Voters in Maine can choose to serve themselves after 12 years, but they will have to retire Susan Collins to do it.

Finding an affordable and universal health care system is at the top of the list for Mainers. Tom Allen offers a comprehensive and achievable approach. Susan Collins offers Mainers nothing, unless, of course, securing money for defibrillators counts.

Tom Allen talks about the fundamental unfairness of Bush’s tax policies. Collins’ unwavering support for them and for Bush’s reckless spending demonstrates she has not had Mainers in mind. If you think that’s in Maine’s best interests, go ahead and vote for her.

Tom Allen would never renege on the responsibility to hold agencies and corporations responsible for their performance. Collins, on the other hand, failed to hold accountability hearings for contractor performance in Iraq despite strong evidence of multi-billion dollar failings. If you think that’s OK, vote for her.

Tom Allen promises to restore American ideals and the rule of law. Susan, on the other hand, has slavishly supported the Bush administration’s Iraq misadventure, including policies that embraced torture and ignored some of our most sacred constitutional rights. If you think that’s OK for Maine, vote for her.

Susan promised two terms. Now she’s running for a third. If you think it’s OK for politicians to break their promises, then vote for her.

If, on the other hand, you think, as I do, that Maine can be far better served than it has been, then cast your vote for Tom Allen for Senate.

Hendrik Gideonse

Brooklin