Sherman fought for rail bond

Sherman fought for rail bond

To the editor:
    I was shocked to see that Sen. Roger Sherman’s opponent chose to use his candidate profile in your newspaper to misrepresent Roger’s pivotal role in this year’s bond issue debate in Augusta. In fact, Sen. Sherman was a leader in ensuring the successful passage of the Aroostook Rail bond as part of the overall bond package. 

    Roger Sherman had the common sense and courage to oppose the Democrats’ preferred alternative of a massive and irresponsible $85 million borrowing package. His position is one that I believe most Aroostook County residents share. Unfortunately, Sen. Sherman’s opponent doesn’t seem to understand that Mainers are fed up with adding millions of dollars of unaffordable and unnecessary borrowing on top of Maine’s already-staggering $9 billion of debt. While the Democrats in Augusta pushed hard to do just that, Roger Sherman – and every Republican in the Maine Senate – refused to allow it.
    Instead, Sen. Sherman was clear, forceful and successful in pushing for a smaller and more affordable package that prioritized vital funding for the Aroostook Rail. On the Senate floor, and in meeting after meeting, Roger Sherman advocated passionately and effectively for The County and the jobs that depend on the rail.
    When Senate President Libby Mitchell cut off Senate consideration of the bond issue, and refused to participate in bipartisan negotiations to forge a reasonable compromise, Roger Sherman stepped in. He took advantage of an opportunity to speak personally with the Governor at a crucial meeting on the Aroostook Rail in Bangor, and shared his conversation with me. I followed up with the Governor, who agreed to intervene and bring legislative leaders together for bipartisan negotiations over the weekend of the legislative session.
    Those negotiations produced the bipartisan agreement that cut the bond issue virtually in half, while establishing the Aroostook Rail as a priority. That measure of fiscal sanity, and its accompanying benefit for Aroostook County, would not have happened without Roger Sherman’s leadership.
    Aroostook County is fortunate to have a man of integrity and common sense in the Maine Senate. We could use more like him in Augusta.