To the Editor:

One thing Republicans and Democrats agree on is that education needs improvement. That’s about as far as the agreement goes, though.

No doubt there many ways to improve education, but no amount of “innovation” or “setting standards” is going to change the fact that young people grow over a period of decades, and quality education needs quality investment over the long haul.

Gov. LePage talks about quality education while cutting the state’s contribution to education, forcing towns to raise local property taxes to pay more for an already underfunded education system.

That’s just not responsible. We need legislators in Augusta who understand that education is the key to a prosperous future and is Maine’s only sure-fire economic development tool. There is no one better qualified than Eloise Vitelli to do that.

Eloise earned a graduate degree in education, started her career as a Head Start teacher and has spent over 30 years at the intersection of education and business as the founder and director of the Maine Center for Women, Work and Community. She’s been a member of the Maine Economic Growth Council for 16 years, was president of the Board of the MidCoast Economic Development District from 2008 to 2010 and won the Maine SBA Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence. That’s why I’m voting Vitelli.

Linda Hjortland
Bath