Election Notice
The Bangor Daily News will stop accepting letters and columns related to the Nov. 2 on Wednesday, Oct. 27. We will stop printing such commentary with the Oct. 30-31 edition. Not all submissions can be published.
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Levesque for Congress
Jason Levesque is a veteran, husband, father and a small-business owner. Mike Michaud is none of these.
Jason served in the Army for eight years, six of those as a drill sergeant. He knows what serving our country is all about, and what it is like to come home and be told that no jobs are available. He has proven himself to be a man who can be trusted to do what he says he will do as our Second District congressman, unintimidated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Mike Michaud voted in lockstep with Speaker Pelosi 96 percent of the time — for the stimulus packages, the health care bill, cap and trade and whatever else he could manage.
Will the new clinic projects he is touting for rural areas actually be beneficial to the veterans there? Check out the restrictions that are already being considered. He has had eight years in Congress, yet the cost of medicine for veterans has gone from $4 to $9 for a month’s supply, and could go to $15 next year under the present administration.
He does not know exactly what is in the health care bill. As it is handed out piecemeal, and the $500 billion plus is taken from Medicare, what will those getting VA benefits and Medicare be left with? Yet, congressional pay is increased, while Social Security is not.
As a Vietnam-era veteran, I am voting for Jason Levesque.
Harry F. Rideout
Hermon
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Teel for House
If you’ve spotted District 17’s “energizer bunny,” you’ve seen Katrin “Kathi” Teel, who’s running for the Maine House of Representatives with all her batteries charged. In the last few months she’s greeted thousands of her constituents, heard their concerns and explained important issues.
Ask her about saving jobs. Kathi recognizes that Maine’s over-regulated and unfriendly business atmosphere has brought Maine to last place in Forbes Magazine’s list of best states for business and careers. Last means worst!
Ask Kathi about health care; she’ll tell you that every citizen deserves care. “But,” she’s said, “The new federal health care reform isn’t about health care, it’s about control.”
Government-run health care will kill jobs, raise taxes and premiums, and require cuts to Medicare. She believes we should repeal the law and begin again.
Ask Kathi about the size of government; she knows that government size gets in the way and the government needs to cut waste and redundancy. Her goals are spending restraint, transparency and accountability.
Kathi Teel is an RN, with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s in business, both from Husson University. She teaches at Beal College, and was previously associate director of a nonprofit organization dedicated to measurably improving health care in Maine.
Kathi has experience, drive and terrific ideas. If you haven’t met this amazing candidate yet, her website is only a few clicks away: teelforhouse.com. Please join me in voting for her on Nov. 2.
Barbara Sosman
Bangor
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Vote for honest people
This country is in bad shape when it cannot give seniors a Social Security cost-of-living increase but will send thousands of our young people to their deaths and spend billions on people in foreign countries that would cut our throats if they could.
The people that are doing this are the same ones that want us to vote for them. Seniors, do not vote for an incumbent politician. We need a change in our government.
What we need is not a tea party but a revolution party. Our president had a hard time picking a cabinet; he could not find one who was honest, not to say that the ones in there now are. Seniors, please do your thing and vote for honest people.
William C. LaFlamme
Old Town
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Cutler logical choice
The election of governor is going to be most critical to the state’s economic welfare. We need a person who will not be holding to a political party or special interests. Eliot Cutler will need a surge in people voting for him, but logic should dictate that the Republican candidate would alienate those not in agreement and the Democratic nominee is not a business person.
So a vote for Eliot Cutler will be to elect a business person who will unite, not divide and who will achieve instead of the constant bickering between two political parties trying to satisfy those who donate to them.
Alan Wood
Belfast
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Veteran for Levesque
I am voting for Jason Levesque for Maine’s representative from the 2nd Congressional District. As a member of the coalition of veterans in support of Jason Levesque for Congress it was disturbing to me to see a group of members of nonprofit veteran service organizations in one of Rep. Mike Michaud’s political ads.
Rep. Michaud constantly panders to these organizations while underdelivering on his promises. He should have known that asking these members to wear their organizations’ identification in a political ad potentially puts their nonprofit status at risk. He cares more about his political career than veterans’ support.
Jason Levesque is a real veteran who understands first hand the issues facing American veterans and who will work to solve them. His assignment as an Army drill instructor charged with turning America’s greatest resource, its young men and women, into soldiers gives him unique and credible experience to understanding the importance of veterans issues.
Additionally, he will not vote 96 percent of the time with Nancy Pelosi, he will stop the wasteful spending and work to create jobs, not debt. Jason Levesque will listen to the people of our district and deliver on his promises.
Duane Lander
Greenville
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LePage’s straight talk
Much has been written and commented on concerning Paul LePage’s more direct talk. I find it refreshing in an era of so-called political correctness (another name for left-wing hypocrisy) to have someone stand up and take charge and not mince words. This is exactly what Maine needs.
The lack of direction of the state’s plans and initiatives over the past several years speaks volumes of why Maine’s economy has declined.
LePage’s stern talk should put the ship of state back on course again, especially if other business-minded people are elected. Liberals need not apply.
Running a state government is a business (a trilogy of marketing, finance and services), not a philanthropy. LePage is the only person running that appears to have the requisite qualifications.
Robert E. Holland
Rockland