The Lincoln County Republican committee held its October meeting in Boothbay on Wednesday, Oct. 25. Guest speakers addressed the group; Ed Harmon and Arther Richardson representing Boothbay V.E.T.S. and Jim LaBrecque, energy industry expert and founder and chief technology officer of Flexware Controls addressed the first four ballot questions.

Ed Harmon, president of Boothbay V.E.T.S. (Veterans Emergency Temporary Shelter), spoke at length about his grassroots efforts to help homeless veterans. What they have accomplished after starting with only an idea and no funding is a tribute to Maine ingenuity, perseverance, and work ethic. It started with a refurbished trailer and has progressed to retrofitting new utility trailers into miniature homes. Presently there are 21 units all over Maine with six under construction, four blanks ordered, and efforts in place to expand their construction site, raise more money, and construct and place more units. It was an inspirational story of dedicated and motivated people – a Mother Teresa story set in Maine told by a six-tour Vietnam veteran complete with stories of tears, gratitude, and even disbelief from the recipients and of lives being changed. Ed shared that he is willing to speak to any group upon request. Contact information is Boothbay-vets.com. Their page also has a link to a Channel 6 Maine 207 segment that features their program.

Jim LaBrecque then discussed the first four questions on the November ballot. Question 1 and 3 are related to government takeover and management of electrical utilities in Maine, Question 2 seeks to limit campaign contributions from companies that have foreign ownership, and question 4 seeks to compel vehicle manufacturers to standardize and provide access to their diagnostic systems. In a wide-ranging discussion with a question-and-answer session, he noted that in the 1990s politicians forced the breakup of CMP and the sale of their assets. Since that time, approximately 330 energy bills have been passed in the energy committee all promising to lower costs. The result was an increase from $0.05 to $0.30 per KWH. He also noted that, of the 22 advisors for Pine Tree Power, 16 were related to the solar power industry. It is his concern that, with the 2027 requirement that 43% of cars be electric, Maine will have a cripplingly expensive and unreliable electric infrastructure. In Question 2 and 4, the devil is in the details. The process outlined in the bills is far more intrusive than the title implies, in part, because the referendum bills do not go through the normal legislative process with in-depth discussion and review. It was his opinion both would be difficult to implement and would have unintended consequences. He left it up to the audience to make their personal decision in the voting booth.