Sue Ayer gives Gov. LePage a “Hat’s Off” for his tax cuts and job creation (Times Record, Sept. 18). Well, I say, “Hat’s back on!”

While LePage did engineer a $200 million cut in state income and estate taxes, he did so in part by shifting that tax burden to counties, cities and towns. Either property taxes rose, local services were cut or both. But fortunately we received a cherrypicked, plagiarized report on expanding Medicaid ($500,000) and a NASCAR photo-op ($50,000).

As for job creation, Gov. LePage can manipulate the vague concept of “business climate” as he will, but as governor he doesn’t create jobs in the private sector. That having been said, on his watch, during a nationwide economic recovery, private sector jobs were gained. But, the Maine Center for Economic Policy calculates that rate of private job growth placed Maine 43rd of the 50 states. Nationally, the U.S. has recovered 110 percent of the jobs lost in the recession; Maine has recovered just 63 percent of its lost jobs. On a train picking up steam towards recovery, LePage’s “pro-work” approach has boldly led us back towards the caboose.

Over four years, the governor has established himself to be a bully who would be king. He has gotten his way, and it is the wrong way for Maine. Let us show him the door.

Steven Zimmerman
Topsham