Dale Denno

Democrat

Candidate’s Links:

Office Sought: Representative – District 45
Age: 66
Occupation: Semi-retired; adjunct professor of business law at St. Joseph’s College
Education: B.A., Syracuse University; J.D., Cornell Law School
Family: Married to the artist Diane Dahlke, with 2 adult sons and 2 young granddaughters
Hometown: Cumberland

Political experience

I was elected to the M.S.A.D. 51 Board of Directors in 1991, and served on the board through 1997, including a term as Chairman.

In 2011, I was appointed Director of Maine’s Office for Family Independence, overseeing all public assistance programs in the state. OFI is the largest office in DHHS, with over 950 employees across the state. As a Democrat, I served effectively in a Republican administration, enjoying strong working relationships with staff and legislators on both sides of the aisle.

In 2015, I was appointed to the Cumberland Aging in Place Committee, where I currently serve as Chairman.

Why are you running for office?

I am running to give a voice to the moderate, independent-minded people who make up the majority of District 45. I don’t believe that Gov. LePage’s agenda is our community’s agenda, and I want to represent the centrist tradition established in Cumberland by Meredith Burgess and Steve Moriarty, and in Gray by Donnie Carroll. Whether the issue is Land for Maine’s Future, investment in renewable solar power, affordable housing for seniors, or property tax reduction, I believe that I would return that moderate, thoughtful voice to Augusta.

The most critical strategic issue facing Maine is our demographic trend: we are the oldest population in the U.S., and we are losing our young people. We need to take bold actions to attract and retain entrepreneurs to create the jobs that will enable our kids to build lives and raise their families here in Maine. The most critical element of that effort must be to develop an educated workforce with the advanced skills needed to succeed in a global economy.

The flip side of that demographic challenge is that we need to take creative actions to make sure that we are supporting our seniors. As Chairman of Cumberland’s Aging in Place Committee, I have had the opportunity to work with people throughout the community to make it easier for seniors to remain in their homes. This is a challenge we are called upon to address, with creative approaches to housing, property tax relief, and community services.

• 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?
  • No

    I do not support Gov. LePage’s proposal to eliminate the income tax. There may be opportunities to reapportion the tax burden by expanding the sales tax, but that idea has been rejected by the voters in the past. Any such proposal would need to be reviewed closely, to make sure it does not skew our tax structure to shift more of the burden onto those least able to pay.

    More important, the most acute pain point for most Mainers is not the income tax, but the property tax. I believe that we need to look at ways to enable our citizens, and in particular our seniors on fixed incomes, to keep their homes in the face of ever-increasing property taxes. I want to work creatively on a bi-partisan basis to find ways to support schools and critical services without driving people from their homes.

• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • Yes

    I stand with the Maine Chiefs of Police in closing the loophole that allows criminals and mentally impaired people to legally buy firearms. I’m inclined to defer to those who put their lives on the line every day to protect us.

    I grew up on a farm in a very rural area, and I am a strong supporter of Maine’s hunting tradition. I believe that people should have an understanding of the relationship between hunting and food, and that food can come from places other than the grocery store. In spite of supporting universal background checks, I note that I received a high “B” rating from the Sportsmen’s Alliance of Maine.

• 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?
  • Yes

    I support the increase in the minimum wage, although I am hopeful that the federal government will enact a minimum wage increase that will prevent states from using low minimum wages as an enticement to businesses.

    Bottom line, a person who works hard for 40 hours a week should not need to apply for Food Stamps to feed their family. We have not had an increase in the minimum wage since 2009, while rents, food, gasoline and other expenses have gone up steadily.

    Republicans in the Maine House supported Gov. LePage in blocking a modest increase in the minimum wage to $8, but then proposed a $10 minimum wage when it became clear that the referendum question would go forward. I do not believe that this or any other law is best adopted by referendum—without expert testimony or compromise. But the time for further delay has passed.

• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • No

    I find myself highly conflicted on this issue. Pending further study, I will stand with Maine’s Chiefs of Police in opposing the question.

    There is a reasonable argument that marijuana is no worse than alcohol, and we are all aware of the ineffectiveness of Prohibition. There is a solid argument that marijuana would best be regulated by the state rather than left to drug dealers.

    But I have serious concerns, not the least of which is that this referendum was written by interests looking to maximize their profits, without public input. I would prefer that the issue be vetted by the legislative process, with a chance to learn about the experiences of Colorado and other states. I would also like to hear from experts on how legalization would affect young people, and what linkages it might have to opioid addiction.

• 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?
  • We regularly see obituaries for young Mainers, many of whom I suspect were opioid users. They are more than addicts; they are our children, our brothers and sisters.

    Governor LePage’s handling of the opioid epidemic in Maine has been highly disappointing. His opposition to scientifically vetted treatment protocols is disturbing. Most shocking has been his opposition to making Narcan available to first responders to save the lives of overdosing users. He and his loyalists have effectively written off the lives of Mainers with addictions.

    Mid-Coast hospital and other programs have demonstrated that there are effective ways to deal with addiction. Most important is to get overdosing addicts into treatment immediately. Delays in treatment are almost a guarantee for relapse. The state’s Governor should be a leader in fostering and supporting this proven approach; instead he has done everything possible to assure that young addicts have no health insurance coverage.

    Absent leadership from the Governor, the Legislature needs to act, on the basis of scientifically proven approaches, to save our fellow citizens and to give them the treatment they need.