THE PORTLAND POORHOUSE

Dear Governor Baldacci: I've listened to YOU talk all about yourself throughout your campaign. Now I want you to stop all of your talking for a minute and listen to ME.

And there are people working minimum-wage jobs that are throwing their entire paycheck into rent.

And there is one lady on Social Security disability that's not going to have a place to stay outside of a homeless shelter by Christmas Day.

Now Governor, you can blow-off the people on the mats and ignore those who are paying exhorbitant rent.

BUT, you won't be able to turn a deaf ear to the lady on Social Security disability. No Sir! Because that lady, Governor Baldacci, is ME!

And as long as you are in office, I won't allow you to forget that some of your constituents are getting a very bad shake in Maine. I won't be silenced until more decent, affordable housing is built for single, homeless and poor adults in the great State of Maine.

It was so easy for you to attend the Governor's Tenth Annual Conference on Affordable Housing last September at the Samoset Resort. Yeah, you sure did make a speech!

After your speech was through, Governor, you rushed out in the hallway. I fought through the crowd, the cameras, lights and reporters because I had a question to ask you.

Your response was that you didn't have time to talk to me and after passing me off to your girl-friday Donna Gormley...you disappeared out the door.

To this day, it is my belief that you weren't concerned about providing housing for single homeless and poor adults in Maine. Oh no, you just came to that conference and made that speech because you wanted to win the election.

Now I want something too---and it's something that YOU already have and that hundreds of Mainers want: A decent, safe, affordable and permanent place to live in the Greater Portland area.

Well, I'm going to stick my neck in where I shouldn't - It seems nobody else wanted to reply to this!! First, I'm sorry you are having trouble, then I ask - have you tried every government, church, and charity option available to you?

Have you thought of living with a couple of other women, in like circumstances, to share living costs? We should always help those, WHO THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, are in dire straites.

You won't like me saying that many people didn't learn early in life that they should prepare [education] to provide for themselves. My father worked in a steel mill by day and went to Carnegie Tech [Mellon] to get his Engineering digree, while supporting a wife and two children.

Many homeless are drunkards, drug addicts, or lazy. Mininum wage is needed for entry level [teen] jobs. Housing projects for the poor usually become a disgrace, because the people tear them up. The Democrats would like to overtax us to give everything to the poor, thus keeping them poor - [why work!].

You may have worked long years before developing a disability, and I truly hope you can find some help.

While in Columbus, Ohio last month, I watched a tape of a speech that the Mayor had given on December 3.

He was all smiles because Key Bank had just awarded Columbus 340 million dollars [yes, you read that right]!!

The money is going to go for small business loans, urban renewal and a whole boatload of new, affordable housing.

I stood there, in my motel room, watching the lady-rep. from Key Bank hand over the check to the grinning Mayor.

And I remembered when I attended the 10th Annual Governor's Conference on Affordable Housing last September 9.

It was, as you probobly assumed, sponsored in large part by Key Bank.

And I thought..."Why did a city in Ohio get the big bucks after ALL the cities in Maine got diddley-squat?"

."Why did a city in Ohio get the big bucks after ALL the cities in Maine got diddley-squat?"

Since I'm living near the Gulf Coast of Texas, I'm not familiar with any of the places or people you mention. Why DID Ohio get the money instead of Main?? I almost regret that I replied to that thread - everybody else might have been smarter, but I felt a sense of sorrow that no one else replied.

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