50th Secretary Shenna Bellows of State of Maine

 

11/16/2021

Secretary Shenna Bellows

c/o Office of Maine Department of the Secretary

148 State House Station

Augusta, Maine  04333-0148

Dear Secretary Bellows,

My name is Matt Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan and I have a strong interest in learning history including social justice. In these subjects, I like to learn the need for civil rights to be stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, expand on social justice to make communities a better place, and many others. Secretary Bellows, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work as former Member of the Maine Senate from the 14th district and as current 50th Secretary of State of Maine to be very inspiring to me.

When you served as Member of the Maine Senate from the 14th district from 2016-2020, I truly appreciated on how you were a strong supporter of civil rights by advocating for people with disabilities’ rights, supporting funds for women including minorities businesses to help them compete in the economy, and working with members of the state legislatures to expand on laws to combat against hate crime to help protect minorities including people who are different. On the economy, I liked on how you support expansion of  jobs training programs to help train youth including workers to develop or gain work skills to help then prepare for the work force and heavily express the need to raise the minimum wage to help assist minimum wage workers afford to live. Supporting funds for renewable energy resources to help reduce addiction to oil with gas, encouraging businesses including industries to use energy efficient products to reduce high energy cost  while reduce pollution, and working to provide funds to improve city services including government services to help clean parks including water resources to make them safe for people to use is common sense to protect the environment. Also on education, I really liked on how you heavily support funds to improve special education to help assist students with disabilities get accommodations they need to learn an implement more literacy programs including tutoring services to provide students with help on their assignments or improve on comprehension from tutors. another thing that I like about your work in the Maine state legislature is how you work on supporting the need for ethics reform like a ban of gifts to staff members in public service including public officials from lobbyist to reduce corruption, push for drug treatment programs to help drug users get the care they need to reduce drug abuse, and support programs to help people who are homeless to get supplies.  In Your current role as 50th Secretary of State of Maine, I like on how you are a continuous supporter of civil rights, environmental protection, and criminal justice reform. Another thing that I like about your work as Secretary of State of Maine is how you expanded on voter absentee ballot access to help people be able to vote when they can’t make it to the polls, work on expansion of accommodations to help assist people with disabilities on voting including make polling stations be accessible to people with disabilities when they vote at the polling stations, and continue to advocate for voter protection rights.

Secretary Bellows, I have autism with a learning disability.  Having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different advance subjects, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased. Also with my disability i sometimes face discrimination in getting help in the health care system or other services. Your commitment to be a strong supporter of civil rights including people with disabilities’ rights really inspires me to work hard on my disability and it helps give me a voice when both political parties aren’t advocates of people with disabilities’ rights. Your role as former Member of the Maine Senate from the 14th district and as current 50th Secretary of State of Maine gives me motivation to continue to learn history including social justice. My future goal is to someday work in these areas to help emphasize the need for civil rights to be stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, expand on social justice to improve communities, and many others.

I strongly believe that you are making a great difference for society. I’m very proud on how you are working hard to support civil rights, protect the environment, improve social justice, and many others. Also I like on how you are working hard to help people who are disadvantaged during the pandemic. You truly inspire me to work hard on my disability, learn more about your work, and continue to learn different subjects. Please continue to advocate and support common sense ideas. 

Sincerely,

Matt Winick