1. What are your three top priorities?

a. Jobs/career enhancement and the economy
b. Energy: conservation, use what we have, alternative energy
c. Health care


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? 

Yes. Balance the budget by cutting costs that are repetitive or unnecessary or excessive.


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?

No. Helath care should be available for everyone, but through competitive marketplace products and by using risk pools (then gov supported) for those who would otherwise drive up health care costs.  Look at NH.


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?

Ensure that toys, and other products that could be harmful, use strict QC practices.


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, as a Republican I take a strong stance on global warming.  Not all parts of the world are warming, but it is clear the North Pole icecap is melting.  Whether this is global warming, it seems apparent to me that we exacerbate it.


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: (yes or no)

a) 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

b) Using Maine Turnpike Authority funds, which are currently dedicated to highway maintenance and expansion, for all transportation projects, including transit? no

c) 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 like to consider the recommendations in the Brookings Inst report on tourism.  Fees on out of state monies.

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 do not favor a sales tax increase.  There is $200 million in wasteful spending now.


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 think we need to consider consolidation of some services and administrative overhead.  With ever better technology, emergency response, for example, could quite possibly be consolidated.


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?

yes


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?

Portland needs to get a handle on school costs.  There are half the enrolled students now compared to 30 years ago.  But costs keep rising.  I don’t understand it all but this will be a major focus for me. We need to consider charter schools, technology and other innovative programs.  Balancing comes with a local plan that is viable, then work with state resources to ensure fairness.


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’m generally in favor of admin cost cutting and avoidance of duplicative overhead, so I like consolidation. At least the concept.  I suspect all schools in the state could buy materials from a central resource, much like a pharmacy system, and save $$$$.

The implementation has been problematic.  We need tougher management.


12. Given Mainers’ struggle to balance work with family care responsibilities would you support: (yes or no)

a)  Paid sick days to full and part-time workers … yes to full, no to part time
b)  Paid family and medical leave … too open ended, yes generally
c) Legislation that allows workers to request flexible work schedules without employer retaliation … yes


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, this has been a practice in Ptld for some time and it works

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?

I support abortion in the case of criminal abuse and life of the mother.  I do not support it to fix “Friday night fun” (now less than 2% of abortions), regardless of economic circumstances.  I would support strong education programs to teach responsible behavior.

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?

I am very interested in sustainable fisheries and do support programs to ensure we do not over fish our waters.  I personally watched the urchin population being depleted.

I want to work hard to ensure we adopt sensible policies that contain over fishing while ensure the economic well being of fishing families.

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

Develop farming expertise for salmon, mussels and other species.  Ensure our lobster fisheries are healthy, well protected and an economic opportunity.

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 or no) 

Yes, it should be a requirement to come forward within certain time definitions (short: 3-6 mo), register, apply and process.  Barring a time frame to come forward illegal immigrants should be returned.