Long offers respected voice in Senate
To the editor:
I am a former State Representative having spent eight years in the Maine State Legislature. Through four of these eight years Rep. Ricky Long was my seatmate and I got to know him very well. Of the 151 Representatives I can tell you that none were better respected than Rep. Ricky Long.
Rep. Long did not speak often on the floor of the House but when he did speak legislators listened well and took him seriously. No other Representative represented his constituents so faithfully and consistently. By his actions and words, one could easily tell that he knew the problems, the issues and concerns of the working person.
Ricky was well aware of having to get up early, withstand the cold of the winter or the heat of the summer not to mention other discomforts like blackflies so that he might make a living, pay his employees, keep the equipment working, pay the bills and put food on the table. Well could Rep. Long relate to the farmer, the farm hand, the forest worker and the potato factory worker.
Everyone recognized that he was a man of the people and for the people. I can tell you that what makes Ricky a special candidate is that he was never part of the Augusta establishment. His days in Augusta were spent thinking about what was best for his constituents and never trying to fit into a certain click. I can also tell you that he never voted for any unfunded mandate or ever took a walk on an unpopular vote. Ricky was never owned by any one group or anyone. Rather he was a trusted Representative for all of his constituents!
My good friends of Senate District 2 the choice is yours. Do you want a person representing you in Augusta that owns a riding stable in one of Maine’s National Parks, does not live in this area year-around, is a lawyer and certainly is part of the Augusta political establishment, or do you want a person in Augusta that has lived your concerns, knows your issues, and can relate to your daily worries?
Rep. Long has worked the fields and forests of Aroostook County all of his life.
Bernard L.A. Ayotte
Caswell
