Patrick Corey

Republican

Candidate’s Links:

Office Sought: Representative – District 25
Age: 42
Occupation:Self Employed Creative Director
Education:BFA, University of Southern Maine
Family:Married to Sheila Corey
Hometown: Windham

Political experience

House of Representatives, Maine 127th Legislature
Serves on Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

Why are you running for office?

To make a difference for my neighbors and the people of Maine. My priorities this upcoming session will include putting an end to the opiate/opioid epidemic, bringing prosperity to Maine families, finding efficiencies in government, improving our tax system, and working to promote our beautiful State. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve. Nothing is more gratifying than finding an answer for or being in the position to help a constituent. My promise is be engaged, do my research, make myself available to my constituents, and be in Augusta to do the work of the people. In the 127th Legislature I had a 100% voting record.

• 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

    In the end the State of Maine will still need to balance its budget which requires a certain amount of money coming in. Should we eventually eliminate the income tax and rely more heavily on the sales tax we’d need to create credits for low income earners and retired persons. The upside of increasing the sales tax and expanding it to more goods and services is that people who report none or part of their income will be contributing their fair share. I’m all for allowing people to keep more of what they earn and improving our tax climate.

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

    I do not support Question 3. As written, the referendum redefines transfers to include commonplace Maine activities like loaning a firearm to a friend to hunt with, storing firearms with a neighbor while you’re out of town or sighting in a rifle with your buddy at a gravel pit should both of you touch the firearm. When laws are created the goal should be relevancy to our culture, history and convictions. Question 3 promises to make traditionally lawful acts criminal.

• 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

    Should there be an increase in the minimum wage, I’d like to see it done on the Federal instead of State level. That said, today we subsidize the minimum wage through the Earned Income Tax Credit, a program that gives low income households money when they file their taxes up to a limit based on what they’ve earned. EITC has its drawbacks like lack of program awareness by some workers who may qualify and due to the lump sum payment at the end of the work year, it makes it difficult for workers who live paycheck to paycheck. Fixing this problem so that workers see this subsidy in their paycheck, while allowing employers to not pay a higher wage that may result in fewer employees or increased costs for customers is imperative. Maine will lessen it’s ability to subsidize the minimum wage using Federal dollars if we go it alone.

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

    Should the recreational use of marijuana become legal, my concerns run the gamut from increased traffic fatalities, use by minors, product safety, black markets, having the tax revenue necessary to offset any problems that occur, enforcement, to workplace safety. Question 1 states that recreational use and the business of marijuana will be “subject to state regulation, taxation and local ordinance.” Should this initiative pass I will do my absolute best to play an active role in finding regulation and taxation solutions while honoring the voter’s wishes.

• 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?
  • Maine has taken significant steps in response to our opiate/opioid crisis on the treatment, law enforcement, and prescribing fronts, as well as putting Narcan in the hands of our residents to treat overdoses. We can do more with regard to long and short-term charity care for those who cannot afford it. When addicts leave detox or jail, it’s important for them to enter treatment programs.