Ballot Question 3

On Nov. 4 Maine citizens will go to the polls to vote on several issues. I am writing to urge a yes vote on Question 3, the $10 million bond which provides money to make improvements in fire safety and accessibility on the university campuses and the State House, and also provides more funds for the Adaptive Equipment Loan Program.

Here is how this bond will benefit people throughout Maine:

1. $6.5 million of the bond will enable the University of Maine System to improve its campuses to make buildings safer and more accessible to people with disabilities. $3.25 million of the total will be spent right on the UMaine campus in Orono, to bring the Fogler Library (the largest library in the state) and Stevens Hall into compliance with fire code regulations and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The funds cannot be taken from the university’s already tight budget.

2. The Finance Authority of Maine administers the Adaptive Equipment Loan Program, which provides low-interest loans to people with disabilities to help them purchase needed equipment such as a wheelchair, a wheelchair lift or hand controls for a van, or a ramp; and also makes funds available to community organizations and small business to make their buildings more accessible. This is a revolving fund, so money becomes available for new borrowers as soon as loans are paid back. The bond expands the program.

3. The remaining funds from the bond will be used to make essential renovations to Maine’s historic State House, addressing fire safety and accessibility, to allow all Maine people to participate in the legislative process. Thousands of schoolchildren and other interested citizens visit the State House each year.

Please don’t forget to exercise your right to vote on Nov. 4. Sen. Mary R. Cathcart D-Orono

Maine citizens who vote yes on Question 3 will help provide greater access to some important state facilities and greater protection for some valuable state resources. This $10 million bond issue will increase funding for the Adaptive Equipment Loan Program for people with disabilities and small businesses that employ or serve people with disabilities and improve safety and accessibility at the State House and University of Maine System facilities.

Of the $10 million proposed, $6.5 million is earmarked for the University System, which is arguably Maine’s most important resource for education and economic development. One of the facilities targeted for renovation is the Raymond H. Fogler Library at the Univesity of Maine. It is the largest research library and the only U.S. Patent and Trademark Depository in Maine. We cannot afford to have a resource such as this inaccesible and at unnecessary risk of damage.

Renovations to meet safety codes and regulations at the State House and University System are long overdue. We will continue to put our public investment in these institutions at risk if we miss the opportunity to gain funding through this bond issue. Please vote yes on Question 3 on Nov. 4. Henry K. Woodbrey, DMD Orono