Without rendering an opinion on the upcoming referendum questions, I must object fundamentally to the whole concept. Maine is a representative democracy, which is somewhat by design adversarial and inefficient.

While true that the current questions have been difficult to reach consensus with a result compatible with the wishes of those who have advocated those initiatives, my belief is they are simply end-runs on the established legislative process.

Because of that, I shall vote against all of them, regardless of their merits.

Maine’s referendum laws need to be much more difficult to act on, or, even better, be eliminated.

Robert Bean, Norway