Check your legislators’ voting records before Nov. 2

4 mins read

Two weeks ago a co-worker at Verso Paper came storming into the lunch room demanding to know if I had voted to cut the homestead exemptions. I did not and told him so. But, distrustful of an elected official (and who is not?), he demanded proof.

I brought up Maine legislative website and showed him how to look up bills and find out how representatives voted. It wasn’t long before the lunchroom was full of people wanting to see how their representative voted on a host of issues.

This reaction made me think of conversations I had with some colleagues in the State House. After the “People’s Veto” referendum votes in the last two elections overturned gay marriage and tax reform I asked a few legislators if they were concerned that they had voted against the wishes of the constituents. One of them gave me an interesting answer: “Since when did anyone lose his seat for how they voted down here?” She went on to “explain” that most voters just didn’t understand the issues and don’t pay attention. So why worry?

I’ve often thought about her “explanation” when talking to voters around Farmington and Industry and it’s become clear to me that she is flat wrong. I’d go so far as to say that many voters understand the issues and problems we face far better than most elected officials.

This statement may seem strange, but let me make my case. The atmosphere in the State House is unlike that people are familiar with day-to-day. It centers around political processes that are very different from what we know as “real life.”

In real life people have to make hard decisions every day, set priorities, and do whatever it takes to make ends meet. They work with real money. The voters’ checkbook has limits. They know they cannot say yes to everything all the time no matter how much they want things.

Augusta’s politicians and bureaucrats understand real money up to a point. That’s the money they get in their paycheck and put in their bank accounts. But I’m getting the feeling that they don’t see the take from the taxpayers as real money. Mind you, there’s a lot of talk about money around the Capitol but it doesn’t involve real debates or real ideas. I run into more real ideas and serious discussion while drinking coffee downtown. Not all those ideas and discussions are realistic but at least there is real thought and debate taking place.

This year’s election is coming up fast. I urge the voters to take the time to check out the voting records of those who represent you. It’s easy. Just google “Maine Legislature” and type in the LD number of the bill you wish to look up. From there it is just point and click your way to the roll call votes. If you don’t like my votes, then you will have a good reason to vote against me whether you prefer a candidate with a full head of hair or not.

Somebody has to do some serious thinking and you need serious information to do it right. Just don’t rely on the people in Augusta to do it for you. The folks down there need input from people who understand real money and real issues.

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5 Comments

  1. Wow, Mr. Haszko, you just can’t get over losing the election to Mr. Harvell! I have a hard time taking your averations seriously after your silly uninformed pronouncement , a few weeks ago, that Mardens just sells Junk.

    Mr. Harvell’s account of Augusta legislators’s view of our money I find to be to be very insightful and confirms my suspicions. It is sort of a message from the inside. His advice to seek out the voting record of each legislator is very sound. It is the duty of every citizen to be informed before voting. Now is the time to consider the record of our state government controlled by one party for 35 years (which party is that?) that has seriously impeded our state’s economy, has relentlessly nibbled away at our freedoms, and has created some amazingly expensive government messes.

  2. I wonder why no one is addressing the fact that Libby Mitchell was a co sponsor of the bill that became LD 1356, An Act to Improve the Ability of the Department of Education to Conduct Longitudinal Data. Otherwise known as collecting student social security numbers.
    Check it out for yourself with this link

    http://mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?paper=SP0491&PID=undefined&snum=124

    On the left you will see Data for SP 491, LD 1356 “Bill Sponsors”. Click on that and lo and behold there is President Mitchell E listed as a co sponsor.

  3. Mr. Dennis Hazko, Talk about a sore loser. I’m so glad you’re not representing ANYONE at Augusta with these type of remarks.

    Here’s a post from me on a previous article that you have yet to respond to, so here’s my third and final request and while I am not expecting an apology, nor am I doing it for me or for you, I’m doing it because people need to know who you are so you’ll never get into office at any time in our future.

    For context, you insulted everyone who has a yard sale and is a customer at Mardens, which includes myself and my family and, according to your written words, yourself.

    Quote:
    Well that said it for me….you won’t appologize for two reasons in my opinion:

    1) you don’t think you did wrong….possible….everyone on this board would disagree with you

    or

    2) you know it’s wrong and you’re too stubborn and/or proud to do so and are just ignoring the request

    Either way, this just confirms why you’re not in office right now.

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