Why I’m running for office
To the editor:
This year I have had the pleasure and honor of talking with thousands of Presque Isle residents as I have gone door to door across this great city. As I have sat and talked with many of you at your kitchen table or living rooms about the issues facing our city and state, I have heard a consistent theme: a genuine concern the decisions that those in Augusta have made over the last few years, and a desire to have a strong and consistent voice to represent Presque Isle’s interests in the Statehouse.
I am running for the State Legislature because I share those concerns about the direction our state is headed and I will work hard every day to serve our city in Augusta.
My family has lived in Aroostook County for generations, and I have lived in Presque Isle for more than 35 years. My wife Anna and I raised four boys here — Philip, Eric, Ryan and Denis — all of whom graduated from Presque Isle High School and have gone on to great things. One of my sons is a lawyer, another is in finance, one owns a successful residential property management company, and my youngest, the scientist, works in a lab developing vaccines for animals. My wife Anna ran a much beloved daycare business in our home for many years, and between my sons and the children that my wife watched I don’t think there was a sporting event, band performance, or school play that we missed.
Like many of you, I worked multiple jobs my entire life to provide for my family. After high school I joined the U.S. Air Force and then the Maine Army National Guard, where I served as commanding officer for Battery C in Fort Kent and Headquarters in Caribou. I worked as a maintenance technician at Loring Air Force Base, property disposal officer with the Defense Logistics Agency, and then later as a customer service technician and retirement and disability claims representative for the Social Security Administration in Presque Isle. I also have owned and operate several small businesses to help put my children through college, including a restaurant, food concession business, a Christmas tree and wreath business, health and life insurance and timeshare sales agent, officiated basketball, soccer, and softball throughout Aroostook County, and am a licensed real estate agent.
Throughout it all, I went part-time and full-time in the evenings to Northern Maine Vocational Technical Institute and the University of Southern Maine. One of my proudest memories was when my wife Anna and my father in law Philip Parker pinned my gold bars on my uniform when I graduated from Officers Candidate School and when my family watched me march during graduation in my cap and gown to receive my bachelor’s degree. I was the only sibling of a family of 10 to graduate from college. I understand what it is like to work hard and live here, and will always fight for what is best for the hard working people of Presque Isle with honesty and integrity. What does this mean exactly?
First, I will always support policies that help working people and the middle class. I would not have voted for Governor LePage’s tax plan that was skewed to help the wealthy and was not paid for which leaves the cost to future legislators who will have to choose between funding for our schools, for fixing our roads and providing care to those most vulnerable in our community. Instead, I would have supported a tax plan that provides relief to the lower and middle class that would have been paid for and would not shift the burden to Presque Isle’s property taxpayers. I also support tax cuts to businesses that employ and hire workers at decent wages, which will help encourage that kind of job growth that Maine needs.
Second, I strongly support affordable access to health care. Many of you have told me that one of your greatest worries is the cost of health care and the fear that your loved ones may not be able to get the care they need. No one in this country should go bankrupt if your family needs life-saving cancer treatments. I do not support the insurance reform law that has increased profits to insurance companies, levied a $24 million to $36 million tax on 500,000 policy holders and raised premiums for older and rural residents in Aroostook County. Our downtown businesses have been hit with tremendous 45 percent to 100 percent increases causing some to cancel their policies and leave their employees with no health insurance. Having worked in Social Security and Medicare, I know how important insurance coverage is and I will always support programs that expand, not reduce access to the care that we all need.
Third, I strongly support education, which is vital to creating jobs and a strong economy. Maine is rightly known for our hard work ethic, but we need to invest in education and in research and development to drive job creation and to ensure that we are prepared for the new economy. Cuts to Head Start, our public schools, community colleges and universities are the wrong solutions to have a well-educated workforce. Presque Isle’s students are our future business partners, scientists, professors, and political leaders, and we should be encouraging public investment, not cutting the budgets that help support our future workforce.
My entire family is a product of public schools. I strongly support our local public schools, and would only support charter schools and school choice bills as long as public school funding is not affected. If families who can afford it want to send their children to a private or charter schools that is their choice. Most families can’t afford to do that and rely on public schools. I think public schools are just fine, and would oppose any legislation that would weaken them.
Finally, I will listen to the people of Presque Isle and bring your specific concerns to the Statehouse. As I mentioned during the recent debate at City Hall, the first thing I will do if elected is set up local office hours to hear from residents and our City Council to ensure that Presque Isle voices are heard. If there are two things that people know about me it’s that I am hard working and will tell you the truth — and I will do both as your Representative.
This campaign has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my life. I have met so many good people and have made a lot of new friends as I’ve shared coffee and talked about the issues of the day. I am proud to have received the endorsement from many great organizations, including Maine Education Association, the Maine State Nurses Association, the Maine State Employee Association, the Maine People’s Alliance, the Maine AFL-CIO, and an A rating from the Maine Sportsman’s Alliance. But more importantly, I am proud to have had the opportunity over the last year to meet so many of you, share stories, laugh, and yes even be told by some of you that you didn’t agree with me.
I have been told many times when I go door to door that Presque Isle needs a strong voice in Augusta who will fight for the middle class, for access to affordable health care, for growing our economy and for strengthening education. These are the issues that I care strongly about, and will always fight for what is best for Presque Isle. I appreciate your support and look forward to serving you.
Robert “Bob” Saucier
Presque Isle
