President Bush's Misplaced Priorities

Op-Ed

On the day of President Bush's final State of the Union Address, Chellie Pingree said it is time to look forward to a new direction for America and start rebuilding our economy, our image abroad and investing in our future.

"For seven years we have suffered the effects of this Administration's bad decisions, misplaced priorities and neglect," Pingree said. "The result is a weakened economy with rising prices, growing unemployment and a declining stock market.

"The stimulus package that the President and the House have agreed to has some big holes in it," Pingree said, "I'm encouraged to see that Democratic Senators say they'll stand up to the President and include extended unemployment benefits and rebates for seniors living on Social Security. What Congress has proposed is a start but election year rebate checks aren't going to solve our long-term economic problems. We need to put more resources into making healthcare available for everyone, embracing renewable energy and the 'green jobs' it will produce and most of all we must end a war that costs us $275 million a day."

The war has cost Maine taxpayers over $1.2 billion so far--enough to provide healthcare to 235,000 Mainers and get renewable power to every home in the state.

Chellie Pingree is a candidate for Congress in Maine 1st Congressional District. A former President of Common Cause and Majority Leader of the Maine Senate, Pingree has built a reputation as someone who is not afraid to stand up to special interests. Pingree introduced several groundbreaking pieces of legislation during her time in the Senate, including MaineRX, a first in the nation prescription drug program that the pharmaceutical industry fought unsuccessfully all the way to the US Supreme Court.

Source