Tom Winsor

Republican

Office Sought: Representative – District 71
Age: 72
Occupation: Retired – Real Estate
Education: BA – University of Maine
Family: Married, 3 children 4 grandchildren
Hometown: Norway

Political experience

State Representative for 14 years, 2 years as a member of the Labor Committee, and 12 years as a member of the Appropriations Committee, 6 years as Oxford County Register of Probate, and 6 years as member of MSAD 17 School Board

Why are you running for office?

My father was involved in political activities and campaigns while I was growing up and he believed that our representative republic only works when folks involve themselves the discussion. He was right. Over the last 40 years or so I have been privileged to be elected to serve in a number positions. Over the years I have volunteered to serve my community in service clubs and as a board member of several nonprofits. I think it is important to offer this experience and point of view to my legislative district.

• 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

    The LePage plan to lower or eliminate the income tax is an important thing to have a serious discussion about. Maine’s overall taxing as a percent of our collective incomes is high compared with other states. How we pay for government services is always a very emotional subject. It is always easy to spend someone else’s money, but it is hard to spend our own. That said, eliminating the tax on income and replacing the revenue with tax on consumption is worthy goal, and may be important as a growing percentage of our aging our population no longer have a taxable income.

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

    I do not see value in requiring a private sale of private property to require government oversight. Criminals will not comply with these rules, and background checks do not screen for folks with mental illness (unless they have been so judged by a court) or for those who hold political views advocating violence. This is government intrusion on the freedoms we should hold dear. Those are the right of privacy and the right to hold and acquire private property.

• 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

    Increasing the minimum wage may seem like a good thing to do, but I really haven’t seen it do much good except in the short term. The last time we did this I observed that the increase limited the opportunity for new workers and young people to get entry level job experience. This bill will also significantly change the way that the hospitality industry compensates wait staff by eliminating the tip credit. I suspect the ability these workers to receive tips will be reduced so they will work longer hours for less money in their pocket.

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

    The next question below has to do with the addiction crisis we all acknowledge to be a real serious issue in Maine and around the country, while at the same time we are talking about allowing the recreational use of another powerful drug. My concern is the message we are sending to your children and mine about the use of an emotional altering drug while we have little understanding of the long term consequences of its use. We have spent billions of dollars to deal with the results of prescribed opiates, alcohol, and tobacco products. The social and medical costs of these safe to use products continues to be high. Reports from Colorado and Washington States are mixed. The law enforcement communities there feel ill-equipped to deal with impaired driving, workplace issues, infused candy like products and so on. I think we should reject this proposal now and wait for a few more years to see how this experiment in Colorado and Washington plays out.

• 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?
  • I don’t know if the state is doing enough or not The experts do not seem to agree on an appropriate plan or plans even to treat people. When we have public hearings we hear about the problem, its causes and results, but not a solution with proven results. I do not think there is a family in my district that has not been impacted in some way by addiction. We provide emergency services, but solution to provide a long term “cure” for those addicted seems to be elusive.