Charles Barton Ladd

Republican

Office Sought: Senator – District 25
Age: 59
Occupation: International Captain, Delta Air Lines
Education: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University
Family: Married to Christina, daughters Liberty and Lucy
Hometown: Falmouth

Political experience

State Representative, 1991-1999, Georgia General Assembly. State Senator, 1999-2003, Georgia General Assembly. Senior Ranking Republican, House Ways and Means Committee. Senior Ranking Republican, Senate Finance Committee. Rewrote the entire State Senate rule book when Republicans became the Senate majority in 2002. Also served on the Insurance, Natural Resources, Retirement, Banking, Judiciary, and Transportation committees over 12 years. Created the Homestead Option Sales Tax (HOST) that reduced homeowner property taxes by 40%.

Why are you running for office?

As an Air Force veteran, current Delta Air Lines Captain, and with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, along with my extensive experience in elected office, I want to use my unique experience and background to help the people of Maine. I will work to change the state’s trajectory to one of population and economic growth. I have been a student of many state governments over the last few decades and there are many good ideas that we can utilize to help Maine’s citizens. Having an extensive background in tax policy, I can work to adjust Maine’s tax laws to reduce local tax rates while we diversify the government’s income stream, and make Maine a place where more folks will want to live a lifetime. My background in reducing air pollution was second to none for the state of Georgia, and I intend to apply it to protect Maine’s environment, too. And having witnessed first hand the problems of mega-sized school districts, I will defend the excellent local independent school districts of Maine’s towns that wish to retain them, which was the driving force for my family’s return to New England.

• Income Tax: Gov. LePage would like to lower Maine’s income tax rate and eventually eliminate it, by increasing the state’s sales tax and expanding it across a broader range of goods and services. Do you support this proposal?
  • Yes.
    There was a study done in California recently that pointed out that in the 1950’s, California received 28% of its revenue from its state income tax. Currently, it receives 77% of its funding from that source. In other words, the state tax policy did not keep up with the change in the type of economic activity that occurred over the decades. I suspect that a similar trend has occurred in Maine, and I believe that it should be changed. We are in competition with neighboring states, and we are unique among the 50 states in that all our neighboring states have neither a sales tax or an income tax (OK, only New Hampshire, but you understand the problem!) To be successful, we must change that.
• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • No.
    What problem is it solving? Criminals won’t do it, so it would only be a feel-good law that will accomplish nothing except to burden law abiding citizens.
• Minimum Wage: In light of the ballot question facing voters this fall, do you support raising the state’s minimum wage from $7.50 to $12 an hour by 2020?
  • No.
    Study after study after study shows it will cost jobs and reduce economic activity.
• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • No.
    1000% against this. Maine was a leader in the temperance movement that led to the 18th amendment to the US Constitution and Prohibition. Although it could be seen as a worthwhile attempt to stop a drug use (alcohol), it failed because alcohol had been commonly accepted for hundreds of years by society, and it was repealed with the 21st Amendment. To introduce legal marijuana use will be creating numerous new problems for us, which have been documented in other states.. Will everyone be able to use it? Think carefully here– police, firemen, doctors, pilots, train engineers, bus drivers— do you want a school bus driver to be a “recreational” user? And it will be much more accessible to youths– case in point, the drunk students in the Fieldstone Lane episode in Falmouth a few short years ago. How many young drivers will be killed? Innocent passengers? No thank you.
• Addiction/Overdoses: Do you believe the state is doing enough in response to the rise in heroin/opiate addiction and overdoses? If not, what else should be done?
  • Other.
    This is so sad. It sort of contradicts the argument for marijuana legalization. I’d like to do more, but I won’t have enough specific budgetary information until elected.