Two stories appeared in the online version of the Sun Journal Nov 20: “LePage threatens to sue Legislature over state budget,” written by the Bangor Daily News, and “Lawmakers challenge LePage on contract for Medicare critic,” written by the Sun Journal’s Scott Thistle.

How can the state Appropriations Committee come up with a balanced budget when the governor is spending one million of the public’s tax dollars to hire a consulting firm without the Legislature knowing about it? Puzzling, huh?

That consulting group, the Alexander Group, was hired by an Arkansas Republican state representative to come up with the same politically-biased report as what Maine Gov. Paul LePage wants to see. The consulting firm took $220,000 from Arkansas taxpayers and gave them absolutely nothing in return.

In reading the 92-page Arkansas report, submitted by that consulting firm, all it had to say is exactly what LePage wants to hear; that is why he hired that firm.

It is reprehensible that LePage is spending a million of the public’s tax bucks so he can have his “ah-huh” moment.

I have never seen such a waste of tax dollars.

Al Pelletier, Norway