I am a proud independent and feel strongly that it is counterproductive and dangerous to be in lockstep with any political party. Certainly, I’m not in lockstep with Gov. Janet Mills, but LePage served his two terms and that was more than enough for me.

I certainly don’t always agree with Mills but being in medicine for over 40 years, I cannot imagine anyone navigating this pandemic any better than she and Dr. Shah have. For all the conspiratorial doubters, just look at the numbers and don’t get feed the numbers by social media and/or reality TV better known as cable news. Research it yourself. After a career spent in science the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that numbers don’t lie, never have and never will. The fact is, Mills policies saved lives in spite of ourselves and for that alone, she has my support. Just compare the per-capita numbers of COVID deaths to other states and also with Republican-held states. The numbers are stark.

Despite the citizens of Maine majority vote, LePage held up Medicare expansion at the cost of the well-being of the very people in his charge. His bogus argument was that at some point the taxpayers would be on the hook for the cost. Make no mistake about it, taxpayers are already on the hook for people’s health care and will be until political donors are shut down from dumping money into Washington.

Also, let’s not forget his dictatorial tendencies and his many antics as governor, which he has already restarted with his bogus claims. The father of our country himself knew the dangers of one person in charge too long and Putin is a great modern day example of that. It’s time we put the Trumpian mentality to rest for good.

Gerard Austin

Solon