Saucier challenges Willette
for District 5 seat
Name: Robert J. Saucier
Hometown: Presque Isle
Age: 57
Political Party: Democrat
What other political offices have you held? If none, what other offices, honors or titles have you earned? I have held no political offices but have worked in public service my entire life. I have been an executive officer, commanding officer, fire support officer and fire direction officer, all in the Maine army National Guard. I graduated from Officers Candidate School, ultimately earning the rank of captain. I was a scholarship winner in the Maine Public Service State of Maine Electrification contest, external vice- president of Presque Isle Jaycees, shop steward for the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1164 and have top secret security clearance.
What is your career background? Like many people in Presque, I worked multiple jobs my entire life to provide for my family, including time in both the public and private sectors. After high school, I joined the U.S. Air Force and then the Maine Army National Guard, where I served for 24 years including as commander for both Battery C in Fort Kent and headquarters in Caribou, ultimately retiring as captain. I also worked as a civilian at Loring Air Force Base, where I began my career in 1978 as a maintenance technician with the 42nd Civil Engineering Squadron. In 1985, I joined the Defense Logistics Agency, starting as a property disposal specialist and then was promoted to property disposal officer. After Loring closed,
I went to work at the Presque Isle Post Office in 1993 and in 1996 I began working for the Presque Isle Social Security Office as a customer service representative. I ended my federal career of 37 years and six months in December, 2011, as a disability and retirement claims representative. I also owned and operated several small businesses to help put my children through college, including the Paddy Wagon, the Paddock Café and a Christmas tree and wreath business. I also sold timeshares as a vacation specialist for World Wide Vacations, was a licensed health and life insurance salesman and am currently licensed as an associate broker with First Choice Real Estate in Houlton. Throughout it all, I earned degrees studying part-time in the evenings at both NMCC and the University of Southern Maine.
What made you decide to run for this office? Throughout my life, I have always served in jobs where I have looked out for the best interest of people, whether it was the soldiers under my command, the disabled and retirees on Social Security, my employees as a small business owner, and of course of my family.
It only made sense that I continue with my work of helping people by looking out for the best interests of the citizens of Presque Isle. I understand what it is like to live and work here, and know that I always fight for what is best for the hard-working people of Presque Isle with honesty and integrity. 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 and I believe I can provide that voice. I also strongly support policies that help working people and the middle class and have grown increasingly concerned about the direction that Governor LePage and the Legislature has taken our great state. 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. Also, having worked in Social Security and Medicare, I know how important health insurance coverage is and strongly believe Presque Isle needs a representative who will fight to support programs that expand, not reduce affordable access to the care that we all need. I also strongly support public schools, and oppose cuts to Head Start, our schools, community colleges and universities – cuts that are the wrong solutions to have a well-educated workforce. It is time that Presque Isle has a representative to the Legislature that cares for the average person and supports policies that will grow the economy while preserving our social safety net for those less fortunate.
What do you see as the most important issue facing Presque Isle? The vitality of our economy is the most important issue to the county, is critical to the success of the small business community and nonprofit agencies, and to ensuring that our young people stay and work here. And the number one economic concern I have heard consistently from the thousands of people I have visited with in Presque Isle throughout this campaign is the affordability of health care. Unfortunately, insurance companies continually raise premiums and lower the amount of coverage. People have told me that their health insurance deductibles can be $2,000, $5,000, $10,000 and yes, even $25,000 – all while paying monthly premiums up to $1,200. These types of policies are not major medical insurance policies but are instead nothing more than catastrophic protection plans – while people end up having to pay the cost of their coverage out-of-pocket. The LePage health insurance law supported by my opponent is a massive deregulation of the health insurance industry, which has crippled the ability for older individuals and small businesses in rural parts of this state to be able to purchase affordable health insurance. The Small Business Coalition of Maine and Consumers for Affordable Healthcare warned that this was a bad bill for rural areas of Maine like Aroostook County, but it unfortunately passed on a party line vote. The law was written by insurance companies to maximize their profits at the expense of the individual and small business market, which will hurt important economic development in Aroostook County.
What do you see as your primary goal, if elected? My primary goal if elected is simple – listen to and vigorously represent the people of Presque Isle in Augusta and support policies that strengthen our city. All too often, it feels that once a legislator is elected, regular people stop being listened to until the next election. I want to change that. I would listen to the people and businesses in my district and not ignore them and take their concerns to Augusta. Elected officials cannot solve all problems, but every citizen deserves a response to let them know that there is either nothing that can be done or that there is a resolution to their problem. There is little doubt that our city has taken some major hits in its ability to provide necessary services with cuts to revenue sharing, education funding and to programs that affect services to the most vulnerable among us. These revenue cuts were made with little or no discussion with Presque Isle’s citizens, city and school officials, and agencies to understand how such policies would affect the working people and middle class. This has to change. As I promised at the candidate forum at city hall a few weeks ago, if elected I will set up regularly scheduled meetings so that citizens, businesses, the City Council and school officials can let me know what issues affect them so that I can bring these concerns to Augusta. After the last two years, voters are craving real change in Augusta and I can help bring that change as Presque Isle’s next representative to the Legislature. I will always be responsive to the needs of people who live in House District 5. I will serve with honesty and integrity.
