To the Editor:
For the record, when I elect a candidate to office, I expect them to vote on the first day of office. I expect all candidates to be following current legislation so they are prepared to vote on their first day. I expect them to have valid reasons for their vote.
I DO NOT want my representative to be a rubber stamp. If I had wanted a rubber stamp for a representative I would have voted for the Stamp Man.
I have been wrestling with why anyone would turn down an opportunity to find a better solution. I also do not want my representatives to rely exclusively on the workings of a closed door committee. Smaller committees are better able to organize the issues and resolve the easy ones. They do not represent every citizen. Only when it comes to the floor are all citizens of Maine represented.
I thank God that Chris Johnson was not a rubber stamp. I thank God for all returning veterans and that the delay in passage of the budget amendment allowed those veterans to be protected until they could coordinate their health care needs with the Veterans’ Administration.
For any other candidate running for office, I do not stand alone in my expectations of candidates being prepared to go to work on day one. I do not stand alone in citizens who did not want a rubber stamp representative. So do a good job running for office, keep up with current legislation, and be prepared to vote on your first day of office, should you win.
Jarryl Larson, Edgecomb
