Having served as co-director of Gov. Angus King’s transition team with primary responsibility for making recommendations to Gov.-elect Paul LePage for hiring senior staff members and the Cabinet, there are a few principles you may wish to consider:

1. Once you take office, be careful what you say. It has a way of becoming state policy – even if you were just kidding.

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Gov.-elect Paul LePage will get a lot of advice when he takes office. Some readers have ideas about which advisers he should be paying more or less attention to. The Associated Press

2. On the other hand, commissioners have legal responsibilities to carry out the laws applicable to their departments. This will frustrate you, but such is our system.

3. Make sure you are surrounded by veterans in your Cabinet and on your staff. Gray hair on your staff is a good thing. Make sure your appointments reflect a broad range of views. It helps you to avoid making rookie mistakes. Your selection of Sawin Millett to your Cabinet was such a wise choice, as was reappointment of Bill Libby.

4. Beware the “bubble.” You will find yourself surrounded by people who are dedicated to you and your program and who serve at your pleasure and not at your displeasure. All you hear will be filtered through them and often you will only hear what your senior staff think you want to hear.

5. The most valuable staffers will be those that are not afraid of speaking truth to power. It is very, very difficult to do and is easily silenced with a look or a harsh word. Do what you can to encourage diversity of viewpoint. Fight it out internally and then expect everyone to line up once you decide.

For the sake of all the people of Maine, I wish Paul LePage a successful governorship.

James Broder

Cumberland

Job for LePage’s daughter still bothers some readers

It would appear that Dan Demeritt (editorial, Dec. 27) does not understand that nepotism is nepotism – no matter how one cuts it.

I would suspect that our new governor could have found someone not related to him to fill his staff position other than his daughter and that she could have found another job in Maine equal to her qualifications and ability.

I wonder if this is the kind of behavior we can expect from LePage for the next four years and whether Demeritt will be his lackey to explain it each time it occurs.

William J. Leffler II

Kennebunkport

So Gov.-elect Paul LePage is hiring his daughter; and now his press secretary tells us that she is the “perfect hire” because she is trusted.

No, a “perfect hire” would be someone with more experience and understanding of how state government works than a 22-year-old recent college graduate who has worked at Marden’s and waited tables.

The supporters of this hire try to defend it by running the tired old argument that their critics are all “out to get them.” What Mr. LePage fails to understand is that for those of us who did not vote for him, he is living up to the impression that he takes advantage of government for his own benefit (read tax breaks, homes in Florida to escape out-of-state tuition, hiring family for government jobs) but wants to cut services for others.

However, his supporters should also be concerned, as he is showing that any expectations on their part that government will change can be quickly dashed by this hire. However, the person who will unfairly bear the brunt of criticism is his daughter, who will not have any respect because of the nepotism behind her appointment, and will have to face all of the same types of jokes as Bristol Palin.

This hire would be illegal in most states, and reminds us of the type of governing that makes skeptics of us all. Mr. LePage wants to reduce state employment and cut big government. Perhaps the first position cut should be the executive assistant to his chief of staff.

Loren Bell

North Yarmouth

Don’t limit fuel tax breaks just to fishing boats alone

The editorial on fuel-tax relief (“Fuel-tax relief needed for Maine fishermen,” Dec. 29) makes the persuasive argument that since the purpose of the gas tax is to maintain roads and bridges, and since commercial fishermen don’t use those facilities in their work, they should be exempted from the gas tax.

A little consistency is in order here.

Recreational boaters likewise pay a gas tax, and likewise don’t use roads or bridges in their pursuit of pleasure. And when I mow my lawn, I’m not using roads or bridges.

The general principle that only those who use roads and bridges pay for them makes much more sense than a special exemption benefiting only one group of gas users.

William Vaughan Jr.

Chebeague Island

Student evaluations provide valuable insight

As a teacher at the college level, I strongly endorse use of anonymous student evaluations you advocated in a recent editorial (“Students are the experts on teacher performance” Dec. 28).

To be sure, they should be appropriately designed for the grade level and class, but students are far more likely to be honest than a teacher’s peers or school administrators.

Video tracking of class time, which is sometimes part of teacher training, could be used, but it takes too much administrative time to evaluate and is unduly intrusive. I asked my Colby class to post its anonymous comments on the Web for prospective students to read as they consider whether to take my course. This could be added to confidential comments to get a good picture of teacher performance.

When our young are challenged and energized, we should trust their judgment.

Peter Sly

Brooklin

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