My very own anonymous letter to Governor LePage...

Dear Governor LePage,

First of all, I want you to notice that I addressed you with respect.  Do I feel as though you deserve my respect?  No, not at all, but you are the governor, so I will give you the respect a person in your position deserves.  You are a mere 90 days into your four year term, and you have gone out of your way to continuously disrespect the great people of this state.  Furthermore, I didn't vote for you.  In fact, if you ran 10 more times I wouldn't vote for you.  If you ran against a turd, I would vote for the turd.  All that being said, I will address you with respect.

I'm writing to you today to point out a few things.  I know that you are aware that you were elected with only 39% of the vote.  You don't need me to remind you of that.  I'm pretty sure you have heard everyone on television mention that at this point.  I mean, that is why you are doing some of what you are doing, isn't it?  To hear your name on tv.  What else would explain you picking some of these stupid fights?  Was it really necessary for you to remove a mural in the Department of Labor?  Absolutely not.  This was paid for by a federal grant, and depicted some pioneers in the history of Maine's LABOR movement.  Seems to be pretty fitting to me for it to be located at the Department of Labor.  If this mural was hung at the, say, "Department of Big Business and Corporate Interests, Including But Not Limited To Union Busting", then I would completely agree with you.  But, last I checked, this wasn't the case.  No matter how you try to justify this move, and no matter how much extra you are paying Dan Demeritt and Adrienne Bennett to agree with you, this is a giant slap in the face to many working people in Maine.  It's a slap in the face to those that worked so hard to ensure that generations after them would have safe working conditions, 40 hour work weeks and adequate breaks over the course of the work day.  You should try to work with both sides to make history in a positive way, not erase history in a negative way.

Next, I'd like to ask you to be honest with yourself, as well as the great people of the State of Maine.  We all realize that difficult decisions need to be made, and that you are not going to please everyone along the way, it's simply not possible.  However, one thing you could try is to, at the very least, pretend to understand where the other side of the equation is coming from.  Some tough cuts need to be made to the budget.  Some important programs may need to be cut, or at least scaled back.  However, mocking people isn't called for.  I know some people (cough, 39%) feel that having a "real person", someone that "tells it like it is", is just what this state needs, but a vast majority of us view things differently.  We expect more from our elected officials, especially when they are representing our great state, not only to the rest of the country, but to the world.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of The Daily Show, but I never want to see Maine mocked by Jon Stewart, that means we made headlines for all the wrong reasons.  I, and many others just like me, would love it if you stopped telling people to "kiss you butt" or to "go to hell".  We also find it rude that you would say,  "I'd laugh at them, the idiots. That's what I would do. Come on! Get over yourselves!", in response to someone suggesting they form a human chain in order to block the removal of the mural at the Labor office. I might agree with you that the suggestion was silly, but I'm not sure that, as governor, this should be your response of choice.  A governor should be a beacon of professionalism, especially when the livelihoods and futures of your constituents are at risk.

In closing, I realize that you enjoy hearing your name on television and reading your name in the headlines, otherwise you wouldn't be doing all of this.  I know you say that you don't read the papers, but let's be honest, you not only read them, you love any attention you are getting.  I know that you didn't get enough attention as a kid out on the mean streets of Lewiston, so you are attempting to make up for it later in life.  I get it, I really do.  However, my future, my child's future are in your hands right now, and you are fucking that up.  Pandering to your base at a time like this is absolutely uncalled for.  We have thousands and thousands of highly creative and smart people in this state that are struggling to survive because of high expenses and poor transportion opportunities.  This has nothing to do with unions.  This has nothing to do with whoopie pies or blueberry pies.  This has nothing to do with estate taxes.  This has nothing to do with murals at the Department of Labor.  This has to do with poor road conditions, lack of high speed rail, high energy costs and sky rocketing insurance rates.  These should be your focus in Augusta.  Fixing these problems will help open doors for the creative people to expand and hire.  Giving small business owners, who are the backbone of Maine, the ability to do what they do best will benefit every one of us. 

I live in Maine because I love it here.  It is a beautiful state, one that offers four great seasons and a wonderful array of enjoyable activities.  I have started a family here, and want nothing more than to start my own business here and see it grow and bring other people both joy as well as incomes.  I'm hopeful that you will take the right steps to keep this state great, but I have to be honest, I'm quickly losing hope.  It's not too late though, you can make things right, not just for me and my family, but for everyone in this great state.  Remember, there are 1.3 million people in this state, not just the 216,761 that voted for you. 

Kindest regards (but not really),

I'm Just Saying...