Roger Jason Fuller

Democrat

Candidate’s Links:

Office sought: Representative – District 59
Age: 66
Occupation: Retired Educator
Education: 1972 – BA, University of Maine, Orono; 1979 – MS, University of Maine, Orono; 1989 – MEd, University of Virginia, Charlottsevile, 1999 – MS, Thomas College, Waterville; 2009 – PhD, Antioch University, Yellow Springs
Hometown: Lewiston
Family: Married, two children, four grandchildren

Political experience:

This is the first time that I have had the time to run for office.

Why are you running for office?

My career has been wonderful. Maine has given me the opportunities to explore and discover more than I ever thought possible. As a retired educator with experience in leadership positions across the country and here at home in Maine, running for election provides a great way to give back to the state some measure of what it has given me. We must work to preserve a future of economic and environmental security for all our residents.

• 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.
    We all need to study this carefully. If the removal of the income tax pushes tax burden on to property owners in an increasingly aging state, then we do a great disservice to those who have worked hard to make our lives possible. We have yet to ask the difficult questions about what this change will do to tax structures.
• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • Yes.
    We can never abridge the right to own firearms. We also have a responsibility to ensure that firearms are used responsibly by responsible people.
• 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.
    When I am out meeting and greeting constituents, I see first hand the need to raise the minimum wage. I see it in the faces of people who work hard and work several jobs to make ends meet. Their faces tell the story.
• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • No.
    We have yet to determine what the impacts of this proposal would do to the state’s population. If we can learn first from other states over a longer period of time, we can make better decisions. The popularity of a proposal is not sufficient reason to enact legislation for whose effect we can not predict.
• 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?
  • The state of Maine has taken important first steps. We need to do more to understand and address this crisis. This is a crisis in addiction, and punishment alone will never cure addiction – incarceration may only delay use. We need to study the causes for addiction and address those social needs as well as addressing the legal ramifications.