By Evereth Woodruff 
License solutions
Two articles in Monday’s paper outline the drastic need for change in Massachusetts’ state laws.
In Lance Reynolds’ article he outlines how an illegal immigrant was hired by Old Orchard Beach PD. One of the supporting documents the Jamaican national provided on his job application was a Mass. drivers license. He was issued the license under the Work and Family Mobility Act.
Unfortunately, the DMV issues the same style license as Massachusetts residents.
In Chris Van Buskirk’s article he details efforts for a ballot question related to voter identification at the polls. Voters in Mass are required to show identification when they vote, however the process is not applied 100% of the time. A non-citizen who may want to cast his or her vote illegally can simply show their license obtained through the Work and Family Mobility Act.
This is a dangerous loophole that could be manipulated to sway elections.
An easy solution would be to provide licenses in a different format than that for regular residents. Create a vertical format with a different color scheme that clearly differs from standard DMV issued licenses.
This will still allow non-citizens to have a valid ID that supports the objective of the Work and Family Mobility Act. It will also remove any ambiguity for job applications, unauthorized permit requests and voter identification at the polls.
This is a very simple solution that is a win-win for both sides of the political aisle.
Dick Farren
Lowell
Wildfires
Funny how Canadians and Californians are so good at wagging their fingers in America’s face about being better stewards of the planet, yet both find they cannot execute basic forestry management, leaving the rest of us with all sorts of air quality issues from their annual wildfires. Maybe if these people spent a little more time on basic functions of government and less on population replacement, pronouns and bail reform, the rest of us wouldn’t have to keep dealing with the fallout from their incompetency as political leaders.
Nick McNulty
Windham, NH
Wind power
Saudi Arabia, rich in oil, is developing wind power. But here in New England, once referred to as “the Saudia Arabia of wind power” because of its strong consistent winds and shallow seas, our president is cancelling wind projects as fast as he can.
Why? Apparently to favor the fossil fuel industry. Or perhaps because of false beliefs about wind, or because he doesn’t want the view from his coastal golf courses to include wind turbines. Who knows – there is no coherent explanation.
Well-paying jobs, affordable energy, and our climate, all blown away. Happily, 17 states are suing. May the wind be at their backs.
Susan Donaldson
Northampton
Anti-Trumpers
There are many things that President Trump says and does I don’t agree with, but the only platform the Democrats have is if President Trump says or does it, it is wrong. What it shows me is if that is the best you can do you will be on the outside looking in for the foreseeable future.
Paul Quaglia
Billerica