Candidate Bio: Bob Heaton, Independent For State Rep

Amherst Patch has sent a candidate bio to all people running for state representative and state senate to tell Patch readers a little about themselves and why they are running for office. Bios will be posted as they are received and will feed into our Election 2012 topic page which can be found under the "News" tab above.

Bob Heaton, Independent

Running for state representative

Your background/education: Amherst Public School System: first through eighth grade, Milford High School, BSEE University of New Hampshire.

Experience/Occupation: 

Retired Manager and Engineer from PSNH

Ways & Means Committee: 6 years

Recreation Commission: 20+ years

Fourth of July Celebration Committee: many years

Open Space Advisory Committee

Town Hall Study Committee

Bertha Rogers Study Committee

Souhegan Valley Boys & Girls Club: Current Board Member and past President

Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce: Past Board Member

Amherst Community Foundation: Past Board Member and President

Amherst Soccer Club: Past Board Member and President

Member of Restore the Center

Prior Elected Office: 

Selectman from 1999 to 2005, Chairman 3 years

Personal:

Amherst resident for 61 years

Wife: Sue

One daughter and two sons. Four grandchildren

Why are you running?

For the past several years, our legislative leaders have increasingly chosen ideology and political dogma over thoughtful, fact based, common sense decision making.  Our representatives seem to no longer represent our best interests, but those of their political party and/or their ideology.  This is true on both sides of the aisle.

The resultant polarization has created such gridlock that the critical issues which we face are either not resolved or resolved with an extremist solution which is unworkable and unsustainable, often causing unintended consequences which are more serious than the issue originally addressed.

It is with this in mind, that [Cynthia Dokmo and I] have decided to run for State Representatives as Independents in the November election.  We want to put the interests of the citizens of Amherst ahead of partisan politics.  We want to put the interests of Amherst taxpayers ahead of ideological driven solutions, which simply pass down the cost of programs from the State to the local property taxpayer. We want to put the interests of all Amherst citizens ahead of special interest groups and lobbyists.

If you agree with our philosophy, you can help by signing a Nomination Paper, which will enable us to have our names placed on the November ballot.  We hope to give Amherst voters more choice in November.

In addition, it will send a message to our current leaders that we demand that our representatives represent us in Concord. Please contact cyndokmo@aol.com or rmheaton47@comcast.net with any questions.