1. What are your three top priorities?
1. Universal Single Payer Healthcare

2.  Affordable Housing

3. Energy independence- increasing usage of clean power in Maine
  
2. The past few years, Maine Housing Authority has utilized the HOME Fund (Housing Opportunities for Maine) to help finance fundamental programs as loans for first-time homebuyers, housing for people who are homeless, affordable rental housing, home repair, and housing for people with special needs. The Fund also helps finance programs that makes homes safer for children and makes homes accessible for people with disabilities. Over the last two years, the legislature has considered taking money from the HOME Fund in order to balance the budget. If elected, would you support the protection of the HOME fund? If so, what other ways would you suggest balancing the budget?

I would certainly protect the HOME fund. I would do this by seeking constitutional protection, voting against budgets that explicitly raid it and would seek to increase funding to it through bills doing so. This sort of funding system should be expanded in order to reduce housing costs, reduce homelessness in Maine and ensure that there is sufficient housing for Maine’s most vulnerable populations. Balancing the budget is constitutionally required in the state and should be one of the top priorities of the legislature. I would support broadening the sales tax to include such luxuries as ski lift tickets and movie tickets, as well as seek reductions in state costs by instituting a parole system to get non violent prisoners out of tax payer funded prisons, and back into the community in ways that are productive to society but under watch of law enforcement (parole officers) to protect communities. 
 
3. A major concern among young people is the rising cost of health care. 17,000 more Mainers are now uninsured since HMOs first arrived in Maine. State-funded health care programs like MaineCare is facing consistent cuts, while publicly financed heath insurance like Dirigo, has a current freeze on new applicants. Many First World countries have supported comprehensive health care systems that cover every person with health care. Within the United States, states like Massachusetts and Maine have taken steps towards universal, comprehensive health care coverage. Would you support state legislation for universal single payer health care in Maine?

I support a Universal Single Payer health care system. Dirigo is a flawed system that has kept in place the bloated bureaucracy of the Health care industry as it stands today. I would support any step to truly reduce health care costs, but my ultimate goal would be Universal Single Payer health care and a bill to create such would be among the first bills I would submit and/or cosponsor.
 
4. It seems that every month there is another recall or concern about children's toys or consumer products. The fact is that Maine families are exposed to hazardous toxic chemicals found in the consumer products that we use everyday. Toxic chemicals in the environment are among the causes of critical health problems that can be prevented. What would you do to help Maine ensure that hazardous chemicals in everyday consumer products are replaced with safer substitutes?
 
I would support the banning (and/or reductions) of toxic chemicals in many areas of the state. I support banning chemical spraying (insecticides/fertilizers) in any area that is primarily used by children, like schools, ball fields, and park spaces. If chemicals which are used in the construction industry are deemed to be harmful to people after the construction I would support banning those uses in the State of Maine. When it comes to Toys and other food type products, I am unsure how much the state of Maine can constitutionally do given the interstate commerce clause that reserves all regulation of interstate commerce to the federal government. I believe that LD 2048, the bill currently in front of the legislature,  sponsored by Representative Pingree is a good first step, and unfortunately Maine as a state has had to take the lead because the federal government and the FTC have failed to protect Americans on this important issue.

5. The State of Maine is currently a participant in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an innovative project geared toward cutting global warming emissions by establishing a cap-and-trade system for power plant emissions. Do you support Maine's participation in RGGI? Would you support the establishment of an economy-wide cap-and-trade program in Maine that would cut greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors (i.e. transportation, commercial and residential heating, etc.)?

Yes, I fully support RGGI. Greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change are going to be one of the greatest challenges all governments are going to have to deal with in the 21st century. Of course we have to be careful to make sure that we do not handicap our states industry through competitive disadvantage by having much more stringent emissions standards versus the rest of the region/country. One of the strongest aspects of the RGGI system is that 11 states are participating. Maine cannot fight climate change alone but can and should be a leader in state based solutions like RGGI.
 
6. The Maine Department of Transportation estimates that it faces a shortfall of more than $2 billion to simply maintain the existing transportation infrastructure. What, if any, funding solution do you support: 
 LD 2019, An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Governor's Task Force on Funding Passenger Rail, which would secure funding for transit by dedicating a portion of revenues from general fund sources like meals and lodging, sales tax, and car rental fees?  (Yes)
 Using Maine Turnpike Authority funds, which are currently dedicated to highway maintenance and expansion, for all transportation projects, including transit? (probably- there might be constitutions requirements such as mandates to use gas taxes for roads, I would support a requirement that no general fund expenditure can be used for non-emergency road construction/repair—emergency as in imminent collapse of bridge)
 Raising car rental fees to subsidize transit? (yes)

6a. Please detail other funding options you might propose or for which you might advocate:   I would work with the Governor to build a coalition of state to lobby for an economic stimulus package specifically targeting infrastructure (roads, bridges and rail)

7. With the state facing a $200 million revenue shortfall in the current biennium (a projection that may change when April receipts are tallied), Do you support increasing the sales tax in order to avoid balancing the budget entirely through program cuts? If you do not support a tax increase of any kind – and given that "enhanced government efficiencies" will provide only very modest savings if any at all -- which programs do you propose to cut and by how much?

I support broadening the sales tax to include such items as ski lift tickets and movie tickets. I would consider other sales tax increases as well. There can be some areas where the state can find cuts to be made- however the depth of the cuts in the education and health and human services sector is unacceptable. I also fully oppose the Democratic Party plan to cut OPEGA the government watchdog agency that seeks to limit corruption and find efficiencies in government. I support a parole system that would reduce jail costs and return some prisoners to society where they can become productive members in communities. Non-violent offenders who are not a danger to society should not eat up valuable tax money by sitting in prisons when funding resources for people with developmental disabilities, the education system and other vulnerable populations are being drastically cut.
    Outside of the normal considerations of program cuts or tax increases we should be exploring options to grow the economic base in the state. By growing the economic base we will increase tax revenue which will help to fund the programs upon which the most vulnerable Mainers among us rely.
 
8. As municipalities continue to provide what are increasingly expensive public goods (like education, police and fire protection), what is your plan for controlling growth in property taxes while maintaining these fundamental government services?  

I support a local option sales tax that would be capped at 1% and monies raised by it would be earmarked for property tax reduction. This would reduce our property taxes while ensuring high quality governmental services and would be optional for towns and cities. This is particularly attractive to cities like Portland because many people use the city and its services but only the relatively few who live in the city pay the bill though property taxes (also realized through rent). I also support the state paying a larger share of the education budget – as they are require to, but have failed to do so far.

9. The Opportunity Maine program will allow students who graduate from any Maine college or University, and continues to live, work and pay taxes here, to be reimbursed for student loan payments through a state income tax credit or an employer tax credit. Projections show that in ten years, this strategy could cost the state as much as $55 million annually, but the return on that investment is conservatively estimated at $75 million in new state and local tax revenues and decreased social expenditures. If elected, will you commit yourself to protecting this long-term economic development strategy, without any reduction in the credit's size or availability?

I will absolutely support this program. I helped to collect signatures to get it on the ballot and was ready to work hard for its passage by citizen referenda if the legislature had not passed it outright. I would look to expand it to potentially include further education such as graduate and law degrees. Legislation like this is especially important in Maine for three reasons. First, the proportion of college students who come from working class families is higher in Maine than in other states, and thus a greater burden on the family. Second, the persistent demographic trend showing educated young people leaving the state (the brain drain) in high numbers, in part because of the lack of competitive employment in the state is a severe hindrance to the state. And third, the fact that college students in Maine have the 6th highest student loan debt burden in the nation, and possibly the highest in relation to median income is appalling and is a further impetus for maintaining and growing programs like Opportunity Maine. (according to the project on student debt www.projectonstudentdebt.org)
 
10. Portland schools are seeing less funding from the state due, in part, to increasing value of residential and commercial property. Although property valuation is a measure of taxable resources, it is not necessarily a good indicator of the ability of taxpayers to meet the funding needs of our schools. What are your thoughts on how to balance local and state contributions to school costs?

I support a mixed formulation of property values, income and other socio-economic indicators that provide a more comprehensive and accurate measurement of financial capability for educational districts when formulating school funding plans. The state has also failed to live up to the requirement instituted by citizen vote to fund 55% of Maine school funding.

 
11. What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the state's new school district consolidation law, particularly as it affects Portland?  

  I believe the Governor's school consolidation plan is flawed. The plan reduces local control over schools and is unlikely to save the significant amount of money the Governor is promising. Some savings can be realized by creating incentives to merge and streamline some school services such as food services, transportation and some administrative functions, but a centralized and heavy-handed approach, that forces school merging robs localities of their local control. Instead, positive incentives can be created to encourage very successful school systems to accept less successful school districts either under their tutelage or adopted into the school system directly. The timeline in the governor’s bill was too short and has created problems among the school districts. I do agree with the portion of the bill that allows school district’s voters to accept or reject their school funding plan each year.

12. Given Mainers' struggle to balance work with family care responsibilities would you support: 
Paid sick days to full and part-time workers Yes
Paid family and medical leave Yes
Legislation that allows workers to request flexible work schedules without employer retaliation Perhaps I would have to explore the impact on the small businesses in the state. I support it would for large businesses but small businesses with few employees and the employer working many long hours might need to be exempted.

13. Do you support current Maine law (22 M.R.S.A. § 1502), which allows minors to consent on their own behalf for health care including contraceptive counseling, mental health care and substance abuse treatment?  
Yes. While Parental involvement is preferred in these events, often young people fear the result of consulting with their parents in these difficult issues and would forgo such treatment if parental consent is required for care.

14. Currently seventeen states fund abortion care for poor women on the same or similar terms as other pregnancy-related and general health services in their state-run Medicaid program. Maine's Medicaid program only covers abortion care when the life of the pregnant woman is at risk or she is the victim of rape or incest. Would you support funding abortion care for women covered by Medicaid in Maine?
Yes I would.
 
15. There is a significant move in Europe, Alaska, and Southeast Asia toward the independent certification of fisheries as sustainably-harvested. In effect, consumer demand for sustainable fisheries is moving faster than regulatory bodies to save fisheries from overfishing. New England is behind the rest of the world in this regard; Maine has no independently certified fishery. Would you support a similar move toward independent certification in Maine?

Yes, although I would prefer a system that includes all of the maritime New England states. However, the branding of Maine Lobster specifically adds a level of additional consumer desirability which can strengthen the demand of such premium products.
 

16. What do you see as the biggest challenge for Maine fisheries over the next five years?

The biggest challenges facing the fisheries in Maine (and around the world) is balancing the interests of those reliant on the fishing industry and invested in the preservation of a traditional and culturally important way of life with the ecological concerns caused by stock depletion and over exploitation of the resource. Another challenge Maine fisheries see is finding common ground between fisherman and lobstermen regarding lobster by-catch which has diverted fish and lobster caught in Maine water to fish markets outside of the state.

Biggest opportunity?  
    The biggest opportunity is to foster a positive working relationship between regulators and fishermen that would help to establish and preserve Maine’s fishing industry as a model of sustainable stewardship of a precious natural resource which can be emulated around the globe.

17. Do you favor creating a path of citizenship that allows undocumented immigrants to come forward and begin the process of permanent residency and then legal citizenship?

Yes. Our country has a proud tradition of immigration. Immigrants should be treated fairly. I support allowing immigrants to become citizens of the United States. However, while  this is primarily a federal issue, I would seek to maintain Maine’s current stance on immigration which is among the more progressive in the country.