Since his re-election, the governor has stated in no uncertain terms that he feels he has a mandate from the voters to accomplish his political agenda. I take issue with his perceived political position with the voters of Maine.
There is no doubt that he won the election and has the post of governor, but he has no mandate. He received more votes than the other candidates, but he did not receive even a majority of votes. The majority of the people of Maine voted for someone other than Mr. LePage, which means that the majority of the Maine people prefer the ideas of other political figures over those of Mr. LePage.
What he did win in the election is the office of governor and the voice of that position which stands beside, not above, the voice of the legislature. He has as much right, but no more right, than the legislature to work for the views he feels are best for the state. The expectation of the people of Maine is that he will work with the other side to frame the best possible solutions to the pressing needs of all the people of Maine.
Over the last several years I have become very tired of the political position of “My way or the highway” that has become so prevalent in today’s political landscape. It flies in the face of what our Founding Fathers did. Our very national foundation is one of political compromise. Our system of government with its legislative branches is built on the requirement that a consensus must be built for legislation to move forward. Some would say that this consensus building is inefficient, a waste of time and energy, but I say not so. If speed of action was the primary concern at our nation,s birth then they would have crowned Washington king and been done with it. But that was not the motivation of our forefathers. The motivation was to build a new kind of government “Of the people, by the people, for the people,” as Lincoln so aptly put it. My hope is that this legislative session will soon begin to look like equals of different opinion working to find the better way to govern, that as of yet, has not been discovered.
Frank Vasalle, Lebanon
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