The column by Mike Tipping, “LePage actions offer examples of meaning of ‘corrupt'” on Sept. 4, gets it wrong and illustrates the bias of the author.

Rep. Jeff McCabe, D-Skowhegan, wanted $400,000 in bond money from the governor to pave a parking lot. He felt it best to go through the media. Needless to say, the governor wasn’t too amenable to his methods.

Sen. Rodney Whittemore, R-Skowhegan, and I wanted the people to at least have a choice about whether to spend the borrowed money, so we spoke to Gov. Paul LePage face-to-face. We worked out a solution to our problem.

Somehow, according to Tipping, that means the governor was playing favorites. No, the governor respects those who respect him, just as any of us would.

Tipping is a liberal blogger and paid staffer for the Maine People’s Alliance, a leftist activist group. In 2011, McCabe voted 100 percent with MPA’s agenda.

“What does MPA stand for?” you may ask. I recently received a questionnaire from it. Its goals included the creation of 10,000 government jobs, taxpayer-funded college tuition and government-run socialized medicine.

How does an already-stressed government system carry the additional burdens that would come with these policies? Taxpayers cannot afford them.

Tipping seems awfully interested with my getting in to see the governor. As a House candidate, I have met many great people I otherwise would not have met, including LePage, House Speaker Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, House Majority Leader Philip Curtis, R-Madison, and Senate President Kevin Raye, R-Perry.

These are all McCabe’s co-workers. The difference is that I politely called them and asked for 10 minutes of their time to explain a plan I had to resolve the bond issue. After speaking with them, I was told that the governor might have a few minutes for me on Aug. 8, with no specific time given. Whittemore and I traveled to Augusta, and we waited for five hours to meet with him. The governor was gracious to give us that time.

At the conclusion of that meeting, Whittemore and I were told that we would receive a letter similar to the one received by the town of Livermore Falls.

All I wanted was to give the people of Skowhegan the opportunity to decide on where this project would go.

Donald Skillings is the Republican candidate for the Maine House of Representatives, District 85 (Skowhegan). The seat is currently held by Democratic Rep. Jeff McCabe.

Copy the Story Link