Many elected officials are crying over new sign regulations for Interstate 95. They say that tourism will be hurt if the signs are removed or relocated. They say the districts they represent will lose tax revenue.

I would like to point out that every Democrat except one (Rep. Matthew Peterson of Rumford), and more than half of the Republicans voted “yes” on LD 1671 to ban motorized gold prospecting in most northwestern rivers and streams in Maine.

They could have put a lot of money into the economy of that area but, no, they just didn’t want us up there in the rivers. They love the out-of-staters, but hardworking Mainers — they don’t want them up there.

I see Rep. Cheryl Briggs, D-Mexico, voted for LD 1671, so why is she all upset about taking signs down? Sounds like that is a little hypocritical.

Shame on all who voted for LD 1671 and now cry about taking signs down.

By the way, I know it was late on a Friday when senators voted for that bill, and they probably wanted to get the weekend started, but they might have at least looked at what they voted for.

Mark Kindlimann, Lisbon