Dear Editor:

The Boothbay selectmen have prudently declined to bring before the voters most of the warrants rejected at our last election. They have scaled back the proposed changes regarding digital, illuminated signs to what seems reasonable. They are asking approval of a TIF in order to keep more of the taxes generated by the Boothbay Harbor Country Club’s improvements.

There are concerns about whether TIFs actually do benefit the community in the long run, since they reduce state revenue, resulting in less money to distribute on a statewide basis for schools, etc. I would like to see a more equitably funded school system for the state as a whole. But I will vote for this TIF on the premise that charity and self-interest begin at home.

The selectmen's bad judgment in the warrants submitted last fall has left me with little confidence in most of them. They are all men of integrity and commitment.

But they are in the grip of a pipe dream that drives them to waste much of their time and energy in efforts to bring a significant number of year-round jobs to Boothbay. The chairman told me that "the town belongs" to the people whose families have been living here for generations and whose highest priority is to bring year-round work to Boothbay for their children.

The town does belongs to them, partly. But it equally belongs to people who have chosen to come here, and who bring money and jobs. The board of selectmen should be diverse. The entire community, with its varied experiences, education, and socio-economic status, should be represented. Our current board is not representative. Will a future board be? There are only two candidates running against the two running for reelection. Only one of them, Michael Pander, has alternative educational and work experience. As a vote of no confidence in the current board, I will vote for him only, and hope that other qualified candidates can be induced to run the next time around.

Fred Kaplan
Boothbay