Joseph Chisari

Democrat

Office Sought: Senator – District 19
Age: 46
Family: Married for 19 years, raising two sons

Political experience

(No answer)

Why are you running for office?

The reason I am running is to help bring about positive change.
My strengths are 20 years of experience in running my 3 growing businesses in Maine. It’s taught me many things like coming up with solutions to challenging problems.
I would like to make a difference with healthcare in our state. State healthcare laws supersede federal laws on healthcare. I will bring healthcare costs under control. I speak the healthcare language and we do not have many legislators with that kind of experience in Augusta.
When asked what is the most important problem facing the Legislature, I say healthcare.
However, another important issue is social and economic development.

• 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?
  • (No answer)
• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • Question 3, which requires background checks for gun sales made by an unlicensed dealer, makes an exception for when the parties are hunting or sport-shooting and in transfers between family members. I say “if it makes our city streets safer during the heroine epidemic and does not take away the gun rights of honest people due to the the exception, this makes it possible for me vote yes. If there was no exception, I would vote no”
• 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?
  • I will vote no on question 4, to raise the minimum wage to $12/hour by 2020 because it would definitely overburden businesses. I would support raising the minimum wage to $10.00/hr by 2020, but $12 would be too costly for Maine small businesses. The cost of living goes up by 100% every 15 years. A 33% increase from where we are now by 2020 is sustainable. which is $10.00 per hour.
• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • I am also against question 1, to legalize marijuana, most people who are not sick that I’ve spoken to do not want to take medication for recreation. In this case less is more.
• 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 insurance and drug industries that provide prescription opiods, should come to the table and be more involved at the state level. It has come to light that these drugs are more addictive then once thought when originally proposed to the FDA. Instead of finger pointing, lets come together to consider solutions.