A Message to the Voters of Central & Northern Maine

Since I was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives I've fought - and fought hard - to lower your taxes, have fewer regulations put in your way, and to use common sense in governing. These are the things that will restore Maine to prosperity. I will do exactly the same as your State Senator. First, I need you to help me get elected this November 2nd.

When Liberals took over Maine Government a generation ago Maine was a prosperous state. The company I worked for, Great Northern Paper, employed over 4000 people at good wages and benefits. Today after 35 years of Liberal rule what's left of the company employs about 400 people.

Then look at the employers are now completely gone: Moosehead Furniture, Dexter Shoe, Sherman Lumber Company, and all the sawmills, woolen mills and other businesses too numerous to list. Why are they gone? Some of the reasons are changing times and stupid trade policies, but much of the reason is failed Liberal policies imposed on us by State Government. Some things we can't change, but we can change state policy.

Maine has extremely high prices for electricity, health insurance, and transportation - not to mention the high cost of complying with all the government regulations every business providing jobs must live.

Realizing these Liberal policies aren't working, you would think there would be at least an effort to change them. Not on your life! Liberals still in charge refuse to admit they're wrong. They are pushing us down this road to collapse even faster. They want more control, higher taxes, and a longer list of new regulations. It's like wanting control of every dairy farm in Maine without knowing which end of the cow milk comes from.

Most of us here in Maine know what the problem is. But we put off dealing with it because Liberals have convinced too many of us we're not smart enough to have the answers. The people of Maine are plenty smart enough to fix Maine's problems. We only need apply to State government the principles that work in our own lives:

* you can't spend more than you earn,
* shifting problems onto our children by borrowing is wrong, and
* most importantly what made Maine great is FREEDOM. Freedom to go to the school of your choice, Freedom to start your own business. Freedom to use all your assets and abilities as long as you weren't hurting your neighbor.

We can - and must - break the shackles of high taxes, crazy regulations and lost freedom imposed on us by almost 40 years of Liberal control. The time has come for some tough love. It's time to do those things our parents taught us we know are right.

Please help me get elected to the Maine Senate, with your help we can win that fight and give our children the opportunity our parents gave us.

Thank you for your time,
Doug Thomas