Diane M. Denk

Democrat

Candidate’s Links:

Office Sought: Representative – District 9
Age: 66
Occupation: Teacher/Tutor, RSU21
Education:
MAT, Special Education, National Louis University; MS, Industrial Relations, Loyola University of Chicago; BA, Loyola University of Chicago
Family: Married to Roger Hansen; 3 stepsons/daughters-in-law; 4 grandchildren
Hometown: Kennebunk (born Springfield, Illinois)

Political experience

I am the newly elected Democratic National Committeewoman representing Maine. I am a Presidential Elector in the Electoral College for the second time. I recently attended the Democratic National Convention as a National Delegate for the third time. I have chaired the York County Democratic Committee and was the Chair of the Kennebunk & Kennebunkport Democratic Town Committee. I have served for 8 years on the Maine Democratic Party State Committee and chaired its Outreach and Diversity Subcommittee and sit on its Executive Committee. I served Finance Committees for Barack Obama for Maine and the Mike Michaud race for Governor. I am the Secretary of the NAACP. I ran for HD9 in 2014.

Why are you running for office?

I am running for office to bring sound, sensible judgment and temperament to Augusta at a time of conflict in order to help solve the problems that are troubling Maine.

As a teacher, I believe we owe our children a quality education that prepares them for the jobs of the future. I would work to create partnerships with the community colleges, the trade schools, the high schools, and business to create quality graduates who can pursue many endeavors leading to success.

I see many graduates leave the state to secure employment in other states. I would like to find creative ways to attract small businesses, assist start ups, and help other companies become successful and add jobs. The problem with many Mainers is not that they are unemployed but that they are overemployed and struggling to make ends meet. They must work multiple jobs in order to cobble together one salary to meet the needs of their families. Wage and tax fairness for families is essential to the well being of all working people.

I want to work on behalf of seniors who are living lean and whose golden years are difficult. As a very graying state, Maine needs to answer the problems of affordable housing (either keeping our seniors in their homes or finding alternate housing), transportation, home healthcare, and respite care for the caregiver.

Maine is a beautiful state whose natural resources are second to none. I want to protect them by ending our dependence on fossil fuels and finding alternate sources such as wind and solar. These sources may additionally provide job opportunities for Mainers.

I believe I have the disposition, heart, and common sense to help Maine government at a time when it is divided and folks are working in opposite directions. I feel I would be someone who could see opposite viewpoints, seek common ground, put politics aside, and work for the betterment of all our citizens

• 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

    I believe a better way to manage Maine’s income taxes is though tax fairness where everyone pays according to his/her ability to do so. Wealthier citizens should be asked to shoulder a heavier tax burden while lower income earners should be asked to pay little or nothing. I am particularly concerned that revenue sharing has caused property taxes to skyrocket . Shifting this burden has caused many homeowners, especially seniors, who cannot afford the tax hikes to be forced to sell their homes. We cannot balance the budget on the backs of those who can least afford it. Sound, sensible, fair taxation is essential to attract and retain our citizens.

• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • Yes

    The majority of Mainers want background checks which close the loopholes in private sales. I feel this is only fair to protect and safeguard all of our citizens. Asking firearms owners to register their weapons is responsible and appropriate.

• 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

    Many Mainers who are paid the current minimum wage must work long and hard to support themselves and their families. Some rely on more than one job and some are the working poor who must also depend on government assistance to meet their basic needs. The majority of those earning the minimum wage are single mothers trying to support families. Raising the minimum wage lifts folks out of poverty. Increasing their wages enables them to spend time with their families, pursue other opportunities and education, and use their wages to buy goods and services in the community. The increased wages are taxable and the taxes collected increase the state’s revenue. States such as California and Minnesota which have raised the minimum wage, including those for tipped workers, have been successful and business has not suffered. It is simply the right thing to do and long overdue.

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

    Legalizing, regulating, and taxing marijuana would decriminalize possession, free up our law enforcement, our courts, and our jails for real criminals, and provide additional taxes. Research indicates the properties of alcohol and drug use and abuse is far more dangerous than that of marijuana. Many people are now using marijuana legally for various health impairments with great success. The state of Colorado has seen a great upturn in taxes collected which have been used to properly fund education. Maine struggles to find ways of increasing revenue and would benefit from this additional source of income.

• 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?
  • We have far to go to combat the rise in heroin/opiate addition. First, we must have a partnership between the prescribers (doctors, dentists, pharmacists) and law enforcement to stop the overprescribing and abuse of these powerful drugs and regulate their use. Second, we must stop treating users like criminals and instead focus on the addiction and what we can do to help break the cycle of use. Medical experts I spoke with at University of New England believe we must stop the shame and blame game and focus on the physiological nature of the instant addiction and how to break it. Education must begin early and often in the schools and through our medical providers. We need to punish the dealers, not the users. Naloxone (Narcan) needs to be made readily available until the addict can end the dependency. We are all closer to this situation than we may realize. We must stop being judgmental about saving the lives of those who suffer from addictions.