Hail to the chief! Paul LePage has won the governor’s race in a squeaker with 38 percent of the vote. If I didn’t know that and just read the coverage of campaign lately, I would have thought he won in a landslide!

“Going to change the relationship between business and state government,” he says. “You want to put people to work? How can we help you?”

Additional Photos

Gov.-elect Paul LePage speaks at a news conference in Waterville Nov. 3. Behind LePage, from left, are former gubernatorial candidate Bruce Poliquin, state Sen. Jon Courtney and state Sen. Kevin Raye. 2010 Press Herald file

The message is that for the past eight years, Maine did everything possible to hinder job or business growth. It’s a simpleton’s view of our state business climate. I read that he wants a housing developer for his state treasurer. Nice.

Now our job development program will be putting more subdivisions in fields, making tons of money for the developers, while taxing local services and resources. (Look how that worked out in Arizona and Nevada.)

That means a short-term gain for a few, but a long-term loss for many. I am an optimist, but if LePage continues to disrespect the folks who have long toiled in the service of our state and act like he has a mandate to run roughshod over what we protect, and our way of life, he will get a bit of a wake-up call.

You can’t bully an electorate. LePage got lucky. I hope we all stay lucky through his term.

Kathy Bordeleau

York

I have read letters written to you which demonstrate a selective disgust for conservatives and the Republicans. One point is that Republicans want to protect their ultra-rich friends from taxation when the Bush tax cuts expire.

Yearly, $70 billion is on the line. Those protected could include S. Donald Sussman, Rep. Chellie Pingree’s fiance; Theresa Heinz Kerry, Sen. John Kerry’s wife; and George Soros, Bill Gates and Michael Moore.

Seventy billion dollars is a smokescreen. Compare the taxpayers buried under an additional $1.7 trillion in debt. If the $70 billion is so important, then the Democrats should not have funded wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

How about those job losses for which Republicans are responsible? Sent hundreds of thousands overseas. Charges are leveled without honest assessment that corporations are free entities that answer to market forces first, politics last. Selective forgetfulness about the North American Free Trade Agreement abounds.

Or, Paul LePage won with 38 percent, unfair! Bill Clinton won with 42 percent, excellent!

On the battleground of ideas, it is wise to explore and understand both the strengths and weaknesses of our selves and our foes.

Life and politics are fluid, so total commitment to any political philosophy will result in one’s exposure as a flawed ideologue.

Bob Bertrand

Old Orchard Beach

It’s time to acknowledge our newly elected governor. Let’s remember his recent message about looking forward to newspaper headlines saying he told our president to go to hell. I’m sure that cost him a few votes — but not enough, obviously.

We’ll see if the Maine Democrats do with him what the Washington Republicans have done with Barack Obama — say “no” continually to every idea he has tried to adopt.

Then Mr. LePage can see for himself the damage done by a political party that continually votes no, not because of genuine disapproval but, rather, to make him as ineffective as possible at any cost.

I expect when the new governor gives important speeches, no one will be rude enough to holler out, “You lie.” Watching the escalation of mean-spirited speech and overall rudeness by the Republicans has been quite an experience.

Back to that message about telling the president where to go — may I say the same message right back to Mr. LePage?

Glenda MacLachlan

Scarborough

On Oct. 27, under the heading “Another View” on the Opinion page of The Portland Press Herald, a writer stated, “A biased journalist can impact a candidate and should be subject to campaign finance laws.” Excellent comment!

How about the “impact” generated by a publisher who owns several newspapers and openly supports one candidate from a field of five? What would be the dollar value of such support? Wow! Big bucks!

Be careful what you ask for during a moment of pique!

C.S. Copp

Westbrook

The election results make me both happy and sad. Happy that America understands we need to make drastic changes to save our economy. Sad that Mainers do not get it.

Any in Congress who voted to increase federal expenditures by 20 percent while revenues were declining by 15 percent should not have been re-elected. Our representatives approved a budget that borrowed 37 cents for every dollar spent.

So, what have we learned?

First, that Mainers can be persuaded by negative ads. We evidently do not want candidates to discuss our problems and possible solutions. You cannot tell them that Social Security is broken, and we need to fix it. You cannot tell them that our corporate income tax rates are very high, that tax increases on “the rich” affect small businesses or that our tax system sends jobs overseas.

Second, we learned that Mainers do not care if special interests or the rich buy an election. It is OK if candidates get more than 80 percent of campaign funding from out-of-state and also have boyfriends provide additional money to run negative ads.

Third, we learned that Mainers do not understand how to control spending in Maine. They approved bond issues totaling $15 million. They must believe that the state had a surplus of $70 million even though $400 million owed to our hospitals was not paid.

After all, the $15 million just gets added to what our children will have to pay in the future, just like the $4 billion in unfunded pensions.

We have many problems that need to be faced head-on with honest discussions. Unfortunately, it will probably take a major decline in the dollar and hyperinflation before Mainers are ready to discuss issues openly.

I pray that we do not have to go through a major depression before Mainers wake up.

James L. Solley

Falmouth

I am disgusted with Maine Right To Life’s adamant support of Gov.-elect Paul LePage, who apparently, is pro-life for some babies, pro-death for others. They ought to be renamed Maine Sometimes Right To Life.

I believe the folks there may have good intentions, though we know what road these are paved with. It’s about the infant.

Chopping up a baby does not solve a case of rape or incest. Lock the rapist in jail. Get the woman excellent counseling and financial assistance.

Bear and either raise the baby or give up the baby for adoption. People in authority must be held accountable. If you will not do all within your means to protect all innocent, defenseless life, what are you worth? Nada, nada limonada — the bitter taste of fraudulent public self-servants.

Joseph P. Beaulieu

Wells

There he goes again. In his column on Oct. 1, Bill Nemitz was quite smug in believing that Paul LePage’s wife, Ann, had violated IRS tax rules by claiming the homestead tax exemption for a property in Florida.

Apparently Mr. Nemitz was doing his job well by instigating controversy and casting Mr. LePage in a negative light, without really knowing all the facts.

Then it was reported that, “The homestead tax exemption claimed by Ann LePage for a property in Florida has been deemed legal, according to a letter from the Volusia County property tax appraiser.”

This is just another example of Mr. Nemitz flaunting his opinion and trying to impress the readers of The Portland Press Herald. Isn’t it ironic how Mr. Nemitz impresses some of those readers?

There you go again, Bill.

James McLaughlin

Scarborough

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