Marden’s is a major employer which has created hundreds of good-paying jobs throughout Maine, including Washington County. For more than 35 years our family-owned business has been a major contributor to the state’s economy by offering extremely good value to its customers who enjoy a much higher standard of living as a result.

We are concerned, however, that the expansion of casinos and slot machines into Maine threatens this basic philosophy of giving good value at a good price. Question 1 to us is not a Washington County issue, it is a statewide issue. This is not a new position for Marden’s. We have opposed proposals for racinos and casinos from their inception – including the proposals in Sanford and Bangor – because we believe they do not help strengthen Maine’s fragile economy.

With the support of our many loyal customers, Marden’s has long been a major contributor to the economy of Washington County and we will continue to be. The one-sided article in the Bangor Daily News (Nov. 3-4) failed to even consider the potential negative impacts a casino could have on our state and our communities.

While the article claims that I did not respond to telephone calls from the reporter, I was in my office all day on Thursday and Friday and did not receive a message from this reporter until Friday after business hours.

All of us on either side of this referendum question only want what is best for our state and our communities. While there is a lot of emotion and honest disagreement over the expansion of slot machine gambling, all one can ask is that we respect each other’s views of what is best for Maine. There are two sides to every story, and the Bangor Daily News owes it to its readers to cover both of them fairly and accurately.

Harold Marden

President, Marden’s