Leo Knighton Tallarico, 60, believes that Maine citizens are independent thinkers who need a third choice besides the Republican and Democratic parties.

Tallarico, a Scarborough resident, is a Maine Green Party candidate running against Democrat Peggy Pendleton and Republican Sylvia Most for the District 128 seat in the Maine House of Representatives. This would be Tallarico’s first time in public office.

“I take a look at the state of the political world and I look at the Democrats and the Republicans and I see there’s this game going on,” said Tallarico. “The Democrats and Republicans are trying to win some battle, some football game. It should be about helping the community.”

From 2000 to 2003, Tallarico was a radio show host in Santa Fe, N.M. While interviewing politicians, said Tallarico, he started hearing the same opinions from the Democrats and the Republicans.

“But then I started hearing some independents and Greens and I heard some different view points,” said Tallarico.

Currently, Tallarico and his wife Deborah run the Spiritual Renaissance Center in South Portland, and produce the publication, “Spiritual Renaissance.” They began the center after moving to Maine in 2003. At the center, Tallarico is a director, counselor and spiritual therapy astrologer, a career he began in the 1980s.

One of Tallarico’s main issues is ensuring that development does not compromise both the environment and the character of Maine and its communities.

“I think we need to stop being so manic about development and get back to values,” said Tallarico. Big-box stores and development for development’s sake, said Tallarico, threatens open space in towns like Scarborough. While some larger companies and jobs are important, said Tallarico, supporting small businesses is what will make a balance between a healthy economy and environment.

A way to stop over-development, said Tallarico, is to get the public more involved.

“To me, the way to stop anything is to get the people involved,” said Tallarico. “That’s what this country was based on. People are bright – people in Maine are bright and independent minded.”

Another important issue to Tallarico is the war in Iraq. If elected, said Tallarico, he would encourage the governor to stop sending members of the Maine National Guard to Iraq. If there were an emergency in Maine, said Tallarico, the state needs its National Guard.

Beyond the Maine National Guard, Tallarico believes it’s time to pull all troops out of Iraq.

“I think the mess just gets messier with us there,” said Tallarico. Even without U.S. involvement, he added, Iraq was headed for civil war. “They need to fight out what they need to fight out. Even though we made the mess, I think we need to leave it up to them to straighten out.”

On health care, Tallarico believes that while Dirigo Choice was a good step, the only way to solve high costs is to create a universal health-care system. “It’s good on a practical level as well as on a human, compassionate level,” said Tallarico.

With lower health care-costs, he added, business would be more likely to come to Maine, which would boost the economy.

Overall, said Tallarico, he would work above politics to help Maine.

“I am someone who really cares about our world,” said Tallarico. “I care about the people in it and the people in my community. I wouldn’t be beholden to anybody.”

Leo Knighton Tallarico, Green Independent, is running for the District 128 Maine House of Representative seat. He is running against Republican Sylvia Most and Democrat Peggy Pendleton, a former state legislator and senator.