SUN JOURNAL • March 20, 2021
David Flanagan’s plea for free speech rights for foreign, government-owned entities comes from a man making millions for himself and certain shareholders by facilitating profit pathways from Maine to Spain, and on to Calgary, Quebec, and Qatar. Flanagan claims these bills would go against the First Amendment. The issue is not free speech — it’s about bought speech. Flanagan worries Maine will not be an attractive place for international investment if we don’t let foreign corporations flood us with lobbying funds and TV ads. We welcome foreign investment, but we insist they participate by playing by our rules and working for our benefit, not just theirs. Flanagan is worried about Mainers’ access to accurate information. He claims the other side “want(s) to win by cheating Mainers out of hearing…the truth.” No, we want a level playing field where the voices of Mainers aren’t muzzled by well-funded megaphones in Montreal and elsewhere. ~ Sen. Rick Bennett has extensive experience leading Maine businesses and investigating corporate governance issues; Sam May is co-founder of Maine Harvest Federal Credit Union