Hayes had no love for a party being bought and paid for by the unions.
I have always appreciated people who call it like they see it, and that fits Hayes. I support Hayes as an independent candidate for governor, and I have supreme confidence that while she may not agree with everything I believe in, Hayes listens to what I say and will work with both political parties as she serves the state of Maine.
Brad Dyer
Carthage
Election notice
The BDN will stop accepting letters and OpEds related to the June 12 election on June 1. Not all submissions can be published.