Richard Bradstreet

Republican

Office Sought: Representative – District 80
Age: 65
Occupation: Semi-Retired, PT ED of Manufactured Housing Association of Maine
Education: Lawrence High School, Fairfield and Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Family: Married 44 years, three children, 7 grandchildren
Hometown: Vassalboro

Political experience

Former member of Albion Comprehensive Plan Committee – 1970’s; Former member of SAD 49 School Board, representing Albion, one year as Chair; Former member of SAD 49 School Board, representing Fairfield; Former Retailer member of State of Maine Manufactured Housing Board

Why are you running for office?

I’m running because I’m concerned about the future of not only my own children and grandchildren, but for the entire younger generation. The ongoing outmigration of young Mainers is due in large part to the lack of opportunity for them to obtain good jobs and establish solid career paths. They look toward their futures and what they wish to accomplish in life and don’t see it happening in Maine. Good jobs and viable career opportunities arise from owners of businesses, or people who are considering starting a business, who are confident enough that they will succeed in the long run and will therefore be willing to make the investments of time, effort and capital necessary to achieve their goals. Lacking this, they will opt to go elsewhere or perhaps not start a business at all – so there goes another opportunity for Maine’s younger people down the tubes. Government itself cannot create jobs, but its policies can certainly hinder their creation. I have witnessed a number of legislative committee hearings related to business issues in Augusta over the past several years, and it has become apparent to me that, though most representatives may have good intentions, they really do not understand the challenges of owning and operating small businesses in Maine. They then advocate for laws that appear to be rather innocuous but in reality are impediments to small business growth and success. My perspective, coming from a former small business owner, will help to change that, so that business owners will realize that Augusta is not going to pull the rug out from under them and will therefore have the confidence to invest in Maine and create the opportunities for our younger people to stay here and achieve their dreams of career success. My goal is to help create a climate where Maine businesses can thrive and provide opportunities for all of us, especially our youth.

• 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?
  • Other

    I am in favor of a substantial reduction in our state income tax, but understand that the devil is in the details. Having lower income tax rates would make us more attractive and therefore more competitive in trying to attract both businesses and individuals to our state and would certainly improve our economic climate. However, we will need to be careful that we are not simply shifting the costs from one pocket to another through increased local property taxes. Increasing the sales tax would also make us less attractive to people looking to locate here, and would make our businesses less competitive with those in other states. What we need to concentrate on is reducing the costs of government by finding more efficiencies and reconsidering the scope of government. We need to attract businesses who want to be here because we’re more attractive and welcoming than any other place they would consider. Their success will provide the tax monies we need to provide the services Mainers need.

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

    It’s unnecessary. It’s pretty much a solution looking for a problem. When you get into the details of the proposal, and not merely what it says on the ballot, you’ll realize that it is much more onerous for law-abiding Maine gun owners than what you’re led to believe. It will be a first step towards creating situations where Mainers who are merely doing what they’ve been doing for their entire lifetimes can be construed as law breakers. Advocates of the proposal will tell you that this will never realistically happen, but keep in mind that a law that perhaps may not be strictly enforced today can become much more severe when different people in the future may be enforcing it. It would be an ominous first threat to Constitutionally protected rights that we have long enjoyed. Those people who are not sympathetic to Maine gun owners will not be satisfied with the passage of this proposal, but will soon be back for more. Maine: high gun ownership with low crime rate – enough said!

• 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

    Several reasons. Many Maine businesses already find it difficult to compete in the global marketplace. For some, this will make it even more difficult, resulting in possible job cuts. A minimum wage that increases as significantly as this proposal calls for will of necessity result in higher prices in certain types of businesses, such as restaurants. Senior citizens on fixed incomes will be less likely to afford such price increases, so they will choose to stay at home – hurting businesses and the employees who work for them. The proposal also has a state-wide scope. Portland may be able to absorb an increase, but not necessarily many other places in the rest of the state. A Portland dollar is not the same as a Washington or Aroostook County dollar. This is not a one-size-fits-all state, but that’s what the proposal calls for. Creating a thriving economy that will provide bigger paychecks for Mainers requires much more than imposing a higher minimum wage.

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

    I believe, and studies I have seen bear this out, that the legalization of recreational marijuana will result in its wider use, and this will not be good for Maine. We have indications from scientific studies that show adverse long term effects of marijuana use on the human brain. I am opposed to having the state okaying a product that will have a detrimental effect on our culture. I realize proponents talk about all the money it will bring into the state, but much of the promotional ads are funded by out-of-state big businesses that will reap the majority of any financial gains realized – not Mainers. As I understand it, the proposal also leaves up in the air how municipalities are to address possible violations of recreational marijuana use and there is also the fact that its recreational use will remain illegal under federal law – a rather complicated mess. There are also indications that crime has increased in areas where its use has already been legalized. A bad proposal.

• 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?
  • This is a big issue. I don’t believe the state can be deemed unresponsive since this is a challenge that continues to rapidly unfold, and government responses seem to be by nature slow in developing. Nobody has a magic solution to this problem, but we all must work together to address it. There are several areas where we need to develop and refine strategies : treatment, prevention, and interdiction. We’ll have to realize that there are different ways people become addicted and that different cases may require different means of addressing them. There will need to be an alliance of health professionals, law enforcement officials, social service agencies, faith-based organizations, and other parties from both the public and private sectors to combat the epidemic that is affecting so many of us. This is a situation requiring All Hands On Board! I would like to see a nonpartisan effort be brought to bear working as one to not only address the problem, but to solve it. That should be our goal.