People shouldn’t cry for the people of Portland; they are reaping what they have sown. During my tenure as Lewiston’s mayor, I repeatedly asked members of the Mayors’ Coalition to address the asylum-seeker problem. I requested that we work on and submit legislation that would relieve our cities of the economic burden of supporting undocumented immigrants.

The idea was repeatedly shot down by Portland Mayor Michael Brennan. He commented that as long as government money was coming to the cities to support asylum seekers, he was not interested in dealing with the problem.

Now we see the result of years of self-serving political greed. Maine cities are struggling to support the basic needs of seniors, veterans, homeless, special-needs children and schools.

It is time for Democratic legislators to be reintroduced to reality. Rapunzel and the goose that lays the golden egg are fairy tales. If politicians want to act like philanthropists, let them use their own money. For them to use taxpayer money to create a caring image is unconscionable.

Lastly, beside Catholic Charities, who are the various social service agencies responsible for bringing asylum seekers to Maine? How much taxpayer money are those agencies feasting on at the state trough?

Robert Macdonald, Lewiston