Letters to the editor: Political endorsements

Vitelli for re-election

Our region is so lucky that Eloise Vitelli is running for reelection to the Senate for our district! She has always been responsive, approachable and respectful in the interactions we have shared. In exercising her responsibilities as moderator of our annual town meeting over the years, she has skillfully balanced the rights of all voters to participate with the need to get to the end of the meeting. In her term as our senator, she has worked toward finding resolutions of pressing problems like high prescription costs, voter rights, climate change and reproductive health. She has proven to be a very positive influence in Augusta.

Sukey Heard,Arrowsic

I am a resident of Dresden and as such I am eligible to vote for Eloise Vitelli. Sometimes people forget how strange the lines are between districts. Eloise was first elected to the State Senate in a special election, in 2013 and is currently serving her second full term representing District 23, Sagadahoc County and the town of Dresden. She was elected by her peers to serve as Majority Leader in 2018; she continues to serve on the Marine Resources Committee. She has been a good and faithful senator, sponsoring bills that receive by partisan support and which benefit the people of Maine. Here are two examples.

A bill from Sen. Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, to protect Maine student loan borrowers from predatory lending practices was unanimously enacted by the Maine Senate.

In the second bill, the Maine Senate voted unanimously to enact a bill from Vitelli that seeks to gather information so policymakers can better understand the scope, cause and contributing factors of this prescription drug crisis.

Eloise has supported local community events and is readily available for gatherings to discuss issues and concerns. I believe she can be trusted. She is a familiar face in Dresden, and I like being on a first name basis with my senator. Those are but some of the reasons I encourage you to support Senator Eloise Vitelli.

Paul Tunkle,
Dresden

Cluchey for State Representative

Our names are Pamela and Raymond Gerbi and we are writing in support of Sally Cluchey for State Representative for Bowdoin, Bowdoinham and Richmond.

This past spring, we both had the pleasure of working with Sally when we all were members of the Midcoast CA$H (Creating Assets, Savings, and Hope) Coalition, assisting clients in filing their federal and state tax returns. Her dedication, compassion, and patience were impressive as she helped individuals and families work through sometimes-complicated mazes of paperwork. She consistently took as much time as necessary, often well beyond her scheduled time, to ensure that each person received the attention and results they deserved. The listening skills and kindness she demonstrated will be great assets to all community members as she represents you in the Legislature.

We hope that you will support Sally when you vote this November.

Ray and Pam Gerbi,
Brunswick

Mills for GovernorJanet Mills and Paul LePage couldn’t be more different. On issues of importance, we, as voters, have a clear choice regarding character, personality, and interactions with others, the differences are also clear.Over 20 years ago, I joined a book club (through Maine Humanities Council) with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions. Janet Mills was also a member of this group. I grew to know her as a valued member of the group. She was intelligent, thoughtful, well-prepared. She had interesting things to say. More importantly, she never pushed her way into the center of attention. She was eager to hear what others had to say, never interrupting, one-upping, or ridiculing them. When she had a difference of opinion, she expressed it respectfully. She valued politeness, civility, respect for others and differences, while also not shying away from articulating her own ideas.Janet Mills has the qualities I want in a governor.Alan Blum,Harpswell

Reny for Senate District 13

All of us have had a teacher, coach, counselor — someone in our educational experience — that has made a positive difference in our lives. For me, it was Miss Houston at Underwood Hills Elementary School in Sandy Springs, Georgia. With a mother who had manic-depressive episodes and who was in and out of mental-health facilities, my brother and I had ‘issues.’ Miss Houston made a difference in my life because she cared enough to care. She was the best of what a teacher can be.

I’m sure we can all agree that children are the future of Maine. We’re seeing upticks in Maine’s birthrate and inflow of young people, really young people. Let’s face it, we geezers aren’t going to be around forever, and our young folks need to be supported in both their educational and professional dreams if they are going to remain in Maine and make our state thrive the way we all know it can.

I’ve gotten to know Cameron Reny, the candidate for Senate District 13, through a number of opportunities I’ve had to hear her speak and chances I’ve had to interact with her on a one-on-one basis. Raised in a working-class family in Bristol, she worked her way through undergrad and grad school. She knows the value of a dollar.

Cameron is a helper by temperament and profession. In her eight years as a school counselor, she’s demonstrated a talent for consensus-building and has notched a successful record working closely with a broad range of groups – from families to educators to fellow union members – building consensus and creating positive outcomes on tough issues for everyday folks.

Cameron has a proven track record of bringing people together. We need Cameron as a Senator in Augusta to lead the discussion and advocate for the voices of those who cannot buy influence or power – the children of Maine – so that they can grow strong in both knowledge and character as they put their shoulders to the task of building Maine’s future.

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