I write in response to the recent letters about Nathan Libby. I am not an expert on traffic flow patterns or urban planning. I am, however, a front-row observer of Libby and his actions as my elected representative.

Libby has been my representative since 2011, first on the Lewiston City Council and then in Augusta as my representative and my senator. During the past five years, he has sat at my kitchen table at least 10 times and received and quickly responded to around 100 emails and phone calls from me.

The first topic I discussed with him were the young, seemingly healthy individuals I met on a daily basis in my job in downtown Lewiston who were not working, but were collecting welfare benefits. Libby went on to craft a bill (with many Republican colleagues) to address that issue.

Whether my calls were about the realities of chickens in the city (from a farm boy’s perspective) or weekly contacts about issues in Augusta, he returned my calls and when he was voting opposite my views, he explained in depth his reasoning and rationale.

I know Libby as a person. We both have family members with intellectual disabilities and have discussed ongoing needs and family fears and frustrations.

The things I know for sure about Nathan Libby is that he is neither a political opportunist nor a mouthpiece for any specific constituency.

Pete Alberda, Lewiston