Recently, Gov. Paul LePage described the events in Wisconsin’s state capital as “ugly” and a “spectacle.” Ugliness may be in the eye of the beholder. If LePage were describing a demonstration by his friends in the tea party, he would probably call it the beautiful sight of democracy in action.

LePage, referring to the elimination of shutdown days for Maine state employees, also noted that most private-sector employees would be celebrating rather than protesting a 2 percent boost in take-home pay. He’s certainly right about that, especially in the case of lower-wage workers, including workers at Marden’s.

In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker is using the familiar strategy of vilifying unions, state workers and teachers, and pitting public- and private-sector workers against each other in a race to the bottom. Both public- and private-sector workers have taken the hit from, among other things, a pension underfunding crisis that they did not create. Public-sector workers in Wisconsin have agreed to concessions, but Walker’s overreaching into the area of collective bargaining rights has created push-back that he obviously did not anticipate.

I hope Gov. LePage sees something more than a “spectacle” here.

Renee Cote, Auburn