As a member of the Norway Planning Board, I was devastated to learn that a five-year-long community project to revitalize our downtown and create jobs is now in jeopardy because of a purely political decision by Gov. Paul LePage and his allies in Augusta.

For years, our friends, neighbors and community officials have been working together to raise the funds needed to revitalize four first-floor store fronts in the Norway Opera House. That project will breathe new energy into our downtown, support local businesses and create jobs

Not allowing the bond money to be spent is no way to run government in Maine. It is a slap in the face to community members in Norway and an assault on job creation in Maine at a time when creating jobs and putting money in the pockets of working Mainers should be the top priority.

In 2011 alone, Maine lost more than 1,000 jobs, and we’re one of only seven states in the entire country that saw its economy shrink.

And, now, in a time when we should be creating an economy that is built to last, by investing in our downtown and making sure that working families and small business owners — the real job creators — have the resources they need to thrive, Gov. LePage and the majority in Augusta are turning their backs on job creation and ignoring the will of local communities throughout Maine.

Voters deserve more.

Mary Lou St. John, Norway

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