Supreme Court acted correctly in Roe v Wade
To the editor,
I don’t understand the theatrical outrage here in Maine over the U.S. Supreme Court’s rescinding of Roe v. Wade.
Abortions in Maine are already protected and even state-funded according to our laws. Maine Democrats should focus on our housing crisis, high energy costs, and labor shortages instead of worrying about how the other 49 states deal with abortion.
Roe v. Wade was a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1973 based on how those judges felt the Constitution should be construed when dealing with abortion. After five decades of living under the Roe v Wade decision, this court had the courage to note that the right to abortions was not listed in the Constitution.
They then invoked the 10th Amendment of the Constitution stating that decisions concerning topics like this are “… reserved to the States respectively …”.
This is not the first time a U.S. Supreme Court reversed a previous court’s flawed ruling, such as the Dred Scott decision of 1857. That decision stated that all escaped slaves anywhere in America had to be returned to their rightful owners. I applaud this decision because it reverses the unconstitutional authoritarian power a previous supreme court had given themselves in the 70s and returns that power to the individual states where it belongs.
Ted Sirois
Saco
Civic lesson not understood?
A week before Election Day – Flag Day – June 14th – Save Saco Neighborhoods (SSN) placed three signs along Industrial Park Road.
Shortly after Election Day, I brought the placement of these signs in the public right of way to our Code Enforcement Department’s (CEO) attention. These signs and other signs throughout Saco by SSN are clearly violating the city and state’s sign ordinances and statutes. The city Administrator and Mayor were also provided a courtesy copy on my emails.
We are now over 30 days dealing with a violation of placement of signs which were originally identified to CEO.
The CEO notified the organization of these and equal number of signs in other locations. Yet, there are still signs that remain.
After repeated attempts to have the Department Head of the CEO complete the department’s responsibility to remove the signs and the City Administrator order their removal, it appears apparent SSN runs City Hall more than city leaders.
The last correspondence from CEO’s Deputy Department Head, courtesy copied all Councilors, City Administrator, and Mayor, basically indicating their absence of desire to tangle with SSN. I guess the old adage of city hall picking winners and losers is true.
Robert vanLuling, State of Maine Department of Transportation Traffic Division (MDOT) – Southern Maine, even provided an email response concurring with the legal issues of the signs. The MDOT staff member reached out to the Saco Public Works Director and Code Enforcement Officer to address the issue.
Posted on SSN’s Facebook page was the text of the full email along with two pictures on July 9, 2022, showing a correct sign under Free Speech and one illegal sign on Bradley. Today, the Free Speech sign at 175 Bradley Road, Saco, was removed from the posting.
As of Sunday, July 10, 2022, the illegal signs throughout the city have not been removed.
So again, I’ll ask, who is not understanding basic civic lessons. Who oversees Saco Government daily operations?
The Mayor, who by Charter has no authority in this matter, has communicated my and others concerns over this issues – yet deaf ears prevail.
Barbara Colman
Saco
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