It is not even campaign season and yet out-of-state special interest groups are spending money to convince Maine voters what we should do. The only problem is that these groups do not have accurate information.

The attack mailers many of us received accusing Sen. Linda Baker, R-Topsham, of sponsoring legislation to extend term limits from eight to 16 years is blatantly false on two counts. First, it accuses Baker of being the prime sponsor of L.D. 1012, which is not true. She is one of 33 co-sponsors to the bipartisan legislation.

Second, the mailer claims that Baker wants to do away with Maine term limits, which is also untrue. The bill was a constitutional amendment to change the term of senators from two to four years. It was the legislation’s intent that senators still would only be allowed to serve a maximum of eight years, as it is now. Four-year terms would cut down on the amount of campaign money spent every two years, especially tax-funded Clean Elections money, which like term limits, the public voted for through the referendum process.

I, for one, would be thrilled if our area was spared the hassle of at least one campaign every two years. I would request that if an organization stationed in Palm Beach, Florida, is going to tell Maine voters what to do, it should at least get its facts straight.

We shouldn’t base our opinions on some group of people from away. Look the bill up yourself on the Maine Legislature’s website. The bill’s prime sponsor, Sen. Amy Volk, R-Scarborough, is clear in her testimony that senators should be allowed no more than eight years in a row. Extending term limits was never in question.

Nathen Cloutier

Bowdoin

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