To the editor:
As a former member of the Maine House of Representatives, I am writing today to urge people to vote No on question 3. I had the distinct honor of serving four terms in the Maine House, and one thing I know for sure is that complex public policy should not be decided via the referendum process.
Mainers have never voted on an initiative the size and scope of the proposed government takeover of our electricity grid. If question 3 passes, there will certainly be court battles that stretch over several years to figure out what the cost of acquiring our privately owned utility companies would be. Some studies suggest Maine ratepayers could be on the hook for as much as $13.5 billion.
Can you imagine making a purchase of that magnitude without knowing the price tag, or even how long it will take to set up? What happens in the interim? Precious dollars that could be invested in upgrading our grid to make it more reliable will then be spent on lawyers and court fees. Ultimately, those costs will then be passed on to us, the rate payer.
There are far too many unknowns when it comes to Question 3. Instead of passing knee-jerk legislative policy at the ballot box, we should urge our elected officials to search for real solutions to our energy woes without saddling ratepayers with billions of dollars in debt.
Dustin M. White
Mars Hill
