This is in response to the letters from Sen. John Nutting (Sept. 24) and Rep. Stacy Dostie (Sept. 26).

I am a little concerned when elected officials get involved in small town politics outside their own community. The state government has enough of its own problems, such as the $20 million lost last year to bad investments and government waste. State funding cuts for schools in small communities such as Sabattus will have a huge impact.

I have heard that Maine has one of the most generous welfare programs in the nation, so people are coming in droves, putting a burden on the state's taxpayers, not to mention the resources being taken from the Maine people who deserve the help.

Officials in Augusta have a bad habit of estimating tax revenue at its peak, and then spending it accordingly like drunken sailors. Then, when the economy goes bad, they run around looking for a new way to pass taxes to make up for the loss in revenue.

The state should save some money during the good times so when the bad times come, there is a surplus to work from. That is what responsible people do; maybe the state should do the same.

I hope our elected officials can step up to the plate and remember that the poor economy has the people of Maine tapped out, or I should say, taxed out.

Those, and many other problems, are what I would like to see my representatives address.

Mike Gendron, Sabattus