In his Aug. 14 letter (“Maine’s Legislature spent our money like drunken sailors“), Mark Wood concluded by referencing a quote from the movie “Jaws,” which is fitting given that his letter is full of fear mongering and misinformation.

Over the last two years, the Legislature has made significant — but responsible — investments in Maine people that address some of our state’s most pressing challenges and deliver for working families.

A cursory glance at the budgets we’ve passed this term will reveal a careful management of state resources to ensure that one-time, pandemic-era money is only used for one-time purposes. These include purposes exactly like those Mr. Wood claims are being neglected: long-deferred maintenance, work on roads and bridges and investments in school construction.

Even rating agencies like Moody’s have recognized and rewarded us for our fiscal responsibility. Back in May, Moody’s raised Maine’s credit rating from Aa2 to Aa1, the service’s second-highest rating. It specifically cited the state’s “structurally sound budget” as a primary reason for the rating bump.

It’s true that state spending has increased in recent years. State budgets are just as vulnerable to inflation as yours and mine, with the costs of things like health care, food and fuel all increasing. But linking this spending as a reason for inflation is simply inaccurate. Correlation does not equal causation.

Our fiscal responsibility over the last several years has left Maine in a strong financial position. The investments we made in Maine families will build a stronger future for us all.

Rep. Margaret Craven, Lewiston