There comes a time when politicians should be judged by their actions, and not simply by their words. (Full disclosure: I am running for the Waldoboro Select Board this June.)

We have a case in point in the voting record of District 91 Representative Abden Simmons of Waldoboro. Twice now, when voting for bills before the Legislature dealing with Net Energy Billing for small solar power producers, Simmons equivocated. Last year with LD 1649, and then again this week with LD 1444, Simmons made a public commitment to support this legislation, only to later change his mind and twice vote to support the Governor's veto of this important legislation..

Mr. Simmons is also a current member of the Waldoboro Select Board (and is up for re-election in this June.) As a selectman, Mr. Simmons signed a unanimous letter from the Waldoboro Select Board to the Joint Standing Committee Energy, Utilities and Technology of the Maine Legislature, encouraging them to support LD 1649.

This was a good and wise choice by Mr. Simmons, since LD 1649 was an attempt to help bring the lower costs and other benefits of renewable solar power to all Maine ratepayers. Mr. Simmons even voted for LD 1649 when it first passed the House last year.

I personally know that Mr. Simmons honestly struggled with the complexities and economic benefits of renewable energy, including distributed solar voltaic power, because he reached out and discussed these issues with me at the time the legislation was being debated in the House Chamber (I am chairman of Waldoboro's Renewable Energy Subcommittee, and know something about the issues involved.)

Unfortunately, last spring Rep. Simmons' Republican handlers got the best of him at the last minute, and he intentionally absented himself from the House Chamber during the override vote, effectively voting in support of Le Page's veto, making him one of only three legislators who did so.

While I really do understand how complex and confusing some of the issues involved can be, especially given the flagrant disinformation campaign waged against solar energy run by State Republicans and fossil fuel interests, including and led by the Governor, there is still an issue of trust here: Representative (and Selectman), Simmons said he'd vote one way, and then when push came to shove, he voted another way, letting down his constituency and his ellow Select Board members (to say nothing of all Maine electric ratepayers!)

This week, Rep. Simmons did the same thing again, and not only that, he also recently voted for lowering the minimum wage, as recently enacted into law following last years state-wide referendum vote. Here too Mr. Simmons simply toes the Republican line, instead of voting in support of the hard working men and women of Maine, and of course, Waldoboro.

Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem of chronic duplicity: it's called an election. This June, the residents of Waldoboro will have the opportunity to express their displeasure with the actions of Selectman Simmons. And then in November, all District 91 residents and voters will have an opportunity to replace Representative Simmons with someone more attuned to the needs of the people, someone like Jeffery Evangelos, who I actively support.

Voting is the only really effective way citizens and taxpayers can truly and meaningfully express their wishes and hold politicians accountable; this June, and then again in November, the people will speak.

Seth Hall lives in Waldoboro