Several weeks ago, I called Rep. Bruce Poliquin’s office concerning the ongoing trend of congressional Republicans drafting legislation in secret (such as the Affordable Care Act repeal and the tax reform bill). I told the polite young aide that I was serious and would call again if I didn’t get an answer.

I waited for an answer. I got none. So, as promised, I contacted Poliquin’s Washington office again.

I asked my question, and this aide was not as accommodating as the gentleman two weeks earlier. I gave her my ZIP code. Darn – I was from the wrong district. She basically hung up on me.

So I called my sister-in-law, who lives in Bangor, and asked her to call. She did and got the usual “I’ll pass the message on” deal. Two weeks from now, I might ask my sister-in-law to call again.

I wrote last week. But I know that an answer to a letter really can take weeks. I don’t expect much. But this is what I might guess: It doesn’t matter who calls or writes or from what district. The Republicans are drafting legislation in secret because they want to avoid questions and disagreement. It’s a way of maintaining control.

This Republican Party is particularly conservative. They don’t want to compromise. They want their agenda to be served up dry and unchanged and complete.

They know that is not the way of a democracy. They know that this is not what the American people who embrace a true democracy want. But they are doing it anyway, and that makes this American really angry.

Jo Trafford

Portland