Lance Harvell may be good at knocking on doors, but his voting record suggests that he is out of touch with the needs of his constituents here in Farmington and Industry.
Lance voted NO to LD 53 that lets people who have no choice use a common flue for their oil furnace and wood stove. With the housing stock in Maine being the oldest in the nation, we all can’t afford to retrofit our homes Lance. So what about solar? Amazingly, he voted NO to LD 73 to protect our right to use solar energy. He also voted NO to LD 1485 that promotes Maine’s energy future by developing, planning, coordinating, and implementing energy efficiency and alternative energy resources programs. He may drive a fuel-efficient foreign import, but he sure doesn’t seem interested in tackling hard issues here in Maine.
I know Lance fancies himself a great outdoor sportsman, so I would have expected him to at least show up for the vote on LD 253 which removed the requirement that a Maine Guide needs to accompany big game hunters from out of state. Guess you’ll need to ask him about that. He did manage to show up for the vote on LD 823 where he voted to raise fees on snowmobile registrations. In his interest in wanting to “stick it to the flatlanders” (as he likes to say) that play in our backyards, he regrettably managed to stick it to the rest of us.
Lance also couldn’t help but tow the NRA line about gun regulation. He voted NO to LD 520 which authorized colleges and universities in Maine to regulate public safety on their campuses including regulating the use of firearms on campus. Like Lance many of us may enjoy hunting, but our schools are no place for deadly weapons.
I’m not sure what Lance was thinking when he wanted to lower the minimum age to 14 for operating an ATV by voting for LD 340. ATVs might look like a toy, but they are clearly an adult vehicle. Between 1985 and 2003, children under 16 accounted for 37 percent of all injuries. In 2003 alone, ATVs killed at least 111 children younger than 16 years of age accounting for 27 percent of all fatalities. That same year, children under 16 suffered 38,600 serious injuries which were 31 percent of all injuries and this age group received more serious injuries than any other group. I’m glad LD 340 didn’t pass despite his vote.
On another public safety issue, Lance voted NO to LD 348 which provided legislation to facilitate the removal of dams that pose a hazard to public safety and the installation and repair of fish ways. I know that the paper mills might not like to be told what to do, but public safety when it comes to hazardous dams is an important issue.
I know Lance talks about making Maine business-friendly, but I found some of his votes went too far. Lance voted NO to LD 1779 that prohibits Maine businesses from charging you more when you use your debit card. Maine law already prohibited surcharges on the use of credit cards, and LD 1779 only extended this to debit cards. Lance also voted NO to LD 783 which protects the privacy of consumer financial information.
Lance voted NO to LD 310 which is the Act Regarding “Grassroots” Lobbying. This law helps prevent corporations and elite individuals (like the billionaire Koch brothers funding the Tea Party “movement”) from buying votes in Maine via so-called grass roots lobbying. Moreover, Lance voted NO to LD 832 which updated the laws governing lobbyist disclosure. I don’t know about you, but I certainly would like to know who are the people and companies spending money to influence legislation here in Maine – guess Lance wants to keep us in the dark.
I know Lance was USAF for five years in the ’80s, and five years is the minimum service required in the Federal Retirement System to obtain deferred retirement benefits. So, I wondered how he voted on LD 196 which exempted military pensions from income tax in Maine. Lance did not show up that day to vote, so if you’re an interested veteran you’ll have to ask him about that one.
Amid the health care crisis and all of our concerns about affordable health care, Lance’s record is lacking. He voted NO to LD 1264 which stabilized and enabled DirigoChoice to reach more of Maine’s uninsured people. I thought perhaps it was just specifically Dirigo that Lance was against, but he also voted NO to LD 1205 to establish a health care bill of rights. I really wish we could get some legislators that understand that a healthy workforce translates into a healthier economy.
Some people are suggesting that we give Lance a second chance and re-elect him, but his record suggests that he is clearly not the person for the job.
Dennis Haszko
Farmington, Maine
How could anyone “tow the NRA line?” I’m guessing Dennis meant “toe” the NRA line, but one has to be cautious in disentangling his rants. A point-by-point analysis of his latest anti-Harvell fulmination would be to compound tedium with boredom. Perhaps it is enough to say that whenever the lad sees an act expanding rules, regulations and controls over private persons and businesses he figures it must be a good thing.without an idea, or even a thought, about how it actually affect people in the Real World.
Curious, though, to read his distress over Lance’s unwillingness to support the failed Dirigo Health Plan. I was present at the debate when Dennis must have heard Lance stating his opposition to that fiasco. Perhaps distress at his rout has made him forget. Pain can do that to a man’s memory.
Hey Dennis. Are you ever going to recover from the ass whooping Lance gave you a few years ago.
Look man, the people spoke. You lost and Lance won and he’s doing a great job. Get over it and move on.
Don’t you have anything else to do but gripe about the Lance and the Republicans. This is really beginning to look like sour grapes.
Dennis, you could have just typed ditto and a footnote to see all of your previous emails concerning Lance.
“On another public safety issue, Lance voted NO to LD 348 which provided legislation to facilitate the removal of dams that pose a hazard to public safety and the installation and repair of fish ways. I know that the paper mills might not like to be told what to do, but public safety when it comes to hazardous dams is an important issue.” Dennis would this be like the dam that Madison Electric had to remove on the Sandy River. The only problem with this dam was that the fish ladder was going to cost far more than removing the dam, so a renewable clean source of energy was destroyed. I guess in your mind this is “brilliant”! An we wonder why Maine is in dire straights!
“about how it actually affect people in the Real World”
People in glass houses…..
Maybe the old boy needs to tow in a new dictionary.
Three words- “consider the source”. Every time I read one of Mr. Haszko’s rants, I’m confirmed in my inclination to always think the exact opposite of every position he takes. If you have any kind of common sense, I urge you to do the same.
The very first example D. H. cited was untrue – Lance voted to allow single flues, but the Democrats overrode him and voted only to allow recently built single flues. So all the old houses got the shaft because of the Dems, not Lance as D. H. wrote. Shoddy reporting by D. H. again.
The solar device was a clothesline. The authors of the measure wanted to make clotheslines legal anywhere under any circumstances. Lance voted to let the property owner decide.
In fact, every point thereafter was a choice of the government will take the power and decide, or the people will keep the power and decide. Lance came down on the side of the people exercising their judgement every time. Don’t like fees at your bank? You have the power to switch banks. And what on earth os a Health Care Bill of Rights? It is the state regulations that have made Maine insurance twice as expensive as New Hampshire, and all D. H. can come up with for an idea is MORE regulation?
It is the Nanny State vs. the Founding Fathers. Lance is with the Founders.
Haszco, do you really think anyone pays any attention at all to your rediculous rants? After the last letter you posted, I would think you would be too ashamed to write another. This thing you have for Lance is,, really strange. Is this what they do in your home state of New Jersey when somebody gets walloped in an election?My guess is all the real world knowledge you have about dams and power generation, 4 wheelers, firearms,hunting and healthcare would’nt fill a thimble.You must have an ego the size of Mt. Ranier. It must be hard to walk around in your Dennis skin, seeing all the bad things going on around you,knowing you have all the answers but nobody listens to you.
Dennis,
Do you really have a dart board with Lance’s picture on it?
It is sad that some people continue to write letters with misinformation on roll call votes. One must take time to look at what was actually voted on. Let me use three examples identified in this “letter”.
LD 73, An Act To Protect the Right To Use Solar Energy, was a bill to regulate solar clothes drying devices. In other words “clotheslines”. I think all would agree this goes too far. So did Lance.
The second bill LD 53, An Act To Permit the Use of a Common Flue for Oil and Solid Fuel Burning Equipment, would allow using a common flue for a woodstove and oil furnace. The amendment voted on allows the use of a common flue if the two heating devices were installed before 1998. Lance wanted the original bill which contained no arbitrary start date, allowing the use of a common flue regardless of the construction date.
The last one I will mention is LD 348, An Act To Facilitate the Removal of Dams That Pose a Hazard to Public Safety and the Installation and Repair of Fishways, which allows the removal of dams WITHOUT a permit. Lance voted no. I think the paper company might be upset with his vote.
It is safe to say the other bills identified are in the same category as the ones I have specifically looked at. The author of this letter needs to do his home work before publishing his work. He might find that Lance voted many times the way he would have recommended.
Some condo and apartment complexes prohibit outdoor clotheslines. They go for beauty over environment .
Overuling those types of restrictions I suppose would be a bad thing. According to the conservatives.
we all grew up with clotheslines, why should they be banned in the trendy subdivisions now.
Use that dryer
Drill baby drill!!
I agree with everything here EXCEPT for the clothesline bill — why was there a bill protecting this right? Was it because zoning laws sometimes forbid the use of clotheslines and this would ensure the right of each individual to hang his clothes outside his house if he feels like it?
That’s the only bill I could see any problem with…. but I’m only going on what I have read here. As for D.H. he’s really setting himself up for this antipathy, isn’t he.
I feel sorry for you Dennis.
Maybe you should run again and your slogan should read, “It’s all Bush’s AND Harvell’s fault!”
Lance is good at knocking on doors and good at representing our best interests against guys like you who can’t spell and are making FALSE accusations.
I’m with hozhed, Cisco and Ringer – as soon as I see you as the author, the words just seem meaningless, empty and without any basis or meat.
Dennis: This is just more lack of understanding on your part. Lance has supported a single flu chimney policy for years and wanted not just a grandfather clause but all restricitions against this removed. The state firemarshall said there had NEVER been a case of a chimney fire that could be linked to two fuels in a single flu. So the question is why did John Martin and the democrats in Augusta not remove the restriction entirely? Lance wanted it done and voted that way.
As to Maine Guides, Have you ever heard of reciprocity? If Maine requires guides for all out of state hunters then aother states will follow suit. I know of many hunters who hunt with people from out of state and hunt in other states as well. This failed logic of yours is typical of the left.
And the revelation of a failed DIRGO health and Lance not voting for it? He campaigned on trying to end it actually it is rare that we see a politician who actually does what he said he would.
Mr. Saviello- Please, please, please in all sincerity explain your move from being a (Democrat) to (Independent) to Republican and was it because you believe in and support the Maine Republican Platform?
What the heck is all the racket a few people make about this Maine Republican Platform? I read it. Big Deal. I can think of a lot worse things I have seen politicians stand behind, and I aint talking about a senator from Mass. either. It may not be perfect , but what is? I also read the democratic platform. Almost the whole thing is all about more regulation, more laws, more rules,more ,more ,more .more. I had not read it until Independant brought it up, so thanks for that. One guy wrote the republicans want to get rid of all education funds and are for child exploitation. Give me a freaking break. It’s b.s like this and garbage that Haszco writes that gets everyone all worked up. Read both platforms and make up your own mind.