LePage should change, not resign
Given the governor’s pledge to resign if enough people ask him to, I imagine many people are writing and asking him to resign. While I strongly disagree with him on virtually every policy issue, I will not ask him to resign.
He won two elections fair and square. Elections have consequences, and our democracy has a clear method of electing leaders. I respect the office he holds and respect his right to govern as he sees fit. Those same tenets hold true for President Barack Obama.
I ask him to be a more inclusive leader and respect the opinions of those who disagree with him. Great leaders build coalitions, find common ground and do not take principled disagreement personally.
My parents are staunch conservatives — my mother is a former Republican state senator. I am a proud progressive. We disagree vociferously on a regular basis. But policy disagreements are never personal nor negative. There is no one in the world who I love or respect more than my father, yet I disagree with him on virtually every public policy issue we discuss.
LePage is the governor, and he sets the agenda. So he can be the bombastic leader of the 47 percent of Mainers who elected him and attack others with whom he has legitimate disagreements or he can be the inclusive leader of all Mainers.
My parents taught me a lot about government and public policy. They also taught me everyone deserves to be treated with respect, and I always respect people involved in politics. Will Paul LePage extend the same courtesy?
Chuck Brawn
Spruce Head
Salads are healthy
Tamar Haspel’s Aug. 24 article suggesting salad isn’t good for us is attention grabbing but facile and misleading. As a food expert, she must know not all vegetable salads are based on lettuce, cucumber, celery, etc. How about beets, carrots, beans, chickpeas, broccoli, cauliflower and avocados, to name a few?
There is no law saying all salads have to be raw. Top it off with nuts, sunflower seeds or feta cheese and it is still a salad, even without iceberg lettuce. Perhaps Haspel has been eating out too often at the wrong restaurants.
Marilyn Muth
Spruce Head
Saco Ward 5 vote
I’m running for Saco City Council Ward 5. I bring classroom experience, including union leadership as chief contract negotiator; high-tech sales and system engineering; and 22 years as an insurance agent. I served two terms as president of my local Rotary Club. I own Maine Senior Insurance LLC, a small health insurance agency specializing in Medicare health insurance for seniors, and I’m a member of the Maine Council on Aging and Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce.
It’s time for Saco City Hall to refocus its priorities to help seniors struggling to stay in their homes, attract affordable housing for families and promote local businesses. Creative and innovative thinking are needed to turn priorities into sustainable growth solutions.
For a community to grow and prosper, several building blocks must be in place, including infrastructure, and not only good roads but communications and energy backbones; great schools, as the status quo cannot be the only option, a new Young School is overdue; and diverse revenue stream, with a tax base insensitive to state cuts or economic downfall, protecting residents with fixed incomes.
I want to work for Saco’s future and commit my time and energy to that success. As a Saco city councilor, I will be available for, listen to and actively represent residents. I ask for Ward 5’s vote on Election Day, Nov. 3.
Alan Minthorn
Saco