1. What are your three top priorities?

a.  Education   
b.  Economic development
c.  Tax equity


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, I would support protecting the funds.  If the facts show that there are excess funds I might consider a one time use, but given the current housing issues for the state I don’t believe that to be the case.  In terms of other methods for balancing the budget I believe that we have to look at how we can achieve more efficiency in administration.  This could be through consolidation of functions, as exemplified by school consolidation efforts, reduction in administrative functions in favor of actual activities, efficiencies that might be achieved through technology, tighter negotiations on state contracts (for example the DHHS computer software fiasco should have provided more protections for the state to be sure it got what is was paying for), and an equitable enforcement of state tax laws.


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 would much prefer to see a single payer system at the federal level and believe that we should focus at that level.  However, a state level would be positive.  This would really need to be supported by the small business community, and I believe a strong case can be made that it would benefit small business and the state.  I do have concerns about how it would work if it were just as a state level.  Some of the issues that I would be concerned about would be how we control costs, administration structure, and access.  For example, if everyone is covered and it is supported through the state residents and businesses, what would prevent someone from Massachusetts who doesn’t have coverage from moving to Maine for a few months to get expensive surgery and then moving back to Massachusetts as soon as it is done?  Will we create a state structure to administer it or contract it out to a company such as Anthem (I would vote against that scenario).

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 think the bill promoted by Hannah Pingree and other went a good distance towards helping in this area.  This will continue to require educational efforts (labeling won’t mean that everyone will understand what chemicals carry risks) as well as a push for better labeling.

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.)?

I support the RGGI, but would want to see what alternatives there are to the cap and trade approach.  This is a gut reaction, and I would want to see a lot more information about the effectiveness of different approaches before making any really strong statements.  Regardless, we have to move towards more environmentally friendly approaches to energy use.

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?
Not directly, use bond funding with backing of general fund but primary repayment based upon tax on tickets as well as economic development benefits to the areas serviced.

b) Using Maine Turnpike Authority funds, which are currently dedicated to highway maintenance and expansion, for all transportation projects, including transit?

Yes, but not to detriment of turnpike authority

c) Raising car rental fees to subsidize transit?

Yes

6a. Please detail other funding options you might propose or for which you might advocate:

Infrastructure improvements are a component to economic development.  An investment in infrastructure that benefits one geographic area should be supported in part by that area, not entirely by the state.  Funding should be a combination of sources.

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?

The sales tax is typically a regressive tax, having an impact on lower income people more than on those who spend a lower part of their overall incomes.  I would not support an increase in the level of sales tax if avoidable, but would consider a broadening of the tax to include more services, and luxury goods as well as a review of tax levels on certain transactions and products.

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 could go on about this for a long time.  First of all, I support the school consolidation efforts and believe we should look for other opportunities to achieve some scale efficiencies.  This may help, but will not cure the issue.  One of the first steps is to assure tax equity.  This means making sure all properties are assessed fairly. 

I have three quick examples.  First is one where I was working with a client to arrange financing for a business.    He stated that his farm was worth $350,000.  The town had it assessed at $112,000.  When I asked about it they said that it was worth a lot more than that but that they just assessed it at that.  Which begs the question of how a new property owner in town might feel about the lack of equity in assessment if he were assessed at full value as required under state law.  The second is the fact that over 60 towns in Maine report no personal  property (business property) in their town.  Does this indicate that there isn’t a single business in the town or that they just don’t assess it?  The third is that fewer than 100,000 lobster traps (business property) are assessed in the state –while we have several million traps in Maine.  Again it is a matter of equity.  All property should be assessed equally across the state.  If towns then choose to rebate some of those taxes they can, but they must fairly assess all property  This would also apply to the unorganized territory in the state.  After all, this is a factor in the school funding formula.  Once we have the equity in assessment we can determine if we need to change the laws, but we can’t change them without fully understanding the consequences.  With tax equity, we will be better understand impacts on our communities.

Another issue is to determine how to address some of the issues of the non-profits and their concentration in service center communities.  A recent case in the Midwest found that a “non-profit” in the area had to pay taxes because there was no evidence of “charitable and benevolent” activity. We need to better identify what constitutes a true non-profit that should be exempt from taxes.  Communities should also have the ability to collect reasonable fees from non-profits for the services they provide such as fire and police protection. 

I also support the State’s funding of their percentage of the school funding as well as a push for full federal funding of mandates such as special education and others where the federal government has greatly increased costs without any funding.

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 do support this program unequivocally, and would like to see it expanded. 
Several years ago I wrote to Governor Baldacci suggesting a similar idea, but would prefer that we had structured it so that Maine students would actually have a portion of their student loans forgiven each year based upon  their remaining in Maine and paying taxes here. 

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?

First of all, refer back to the parts on tax equity and non-profits.  We need to make sure all communities are equally and fairly assessed.  We need to clarify the issue of what constitutes a non-profit, and we need to provide a legal structure where communities can at least be reimbursed, by those non-profits that are financially successful and stable, for services provided.  An example would be Maine Medical. With strong revenues in excess of expenses, Maine Medical supports a broad area, including many communities throughout the Southern Maine area.  Yet Portland taxpayers pay for all of the services for the hospital while wealthier communities such as Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth and others do not.  A change in state law to allow the city to recoup those expenses would assist Portland, and if needed Maine Med could add a very modest fee that would spread the funding out among all of the communities being served.


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

Given the size of the district Portland will not be directly affected with a consolidation.  However, the law does require finding savings.  I believe that we need to work to reduce administrative and overhead costs in order to focus more of our dollars on the classroom.  As an educator, I believe education is and investment in the future.  However, we as a state have a real concern over local control.  Everyone has to develop an understanding of the trade-offs between local control and costs.

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
b)  Paid family and medical leave
c) Legislation that allows workers to request flexible work schedules without employer retaliation

In principle I support each of these.  However, these cannot be extended to really small employers.  We would have to work on identifying a level where it is financially feasible and physically possible to offer these.  For example, a local convenience store that is only marginally profitable with just four employees might not be able to provide these.  Offering paid family and medical leave would be beyond the financial capacity of the firm, and they would need additional employees to cover shifts just to remain open.  The same might be true on flexible work schedules.  If the business is a retailer, they need coverage during all hours of their being open.  If this precludes flexible work schedules without hiring more staff or having to cut back hours of operation it is an unreasonable expectation.  On the other hand, if a large firm such as WalMart were the employer these standards should apply!

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?

I am very much on the fence on this.  My original thoughts were that I did support it.  However, in talking with a psychologist about this I found that he had some very strong concerns about this from a professional standpoint.  As a psychologist who works with families and children, and has a very different perspective than I.  I value his input and would want to hear a lot more about different sides of this issue before I could support, or not support, the law as it stands.

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, but would want to see some requirements for counseling both pre and post.  It isn’t my place to make the decision for them, but I believe it is such a big decision for many young women that they should be offered additional support.

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 believe that I would support it, but would want to be sure that it is really effective!

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

The industry faces tough times with depleted stocks and high costs.  One issue that I believe has to be addressed is access to fishing grounds, and enforcement of restrictions.  We should restrict access by non-US fishermen, as well as some of the very large commercial vessels that are more destructive of fish stocks and environment.  I believe that fishermen have an opportunity to work to rebuild stocks by seeking out more ways to limit by-catch and smaller fish that have not reached breeding age.  This has been a beneficial aspect of Maine’s lobster industry.

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