State Rep. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville, has submitted a bill to make the whoopie pie Maine’s official state dessert.

Given the fact that Maine has the highest obesity rate in New England, I would think that an official state dessert is the last thing we need. In fact, the Sun Journal recently reported that a survey of 17 Maine employers reveals that 31 percent of their workers are overweight, 31 percent are obese, and that the total costs associated with overweight and obese employees in 2010 were $6.1 million, and that these costs are expected to surpass $10 million by 2018.

Meanwhile, Mainers who smoke continue to be the easy, knee-jerk target for legislators. State Sen. Thomas Saviello, R-Wilton, wants to deny health care to Maine smokers who are currently covered by MaineCare, because he’s concerned about the taxpayers’ cost in covering smoking-related illnesses.

Then Saviello says with a straight face that he’s not out to punish smokers or to tell them how to run their lives.

So after all the self-righteous screaming we’ve heard from the Republicans about “intrusive government” and “frivolous legislation” on the part of the Democrats, this is the best they have to offer?

Sorry, I ain’t buyin’.

Or, to put it in terms that evidently meet the new Maine standards of political etiquette and discourse, “Kiss my butt, and go to hell.”

Kevin Kimball, Lisbon Falls