Editor’s note: Below Mr. Maynard’s letter is Senate District 18 candidate Ann Woloson’s response to it.
Letter: Do Your Homework
A debate was recently held at the Belgrade Library and the opponents were the two state Senate candidates for District 18; Tom Saviello and Ann Woloson. A question was proposed about reducing the number of bills each person could bring to Legislature to five. Ms. Woloson was in favor of the proposal and was happy to point out that last year Mr. Saviello had proposed 14 (the average is 13). Then she brought up a bill that he had proposed about veteran’s license plates and called it “unnecessary.” Ms. Woloson is clearly out of her league in bringing this up.
The bill was designed to give a veteran’s license plate to soldiers who are currently on active duty. Had she known anything about soldiers from Maine, she would know the two things a Maine soldier is most proud of (after family, of course) is that he/she is from Maine and that he/she is a veteran. Soldiers stationed around the country would love nothing more than to have a Maine veterans’ plate for their vehicle. The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles had previously told soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan that they were not veterans and therefore they were not eligible for the plate simply because they were still on active duty. Yet, the VA, VFW, American Legion, and DAV all recognized them as Veterans.
In the last decade, several attempts had been made to change this law (hence the need for a bill). While other politicians turned their heads, Tom Saviello knew that something had to be done. He worked with other politicians who quickly jumped on board to re-write the law. Had Ms. Woloson done her homework, she would have seen that the bill passed unanimously in the House 147-0. Clearly, the entire Maine House of Representatives saw that this was the right thing to do; I’m beginning to think she didn’t. It has become clear to me, that Ms. Woloson would have been one of the politicians who turned their heads at the very thought of this bill. I also believe that had she been in the House of Representatives last year, the bill would have had a very different outcome; the vote would have been 146-1. Is this really someone we want leading us? Do your homework Ms. Woloson.
John Maynard, II
Sergeant First Class
U.S. Army
Maine veteran
Response: Woloson Clear on Support of Veterans
John Maynard’s letter about my response to a question at a Belgrade candidate forum was inaccurate. In fairness to John and others who did not attend the forum, I’d like to clarify my support and appreciation for veterans, as stated at the forum, and set the record straight about what was actually discussed at the forum.
First, the forum hosted by the Belgrade public library, was not a debate between me and my opponent for the State Senate seat, as John stated in his letter. It was a meet-the-candidate forum, where local House and Senate candidates were present. The forum’s moderator explained the event was an opportunity to learn more about the candidates, who would share their views on issues by answering questions from attendees. Candidates were urged not to debate each other.
John’s letter stated I called a bill regarding veteran license plates for active duty veterans “unnecessary.” I said no such thing. He also suggested that if I had did my homework, I would know the bill passed unanimously.
If John was present and listening, he would have heard me say the bill passed unanimously, that it was a worthy piece of legislation, and in effort to reduce costs, lawmakers could work to develop a common sense approach for moving such initiatives forward, especially when it’s clear everyone agrees. That is the point I made in response to a question about limiting the number of bills submitted each session. As options for reducing the size and cost of state government, including the legislature are discussed, all proposals to achieve such a goal should be considered. Veteran license plates for active duty soldiers? Of course; clearly we can save money in Augusta by coming up with a less costly way to make initiatives like this, something clearly everyone agrees on, happen.
If John was listening, he would also have heard me talk about my desire to preserve Maine’s safety net for veterans, our elderly and the disabled. My father, John A. Woloson was a veteran. I spent many hours with him and my mother at a VA clinic during his last year of life. He was a very sick man and the VA provided him with most of the medical care and medicine he needed to die at home. I was lucky to be at his side when he passed; which probably wouldn’t have been possible if not for the support he received from the VA. I have other relatives and friends who are veterans or active duty or retired military personal or soldiers. My oldest daughter has friends who have enlisted or about to enlist. My heart and thanks go out to these brave individuals, both men and women, who make what I consider to be the greatest of sacrifices, to protect our nation and preserve our freedom.
If John was present and listening, he would have also heard my concerns about proposed budget cuts and how I’ll draw the line when it comes to cuts to veteran services. I’ve been strong in my commitment to address the needs of Maine veterans and their families. We need to prioritize and preserve services for those who need them now. We also need to make sure adequate support services are available to Maine men and women returning from duty. License plates, yes. But a good job, education and training, help with mortgage payments, health care for men and women, and help with sending kids to college are issues Maine vets, their parents, wives, and family members have talked with me about. I stand strong in my commitment to work on these issues on behalf of veterans, which John would have heard if he was present and listening.
Finally, it’s unfortunate my opponent has refused to talk with me about this and other issues during an actual, one-on-one, televised debate in Farmington, the largest town in our Senate district. A televised debate would help avoid “he said, she said” situations like this. Such a far-from-transparent and distorted approach to campaigning is unfortunate, especially for voters who want honest and clear information on how candidates not only feel about issues, but also how they’ll work to represent voters in our state capitol. I encourage people who have questions about how I’ll support veterans and their families to contact me at wolosonforsenate@gmail.com.
Ann Woloson
Candidate for Maine State Senate, District 18
Belgrade Lakes, ME 04918
Ann – I’m sure you understand that what you actually say is of no consequence to the right wing. You could spend a half hour praising Mom, apple pie and the American flag and you would have used enough words so that someone over in Hallowell could edit it to make it sound as though you were in favor of throwing an apple pie at your mother and then tossing the flag at her so she could clean up the mess. The next step is an e-mail to those who march in lockstep and pretty soon the editorial pages are filled with letters shrieking about you disrespect your mom, apple pie and (gasp) the flag. They’d include a veiled reference to al Qaeda and the possibility that you were born in Uzbekistan.
BTW sergeant – I’m a veteran too.
Good luck Ann. Tom is going to win 2 to 1.
Ms. Woloson’s response sounds so condescending and contemptous, you’d think she’d already been elected. This doesn’t sound like the tone to use if hoping to entice prospective constituents.
Mrs. Woloson,
I myself do not take a lot of stock in debates. I take stock in meeting someone face to face. I can say that I was in a meeting last night with Tom and Lance about how we as a Town (ie. Farmington) are going to fix are failing infrastructure (roads). I can say that Tom has been to many meetings I have been concerning Farmington. I can also say that I can call Lance or Tom and say that I need your help on this issue and they will answer the call.
I read your comment about “Farmington the largest town in our senate district” and wonder why you have never came to a selectmen’s meeting and introduced yourself? Why have we never had the chance to talk to you about issues that face the town?
I know people will say that I can contact you and ask you for help, but reality Mrs. Woloson is that you are running for my vote. I believe you should be contacting me.
I don’t want to give people any ideas that I am one sided. This spring I meet with Steve Rowe after he reached out to the selectman and asked if we would like to have a meeting with him. I am not from his party but I respected the man enough to meet with him. We had a great exchange about what we as a town are facing.
I wish you would have made time to come to a meeting and introduced yourself to the Board of the biggest town in your senate district.
Ryan Morgan
Thanks to Ann for reminding us of the difference between easy shots—the low-cost, empty “patriotic” gestures—and real support for veterans…support that requires hard work and resources for those who deserve our best. Flag waving does not pay medical bills or put food on the table. How often do our “super-patriots” strut toward elections wearing Old Glory, yet leave veterans with nothing more real than growing resentments?
…and please, Tom: elevate substance over image and agree to a televised debate. Apparently you feel you have everything to lose and nothing to gain going head-to-head on difficult issues with an honest, qualified opponent. Surely you can find time away from your packed calendar for something so important. When I see voters rewarding a person who will not debate, I fear for our struggling democracy.
I admire Tom for his energy and good nature, spreading himself thin through countless social events and photo ops for eight years. If only I had a nickel for every time he’s patted me on the back or reached to shake my hand, …but I wish I could also detect some political courage, straight talk, and open-dealing behind his endless activity.
Well, I have to say, I have been unsure about who I am going to vote for. I have been relying on The Daily Bulldog for my news on each candidate.
I have been disappointed lately as I feel like this Opinion Section is heavily favoring one candidate… Why wasn’t Mr. Saviello allowed to comment on any of the articles against him? Especially the one where there were the man made accusations wrote about Mr. Saviello’s voting record that were mistakenly read.
The Daily Bulldog should just put “vote for Ann Woloson” on their homepage and stop posting anything positive on Mr. Saviello.
You should be ashamed of yourselves, offering opportunity for one candidate to respond to an opinion article and not another.
I’ve made my mind up, and The Daily Bulldog helped sway my decision, I’m proud to say, I will be voting for Tom Saviello in November!
Ever consider that maybe a lot more letters supporting Ann Woloson are coming to this site? Maybe even more than they can post? I sent a letter Oct. 7 supporting Woloson and they chose not to post it. How does that fit into your theory, Mr/Ms.”Undecided” Decided Voter.
Ever consider that maybe a lot more letters supporting Ann Woloson are coming to this site? Maybe even more than they can post? I sent a letter Oct. 7 supporting Woloson and they chose not to post it. How does that fit into your theory, Mr/Ms.”Undecided” Decided Voter?
I accidentally posted before I read over my comment. The second paragraph, third sentence should read: ” especially the article where Mr. Hasko made accusations about Mr. Saviello’s voting record. Those accusations were incorrect because Mr. Hasko did not fully understand what Mr. Saviello was voting for.”
Sorry for any confusion :-)
The DB is publishing what people write in. so if you write an editorial, it goes up. Then anyone can comment on it. The DB itself does not depict any candidate in any way, this is the people writing in. I think there’s a lot of good vibes going around for all the candidates and some good debate if you just look at all the different editorials and comments. Thank you to the DB for providing such an excellent platform for civic dialogue.
The liberal bias of this and most news organizations is very obvious. But allowing Woloson to beat on a veteran and well respected man in our community will bite them all in the butt this time. Tom doesn’t need to lower himself to such childish rebuttals, even if it had been offered. A 2 to 1 victory for Tom is a conservative estimate.
I cannot say anything bad about Ann Woloson,. Why? Because to be honest, I don’t know her. I couldn’t even tell you who she is and what she even looks like. I have never seen her in my community. I have never heard her talk. She has not integrated her self like Tom and Lance have. It is unfortunate that all I know about Ms. Woloson is that her name is on a sign on the side of the road and I just read this letter.
I know that it is socially responsible to know your candidate before you cast your ballot. I want the person who serves me in Augusta to roll up their sleeves and serve me in my community, as well. Not just show up for a debate or two during election time. How can you really know what we need in want if you don’t interact?
Getting elected isn’t about bashing your opponent and standing up in a debate. Debate is good but we know how Tom feels about issues because he is “Everywhere”. He rolls up his sleeves, flips a burger, volunteers in our schools, and he talks to us, all of the time. He has built relationships with his constituents. He doesn’t just think he knows what we need. He knows because he gets out there. He has embedded himself into his communities.
Sorry, the second paragraph, third sentence should read “especially the letter to the editor where Mr Hasko misunderstood exactly what Mr. Saviello’s “no” vote actually meant.”
That’s what I get for not proofreading before hitting send.
No matter the issue John Maynard’s support of Saviello is based on the fact that he did something that personally benefited John. What has Saviello done to help the state in general?
He knows how to play the political game by getting his pic in the paper as often as possible and handing out awards whenever he can. Buit what has he done during his terms that help mainers in general>
WHY WON”T TOM DEBATE ANN ? THAT IS THE QUESTION HIS BLIND SUPPORTERS SHOULD BE ASKING. WITH HIS HIGHER EDUCATION DEGREES HE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID OF A FACE TO FACE DEBATE. IS IT THAT HIS LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE SO FEW THAT IT WOULD BE EMBARASSING TO HIM?
Mr. Bruce. Saviello did offer to debate. He suggested that one big debate be done for the district. No response from the bulldog. He suggested the debate be done in the morning because evening are not open. Again no response from the bulldog. If the bulldog had responded in a timely maner you might have had what you wanted.
Editor’s Note:
At the Daily Bulldog we have never endorsed any political candidate in the nearly four years we have been providing news to readers in Franklin County and beyond. What we have done is try to make as much information as possible available to Franklin County voters so they can decide for themselves which candidates will best serve us in these trying political times.
To that end, in 2009 we sponsored a debate between our current state representative Lance Harvell and the candidate opposing him, Dennis Haszko. The debate was seen by a large live audience at UMF’s Lincoln Auditorium and subsequently by hundreds more online, thanks to our partnership with the local Mt. Blue cable station which televised it. We received nothing but positive feedback about how helpful that debate was in helping voters distinguish between the two candidate’s views, and in fact, the debate can still be seen to this day here: https://dailybulldog.com/?p=1395.
In an effort to perform the same service this fall, we invited the candidates in all three local races to debate in a similar fashion. Lance Harvell and Yvette Robinson, the two candidates for House District 89, accepted immediately and we are looking forward to hosting their debate this coming Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. in Lincoln Auditorium at UMF.
Two others, State House District 90 candidates Irv Faunce and Russell Black both agreed in principle to a debate, but unfortunately we could not find a date which would accommodate both of their schedules as well as the UMF facility.
I am writing now in response to this posted comment as well as others we have received as to why no Daily Bulldog debate will be taking place between Ann Woloson and Tom Saviello, the candidates for State Senate District 18. The unnamed writer of the comment above (#16) does not fairly reflect Mr. Saviello’s unwillingness to debate his opponent. When we proposed a true debate between Ms. Woolson and Mr. Saviello more than six weeks ago, she immediately accepted. Tom Saviello indicated that his schedule was too full and the three “forums” the candidates were taking part in would serve the same purpose of the debate we proposed.
It may be that a true debate between Mr. Saviello and Ms. Woolston would not have enlightened Franklin County voters as to their differences, but we believe that Franklin County voters would have been better served if one had taken place.
Somehow I don’t think UMF is the best place for a ‘fair and balanced’ debate.