Robert Alan Foley

Republican

Candidate’s Links:

Office Sought: Representative – District 7
Age: 64
Occupation: Insurance Sales
Education: BS Degree, Political Science/Public Policy USM
Family: Married, with 2 sons
Hometown: Wells

Political experience

I served the Town of Wells for 15 years on the Board of Selectmen, 8 as Chairman, served on the Library Board of Trustees, Comprehensive Planning committee, Charter Commission also as Chair. At the state level I also served on the Board of Environmental Protection and was its Chair for 2 years before resigning when first elected as State Representative in 2014.

Why are you running for office?

I am a life-long Maine resident having grown up in Kittery. I’ve lived in the Town of Wells for the past 38 years and have been active in the town serving on many Boards, committees and community organizations. I know the town and the issues it and the residents face. I believe I’ve been an effective voice for them as a selectman and as their current State Representative. As our population ages we need to make sure we are taking care of our seniors while at the same time providing opportunities for our younger members and families to be able to continue to live and work in our community. The economy in southern Maine is in much better shape than other parts of the state and we need to find a way to bridge that gap and bring opportunity and prosperity to all of Maine. That means lower energy costs, improving our tax code, providing incentives for folks to perhaps relocate where employees are needed. As a businessman I know how small business works and what we need to do to incentivize investment and job creation. Having served one term as a Representative I now have the experience to continue the hard work already started without having to learn how to get things accomplished.

• 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 believe we need to lower the income tax to a much more reasonable level than it is currently. I do not believe that we can eliminate it all together. That being said, If re-elected I will introduce legislation to eliminate the income tax for all retired Maine residents 70 years old or older. I believe these citizens have paid their fair share over the years and are entitled to some tax relief. I believe that the costs of lowering the income tax rates and brackets should be paid by reducing state government first through attrition and eliminating unfilled positions that are no longer deemed necessary. A broadening of the sales tax could be supported depending on the scope and breath of the proposal. I’d have to see it to consider my support.
• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • Other.
    I do support background checks as currently administered in the State. I believe the proposed citizen’s initiative on the ballot in November goes too far and over reaches into private sales or giving of firearms between family members. I recently inherited two guns from family friends who passed away. Had the new law being proposed been in effect it is unlikely that I could have received those guns as the owner, now deceased who willed them to me, would be unable to preform the background check. There are too many unforeseen issues that this new proposed law interferes with a Maine citizen’s constitutional rights to keep and bare arms. A better solution would be for a bill to go through the legislative process with hearings and work sessions so that the real problems that may exist are dealt with and the unintended consequences are eliminated.
• 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.
    The economy, throughout Maine, is just getting back on its feet. In southern Maine most new hires are making above minimum wage now and as their experience grows so does their paycheck. The issue with the current proposal is it doesn’t take into account the younger , inexperienced worker just starting out. The 16 and 17 year old high school students will not have work opportunity at wages that can not be supported with experience. The small mom and pop stores in rural Maine will close up as they are barely making it now on very thin margins. Many appeared before us in the last legislature advising us of the tight economy that can’t support these urban wages. Restaurant workers in my area of the state and most areas are happy with their current pay structure and do not want any changes. As the minimum wages go up so do the employee’s wages of the more experienced workers so there will be a domino effect at all levels. Unemployment will rise at a time when this State can least afford it.
• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • No.
    If you look at the statistics in states that have legalized marijuana all the societal issues regarding substance abuse have risen; higher crime rates, higher accident rates, greater truancy rates at schools, higher OUI rates and higher treatment rates. We have seen the burden that drug addiction is causing our state and our country, why would we want to legalize another drug into that problem?
• 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?
  • No.
    As long as we continue to see overdose death rates rising we have not thoroughly addressed the problem. We need a better system of tracking and monitoring pain medicine prescriptions, lower the amounts available , seek alternatives to deal with pain, better education in our schools, better treatment options through support networks and much higher and greater law enforcement.