False indictment of Sen. Susan Collins

In response to the op-ed by Tom Schroth (BDN, Aug. 27): I took great offense when I read in the Bangor Daily News his scathing – albeit false – indictment of Sen. Susan Collins’ record. The author seemed to take a play out of the Chellie Pingree playbook because his entire diatribe didn’t even come close to reality.

On no less than five issues – prescription drugs, education, the environment, corporate responsibility and tax relief, Schroth proceeded to condemn Sen. Collins for everything evil imaginable, stopping short of blaming her for failing to achieve peace in the Middle East.

Schroth’s baseless attack is one more example of why everyday citizens are turned off by the political process. These ugly attacks shouldn’t even warrant a response, but unfortunately when they appear in the newspaper, they give readers the impression of having some validity.

On the issues important to the people of Maine, Sen. Collins has been a leader in the U.S. Senate and has compiled a remarkable record of achievement during her first term.

On the issue of prescription drugs, Collins has been working to find a solution to lower the cost of prescription drugs for everyone. Unfortunately, the issue has been mired in partisan conflict by those who seem more interested in demagoguing the issue than getting something done. The Senate has succeeded in passing legislation that would speed generic drugs to market and result in significant savings for everyone. The author of this legislation was Sen. Collins.

On the issue of education, she has passed landmark education laws, which place a greater importance on early reading programs and provide special assistance to Maine’s rural schools.

It is true that Sen. Collins’ views on the environment have, at times, put her at odds with the Bush administration, and she has been commended for her reasonable approach to protecting the environment by several conservation groups.

When it comes to corporate responsibility, Sen. Collins has been out in front on the issue long before the Democrats chose to make it a campaign issue. In fact, as a member of the Permanent Sub-committee on Investigations, she has held dozens of hearings on the issue and has been featured on several network news programs for her thorough questioning of corporate executives who are under investigation for engaging in unethical business practices.

Sen. Collins’ commitment to Maine’s small businesses also is unmatched. Growing up in Aroostook County, she learned the value of hard work at the family’s lumber business. And when it comes to providing tax relief, she knows that the last thing the people of Maine need are more taxes. We are already the highest taxed state in the nation.

Collins works extremely hard for the people of Maine and our country. She deserves not only to be re-elected to the Senate, but a sincere apology from Schroth.

Doris M. Russell is a resident of Castine.