Political experience

When patients of mine were in trouble with their medications, I wrote and submitted a bill in Maine, testified and showed up at hearings in Augusta, to advocate for my patients. The citizens of York voted me in as a York School Committee member twice, and the Committee voted me as Chairperson. I have served as Maine delegate to the American Academy of Neurology in US Congress for the recent 5 years. I am running for re-election to the District 4 Representative seat. My work has been bi-partisan, thoughtful, informed, and diligent.

Why are you running for office?

The title of this position is “representative”. I have lived in this district for 30 years, raised 3 children here, been elected to the York school board twice, several years as chair, owned a medical practice small business and took care of 1000’s of people on the Seacoast over 26 years, started several Seacoast non-profit organizations, on the board of others. When I vote “yes” or “no” for a bill to become law, I think of what my constituents have told me in these capacities and as I go door-to-door, having knocked on the doors of 1500 or so homes, what I have learned by being an active part of the community I enjoy, what I have heard from people here in my district when they have called, emailed, or written me.

The other part of the position is being a physician and representative on the Joint Committee of Health and Human Services, one of the busiest and toughest committees in the legislature. I am running for re-election because I have the right skills, the legislative experience, and I will represent the interests of York west of 95, western Wells, south Sanford, and all of Ogunquit. Also, I have enjoyed the challenge and have more to give as a public servant.

• 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

    Would I like to pay no income tax? Heck yes. But how are we going to pay our bills? Gov LePage has never clearly stated how we will pay for the approximately 1.4 billion dollar loss of income tax dollars, nearly half of the 3 billion dollar state revenue (2014). Show me the spread sheet. Maine does not tax Social Security benefits or veteran’s pensions (I voted for that).

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

    The Maine Chiefs of Police Association says they support background checks, vote “yes” on question 3. No one measure can assure gun safety but this measure is common sense. Make sure that felons, domestic abuse perpetrators, those with severe mental illness do not purchase firearms. States with background checks on all handgun sales show a 48% decrease in police killed, 46% fewer women killed by their intimate partners, 48% decrease in gun trafficking according to the Maine police chiefs. Most Mainers already go through background checks. Why not have all purchases through classified ads and gun shows go through background checks? Firearms, sure, for hunting and for personal safety. But let us make sure the owners have passed through background checks, wherever they buy the firearm.

• 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

    The minimum wage has not been increased from $7.50 in 2009, 7 years ago. Most business owners I have spoken to in District 4 have raised the wage above $12 an hour because that is what they have had to do to attract good workers. Their issue is the increase in the tip wages. I have had discussions about our culture of paying 20% tips on top of the cost of meals at a restaurant. Maybe we need to rethink our culture of tipping, like Europe has done, and like high-end restaurants in big cities have done and survived well. Meanwhile, people who work need a livable wage which means they can pay their expenses. Then, they can spend in the community.

• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • Other

    I am still deciding what my private vote will be. When asked if Colorado legalization has been a plus or a minus, Colorado Senate President says, “Yes.” It has been a mixed bag. As a physician, my concerns still center around youth safety and health, public safety in vehicles, ads and promotions. If it were just a matter of free choice, I would vote “yes”, but it is more than that. And the tax benefit is not great in Colorado. As a Representative, I will work to make the decision of the majority of Mainers the best law in the 50 states, if legalization of marijuana for recreational use passes.

• 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?
  • When thinking of this issue, I take a deep breath and stop for all the hurt, agony and loss caused by opiate addiction. As a physician, a legislator and member of the committee in charge of much of the legislative discussion, bills and laws around the crisis, I have more to do, with my colleagues around the state. We are at a point where the bottleneck is about who delivers and how do we pay for medication assisted treatment. In my district, we are lucky to have New Hampshire borders where Medicaid expansion has opened up treatment options that our Mainers can access. I am hopeful that over time, with collaborations between the legislature including me, police, schools, community, families,recovery community, medical care, we can create a healthier culture that drives purpose and resilience so that our youth have better things to do than drugs. I have been working hard on this issue. We all have more to go.