Letters to the editor, Week of February 9, 2017

Communication two-way street

To the editor:

After reading last week’s letter from John Glowa regarding Rep. Timothy Theriault’s failure to respond to questions about his five bills being presented during this legislative session, I felt prompted to share my experience.

Last fall, after reviewing Mr. Theriault’s legislative ‘score card’ on several websites, I was disappointed and puzzled by some of his decisions. On October 31, 2016 – in preparation for the following week’s elections – I sent him an e-mail asking if he could explain why he voted against LD 92 (Increase Minimum Wage to $8/hour), LD 319 (Expand Coverage for Reproductive Health Care & Family Services), LD 325 (Strengthen Recycling of Single-use Plastic Shopping Bags), LD 341 (Prevent Tax Haven Abuse), LD 633 (Provide Affordable Coverage Options to Low-income Uninsured Citizens), LD 977 (Improve Child Care), and LD 1165 (Toxic Chemical Protections in the Workplace). I also asked about LD 1378, which addressed the release of Land Management Funds; I wasn’t sure if he had voted to override the Governor’s 2016 veto, but hoped that when the amended version of the bill came up in January 2017, he would vote to release the funding which the citizens of Maine had already approved.

In addition, I asked why he supported LD 652 (Carry Concealed Handguns Without a Permit), LD 750 (Allow Regulated Metal Mining), and LD 1397 (Divert Timber Harvest Revenue to Affordable Heating).

After receiving no response and thinking perhaps he didn’t check or have access to his maine.gov e-mail when the Legislature was not in session, I forwarded my original request on November 10, 2016, to another address which I found on the town’s website. Although it was post-election, Mr. Theriault had been re-elected and I wanted to better understand his earlier voting history.

On November 28, I forwarded my e-mail yet again as I’d received no response nor any returns indicating the addresses I had used were not valid. On December 1, Rep. Theriault responded, asking for my phone number and a good time for him to call “to talk about my concerns.” On December 3, I sent him the information as requested and thanked him for contacting me.

Two months later, I have yet to hear from our representative. At this point, I do not want a telephone call from Mr. Theriault. If he feels inclined to respond, I would prefer he do so by e-mail, or better yet, to The Town Line so that its readers will also be informed of his voting rationale. Our elected officials need to remember that the process does not end with the tally of votes on election day. As representatives of their communities, I believe they should be responsive to inquiries of their constituents. We’re being encouraged to be more active and take an interest in our government, but communication is a two-way street.

Jayne Winters
South China