Gov. John Baldacci wants to lower property taxes, but he still does not pay the state’s share of education costs.

He is against gambling when it comes to Native Americans, but for Powerball.

He touts a $100 million surplus, but taxes cigarettes an additional dollar a pack to supplement holes in the budget.

He supports Bangor, but is against Native Americans and anyone who does not live in Bangor.

Locally, it seems that the city of Auburn stands for cost overruns on city hall, tax cuts to businesses, tax increases to residential properties and for parking garages, but not for the residents who would park there.

Here’s my solution:

• Elect a Native American as governor, or anyone else who can do simple math equations. Tax out-of-state property owners at a higher rate than residents. Encourage the Native Americans to build casinos that promise higher-paying jobs and more tax revenue than the racino in the governor’s hometown.

• For Auburn, change the mill rate, not the valuation, and use a more appropriate mill rate on businesses because residents don’t make millions of dollars out of their private residences and therefore should not be held to the same rate as big businesses.

I am all for development, but you have to have folks who can afford to shop at those new businesses in order to sustain them.

Patrick Travers, Auburn