Gov. LePage’s town hall meeting in Damariscotta on April 27 was a mockery of an open exchange between the people of Maine and the governor. It was an orchestrated and closely controlled event, complete with excessive law enforcement representation.

Gov. LePage used the majority of the time to pontificate on his viewpoints as to why industry does not want to locate in Maine.

Audience participation was censored through his press secretary who chose a limited amount of questions that were required to be written down.

Ironically, the questions chosen were most often favorable to LePage’s views. This was not a forum for healthy dialogue. Two participants were removed, while one was not allowed in. One woman was escorted out by police for quietly holding a sign imprinted with the golden rule. A young man was removed ostensibly for speaking out of turn, while a LePage supporter, who loudly shouted to throw the man out, was not.

Is Gov. LePage so afraid of controversy that he must hold sham town hall meetings that feel more like a dictatorship than a democracy?

Patricia Bradley

Bristol