Dear Editor:

Maine’s economic future remains grim. Two different administrations, a Democrat and a Republican, have had a shot at umpiring what can only be seen as a race to the bottom these past 12 years. We remain crippled by energy costs, fear of a changing marketplace, and the pillaging of the Maine brand. The best and the brightest, including our children, cannot afford to call Maine home.

Paralleling this decline is the growing power of big money in politics, much of it from away. Both parties have turned to their fringes and special interests to fill the coffers. When you are beholden to a big check-writer you owe big favors to a rigid ideal. Given this process it is no wonder that we are witnessing the end of dialog and compromise — the hallmarks of true problem solving.

Both party candidates in Maine’s election for governor are trapped in a bad system that rewards the wrong behavior. 

Voter frustration is reflected in another bellwether: the largest growing affiliation of registered voters in Maine is Independent. I believe that growth is a direct result of voters’ frustration with a corrupted party system that has failed everyone including the parties themselves.

The only Independent candidate for governor of the state of Maine is Eliot Cutler, a successful businessman from southern Maine.

Only Eliot Cutler has been calling for early debate on issues. His opponents call this a “tactic” while those serious about substance call debates necessary.

Eliot Cutler believes in merit above all. He has no interest in embarrassing us with crude behavior or in giving away our tax revenue to his friends. Eliot Cutler is only beholden to you, the Maine voter, and that is clear to anyone who meets him.  That is why the parties fear debates, that is why being Independent matters, and that is why I am voting for Eliot Cutler for governor of Maine.

Tom Myette