I would love to bring both Gov. King and Jonathan Carter with me on a trip to Russia and visit one of the collectives where government control and mandates have been the rule for the past 70 years. The despair is absolutely palpable. The people live in hovels, drink to escape the pain of having no prospects, no future and no way to better themselves.

Their entire lives consist of waiting for relief from the government. They live lives of subsistence. This is the result of massive social engineering, government intervention and the complete destruction of private property rights. It’s a path we should not take for the state of Maine. Paul Trommer Bangor