Letters: Vote: Finegan; Berry; Gideon

Vote Finegan

I am amazed at how many people are afraid to speak up, even fear retribution if they put up a yard sign supporting a candidate. This great country was built on free speech and the tradition of a two-party system. Both sides debate their ideas then come together in compromise to do what is best for the common good.

The current economic crisis facing our state is unlike anything I have seen in my lifetime. All our representatives must come together to help our state recover and come back even stronger. We need to elect people that will make this happen.

I am endorsing Jay Finegan for State Representative for House District 48, which is Freeport and part of Pownal. I have known Jay for several years through the American Legion. After his military service, he went on to a distinguished career in journalism, serving as Washington editor for Inc. magazine. He also spent eight years as communications director for the Maine House Republicans.

It is his six recent years as a financial professional with Prudential that will make him an especially valuable asset in the next Legislature. Our state is facing a huge fiscal deficit. We must elect representatives that can hit the ground running, understand complicated budgets, and make the hard decisions.

Jay is a man of fine character, with a great sense of humor, a strong work ethic and common sense. I have no doubt he will handle the job in a collegial spirit, listening to all points of view without judgment, treating all with respect. He will reject hostility and animosity in state government and always work toward solutions that are good for all of Maine’s people.

Joyce Clarkson-Vielleux,
Freeport

Vote Berry

My choices for various political offices have gone up on the roadside by the house. Several signs are recycled, including the one for Seth Berry — this is not the first time that I’ve supported Seth, who has served on the Bowdoinham select board and several times in the state house of representatives. This year he is running again to represent House District 55: Bowdoinham, Bowdoin, much of Richmond and Swan Island.

When I moved to Bowdoinham in the early ’70s, Seth’s family lived up the Ridge Road and Seth was just a youngster. Over the years, I came to know his parents and his grandmother, Priscilla, but it was only after Seth returned to Bowdoinham, with a family of his own, that I began to follow his career as a teacher and public servant.

Seth brings intelligence, knowledge, dedication, enthusiasm and incredible energy and diligence to all he does, and it amazes me that he can be simultaneously and effectively devoted to his job[s], his family, his community, his constituents and his concerns.

Seth cares about our environment, about the health of all our people, about providing a good education for all our children, about having an infrastructure that serves all our citizens. Looking back on the legislation that Seth has sponsored and the causes he champions, they often seem to follow the injunction to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable”- a good thing to do.

For all these reasons and more, I will be casting my vote for Seth Berry, and I hope you might join me.

Judy Gray,
Bowdoinham

Vote Gideon

After viewing both of Maine’s senatorial debates, it’s evident that one candidate is in tune with the Mainers’ needs, while the other candidate is in tune with Washington’s needs.

U.S. Senate candidate Sara Gideon convinced the audience that she will go to Washington to work for Mainers, not the special interests. From her plans to expand access to affordable health care, funding for Maine’s agricultural industries, and determination to take on the opioid crisis, Sara Gideon has been listening to Mainers. Through her answers to the questions posed to the candidates, she also described her views and plans for police reform, pandemic relief, support for the post office, and judiciary issues. Sara Gideon not only had solutions that have already helped the citizens of Maine, but was able to outline specifically how she would implement her plans if elected to represent Maine as a U.S. senator. She does and will continue to work across all political aisles to bring colleagues together, working towards uniting people rather than furthering the division that is currently too prominent in our country. Vote for the candidate who will work for Maine. Vote for Sara Gideon.

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