I received "This Session in Augusta" from Sen. Walter Gooley.

This is one more year of disappointing performance by both the governor and the Legislature.

It is obviously more important to both of them to support gay and lesbian marriage than to uphold their fiscal responsibilities to ensure that the state lives within its income like its citizens try to do.

Do they realize that 275,175 of our 1.2 million citizens are on Social Security?

Most of the bills passed into law are really of little value to our citizens.

The one bill that should have passed was Winthrop Rep. Pat Flood's bill to reduce the size of the Legislature from 151 to 115. The estimate is that bill would have saved $1.6 million or more annually.

None of "our" representatives seem to get it.

People are out of work or do not make much. We cannot afford to pay all these taxes and yet they are still spending. If it were not for the federal stimulus dollars, state government would be bankrupt. Maine's Legislature is no different than that of California -- too big and unable to work together for the common good.

They cut the income tax for the wealthy and continue to tax the heck out of those who can least afford it. Great thinking!

They should all be ashamed. If not, I am ashamed of all of them.

I suggest they face the challenges and make the hard decisions to include creating a great business climate. Let's get back to work.

Richard D. Duffy

Belgrade