There have been several Democrat responses to my letter published Sept. 21. I think I struck sensitive areas. Their responses were inaccurate, showed a lack of information, and didn’t answer most of the issues.

None of their letters explained the accumulated billions owed to the pension system and retiree health program, nor the nearly one-half billion dollars they over-spent this biennium, which they tried to solve with, of course, another tax.

Diane Poirier demeaned my New Hampshire comparison. She offered no factual data.

Here is some: median household income for New Hampshire, $55,580; U.S., overall, $44,684; Maine, $42,163.

The only major tax in New Hampshire is the property tax. They are No. 2 in the U.S. for property tax burden. Guess who is No. 1? Good old Maine.

Rep. Margaret Craven is on the Appropriations Committee and is in the unenviable position of trying to justify all of the Democrat spending nonsense she voted for, including nonrefundable taxes to private nursing home patients, private mental retardation clients and private assisted living clients.

Sheila Desgrosseilliers indicated the favorable business climate Maine has. She seems uninformed on our rating of 49th in receptivity to small business, the loss of our young people because of no jobs, and the excessive taxes, fees and regulations that impair job development.

As long as the voters continue to vote for a Democrat majority, Maine will deteriorate due to the Democrats’ excessive taxes and spending, their socialistic tendencies and their obstructions to job development.

Rep. Thomas F. Shields,

Auburn