After listening to talk radio and TV, the greatest complainers when it comes to paying their fair share of taxes are those who can most afford it. One complaint was the restaurant tax. More and more people are eating out these days. The tax does’t seem to bother most people. If some think they are paying too much for this tax, why not stop eating one meal out each month? It would cover all their restaurant taxes.

Another complaint from one of the talk-show hosts to whom I listen each morning is the rotten roads we have in Maine. Does anybody in this state know how many miles of roads that have to be maintained? There are many side roads that go to small villages. Just a short drive from Rumford to Farmington, I can’t count how many of those side roads there are.

I personally am impressed with the great stretches of good highways that we have.

I also think it’s quite miraculous how a sparsely populated state such as Maine has been able to help so many people. Our taxes help pay for those in nursing homes who are unable to pay, subsidized housing for seniors, transportation for doctors’ appointments, etc. There is MaineCare, food stamps for those who are unable to work, multiple services for the mentally ill, the handicapped and many other social services that are needed.

Ella M. LaPlante, Rumford