An open letter to Andy O'Brien of the Free Press on his article of District 12 Candidate

A recent article published in the Free Press is more an opinion of the writer than it is a piece educating the readers of where these two candidates stand. The piece "Knox County Senate Race - Miramant and Sutton Disagree on Role of Gov't, Existence of Climate Change" written with a heavy slant favoring Dave Miramant and mis-quotes Paula Sutton painting the candidate as someone who is uncaring or mis-guided on many issues.

The piece has prompted an open letter to the Free Press and writer Andy O'Brien response to the piece by Andy O'Brien which you can read below.


An open letter to Andy O'Brien of the Free Press On His Paula Sutton/Dave Miramant article

I read with interest your article outlining the positions held by the State Senate candidates Paula Sutton and Dave Miramant.

While most of the piece contains some facts I couldn't help but notice comments such as "Her campaign is also focused on opposing government funded safety-net programs for the needy, arguing that programs should be be volunteer based not funded with tax money." This statement is a half truth. Paula Sutton believes the truly needy including the handicapped and elderly are deserving of taxpayer help. There are limited funds to go around. So for you to say her campaign is "focused" on opposing government funded safety-net programs for the needy is not so. Paula Sutton is concerned as most taxpayers should be that welfare money goes to those most deserving of assistance.

The statement immediately before that saying that Paula is not employed or involved in a business is again, a half truth. Paula is now a consultant for the business she and her husband own but is taking a hiatus from working full time for their small business to run for the Maine State Senate.

Your paragraph on The Existence of Climate Change is an interesting one. The wording "Sutton is skeptical of the benefits of renewable energy." is also worded poorly. Paula Sutton realizes that renewable energy is fine but years away from society being able to utilize it as one would oil, propane and natural gas. Renewable energy trying to expand too quickly has accounted for money that was wasted. Solyndra was a solar company that received over $500 million dollars from taxpayers and it went bankrupt. That was not a good financial move and was a waste of taxpayer money. You also seem to put your personal spin on this, quoting reports that seem to say that climate change is a fact. What happened to the Al Gore choruses of global warming?  There has been a "pause" in "global warming" a big "pause" of over 17 years!

There is a lot of money to be had in the "global warming" myth. Money that if the lie is repeated enough and believed enough by some people, the average consumer will be paying much more for utilities, cars, food and most everything.

Another paragraph and your bias continues to show, with a direct slam on Paula Sutton with the statement "Sutton said, incorrectly, that the gas tax is not dedicated to roads but dumped into the state's general fund." States are allotting a growing share of the funds they raise from gas taxes to debt service and spending unrelated to roads and bridges, making them more reliant on federal assistance to pay for new infrastructure.

Healthcare can be done on a grand and expensive scale (think and feel Obamacare) or done in smaller more cost effective ways like with the Knox County Health Clinic. Several doctors I have spoken with have told me if some relief could be forthcoming with student loans being reduced or partially forgiven for doctors and if medical malpractice insurance could be reduced to where only proven negligence were to account for most of the expense of malpractice insurance reducing its cost, that would free up a financial burden placed on doctors and allow for more time to dedicate to volunteering.

Your article does a disservice to the voting public. Label it the way it should have been labeled, an editorial.

David Miramant wants to raise our cost of living by raising taxes in a state that can't afford it.
We know from what you have written that you are a Democrat voting for Dave Miramant and Paula Sutton is a Republican with Conservative values and that bothers you, which showed in this piece.

To read the original article published in the Free Press click on this link.

Ain't Politics Fun?

Truth be known, no they "ain't", in fact they have become too dirty and offensive. As an example, I refer to the recent column by Dave Miramant. The man got into office some two elections back through some shenanigans of the State Democrat party. He served his term, then in an attempted re-election came forth with aims of how he worked to lower taxes and other good things. This paper printed a letter from a political colleague of Mr. Miramant's which exposed the Miramant claims to be bogus. Fortunately and thankfully the voters saw through his offensive diatribe and voted Chris Rector into that office.

Apparently, now with Mr. Rector retiring, Mr. Miramant is giving it another go. In so doing, Mr. Miramant hasn't changed his fallacious political litany. This time, thanks to the letter in this paper (Sept. 4, by Paul Ackerman - "Puzzled by Miramant's take") Mr. Miramant is blown out of the political waters once again.

To disagree politically or otherwise is a precious prerogative of those of us in the free world. So why pollute it with untruths, especially when those untruths are blatantly intellectually offensive. Mr. Miramant accuses the governor of "creating more debt for the state" when in fact the governor paid back multi-millions of Medicare debt the state owed the hospitals. In addition, Maine now has a sizable surplus of some $93 million. Then again one needs remember that Democrats only generate debt much less accumulate surpluses. Paying back debts is alien to them. The fact that Mr. Miramant isn't running for governor seems to be irrelevant. To have read his column one needs conclude Mr. Miramant is amongst those Democrats who expect us to assume that our lakes and streams became polluted, (if in fact they are) with the election of a Republican governor. Does Mr. Miramant really expect us to be so obtuse as to forget that the same lakes and streams were flowing during the tenure of the four Democrat governors who preceded Governor LePage and no one raised the issue of pollution?? True, Governor LePage has his caustic and even his bawdy side, but he gets things done. Then again, who amongst us doesn't have a bit of the caustic and bawdy? The governor has lowered taxes, and his prime interest is the well-being of the state, not of his political party.

From the earliest of my 70 years of voting I used to look to vote "either side of the political aisle" if for no other reason but to assert my individual independence, but with the advent of the four musketeers headed by Obama, Biden, Pelosi and Harry Ried, heading the cesspool in D.C., it will be a cold day in hell before I consider adding to it by a local vote for Mr. Miramant.

Steve Masone
Camden

Response to Dave Miramant Guest Column

To the Editor:

The recent guest column by Dave Miramant of Camden initially left me puzzled, as much of it was a diatribe against Governor Paul LePage. I momentarily wondered if Dave was running for governor against Paul LePage.

Further reading cleared things up, Dave Miramant thinks he is running against a partisan mirage of Governor LePage's record. Imagine that? Maybe he hasn't met his opponent Paula Sutton yet?

Miramant's comments: "...we can't take any more bullying and obstructionism of the present governor.." ; "..he has undone years of good environmental work and created more debt for our state.." ,are just remarkably twisted statements.

Granted it is obvious that Dave does not like Governor LePage, but lets be realistic about these specious claims.

The past legislative session saw about 2000 bills introduced, and the governor vetoed 180 of them. It is not obstructionism to veto bills, in fact it is usually the result of fiscal prudence, or the odor of legislative over-reach, that prompts a governor to fulfill his responsibilities of office and veto bad legislation.

Created more debt? Really Dave? Last budget numbers I saw (MEGOV) showed the state now has a surplus at fiscal year end, $39.1 million, and a balance in the general fund of $9.8 million.

When was the last time a Democrat governor in Maine put the brakes on overboard spending and waste,and helped the state to show a surplus?

Would it be too much for Dave Miramant to provide specifics of his environmental work "undone" claim. Isn't this just the perfect straw man?

Contrary to the claim, this administration has a very pro-active record trying to streamline and improve the efficiency of state agencies that deal with environmental matters.

In addition, the LePage administration overhauled the Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, changed the Land for Maine's Future charter to require the prioritization of acquiring deer wintering habitat, repealed the unnecessary 2009 saltwater fishing license mandate, and supported the creation of a fisheries tax credit to encourage private sector investment in fish hatcheries and docks.

No, Governor LePage isn't poisoning streams and dumping pollutants into rivers.

The drum beat about Medicaid expansion is truly absurd. Claiming that we ought to take federal money for three years to expand a program that already costs Maine $2.4 billion per year defies logic. As if after the 3 years of "free" federal money we will magically come up with the hundreds of millions in addition to current costs per year to cover the expansion.

Sorry Dave did not knock on my door when he was making his 10,000+ calls, as a former Democrat of 30+ years I'd have enjoyed listening to his pitch.

Paul Ackerman

Tenants Harbor,Maine

372-6204 - cell 712-5601