Eliminating Head Start is a classic example of penny-wise, pound-foolish budgeting.

When I was a police officer, my wife was a Head Start teacher.

On every trip to the teen center and one of the city’s poorer neighborhoods, I met kids who had clearly never gained the skills that Head Start has been documented to provide: time management, compassion, positive self-image.

And, equally unimaginably, I made more money than she did.

So every time I arrested one of those kids, tying up two cops, who knows how many sheriff’s deputies, and a cruiser, I wound up costing the state a LOT more money than a decent early-childhood education would have.

More importantly, those kids’ lives were messed up before they had to go to jail, and were made even worse by going.

Head Start won’t prevent every arrest or keep every kid out of trouble. But it will have a bigger effect on them than I did. It’s a very inexpensive investment and it will continue to be a good investment of both our taxes and a lot of Mainers’ lives.

Andrew Michaelson

Portland

I read today about Paul LePage’s plan to gut MaineCare to address a $221 million shortfall in the DHHS budget.

Given that this particular shortfall is surfacing long after it should have been known, and after a nice tax cut has been passed to stimulate the economy, I feel as though I’ve been played.

Whether or not it was simple incompetence on the part of the people crafting the budget is beside the point, however.

What is important is the net effect.

There would be more money for these services if the tax cut had not passed. Period. It is unconscionable for our nausea-inducing governor to state that he would not consider rescinding the tax cut because “raising” taxes in these uncertain economic times is a bad idea.

Who represents the people who are going to suffer dire consequences so we can all have a few extra bucks in our pockets?

So, I will be donating the ill-gotten gains of my tax cut to help mitigate the inevitably disastrous results of LePage’s business-oriented devotion to the bottom line.

Not one dime of that cut will I contribute to the economy, not at that price.

I would urge at least 62 percent of you to do the same, if you can.

Mark Guilmet

Rockland

If a state cannot support its most needy people, of what use is the state?

Richard S. Kimball

New Gloucester

Our governor’s favorite dance as he grew up must have been the “Twist.”

He certainly loves to twist the facts as indicated in the latest disagreement with Forbes Magazine.

It doesn’t help that his spokeswoman automatically comes charging to his defense with her assertion that, “it’s just the way he speaks.”

To me, that is just another way of saying, “you can’t believe what he says” and that doesn’t give me much confidence in my governor.

Al Burk

Bridgton

I find I can no longer ignore the ongoing debate concerning MaineCare that is currently occurring in our Legislature in Augusta.

Having been in nursing for 35-plus years, I have seen the need people have for access to quality health care.

It has become very apparent that as a society we have fallen to a lower level of compassion for our fellow man/woman.

The main reason given is that we “can’t afford” to continue with MaineCare as it now exists.

Of those who advocate the radical changes now being pushed, I have one request.

Please be upfront and say that it will be acceptable for some of the people who will be denied health care to die.

This is what will occur when people are moving out of assisted living facilities, or cut off from primary care providers.

It would be a shame for us to be denying care to some of the sickest and poorest among us while providing care to our part-time legislators.

Besides, most of these people will end up in emergency rooms and the costs will be higher than they presently are, and the costs will be absorbed by our already strapped and overwhelmed hospitals.

I urge our representatives and senators to use extreme caution when planning and voting on changes to MaineCare. They will affect us all, and if we are not careful, the changes will not be for the better.

Robert L. Simpson

Rockport

So, MaineCare is overburdened. I agree. Gov. LePage says that we need to change the rules. I agree.

But why fix MaineCare problems by taking away from the neediest?

I have a suggested rule that the governor and his office can change: Adult children taking ownership of their parents’ home, which decreases the parents’ assets and thus may qualify the parents for MaineCare much sooner. Adult children get the assets, citizens pay their bills. It may be legal but it isn’t moral.

Judith B. Smith

Portland

LePage tackling problems that need to be fixed

I just finished reading your editorial “LePage should not make up problems for Maine,” Dec.19, which criticized the governor for speaking out about our last-in-the-nation rating as a place to do business by Forbes Magazine.

Apparently, if we close our eyes and plug our ears, maybe our problems will go away. Gov. LePage is the first governor in my memory who is confronting our problems of welfare, Medicaid, high taxes and excessive regulation which are bankrupting our state and helping create our poor business environment.

Those who criticize our governor for openly discussing these issues and linking welfare, budget shortfalls and poor business environment do not understand the issues or have their heads in the sand. These issues are indeed linked and must be addressed soon or we will sink to “57th” on Forbes list of states.

Has the Press Herald opined on the blog by Christine Rousselle, the college student working at the Scarborough Walmart last summer? I refer you to thecollegeconservative.com. I would like to hear your opinions on her thoughts. I tried searching for related articles in the Press Herald without success.

Ronald Moore

Hollis

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