I hear so much about cigarettes and the problems they cause, let me comment on a few things.

How about the taxes put on cigarettes by the state of Maine? When the state raises the tax so high, true, a lot of people might quit or go out of state or on the Internet to buy their supply, but then how is the state going to make up all the money lost to other states? And what will happen to the money from cigarette manufacturers?

If the state wants to make money, state officials should try using their heads and stop spending so much. It’s really quite simple. Get rid of three-fourths of the government in the state, which we don’t need.

Comparing Maine to other states, people can see that there are too many people who are appointed, not voted in, as in representatives and senators.

Also, cut by half the number of state workers who hold up the shovels on construction crews.

Freeman E. Lewis, Lewiston