District 7 candidate Zachary Smith introduces himself to voters

To the editor:
    As Congress goes on vacation having done nothing to alleviate the energy crisis, we here in The County keep on working hard and continue to pay excessive prices at the pump. The Maine election season is also starting to heat up, and we local politicians are gearing up for the hard work of campaigning for your vote.
    I’m Zachary Smith and I am a candidate running for the State Legislature in House District 7. I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself a bit, tell you where I stand on a few issues, and although there isn’t anything I can do about Congress other then write them a letter, I do hope to earn your vote with what I can do.
    I am very excited and honored to be running for the legislature, and I am going to work very hard this campaign to earn your vote and win. I feel I can make a real contribution in Augusta to help the hard working people of northern Maine. I deeply believe in public service, and that as a member of the community wishing to give back I have a responsibility to serve. I do not believe in being a career politician, just that you do your civic duty for a time to help your community and then get back to whatever vocation it is you are passionate about.
    I recently graduated from UMPI with my bachelor’s degree in business, and at age 28 I wasn’t what you would call a traditional student. I am excited about having my degree, but am saddened that so many of my friends will be leaving the area. I love The County, call me crazy, many do, as it isn’t always the easiest place to be for a young person. I truly love it here and the quality of life it has to offer. Granted the economics of the area sometimes leave a lot to be desired by many young people, although it leaves a lot to be desired by most everyone some of the time. I am determined to help change that, and to try and help young people see the advantages and the quality of life they can have while staying in northern Maine.
    While a student leader at UMPI I was active in the community, most notably as an organizer of the UMPI Technology Fair, a business-oriented event designed to help businesses learn about and how to use the latest technology. Most of UMPI’s students are non-traditional with families of there own, and are just trying to get a college degree on the side to improve the quality of life of their family. This is why I volunteered to help shape what would later became Opportunity Maine. I’m was proud of my participation in that project, and was honored to be one of a few people asked to participate in working together to come up with ideas for legislation to actually help our students. This was a bipartisan effort we developed and the Opportunity Maine program is something everyone going to college in Maine should look into.
    One of my major goals will be to sponsor legislation to make it a little easier for County working families trying to go to school to enhance their education. We’ll also have to do a lot more beyond that as well to make sure the jobs are here when they do graduate. I am confident that new technologies becoming available will help spur new industries which I believe The County will be an ideal location for. In the mean time more must and can be done to help everyone with energy costs, health insurance coverage, and other basics that are within the power of the State Legislature to do something about.
    We have the resources to solve the energy crisis right here in Maine. I will advocate for the aggressive development of these resources what ever they may be, as no option should be off the table. I do believe we can develop these resources while balancing economic development and environmental responsibility. I also strongly oppose school consolidation, did from the beginning and continue to do so, and I will support all efforts to repeal it. Unlike others currently in the legislature, I will never vote in favor of any legislation that forcibly takes away rights from our lives, our communities, or our schools.
    Between school consolidation and secret ‘middle of the night’ tax increases one has to wonder what current legislators have been up to, (I do recall something about a promise of no new taxes). To those few who did stand up for The County and voted against those measures, some even against your own party, I applaud you. Such courage is not always easy, and I hope your constituents will reward you by re-electing you. I mention this because even though I feel that every legislator has a responsibility to the state as a whole and their party, one should always remember the needs of the community who put them in office must always come first, even if it means going against their party. Beyond that I hope every citizen will take a close look at their current representatives voting record and keep it strongly in mind this November when you vote.
    I hope I have earned your vote this November, or if you’d like to learn more about me, the campaign, and or where I stand on the issues then please visit my new Web site, www.zacharyearlsmith.com, or feel free to contact me at 227-0451, or email zachary.smith@gmail.com. House District 7 includes; Castle Hill, Central Aroostook Twp. (includes Squapan Twp., St. Croix Twp., Webbertown Twp., Dudley Twp., Cox Patent, E Plantation – E R-2), Chapman, Hammond, Littleton, Mapleton, Masardis, Monticello, Oxbow, Wade, Washburn, and part of Presque Isle.
Zachary Earl Smith
Presque Isle