How is it that an elected public official, sworn to uphold Maine’s Constitution, and by inference the Constitution of the United States, would co-sponsor legislation intending to deny the constitutional right to due process? Why is it that this state legislator would then insult a citizen in a pejorative, sarcastic manner who questioned this measure?

Such is the case with State Rep. Gary Connor (D-Kennebunk) when I sent him an email last week on LD 1028. This legislation seeks to amend Title 30-A by denying constitutional protections to corporations. This is the actual wording of the relevant subsection being considered. The bill’s language in its entirety reads, “A municipality may adopt and enforce an ordinance that denies a corporation rights, privileges, powers or protections that enable the corporation to avoid the enforcement of an ordinance or to challenge or nullify an ordinance.”

Connor and State Rep. Ed Legg (D-Kennebunk), are co-sponsors of LD 1028. While Connor may disagree with my assertion that supporting such a blatant measure as denying the corporate, tax-paying citizen of his or her right to challenge local ordinances is nothing short of fascism, his professional conduct in his reply was inexcusable. This was not an anonymous email to which he was replying, my last name was very prominent in the email heading and Connor has exchanged email with me in the past.

When challenged to offer “solutions” rather than a “complaint,” I inquired just what was the problem that compelled a solution represented in LD 1028. Connor refused to respond to my legitimate inquiry but engaged further in a personal affront. Perhaps his reluctance for transparency relates to LD 1028 finding it roots in the state’s Democratic legislative platform and the anti-capitalist socialists who are masquerading as environmental activists. These folks are seeking to strip Nestle/Poland Spring of its constitutional rights in an effort to obstruct a lawful, tax-paying commercial enterprise that contributes millions to Maine’s economy, employs hundreds of fellow citizens, and wishes to invest further in Maine and its people.

You need not look any further than Wells for what these folks have in store for you and the rest of Maine, and the country at large for that matter.

Local businesses are considering their forced departure from Wells as a reality should the citizens petition there which is outrageously, perhaps unlawfully, overreaching pass in June. The local petition there seeks to afford constitutional protections to “eco-systems” but deny due process to corporations.

It’s time that we recognize just what this political ideology represents and it’s not liberty, freedom and prosperity. And you can bet it’s headed for Kennebunk. It might just be time too for Connor to consider his public conduct and defend his political beliefs in a mannered response rather than insult the people he serves.

Jeffrey D. Cole 

Kennebunk