As we approach the new legislative session, I would be remiss not to reflect on the previous session as a benchmark from which to look forward.

When the Legislature and the governor are more concerned about placing an “open for business” sign out by the highway and making whoopie pies the state dessert, clearly there is a major disconnect with the interests of the people on Main Street.

This is partially due to the political make-up of the government, particularly the party that holds the most power, but it’s not just them. This isn’t about party affiliation. Only when we have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people can real solutions develop. It shouldn’t be about the D or the R after someone’s name; it should be about doing what is right over what is easy.

We cannot keep electing the same people to office and yet in the same breath expect a different result. Who is actually working tirelessly to help end the partisan bickering and re-establish a structure for solving the real problems in our state? If each of us speaks out and holds officials accountable, no longer will our so-called leaders be able to hide behind a veil of status quo as their constituents are crying out for change.

If we rethink the priorities with what the people actually want, and reform the policies to reflect that, we can then renew the commitment of a representative democracy.

It’s high time politicians in those hallowed halls of Maine’s capitol city remember who they work for and who they should be fighting for each and every day. We hold more power than they want us to believe. We are the deciding factor between their political aspirations and a defeat at the ballot box. We are the employers, and they are the potential employees. During elections, we are essentially holding job interviews, trying to determine the best candidate for the position that would work the hardest for us.

Maybe the time has come for an individual to run for office who isn’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers to get the job done; who will stand up for the interests of his or her constituents over trying to score political points for the next election; and will tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear in a 30-second sound bite. The good ol’ boy political game needs to be unraveled and replaced by a system that actually works for those who work the hardest in the state: You.

The time for games is over. The time for solutions has come.

Rethink. Reform. Renew.

— Justin Chenette is a host of Youth in Politics, airing on WPME Sundays at 2 p.m. and WPXT at 8:30 a.m. He is a former member of the Maine State Board of Education, a graduate of Thornton Academy and is currently attending Lyndon State College, majoring in broadcast news. Follow him on Twitter @justinchenette, like him on Facebook.com/JustinChenetteOfficial, or visit his website at justinchenette.com.