Although partisan differences in Augusta have commanded much of the media’s attention in recent years there are actually a number of leaders in both parties who have found ways of working together to address the needs of the people of Maine in the tradition of a Bill Cohen or a George Mitchell. One of these leaders is our own Sen. Rebecca Millett. Residents of Scarborough, South Portland and Cape Elizabeth are fortunate to have Rebecca working for them in the Senate.

Educating our children is one the state’s most important and expensive responsibilities and Senator Millett has a long and successful tract record of working collaboratively on issues affecting our schools.

During the last recession you may recall that many schools froze their budgets, cut programs and then saw very large tax increases as they attempted to restore services in subsequent years. This was disruptive to both students and taxpayers.

But Senator Millett, then Cape’s Chairman of the Board and Finance Committee, worked patiently and collaboratively with all segments of the community to steer Cape’s schools in a different direction. She urged all stakeholders to give just a little: administrators held budgets in check, teachers donated a day of teaching and taxpayers funded a small budget increase. Cape’s schools came through this period with programs intact and taxpayers still supportive of their schools.

This is precisely the type of leadership we need in Augusta at this time. We are fortunate to have someone with her level of expertise, passion and bipartisanship working for us in government. We would be wise to send her back to the Senate where she can continue her leadership role in tackling the challenges facing Maine, especially in the area of education.

Dwight Ely
Scarborough