The newspaper’s sense of timing is uncanny.

On July 26, the newspaper reported Gov. Paul LePage as saying that the reputation of Maine’s schools is suffering nationally. “I don’t care where you go in this country — if you come from Maine, you’re looked down upon now,” he said.

Well, as usual, he’s half right. Maine is looked down upon, nationally, but not because of inferior schools, as he claims.

The very next day, on July 27, the newspaper ran a comic strip by nationally recognized satirist G.B. Trudeau. In the Doonesbury cartoon, the people of Maine were applauded for their excellent voting record. Certainly, education had something to do with this fact.

Trudeau goes on, however, to poke fun at state Republican leader Charlie Webster, LePage’s close ally, as trying to pass voter fraud legislation to combat a crime that virtually does not exist.

This is just one of many examples of why Maine has become the laughing stock of the nation — not because of Maine’s education system, but rather because of the antics of LePage Inc.

LePage was better suited to buying and selling factory seconds and fire sale items for Marden’s. Send him back to his area of competence.

Peter P. Sirois

Madison