The Lebanon Voice endorses Harrison Thorp for House 20

Disingenuous, disinterested and disturbing.

It's hard not to "dis" these two.

Let's take them one by one.

Bettie Harris-Howard wants to legalize recreational pot. She thinks the government can spend its way out of Maine's economic doldrums. She thinks we need to put thousands of able bodied Mainers on MaineCare using federal dollars while our federal government's debt approaches a trillion dollars.

Bettie Harris-Howard won't be happy until the "capital" of our country looks more like the behemoth bureaucracy of "The Hunger Games" and House District 20 looks more like "District 12." Yeah, with the feds coming every year to exact their pound of flesh.

Tax Independence Day - when in a calendar year most Americans are done paying their taxes - is usually in April. In Bettie Harris-Howard's world, it will soon be August.

And then she wants to legalize recreational marijuana. The Lebanon Voice received an editorial from a senior at Noble High School today that details beautifully why this is such a cockamamie idea. I urge everyone to read the piece by Mr. Cleveland on the editorial page.

Harris-Howard's Republican opponent, Karen Gerrish, meanwhile, wants to take away a woman's right to choose to have a legal abortion after weighing her actions with her family, her doctor and her God.

Why would Ms. Gerrish want to send abortion back into the closet where it did women more harm than good, sometimes even costing them their lives.

It's appropriate that today is the first day of Eastern Standard Times, because it seems Ms. Gerrish is all about turning the hands of time back. She wants to outlaw Same-Sex marriage, which Maine voters have already made the law of the land.

Our country is moving forward. People are far more tolerant than they used to be and Republicans have to move forward with social issues, not stick their heads in the sand like Ms. Gerrish, who is wrapped in Tea Party ideology.

So we don't see how any woman or forward thinker could support Ms. Gerrish.

And we don't see how someone who wants less government intrusion into our lives, less taxes and more liberty could vote for Ms. Harris-Howard.

Moreover, as a state representative you are supposed to lead by example. Now, as Nov. 4 draws near and the town of Lebanon faces a monumental vote on whether to keep one of its ambulance or let it be repossessed by the leasing company, neither of the two candidates on the ballot - who are both from Lebanon - have uttered a single syllable on where they stand, fearful that a stance one way or the other could cost them a vote or two.

Shameful, not to mention cowardly. Is that who you want in Augusta representing your interests?

Harrison Thorp, meanwhile, has staunchly urged that the newer ambulance be retained.

The choice is clear.

Harrison Thorp will fight for jobs for Acton, Lebanon and Shapleigh by working to bring jobs to Lebanon's Route 202 corridor.

He will fight to reform welfare as we know it with incentives to get recipients back into jobs and repercussions if they don't try.

He will support more tax cuts to put more money in consumers' pockets to help our economy grow.

He will support our veterans.

He will support active military personnel and their families.

He will support our gun laws.

He will be our independent voice in Augusta, owned by no party or ideology and unafraid to take a stand.

The Lebanon Voice urges voters in Acton, Lebanon and Shapleigh to write-in Harrison Thorp for House 20 representative on Tuesday.

- MTSG