I commend the Bangor Daily News for running Wayne M. O’Leary’s Oped piece on Oct. 5-6 on the failure of current political candidates to “discuss real issues.” O’Leary is right on the mark when he criticizes the Democrats and Republicans as being two faces of the same party — the Big Business Party of America. He correctly notes that some of the biggest issues facing America — issues about which discussion is crucial — are those on which Dole and Clinton both coincidentally agree, such as NAFTA and GATT, welfare reform, the telecommunications bill and campaign finance reform. The candidates keep a tight lip on these issues because, as O’Leary points out, they are both afraid to admit “that what is good for Wall Street is not necessarily good for America.”

After such insightful analysis, it is disconcerting that O’Leary goes on to say that there is no choice but Dole or Clinton. The fact is, this is just not true. Ralph Nader is running for president as a candidate of the Green Party. In fact, Nader was in Maine just last week trumpeting many of the same concerns that O’Leary raises in his article. At a rally in Bangor, Nader spoke eloquently and at length about the corporate stranglehold on America and how disheartened the voters have become because of it.

Like Nader, John Rensenbrink understands that democracy is the greatest tool box of a free society. However, when the tools are bought by corporations and Wall Street executives and taken out of the hands of the citizen voters, the tool box falls apart and democracy fails. If you agree with O’Leary that the Republicans and Democrats are no longer working for the people but for the money and moneyed interests — and it is becoming obvious that more and more Americans believe this — I encourage you to explore these new and exciting campaigns. Don’t let Big Money continue its stranglehold on America. Inform yourself about Nader for president and Rensenbrink for U.S. Senate and vote Green on Nov. 5. Aaron Hunter Orono