Dear Marc,
I just read your recent “Cleaning Out the Notebook” piece that you posted on Facebook.
Overall, this is a good and interesting piece; a valuable behind-the-scenes view for those of us not watching Augusta as closely as we should.
Although I sometimes disagree with your positions, I do admire your tenacity and your underpinning commitment to the people like me who live in your district. (Hence, why I’m always happy to have your campaign sign on my lawn.)
That said, your repeated swipes and criticisms of your Republican colleagues comes off as sophomoric and rather boorish. Certainly, well below your ability.
In your most recent column to the Courier aka the Portland Press Herald, you write: “The loss of access to trustworthy information has impacted our political discourse greatly. It has created a void that rewards clickbait and outrage, causing misinformation to spread on social media before anyone can even attempt to correct the record with the truth.”
Reading your piece, it doesn’t appear that you are willing to even attempt anything even resembling a bipartisan approach, castigating those on the right side of the aisle for everything from taking too long to eat their lunch at Applebee’s to outright questioning of their cognitive skills.
This is a problem for you, especially. Why? Because you are actually employed by one particular party. You are a professional party operative, beyond your role as a lawmaker.
Your day job as job as director of party affairs for the Maine Democratic Party, puts you in an awkward position.
Maine’s Democratic Party helps pay your mortgage, your utilities and Christmas presents for your children. The Democrats are your employer. I don’t blame you for wanting to keep your boss on your good side. That’s a simple survival skill.
But you are not a pundit. You are a duly elected representative in the Maine Legislature. You voluntarily took on a much higher responsibility than some wayward guy making jokes on Facebook. This recent post of yours comes off as snobbish, condescending and a bit elitist.
I should not have to remind you that not everyone in your district is a Democrat, and you have a responsibility to be fair to them, also. You were unopposed and your district is, in fact, one of the strongest of Democrats’ strongholds across the state.
Maine’s Democratic Party helps pay
your mortgage, your utilities and
Christmas presents for your children.
As I said near the top, I don’t pay as close attention as I should. Perhaps you are making a good-faith effort at bipartisanship. It would be nice to hear an example or two from you. . . from time to time.
I get that the work is sometimes frustrating. I also get that Republicans simply dig in their heels sometimes for no other reason than they are the minority party right now.
Back in the day (mid to late 1990s) I covered Augusta for various publications. I saw plenty of times when both parties were being somewhat silly and very partisan, but I also saw a lot of compromise and good-faith efforts from both sides of the aisle.
I would find your column a bit more palatable if you tried a bit harder to at least appear a bit neutral. But hey, it’s your column so do what you want.
You are a smart and principled man. You are also a community leader. For better or worse, this latest column from you does not reflect those admirable traits of yours.
You owe me nothing. But if you’re going to complain about a “fractured system” and a “lack of serious media,” maybe you should not be dumping gasoline onto that fire.
As a professional journalist, I offer you this last bit of food for thought: If you are going to write a newspaper column, you really should disclose your employer. It is especially relevant to your opinions and your subsequent commentary.
Best to you and your wonderful family. Enjoy the weekend.
Sincerely, R —
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LESSONS IN MEDIOCRITY 
While I do not live in Rep. Malon’s legislative district I do follow a number of State Legislators and their activities. I happen to had known of Marc’s employment and activities so I was a bit surprise more were not aware of who his employer was. But with that said, should every legislator, in communicating with their constituents or penning a guest editorial in a paper or speaking out on what the happenings of Augusta are and their opinion need to say who their employers are?
In reading a number of Marc’s postings as well as other legislators they mostly…, overwhelmingly seemingly follow party-line commentaries …. and seldom in my more than fifty years of following the political give and take have I seen legislators stating, Oh, by the way, my employers is ….. I am will to bet some, employers, most, would like their citizen legislator to leave them out of the political discourse.
Charles Pray
Millinocket, Maine
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Dear Mr. Pray, as a former legislator, your words carry weight. No, I don’t think every legislator has to disclose their employer, unless asked. That said, Mr. Malon is not just acting as a legislator. He is a regular newspaper contributor and pens a column on a regular basis. I have no problems with Democrats supporting Democrats nor Republicans supporting Republicans. That kind of partisanship, while unfortunate, is par for the course. But Mr. Malon is not a dentist, a lawyer or a mechanic. He is a full-time employee of the Maine Democratic Party. In the world of journalism, if you’re going to write a regular column about politics, readers should know your party affiliation and direct employment with one particular party. I am baffled why anyone would feel the need to question my call for transparency. Why not disclose that information? Our industry is built on the principles of sunshine and full transparency. Why would anyone oppose that? What’s the big deal?
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