I stopped to chat with my neighbor recently, while he was raking leaves. We talked about the governor’s race, local politics and the Patriots’ offensive line. He had strong opinions about all three.

Then I asked: “So, what do you think about the bond issues?” Not surprisingly, I got a blank stare. With all the air being sucked out of the room by top-of-the-ticket candidates, few people have focused in on important questions that will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The concept of “bonding” may seem arcane and complex. But it is really no different than borrowing decisions we make in our personal lives to pay for major purchases, such as a house. Just as a home can be a wise investment in our family’s future, targeted investments by government can make for a better future for Maine. In a perfect world, we would all “pay as you go” with no borrowing, but bonding is a recognition that when an expenditure (such as road construction or a new school) provides benefits for years ahead, borrowing can make sense. In both public borrowing and our private lives, the key is to ensure we pick the best projects, limit borrowing to what we can afford, and pay a low interest rate.

This year’s bond proposals are the Legislature’s attempt to focus on creating high-wage, high-demand jobs in Maine. We are suggesting mostly targeted investments in research and development, designed to encourage the growth of the jobs of the 21st century. If we did not appreciate the need for that before, the recent Verso plant closing has surely reminded us.

I was proud to help develop this package as a member of the Legislature’s Workforce Development Committee. We learned that states that make a consistent and long-term commitment to such applied R&D generally see their economies prosper; those states that don’t, end up falling behind. Maine is “Exhibit A” for this lesson; we are last in New England in this kind of investment, and we have the lagging per capita income to prove it.

I firmly believe that this year’s package is a good step toward turning this around. And with interest rates near historic lows, the timing could not be better.

So, what are the six questions?

• Question 2 would provide $8 million to support Maine’s growing agricultural sector and build a new state-of-the-art animal and plant diagnostic lab at University of Maine. The lab would help support our farmers and monitor the health threats of ticks, mosquitoes and bed bugs.

• Question 3 would provide $12 million to replenish programs at the Finance Authority of Maine that are proven winners in creating Maine jobs. $4 million would insure parts of loans to small businesses. $8 million would be lent through regional entities to accomplish the same purpose: more jobs. Both programs would leverage many times more dollars in private investment.

• Question 4 would provide $10 million, to be matched by $11 million in other public and private funding, to continue the growth of our genetic research sector in Maine. Jackson Biological Labs is the likely site for this project, which would increase employment in the search for cures to cancer and the diseases of aging.

• Question 5 continues the emphasis on this successful genetic research sector of the Maine economy. This bond would provide up to $3 million to modernize and expand a bio lab which concentrates on tissue repair and regeneration. The Mount Desert Bio Lab is a likely site for this work. Again, high-paying jobs to keep our kids in Maine and attract in-migration. More good news: the project would leverage almost twice as many additional federal and private dollars.

• Question 6 would help continue our state’s commitment to maintaining our pristine environment by providing $10 million for the drinking water revolving loan fund, investments in waste water treatment, wetland restoration, and upgrades to culvert and stream crossings. Federal funds match this investment at least 5-1.

• Question 7 provides $7 million, to be matched by private funds, to invest in Maine’s critical marine economy. Whether it is helping grow aquaculture or giving incentive to value-added processing plants, this investment would help us to play to one of our strengths — 3,500 miles of coastline and our rich fisheries.

These proposals were not chosen randomly; they were vetted against many other suggestions and ideas from around the state. In our view, they are the “best of the best” — a targeted, affordable series of investments that would give us a good bang for the buck. The package received overwhelming bipartisan support in both houses of the Legislature. As a frugal Republican, I can say that this level of borrowing is well within our means. If passed, our total debt service still will remain among the lowest per capita in the country.

In sum, people often ask, “What can we do to improve the Maine economy?” I think this bond package is part of the answer. As to how to fix the Patriots’ offensive line, that is a question beyond my pay grade.

Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, represents the new Senate District 15, which includes Augusta, China, Vassalboro, Sidney and Oakland.