I first met state Sen. Nancy Sullivan during a hearing at the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee workshop regarding a bill she had raised to allow unlimited liquor licenses to be released in Maine. That bill was raised under the emergency preamble of Maine’s constitution; in short, it was raised to benefit “the public health and safety of Maine’s people.”

The next encounter while working with the Business Research and Economic Development Committee to adjust the handling fee on returnable containers. Several times I questioned the “ethics” of the side I was there to represent, I felt the raise was justified and logic would prevail. I refused to play the games and engage in the trickery that Sullivan assured me was necessary to get it passed.

The behavior I witnessed in Augusta is how to get things done … if that goal is to amass almost a billion dollars of debt.

Now Sullivan has decided to gut the casino referendum passed by the people. The senator wants to reward Penn National and Hollywood slots, in spite of their obstruction to this passing. She wants to allow her interests to skip the steps Black Bear Entertainment had to go through.

Well, the people have spoken about how they feel about “how things are done” in Augusta. I will be a loud voice of reason in attendance when committees take up those issues.

A new day is coming in Augusta. I hope Sullivan is not the last Mainer to realize it.

Mark Ferguson, Poland Spring