Five years ago, Chellie Pingree led Maine’s Senate in passing the first corporate accountability law in the nation. It required corporations to report the value of tax breaks they received, and describe how that money was used so that Mainers could assess what they got in return.

Pingree proposes outlawing overseas tax shelters costing taxpayers $70 billion to $150 billion a year. Sen. Susan Collins says these shelters are un-American, but is not sure we should address the problem with legislation. Big business likes Collins. She’s received about $70,000 from the drug lobby, $934,864 in corporate contributions, and more money from the finance and credit industry than any other current candidate.

Pingree has been fighting these special interests for years. The drug lobby denied her all donations as punishment for Maine Rx. If Pingree wins, she won’t be beholden to big business. Maybe Collins really does have the exceptional political courage to work against the interests of her large corporate donors. But then, why should voters ask Collins to do something that would cost her so dearly when Pingree will gladly do it for free?

Peter Thibeau

Bangor