Re-Elect Rep. Mike Willette
To the editor:
Having been associated with Rep. Willette for many years in business, social, and personal venues, I can unequivocally state that Rep. Willette is, when it comes to representing his constituency while in Augusta, truly a man of Aroostook County.
I can’t count the number of times that I have heard him repeating his mantra, “It’s what my voters expect me to do. It’s right for them and that’s what I’m going to do”. I’ve heard him say it to other legislators, to senators, to lobbyists, to special interest groups, to big business, and to the Governor.
There are times when the needs and the directives of the voters in Rep. Willette’s district do not make him very popular with some of the southern representatives and even some in his own party. It has, at times, put him under what I feel would be tremendous pressure. Nevertheless, Rep. Willette has stood firm against any and all who want to usurp the rights and needs of those from his district.
One of Rep. Willette’s strongest suits is his never ending want to help all of those who reach out to him for help. I see this first-hand every day in our real estate office.
He has an uncanny ability to balance his duties to his real estate clients, with the demands placed on him by members of his constituency that need his help.
He even helps others that don’t even reside in his district. When asked why he would go out of his way to help a person who is not able to vote for him because they live in a different district, his response is “everyone deserves to be acknowledged, and everyone deserves to be heard and most importantly, listened to.” This to me speaks volumes to Rep. Willette’s character, and willingness to do as good a job as he can as a representative for Presque Isle in Augusta.
Rep. Willette is also a man of courage who is not afraid to buck the opposition in order to meet the needs of the majority of the constituents he represents. Mike has the experience and the judgment needed to be successful in Augusta . He has demonstrated that he has the negotiating skills necessary to work with his peers on both sides of the aisle to foster partnerships and coalitions that will benefit those of us here in the County.
He has expended, literally, hundreds of hours in the pursuit of the very best for his voters back home in Presque Isle. I’ve seen him arise, drive 3.5 hours to Augusta, cast a vote on an item that wasn’t, I thought, all that important, then drive home 3.5 hours to give a speech at a high school that evening. That’s dedication, that’s caring, that’s Mike Willette, Representative, Mike Willette.
Washburn
