To the editor:
Mike Carpenter, candidate for State Senate, has a long and distinguished record of public service to Maine and Aroostook that goes back to his time as a Captain in Vietnam. He served 12 years in the Maine Legislature, first in the House and then the Senate, where he served as a member of the agriculture, transportation, and judiciary committees. His judicial expertise is further enhanced by experience as the State Attorney General, and by his private law practice.
In addition, he is the owner of Acadia Carriages that provides him with understanding of the needs of Maine businesses. All of his experience makes him the best qualified candidate to understand the most pressing economic, legal, and ethical problems of Aroostook and Maine.
The Aroostook economy of outdoor sports, agriculture, and forestry is heavily dependent on protecting its natural resources. From his experience and his values, Mike understands that a stable and sustainable economy depends on the quality of air, water, and soil, and he will work hard to keep the environment clean and fertile.
He understands that a vibrant economy requires substantial investment in public school systems from kindergarten through college to provide training for the work force and to create civic minded citizens who will be handling the problems we face today and into the future.
Mike understands the importance of restoring civility to government discourse and practice. He says, “There are good people on both sides of the aisle in Augusta. We must be willing to put the needs of the people of Maine ahead of partisan bickering … I will give my colleagues in the Senate the respect their offices deserve.”
Mike is very concerned about the influence of money in politics, an important ethical problem in Maine and the nation. He says, “I am running a clean election campaign because … money in politics is one of the larger issues plaguing our state and our nation. It is next to impossible to claim to represent the people who elected you while answering to special interests as they line the campaign bank account. Not only are campaigns spending record amounts of money but special interest groups are also funneling money into the state and exerting influence on local elections.”
The influence of big money is a problem that affects every other issue in need of a solution, including – in addition to those discussed here – health care, a fair tax system, income and social inequality, college-student debt, a broken judicial system that jails far too many of the wrong people such as minorities and mentally ill people, and many others. Mike will work hard to combat the power and influence of big money in Maine and to restore the badly eroded trust in government.
Mike Carpenter has the experience, understanding, and ethics to best represent the interests of Aroostook in the Senate and to solve Maine’s most critical problems.
