Matthew Lauzon

Unenrolled

Candidate’s Links:

Office Sought: Representative – District 12
Age: 31
Occupation: Advocate and Technology Consultant
Education: St. James School. Biddeford Middle School. Biddeford High School. Babson College
Family: Single
Hometown: Biddeford

Political experience

I’m bringing a fresh perspective to office. I was first exposed to the political process at Dirigo Boy’s State, a fantastic program put on by the American Legion. It was very educational. I was elected Governor. More directly, I’ve been an advocate to eliminate unpaid internships as well as non-competition agreements that stifle innovation. I’ve also been an advocate to protect Mainers from abuse. Lastly, in an effort to truly understand the foundation of our municipal government I was an active citizen contributor to this year’s revisions being proposed to Biddeford’s city charter.

Why are you running for office?

I believe that all voices are equal. I want to make sure the voices of my hometown are being represented in Augusta. I am able and committed to do so. The fact that members of the Democratic, Green and Republican parties are supporting me is evidence of my ability to bring people together. I have leadership and advocacy experience to address our state’s heroin epidemic. I have business experience to understand what we must do to attract and retain pillar employers. I’ve also had the experience of being raised the son of two blue-collar parents and feeling that pain that comes when a layoff hits and times are tough.
A preview of my approach; I’m organizing my priorities based on what I’m hearing from residents. These issues include access to Lyme Disease treatment, providing Veterans more health care options and making Maine a place that the people who built our communities can afford to retire.
Equally as important as “what” I will do is “how” I will do it. I will be entering office having built relationships with legislators on both sides of the aisle. I have pledged to be transparent and accessible. I am committed hearing ALL perspectives as part of my decision process. The bottom line, my core values and my reason for running are completely aligned. I will make sure all the voices of my district are heard because I’m confident that will make Maine a better place to live and do business.

• 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 agree that our taxes are too high relative to the services we’re providing the people of Maine. Current tax policies are keeping businesses from growing in Maine, eroding wages that are already too low and contributing to the exodus we see when it comes to those at or approaching retirement age. Income tax is part of the equation but property tax is also an area I worry about.

    Most importantly, I believe we must recognize that at the core of increasing revenue for the state is ensuring we are attracting and retaining pillar employers. These employers will pay higher wages to Mainers and directly contribute tax dollars municipally and to the state as a whole.

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

    I do not support the current language being proposed. Maine has a heritage and environment that assumes the 2nd amendment will not be compromised. Having lived in Boston for years, I believe the current proposal is much more appropriate for a big-city environment. That said, I do think that there is more we can do to ensure that guns do not get in the hands of people who’ve demonstrated they will not use them responsibly. I will always protect Mainer’s rights to gun ownership and I expect to play a role in finding the best possible path for Maine to make sure all people in the state feel safe.

• 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

    I support this approach because it doesn’t drastically raise the minimum wage overnight. If it did, I believe it would result in fewer jobs for Mainers and I wouldn’t be willing to support it.

    I’m confident I will help unlock ways that will boost the wages of Mainers far more than this approach to minimum wage. I believe attracting and retaining pillar employers, aligning our education system to prepare people to perform high paying jobs and painting a picture of next generation career opportunities will all yield wages the dwarf this wage target.

    As a personal example, I built and sold a company now owned by Berkshire Hathaway and I didn’t pay a single employee minimum wage.

• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • Other

    I’ll start by saying I support medical marijuana, especially given the role other prescribed drugs are playing in fueling our state’s heroin epidemic. In terms of recreational marijuana, I’m still in the process of learning before I make a final decision on the referendum. On one hand, the realist in me sees that unregulated marijuana is already easily accessible and I look at a state like Colorado where it’s been a success. From a tax perspective, the revenue generated last year from marijuana would have been enough to cover the shortfall of our funding for education. On the other hand, I have a difficult time understanding how we will justify stopping short of legalizing all drugs if we take this step. In the spirit of transparency, this is an issue that I still have more work to do before I come to a decision.

• 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 heroin epidemic is our state’s biggest challenge, by far. As I knock on doors in my district I’m hearing almost unanimously that this is the top concern people have. I’m also hearing the same thing as I talk to decision makers who are weighing whether or not to grow their business in Maine. I don’t believe we’re failing due to a lack of attention, I believe it’s more a matter of hearing all voices and finding a balance of programs that help those seeking help get it, make it clear to heroin dealers that we’re NOT open for business and we bring people together to raise awareness to prevent more people from becoming addicted. Behind all of this, we need to consider how people end up addicted. It’s clear that some prescription drugs are being overprescribed and that needs to end. It’s clear that many victims of abuse turn to drugs and we need to reverse that Maine has one of the highest rates of abuse in the nation. Bottom line, we can and will solve this but it needs to be our top priority and it needs to be a very collaborative approach.