Crockett and Millett

To the Editor:

I am responding to recent articles written by my friend Jane Chandler to the Lewiston Sun Journal and The Bethel Citizen where she suggests Representative Jarrod Ctrockett and H. Sawin Millett are being soft on Maine environmental issues. I'm sorry Jane, this is simply not true!

We all know the Maine Democratic legislature is notorious for passing state mandates which county and local districts eventually end up paying for -- this means you and I. This is not only unconstitutional, in my opinion, it's a way the Democratic legislature evades their financial responsibilities to its citizens. Both LD #973 and LD #1485 fall within this category. They provide no specific funding for these bills; it is to be determined in the future and we all know what that means. Maine government still owes millions of dollars to our hospitals and nursing homes which they promised to pay out of federal government stimulus funds. They have failed to do so. Nursing homes are closing and hospitals are laying off nurses and support staff because of the state's failure to pay. Have you had enough?

One quesitons why state government continues to pass unfunded mandate legislation on the backs of Maine taxpayers. I strongly support Jarrod Crockett and H. Sawin Millett for their legislative environmental voting records and hope they continue to stand firm against any new Maine unfunded mandates.

Norman Foster

Bethel