Many in the Lewiston-Auburn area think that since Paul LePage is one of our own — a scrappy, self-made man from the streets of Lewiston — he would make a great governor.

For a moment, let’s forget the public temper tantrums, creative story-telling, wife’s residency status, and telling the president where he should go.

What LePage is selling is recycled wingnut ideas. His deregulation idea already worked for Wall Street at the public’s expense. Forget the Gulf of Mexico spill — LePage wants to drill in the Gulf of Maine. His welfare reform proposal is a five-year limit on benefits. Less than 1 percent of recipients are in the system that long. Medicaid is where the cuts would have to come from and that means working-class families who have their children on MaineCare.

Yes, LePage is one of our own, but as they say, you can’t pick your family.

Mark Bilodeau, Auburn