Sen. Collins’ record is beyond reproach
To the editor:
I must agree with the person who wrote in the March 25 issue: we sorely do need change in Washington. But that is the extent of my agreement. Susan Collins, our senator from Aroostook County and the state of Maine, is the only senator I actually trust to legislate for our state’s interests.
In almost every other case, we have seen legislators lie, cheat and drug their way through office, many times through multiple terms in office. But never has Sen. Collins done anything but respond with authentic concern and well-thought-out responses to those issues which face our state and our nation.
If the letter writer last week is a Ph.D. political scientist, she should know better than to slander someone without having the facts. Sen. Collins is not, and has never, represented Mainers as an elitist, as someone from the privileged class. If anything, in my several meetings with Sen. Collins and in all the times I have heard her speak and received letters from her, I have found her incredibly down-to-earth, respectful and reasonable. She is a consummate professional, and she knows her material. Clearly Sen. Collins spends time studying and understanding the issues, as is evidenced in what she says when speaking to citizens.
Sen. Collins is not a product of a privileged family who bought her a seat in Washington. She had to work for her achievements. And she has plenty of achievements. The fact that she remains loyal to her home region while representing the country, such as on the Armed Services Committee, Appropriations, Homeland Security, and Governmental Affairs committees, is testimony to her great character and solid reasoning, as well as her unfailing patriotism.
Unless she herself told the story of her childhood, how would Ms. Anglin know anything about Sen. Collins’ upbringing, and whether she “struggled to put a meal on the table …”? She is making some unfair and biased assumptions, and that is irresponsible.
Of all the public servants now in federal office, and at the state level too, I hold Sen. Susan Collins to be among a very small number who do the job with integrity, character and sincerity. Her record is beyond reproach, and I watch our politicians.
Lisa R. Davis, teacher
Caribou
Susan Collins is just like us
To the editor:
Having lived all of my life in Caribou and Stockholm, I am proud that Susan Collins, a Caribou native, represents the state of Maine in Washington. Gayl Anglin, in her letter published recently in the Aroostook Republican, said that Sen. Collins comes from the “economic elite” and does not understand the plight of the everyday citizen.
While many businesses have operated for one or two generations before selling out to larger corporations, the Collins family has survived as a local family-owned business for five generations, providing jobs over the years to hardworking local people. Both of Sen. Collins’ parents have served as mayor of Caribou, and in a number of other community and government organizations. Coming from a background of small business and community service does not make one unaware of the problems of the local people.
Susan graduated from Caribou High School and spent time in the potato fields helping with the harvest just like the rest of us. Her Aroostook County upbringing has kept her in touch with the strong work ethic and the values that characterize people from northern Maine. These values, along with her experience and leadership skills, have made her a strong member of the United States Senate.
Sen. Collins will have my vote in November.
Debbie Currier
Stockholm
Democrats’ control of Maine not working
To the editor:
Having read Troy Jackson’s commentary printed recently in this newspaper, I find it necessary to respond.
According to Mr. Jackson he is for the people of Aroostook County, really? How long has he been in the legislature? We are losing population every year. Local businesses are being gobbled up by people from away and they downsize leaving skeleton crews of what once was. Apparently if a job is not a union job it is not good enough for us. You would rather that we not work versus getting a job that pays you a salary so you can pay your bills, buy a house, car, save for your kids’ college education and pay taxes.
The reason you, Troy, and the rest of the Democrats want union jobs only is that the unions own all of you. They finance your campaigns, control Augusta and dictate what we should expect from them. The Governor wanted to pay the hospitals overdue bills but the Democrats attempted to put all their special little projects along with that bill. When the Governor refused they (Democrats) accused him of not wanting to pay the hospitals. Nice try Troy but most of us didn’t buy that little play.
The Governor sent you a budget and you rewrote it, spent more than we could afford. He, as I would have, vetoed it. You got it passed anyway, wonder how many favors that cost you? Democrats were unhappy that he didn’t send you a revised budget once you found out there was a deficit. What makes you think that you would have accepted what he sent you? Democrats have been on a campaign to discredit him before he was sworn into office. Now you say that he is holding up bonds, really? The legislature took funds out of our rainy day fund so you could have all the things you wanted. A bond is borrowing money from us. If your financial condition is not appropriate you pay a higher interest rate, more money from the taxpayer = taxes. So you hold the bonds until we get the money back in the rainy day fund so it will cost us less. Not good enough I guess but your half truths don’t fly. You and your party are just as much at fault as the Executive Branch. We finally have someone in the governor’s office who is watching out for all of us not just the union bosses.
The rank and file in the unions are good working people just like we are. They get their message from the bosses, the folks you report to. The message the rank and file gets is convoluted in such a way that they are misled about the facts. Shame on you and those bosses.
Troy think back over the last five years, how many of your neighbors, working peers left the Allagash/County region to move to North Carolina, Florida, Connecticut because they couldn’t make a living here. I know many of them and you were not the answer for their quandary. The Democrats have been running this state for over 50 years and look at where Aroostook County is. Your model for growing Maine isn’t working and we are all suffering for it. The next time you send a letter from the Senate we expect facts, not half truths then maybe we will listen to what you have to say.
And for the rest of us, here in The County it is important that we pay attention to what’s going on in Augusta for the simple reason that they are not representing us. Look around you, it is apparent, we need new representation in Augusta, new ideas not the same old stuff that we have heard for 40 or 50 years.
Tom Deschaine
Presque Isle Historical Society active again
To the editor:
Just a note to remind folks in Woodland that we will be resuming the meetings of the Woodland Historical Society on Tuesday, April 29, at the Woodland Consolidated School in the library at 6:30 p.m.
We invite anyone who might be interested to come join us in support of our Snowman School Museum and the Lagerstrom House on the Beckstrom Road.
We may be small in stature and limited in space, but we are proud of what we have. Our members are few, but dedicated. We could use some new and younger folks to share in our efforts to maintain our organization, also to provide ideas and input as to its future.
Shirley E. Carson
Secretary
Caribou
