Although I like Rep. Craven and think she is a fine lady, on the issue of government borrowing (bonds), she is wrong.

Ask yourself, if high taxes and government spending are the path to prosperity and jobs, why isn’t Maine the most prosperous state in the nation?

If more government spending is the answer to more and better jobs for Maine people, how is it we’ve seen government spending and taxes grow much faster than our ability to pay, and yet jobs are leaving Maine faster than almost any state in the nation?

On a personal level, if you were having trouble keeping the light bill paid, would you take on a new car payment? Remember last winter the Legislature was going to borrow $450 million to pay operating expenses? The payment on this loan (bonds) is $10 million a year. We don’t have it, and the only way we can make those payments is even higher taxes on an already overtaxed people.

Borrowing money you don’t have for things you don’t need isn’t the path to prosperity, it’s the road to ruin.

Rep. Scott Lansley was one of 15 legislators with the courage to stand up for what they saw as right when it would have been much easier to follow the majority. I was happy to join him and hope to work with him in the future bringing Maine people the prosperity they deserve with lower taxes and reduced state spending.

State Rep. Doug Thomas,

District 24, Ripley