Text of Pat's Open Letter

Hello, I am Pat LaMarche. On December 8th I announced that I would like to be Governor of Maine. As soon as I made that declaration, I was asked some truly excellent questions. The most important question asked was "why?"

"Why do you want to be Governor, what would you do?" This question is huge because the content must be correct and the response would naturally cover so many topics. That makes it hugely important as well as gigantic in size.

So I decided to write to you because I want help with the answer.

Pat's plans for Maine

Don't get me wrong; I know what I believe should be done. I know that I love the State of Maine. I know that I love my kids as well as the rest of the kids in this state. I know that I enjoy working every day at a job that challenges me and rewards me for my hard work. I know that when my kids are sick, I want a good healthcare professional to see them and help them. I know that I have been fortunate over the last few decades to work with many others providing healthcare, food, shelter and increased commerce to the residents and businesses of our state. I know that I wouldn't be in a position to ask any of these questions if I weren't well educated. And I know that I am not alone in my desires for prosperity and independence here in Maine.

Asking the press for help

I also know that I can count on you, the editor of one of Maine's most local and direct media connections to the people of Maine. I know that you remain a direct connection to the people that matter most in the Governor's race: the voter.

So I am writing to ask your readers to write back. My email address is Pat@Pat2006.com. My mailing address is PO Box 5007 Augusta 04332.

Governors need to listen

I think the best answers can be found in the community. Our neighbors, fellow co-workers, students, educators, healthcare providers and recipients, travelers, children, elders, and every other subdivision of Mainer have ideas and wishes and dreams for this state. And no one should be Governor without at least attempting to learn what those wishes and dreams are. No Governor should ignore the solutions that are housed in the minds of those facing some of Maine's greatest challenges and experiencing Maine's greatest successes.

Pat has been listening

Through the course of my careeer, I've picked potatoes in Presque Isle, I've canned fish in Bath, I've painted lines on Route 17, I've broadcast from inside a burning building in Bangor, and accompanied our brave men and women as they were deployed to Fort Drum on their way to Iraq. Whether working with business professionals, state workers, public safety professional or our citizen soldiers, I heard more answers to problems from these folks than from any politician. And I want to hear some more.

Write to us

We at the LaMarche for Governor campaign would like your readers to write to us and tell us what they would want done, not if I became Governor, but if they did. The letters can start like this, "If I were Governor of Maine, I would......"

The essays can be one paragraph or several pages long. They don't have to be proof read or fancy. We are just seeking earnest responses to the challenges that lay before us in this state.

Your ideas matter

I've only bet once in my life: and yes, it was on the Patriots. But I'm willing to wager again here and now. I bet that the answers to those ills that trouble Mainers today can be found by mining the wealth of knowlege in Mainers facing the issues themselves. And I thank you for publishing this letter to see if I am correct.

I know that you, as editors of local publications, want exactly what I want: a healthy community where our families, our schools and our businesses don't just survive but they thrive.

Thank you,
Pat LaMarche
Yarmouth