Captain William S. Linnell             

1.  a. Exercise leadership in addressing the coming energy crisis,  decentralizing our energy supply, keeping it truly green,  and making Maine energy independent.
b.  Foster Green Collar Jobs, using the growing sustainable energy economy to save our environment and grow our economy in sustainable ways.
c. Support a single-payer health care system

2.  This is one of the last places I would ever cut.   We need this program to make home ownership possible for many.  I would further like to see low-interest loans available to help people insulate their homes better as oil prices rise.
 I would work to restore the health and credibility of the Department of Human Services by getting a handle on the unintended generational incentives that keep people in the system. I would also review sweetheart deals that shift financial burdens onto the poor, working middle class and mentally ill, when corporations should be doing their fair share.

3. Yes, there is enough fraud, waste and abuse in the current system to pay for healthcare for everyone. We lag shamefully behind other industrialized nations in this. For Example, we rank 21st in the world for infant mortality. The system isn’t working, and only structural changes will make a difference.

4. We probably need to revisit NAFTA, as China is a big offender..  In the meantime,  we should have a zero tolerance attitude towards unsafe children’s toys.  That goes for cigarette advertising, too.

5. Yes, and I would take it much further by retaining the Rocky Mountain Institute to audit the State’s energy plan and make recommendations.
6.
a.  yes, I would support  LD 2019, as rail is the most efficient way to move goods or people.
b. not sure- I suspect that these funds are already maxed out.
c. doubtful- car rental fees are high enough. Those that rent cars are usually not in a position to ride a bike. 

6A:  It’s always best to find a way to live within your means, rather than increase taxes. Having said that, I would re-examine sweetheart deals such as those that allow Nestle/Poland Spring to mine our public aquifers without paying a reasonable fee.

7. I would overhaul the DHS system to remove generational incentives to staying on the system. Even if we don’t make cuts this year, I want to put us on the right track for the future by examining and rectifying incentives that keep people on the system when they would be better off back at work.

8. We need to encourage more industry, to take the burden off property taxes.  I would promote Green Collar Jobs, which are the key to sustainable growth in the near and distant future. 

9. Sounds like a plan.  Opportunity Maine is working.

10. I ‘d like to see Portland get a larger piece of federal and statefunding, as we welcome so many diverse cultures into our schools.   I’d also like to see us take advantages of energy efficiency, to lower the costs of heating our schools. New construction should meet insulation standard of R-30 in walls, and R-75 in ceilings.

11. Portland is minimally affected, as we have the largest school district in the state.  But can always look at ways to combine purchasing and services to achieve economies of scale.

12.
a.  paid sick days to full and part-time workers:  this would be tough on small businesses. 
b.  same as  above- this would cripple small businesses, and favor the big box stores.
c.  flexible work schedules: as a small businessman, I have always worked to keep employees happy, but customers want consistency, and you have to be able to count on people to show up at work.  To legislate flexible schedules would be a mistake. 
13.   Yes.  Young people will delay or avoid proper care if they face shaming or punishment for help.

14. Yes.  And I want to eliminate the need for most abortions by getting real on stepping up contraception and education.  Modern medicine gives us the ability to  prevent nearly all unwanted conception.  It is further the most economical way to deal with the issue. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

15. Sounds like a good idea. As a commercial fisherman, I see that we have been catching fish at unsustainable levels.

16. Challenge: To resist the temptation to fill in the harbor with real estate development   while we wait for the fishing industry to rebound.  Opportunity:  to continue to set an example for all fisheries through our continued sustainable harvesting of Maine lobster.

17. Yes.  Undocumented immigrants are not terrorists.  They pick our apples, our potatoes, make our beds, and help take care of our young and our elderly.  The 911 terrorists that flew out of Portland were not undocumented immigrants, and we should not confuse the two.