Orlando Delogu’s thoughtful opinion laments the Democrats losses in Maine and blames the loss on Eliot Cutler, bear baiting, low turnout and just about everything except the fact that some folks think Gov. Paul LePage has done a pretty good job running the state.

The good professor is unhappy because the state bureaucracy was not enlarged by thousands of health-care jobs and other state-sponsored projects. Delogu apparently doesn’t understand that we live in a competitive world and Maine has to compete with other states to attract business and jobs in the private sector. He is upset by the fact that LePage will likely let temporary sales taxes expire and “essential” programs will have to be cut. Give me a break. Before LePage, people were moving to Maine to take advantage of the “generous” state public assistance benefits.

Maine has to compete with other states, such as New Hampshire. That state has one of the highest economic growth rates and lowest unemployment rates in the Northeast. As we all know, New Hampshire has low taxes.

Expanded state programs inevitably lead to more bureaucracy, more regulation and higher taxes. Maine is already one of the highest-taxed states in the nation and we are not going to attract good paying jobs by expanding the state government. Apparently, the people have spoken and they are not buying the typical liberal approach to solving all problems via expanded government. Delogu needs to wake up to the new reality.

Albert Hutchinson
Cape Elizabeth