Dear Friends,
Native Mainers are proud of their roots not solely because of Maine’s exceptional beauty, but also because the longer you live and work in Maine the more fascinating people you meet. Some brilliant folks are tucked away on little islands or deep in the woods, some are prominent leaders in our villages and small cities.

My greatest challenge in forming an advisory committee is that I know so many great thinkers and respected community leaders. Whether advising small businesses through my law practice or “doing the people’s business representing the folks from central Maine,” (as former Game Warden John Marsh put it,) I have worked with experts in health care, education, economic development, all with their eye on bettering our state. This ever-growing advisory committee is a sampling of those people, including former Governor John H. Reed who guided Maine through the largest expansion of job opportunities and economic development in our history. I’m honored by their support and know that together we can overhaul state government and lead Maine’s transition to a modern economy.

Last week I delivered the Maine Senate Republican Radio Address. Once again Baldacci is trying to borrow money to pay for his current budget. He did this in 2003 when he tried to permanently sell off the state’s liquor business. He did it again in 2005 when he tried to borrow $447M by selling off the Lottery for 14 years. We stopped him both times, the latter with the well-known “Don’t Mortgage ME” campaign. Now he wants to borrow money from future taxpayers to fund a longevity benefit to the most senior members of the public unions, to those who helped get him elected, to those who will work on Democratic campaigns in 2010. None of the younger people in the unions, those with families, will be able to share in this benefit. What does this say about the Democrats’ priorities?

Interviewers always ask, “what makes you stand out from the other gubernatorial candidates?” The answer is in the radio address above, it’s in my 15-year battle to bring fiscal responsibility to state government, it’s in the thoughts posted by members of the advisory committee, it’s in my answer to the question of bringing the USS JFK to Portland – these carriers are magnificent and I obviously believe in military service, but we don’t toss financial sanity overboard in the hopes of attracting a few tourists.

There are three things any representative must do to earn support in his or her district: listen, research and act. I won with 65% of the vote in my last election because I do those things, despite union leader opposition. I hope to earn your support the same way.

Sincerely,
Peter Mills

P.S. As it’s Presidents Day I’ll leave you with one of my favorite Abe Lincoln quotes, “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts.”