Stephen King has spoken out against the governor of Maine and other Republican governors. Mr. King has made his living writing fantasy. It seems to me that Mr. King shouldn’t be taken very seriously because he is supporting the unrealistic budgets of the past which were written using fantasy calculations.

I would compare the past governing of the Left as children using credit cards without a care of the consequences of repayment. Finally the voting public has seen the light and replaced these “children” with some adults who now have to straighten out the financial mess.

Mr. King and his friends in the Left would have us continue spending into financial oblivion. They’re just like children who are having a tantrum. Madison, Wis., is a good example of a tantrum.

Nationally, we are faced with having cutbacks or having our dollar lose value through inflation. That will rob everyone who has tried to save for their future. The facts can’t be denied; we have to reduce spending for the sake of the future of our children. The individual states have to do the same to avoid bankruptcy.

Finally, if Mr. King wants to pay more in taxes, nothing is stopping him. Just write the check and leave the rest of us alone.

John M. Roberts
South Portland 

Recently Stephen King stepped up to a microphone and questioned the governors of Maine, Wisconsin and Florida’s wisdom and political tactics of addressing public unions and their tax-based pension guarantees and work benefits which place a burden on states and local governments at the peril of trying to fund needed state services.

Mr. King even went so far as to call these (Republican) governors Moe, Larry and Curly, then went on to ask, “Why aren’t I taxed more for being rich?”

Herein lies my point: This country was founded on the precepts of God, personal responsibility and charity from the heart. Invoking the government to force you to pay taxes, for redistribution at the whim or, most likely, corrupt method of lobbying and paypal scams, seems really un-American to me.

Mr. King, wouldn’t it be better for you to donate your money voluntarily to your local community’s charities of your choosing? We need to eliminate the fraud that goes with Big Government deciding who gets our money, not promote more of it!

Our political system forces our representatives to sell our liberties and freedoms one bill at a time, in order to secure a tenth of the federal tax money we send to Washington, to fill our (perpetually underfunded) necessary services like roads, Medicare, and other social programs.

Please, Mr. King, quit advocating that government force us to pay more taxes, and maybe you could donate more of your personal wealth, beyond the allowable tax break amounts. In the end, you will still have less money, but wouldn’t it be better that you decide where it ends up and monitor its effectiveness from right here in Maine?

Patrick Scully
Alfred 

You have to hand it to the super-rich (the top 1 percent or so of income earners). Just one year after the landmark Citizens United Supreme Court ruling that now allows corporations to spend unlimited money influencing our public officials, they’re still, in the words of President Obama, giving the other 99 percent of us a shellacking.

From Washington, D.C., to state houses across the country, those best situated to weather the Great Recession (and who are also most responsible for creating it) are enjoying tax cuts while the middle and working classes are asked to make sacrifice after sacrifice to balance state budgets and rein in the federal deficit.

Now I’ve only taken two economics courses in my life, but I seem to remember that raising (and not cutting) revenues like taxes along with reducing spending is a sure way to get back in the black.

I guess for the wealthiest, economic laws don’t apply. And seeing that not a single person has been prosecuted for knowingly passing off junk mortgages as AAA-rated investments to our pension and retirement funds, obviously criminal laws don’t, either.

Here in Maine, those at the top have brought their A-game as well. Gov. Paul LePage’s proposal aims to close the state’s budget gap by, in part, reducing taxes for the wealthy.

Of course, this move is packaged as a way to attract business, yet I fail to see how raising the exemption for the estate tax is going to create jobs. But I don’t make the rules (economic or otherwise), I just follow them.

Again, you have to give credit to the 1 percent who have successfully turned this all on its head and have the luxury of not only writing the laws but also choosing not to obey them.

Ryan Swank
Stow

Grass-roots work needed to fix Washington ‘joke’

Having read Bill Nemitz’s article (“Penalize politicians for broken promises?” Portland Press Herald, Feb. 16) in the PPH, I just had to respond.

We do need a grass-roots reaction to what is going on in our government. On my car I have a bumper sticker (ReElect NoONE — Start from Scratch) that I had made online. As I drive around it gets many comments, even people stopping at traffic lights and running up and giving me thumbs-up.

Government has gotten so big and complacent that what the people think does not seem to be its concern. I am a product of the ’60s and ’70s and what they did back then is what is needed now. And what (Arthur Kyricos) is trying to do is the only way they will listen if the spark you are starting catches on and becomes the blaze that they need to feel.

To me, the parties don’t differ that much, because once they get elected all bets are off. The Republicans do seem to be the “I” party and the Democrats try to be the “We” party but get steamrolled.

I am not that blind to realize that it is not easy to run a country this size, but what is going on in Washington and our state capitals is a joke. They have to be made accountable.

Good luck in spreading the word.

Frank Nejezchleba
Gorham

Thanks to Hood’s Dairy for a touching tribute

I’d like to thank Hood’s Dairy for the touching goodbye to Stan Bennett they published March 3, 2011. “Today the glass (milk) is half empty.” This was a wonderful way to recognize a great man and Hood’s should be commended for doing the right thing. Thank you.

Christine McHale
Portland