BIDDEFORD — Recent college graduate Ryan Fecteau, 21, and former city councilor David Flood, 58, are both vying for the Democratic nomination for the open seat in Maine House District 11, which represents part of Biddeford.
Ӣ Fecteau, who is single, works for TrueLine Publishing in Portland.
In 2011, he was elected to the city charter commission, and in 2012, he was elected as the chairman of the Biddeford Democratic Committee.
In an email, Fecteau said he is running because, “In 2013, Maine was one of two states in the country where more people moved away and fewer moved here. As this trend continues, the state is forced to make up lost revenue by raising taxes ”“ typically property taxes ”“ on those who can least afford it. This model is unsustainable and burdens middle class families and seniors.
“Biddeford needs someone who is committed to working hard every day to reverse this trend. We need someone who brings new perspectives and an enthusiasm for results to Augusta.”
If elected, Fecteau said his top priorities include: making Maine more attractive to young people to live and work; ensuring necessary services are available to care for the elderly; reversing Gov. Paul LePage’s tax cuts; and expanding Medicaid.
He said he is concerned about “the detrimental effects of young people and working-age taxpayers moving away to other states while seniors and middle class families remain here. This issue does not have a magic, one-bullet solution. However, I believe that we should expand the OpportunityMaine program in order to help more Maine college graduates.”
Fecteau stressed the importance of high-speed rail connectivity from Biddeford to Boston, the importance of investing in health care and ensuring there are adequate programs for aging baby boomers.
He said LePage’s $150 million in tax cuts benefited the wealthy and hurt the state’s middle class.
“I will stand up for middle class families by ensuring they are not paying burdensome taxes while the most wealthy amongst us pay less,” said Fecteau.
In addition, he said, “I will cast a vote in favor of expanding Medicaid to 70,000 Mainers, and I will stand by seniors every step of the way.”
Ӣ Flood is a magazine publisher and landlord. He and his wife, Carolyn, have two grown sons, Chris and Adam.
Flood was elected to Biddeford City Council in 2007 and 2011. He resigned from his second two-year council term when he became publisher of a local weekly newspaper, the Sun Chronicle. He is a past president of the downtown development organization Heart of Biddeford and is currently on the board of directors; a past president and board member of the Biddeford+Saco Chamber of Commerce, and a former member of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary; he currently serves on the Biddeford Free Clinic Board of Directors and is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Maine Downtown Center.
Flood said he is running for the House seat because, “I like making improvements in Biddeford, and I want to help at the state level.”
He also noted his local achievements: “The Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier would not exist if Carolyn and I hadn’t moved here,” said Flood. “It’s unlikely the Heart of Biddeford would exist, especially without my fundraising at the beginning. It’s possible that 265 Main St. in Biddeford would not have been developed without my participation and the participation of Caleb Johnson.
“The next big need for Biddeford is more parking in the downtown ”“ that’s the only way the mills will be developed to their full potential. If that’s done, it will mean jobs, good housing and a more stable tax base. Also, current State Rep. Paulette Beaudoin strongly encouraged me to run, and I appreciate that.”
Flood said his top three issues are “jobs, taxes and the downtown,” which he said are all connected.
He said hundred or thousands of jobs can be created in Biddeford’s mill district and industrial parks.
The state must continue to fund revenue sharing and not push more of the burden on the local property tax, said Flood.
“The downtown pulls all this together,” he said, “that’s where the jobs can be, that’s where the tax base can be increased and the mil rate stabilized, that’s what will help Biddeford be an ever-nicer place to live.
“I like to say, ”˜You can make it in Biddeford.’ That speaks to our history ”“ people have always made things here. But it also speaks to how we welcome people ”“ you can be a success in Biddeford. The city and the Heart of Biddeford encourage that on a daily basis.”
— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.
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