Political experience

My political experience is based on a term as a member of the Winthrop Board of Education. This is an organization that has worked as a team with Administration to create one of the finest school systems in not only this State but is recognized Nationally.

Why are you running for office?

I am running for political office because I believe the State as well as the Nation is heading in the wrong direction. In Maine, we need to focus on business creation and expansion to support the future generations of Maine and keep these generations as residents. I have a vested interest with several grandchildren and friends who have the same concerns We also need to focus on reduction of taxes for the working families and businesses in Maine.

• 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

    We need to be careful and make sure we are actually cutting taxes and not simply shifting them and raising people’s property taxes in the process. We can cut taxes by reducing the size and cost of state government.

• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • No

    Maine doesn’t have the level of violence as places like Chicago. Most of the weapons used in Chicago are illegal. We already have background checks. The only folks we would be punishing with expanded background checks are the law abiding sportsmen. The Maine Constitution is even more clear than the US Constitution on the rights to bear arms. “Every citizen has a right to keep and bear arms for the common defense; and this right shall never be questioned.”

• 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

    Increasing wages outside of the free market has consequences. Including the insolvency of business and Creation of automated methods to do away with jobs. There was a study of 28 states including Maine, that raised minimum wage: it found little associated reduction in poverty. This was due to the fact that minimum wage policies were not well connected to people living in poverty.

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

    Colorado for example has had a myriad of unintended consequences. It is also still against federal law and federal law supersedes State. We will probably not see the adverse affects of Colorado’s law for some time because health statistics have a long lead time. At this point Maine should proceed cautiously and attentively.

• 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?
  • I think the Legislature was on the right track last when they added more drug enforcement agents and more money to treatment. We need to stay on that course and continue to monitor the direction of this problem.