Being a legislator can be frustrating at times, and I am assuming that Rep. Thomas Shields of Auburn was blowing off steam in his ranting letter to the editor Sept. 21.

I don’t have the space in this letter to respond to most of his misinformation, but there are a few things that warrant a reply. It is very vexing when a public official misleads the public. It is no wonder that people are so cynical about their elected officials.

While I took offense to his suggestion that we are taxing nursing homes (he didn’t mention that the money is reimbursed when the federal government matches the MaineCare dollars), that Dirigo Health is failing (over 8,100 enrolled, including 2,000 businesses and there are plenty more people on the waiting list) or that the Legislature passed a budget demanding $800 million more than we had (there was a revenue bond in the original budget to pay down old debt faster, and at any rate, it was only half that amount).

I took offense to his use of the word “retarded” to describe our most vulnerable citizens. I work at John F. Murphy Homes Inc. in Auburn, and the people I work with there do not deserve to be degraded by such an insulting term. They work hard to adapt skills, for living and work, and their dedication is commendable.

Maine people deserve to be communicated with truthfully.

Rep. Margaret Craven, Lewiston