Mike Willette knows
what a Representative is
To the editor:
After serving in the legislature for one session I learned how our state government operates first-hand. I have seen how people get leaned on to vote against what they believe and what those they represent clearly want. I have also seen some representatives with the courage to buck their parties and cast their votes according to their real convictions and the beliefs of their constituents. Some are conservative, some liberal, some Democrats, some Republicans, but all are members of what I call the Conviction Party.
Representative Mike Willette of Presque Isle belongs to that Party.
In the last session of the legislature two major pieces of legislation were put out to a citizen’s veto. One was gay marriage and the other was the tax “reform” which aimed to place new sales taxes on hundreds of services. On both the bills Mike voted with his constituents, not with his party.
The night the legislature passed the gay marriage vote and most Democrats were celebrating their “victory” Mike took aside a fellow Democrat legislator who was feeling worried about the consequences of voting against his party’s majority and told him he didn’t care what leadership thought. He told his more timid colleague that he was never prouder of how he voted and that they should both be proud.
After both tax “reform” and gay marriage were overturned by the people of Maine. Mike could walk among his constituents knowing he supported their beliefs. That cannot be said for many others who disregarded the people and carried out their own agenda’s or followed the party line.
I have served on the same committee with Mike and I have gotten to know him personally. He always asks insightful questions and will listen to any argument that is reasonable. He was a large help in saving the taxpayers’ money when it came to getting state workers to finally pay a share of their health insurance. And he supported the reduction of the size of the legislature and worked hard on the issue right to the end.
In these times of partisan bickering I want the people of Presque Isle to know that Mike has many Republican friends in Augusta. I am one and I am proud to support Mike. He truly gets what a representative is supposed to do and that is represent their district not their parties, at the end of the day what more could be asked of anyone.
Farmington
