Accountability — an important element in Maine’s welfare benefits. It seems the Maine Democrats have suddenly discovered it and are claiming authorship of new legislation. The question is, since Democrats had voted against its implementation in the past, why do they now accept it?

Recent Sun Journal and other newspaper articles noted Republicans suspected that the Democrats sensed a conservative trend among voters for welfare reform and wanted to gain from it politically. Taxpayers and responsible legislators should be pleased, but should remember the proposed changes in welfare benefit laws were started by the Republicans years ago.

It is time for a change to an accountable president and Congress. If Democratic liberals are elected, people can expect more sanctuary cities and criminal illegal aliens, increases in the national debt ($8 trillion in 2006 and now more than $19 trillion), continued loss of respect and influence in the world, a weakened military, a vulnerability to attack, a loss of religious freedoms, a continuation of the Obamacare failure and a Department of Justice that will not prosecute law breakers from the Democratic administration.

It is time for conservative Republicans to step forward and restore the state and federal governments to fiscal and legal sanity.

Thomas Shields, Auburn