Westbrook, MAINE - Mainers are continuing to take to the opinion pages of their local papers to criticize Republican Congressman Bruce Poliquin. From his vote to explode the deficit by $1.9 trillion so he could prioritize tax breaks for the wealthy over middle-class Mainers, to his support for legislation that would make it hard for low-income Mainers to eat, to his vote to gut the Affordable Care Act and drive up health care costs, to his constant refusal to answer questions and take accountability, Mainers are noticing and they’re not happy. Here’s what folks are saying:

04/25 Bangor Daily News: Poliquin’s hypocrisy

“In 2014, signs lined the streets of former mill towns promising ‘More Jobs’ and ‘Less Debt,’ and that’s exactly what out-of-work people wanted to hear in Millinocket, Bucksport and Limestone. It’s what they wanted to believe, but Poliquin has proven, with his support of the GOP tax bill, that our jobs and shuttered mill towns are less important than his friends on Wall Street. He’s proven that ‘less debt’ was nothing but a ploy to take from those with the least because he was more than willing to give to those with the most, even as it skyrockets the national debt. Maine deserves better than Poliquin.” - Allen Braun, Bangor

04/25 Bangor Daily News: A terrible farm bill

“The House Agriculture Committee is pushing a terrible partisan farm bill that will throw even more Maine families and children into food insecurity and starvation by slashing SNAP benefits. Rep. Bruce Poliquin has already made it clear that he wants to cut the SNAP food-stamps program benefits.” - Zev Kesich, Damariscotta

04/22 Sun Journal: Something to Criticize

“In thinking about sensible, balanced-budget fiscal policy, it should be remembered that Poliquin supported the recent GOP tax bill that will have the effect of ballooning the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion. Now that is something to criticize.” - Susan Rae-Reeves, Topsham

04/21 Portland Press Herald: Poliquin, Republicans are hypocrites on deficit

“Now as far as the hypocrisy goes, Mr. Poliquin voted for tax cuts largely targeted to the rich that blew a $1 trillion-plus hole in the debt. The median household income for the 2nd District of Maine is around $40,000, which equates to an average household tax cut of $360 or $6.92 per week. Now for him or any Republican to be talking about fiscal responsibility is definitely the summit of hypocrisy. The only remedy for this lunacy is to vote Mr. Poliquin and the rest of his Republican cronies out of office this November.” - Frank D’Agostino, Harpswell

04/21 Bangor Daily News: Poliquin’s attack on the hungry

“Isn’t that nice that Rep. Bruce Poliquin is leading in money-raising efforts for a re-election bid. He and his rich associates must be happy about that. It makes it understandable why he is hung up on who deserves food stamps. He wants proof the people who apply really need them. Should they lift up their shirts and display their protruding rib cage? Or maybe just pass out from hunger? A good plan would be for hungry people to hang around the back of restaurants where Poliquin and his friends are dining. Maybe they’ll toss out a few leftovers.” - Linda Gralenski, Pembroke

04/16 Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel (Editorial): Poliquin wants it both ways on federal deficits

“...instead of submitting balanced budgets and voting for them, Poliquin and other Republicans just blame the poor for wasting resources, talk about pie-in-the-sky amendments, and pass bills that require the government to spend more money and take in less.

“It’s easy to see why they would do it: They’ve been getting away with it for so long. But Poliquin’s constituents would have to be on another planet to miss what’s going on here. He’s trying to have it both ways, and he’s betting that no one in Maine is paying attention.”

04/07 Bangor Daily News: Health care a moral issue

“When our elected officials vote to dismantle programs like the Affordable Care Act, these decisions can be seen as a betrayal of public trust. Yet, Rep. Bruce Poliquin and Sen. Susan Collins have done just this. If we believe that every human life has value, we must demand better — we must demand a health care system that puts human life over profits, and elected officials who will do the same.” - Rev. Dr. Jodi Cohen Hayashida, Auburn

04/03 Sun Journal: Stand Up for Mainers

“I wonder why Rep. Bruce Poliquin voted for a tax bill that is enriching the richest among us and corporations, instead of representing his constituents from Maine? I call on Congressman Poliquin to stand up for the interest of Mainers and not for the interests of millionaires and billionaires.” - Hamda Ahmed, Lewiston

03/26 Bangor Daily News: Poliquin’s wealthy sponsors

“Rep. Bruce Poliquin claims to be an advocate for the people from the 2nd Congressional District. But this could not be farther from the truth. […] Poliquin has showed his true colors with the money he chooses to take, but also his vote for the House version of the Trump tax bill, which the Senate amended. The bill would have counted waived tuition for graduate students as taxable income, eliminated the student loan interest deduction and altered the American Opportunity tax credit. As a prospective university student trying to find a way to pay for my tuition, this terrifies me. How am I supposed to get ahead in this country if politicians like Poliquin are making the very idea of a higher education soul-crushing?” - Graham Ludders, Standish

03/17 Central Maine: Mainers want more health care coverage

“While there is still a lot of disagreement about health care in the U.S., there is a powerful and growing consensus that it is economically damaging and morally abhorrent to abandon the poorest and sickest in our society to the wolves in the market.That’s why it’s astounding that, a month after Mainers said that they want more Medicaid, Bruce Poliquin voted for a tax cut for the wealthy while Republican leadership assured us that the cost would be covered by gutting Medicaid.” - Miri Lyons, Boothbay Harbor

03/16 Bangor Daily News: Poliquin abdicates his democratic duty

“Poliquin’s overly narrow definition of his role in Congress enables him to avoid embarrassing disagreements with the leaders of his party, who have been unwilling to stand up for one of our most fundamental democratic values — the rule of law.By refusing to say or do anything as the leader of his party threatens to end the special counsel’s investigation and obstruct justice, Poliquin is abdicating his responsibility to represent the people of Maine. His deliberate passivity is inconsistent with his oath of office.” - Bruce Glick, Littleton

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