John Cleveland (D)

Hometown: Auburn

Education: University of Southern Maine, bachelor’s in biology

Occupation: Small business owner, Community Dynamics Corp, economic and community development consultants

Political experience: Androscoggin County Register of Probate from 1999-2008, Maine State Senate from 1990-1998, mayor of Auburn from 1983-1987, Auburn city councilor 1977-1981

What do you think the three most important issues facing Maine are?

The economy and job creation, education and cost shifts to local towns

What do you think can be done to address those concerns?

The economy and job creation: We have gone through the worst recession since the Great Depression and the middle class and retirees on fixed pensions have been hit the hardest. Wages and pensions are not increasing but household costs continue to rise for food, heating fuel, gasoline and other household needs.

The state needs to fully focus its attention on assisting small businesses to grow and attracting new businesses so that more people are employed and workers can find good jobs. This will increase household incomes and state revenues to fund critical state services. The state should work more closely with local communities and economic development agencies to build business parks, provide low-interest rate loans for small businesses for commercial buildings and equipment, provide access to high-speed Internet services and invest in improving the transportation system. The state should also provide incentives to attract and encourage entrepreneurs and young business people to start businesses in Maine, reduce business regulation as much as possible and create a positive business climate in Maine.

Education: Education is the single most important factor that will determine the quality of our children’s lives and their prosperity in the future. It is also one of the most important investments for providing a well-trained and educated work force that is essential for business growth, business attraction and good jobs. The state must live up to its commitment to increase funding for local schools and for community colleges and state universities. Without that commitment property taxes will increase as costs are shifted to local communities and student college debt will continue to skyrocket.

Cost shifts to local towns: In the last two years, the state has made cuts and reduced future revenues that are shifting costs for education, for services for the poor, elderly and disabled that will increase costs to local towns and cities while reducing municipal revenue sharing that funds local public services.

We all must find ways to reduce budgets and be more efficient but these are not the right priorities. They will only increase future costs not reduce them and in the process they will hurt many people with the greatest need in our communities.

Do you support same-sex marriage?

I support the same sex-marriage referendum. Two people who love one another and are prepared to make a lifelong commitment to each other should be able to make that commitment public and to receive the same benefits under the law provided to other couples that choose to make a public commitment of marriage.

Lois Snowe-Mello (R)

Hometown: Poland

Education: Arizona State University

Occupation: No answer provided

Political experience: Maine State Senate District 15, 2010-present, Maine House of Representatives, 1996-2004

What do you think the three most important issues facing Maine are?

The three most important issues facing District 15 (and the entire state) are: the lack of jobs, wasteful/inefficient spending of limited state government resources and the need to make living in Maine more affordable for struggling families.

What do you think can be done to address those concerns?

We need to address (the above) issues while ensuring our social service programs are there to assist our most vulnerable citizens. The common sense solutions the Legislature adopted:

Lowered income tax rates while relieving 70,000 low income Mainers from having to pay state income tax. For when prosperity returns, we set in statute a goal of returning excess revenues (above and beyond the budgeted needs of state government) to taxpayers rather than creating new programs.

Reformed our health insurance system to make health insurance more available and affordable for the 133,000 Mainers without health insurance. Several columns have already attested to the positive impact that PL 90 is having: lowering insurance premiums and bringing new products to the market. I anticipate that trend will continue when the law is fully implemented and people can purchase insurance across state lines.

Regulatory fairness and reform legislation that begins to change the culture of state government to be more supportive of small businesses and job creation. For too long, state government has made it harder to do business and create jobs.

Refocused our social programs on protecting Maine’s most vulnerable citizens by enacting reforms to our welfare system, and restructuring the Department of Health and Human Services. The $110 million in structural changes that we recently made will help end the annual budget shortfalls that have plagued state government. Having 35 percent more people on MaineCare than the national average has been taking its toll on taxpayers and robbing other vital functions of state government of funding.

Reformed Maine’s welfare system to make it solvent. We enacted establish a five-year limit on welfare, with certain hardship exceptions. The changes we made include mandatory drug testing for convicted felons. New provisions are in place to identify fraud and waste. The DHHS is also being reformed to target more resources to those in need rather than bureaucracy. For example: for the first time, we have targeted new resources ($3 million) to reduce waiting lists for those with autism and mental health issues.

Exposed wasteful spending at taxpayer-funded government entities and passed legislation to provide more oversight and eliminate the potential for fraud and abuse like that uncovered at the Maine Turnpike Authority. Taxpayers have a right to expect that their tax dollars are being spent wisely.

Do you support same-sex marriage?

I am voting no on Question 1, and continue to support Maine’s current laws that give couples the same rights and benefits as everyone else. I support having Maine voters decide whether the state of Maine should “issue marriage licenses” as well.

Election 2012
John Cleveland