Pamela Smith

Democrat

Candidate’s Links:

Office Sought: Representative – District 23
Age: 61
Occupation: Lawyer
Education: BA, University of Maine, International Affairs in Political Science; JD, University of Maine School of Law
Family: Married
Hometown: Standish

Political experience

While I am new to seeking elected office, I have been an integral part of the mechanisms of government throughout my entire career. My bachelor’s degree in International Affairs and Political Science from the University of Maine at Orono has been invaluable in my service on Boards for children’s rights, women’s rights, and in advocating for senior rights as a VISTA volunteer (now AmeriCorps). As a lawyer and court-appointed guardian ad litem for almost a quarter century, I work constantly with parties who hold opposite views. My strength is finding a common path that either side will feel comfortable following. The result I keep always in view is the welfare of the child for whom I am advocating. This process is nearly identical in the political arena in Augusta; the only difference being the opposing parties are Democrats and Republicans, while the child being fought over is the Maine People. I will bring a fresh outsider’s view to Augusta.

Why are you running for office?

The challenges facing Maine’s people continue to mount, and Augusta needs new voices and fresh ideas to meet them. As a legal advocate for children, I have spent my life bringing people together over contentious issues. I intend to use that talent to reach across the aisle and help pursue compromises that result in positive legislative actions for the people of Maine. When polls indicate that the country is moving in the wrong direction, the root of that belief is political gridlock. In Maine, as elsewhere throughout the country, party politics have ground us to a standstill. I want to be part of the movement from new voices that find ways to overcome political self-interests and work for the common good of Maine people. Compromise is not a dirty word; it’s the way things get done in government. I want to be a catalyst for compromise.

• 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

    No one likes taxes. They are the price we all must pay to live in the great State of Maine. With a very small population relative to the geographic size of the state, we are challenged to pay for the roads and services needed to keep our economy growing. That said, I have a problem with shifting the tax burden from income to necessary goods and services. If you have income, you have money to pay taxes. If you have no income or very little income, you pay little or no income tax and you most likely have little money to spare. People with limited or no income should not be burdened with added taxes on goods and services. moreover, when income taxes go down, property taxes go up. I believe the solution to our tax problem is to attract more business to the state, and with it more people, thereby adding tax revenue without increasing the burden on those already here and paying taxes.

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

    I support the Second Amendment to the Constitution wholeheartedly. I also believe that only responsible, law-abiding people should be allowed to purchase firearms. While closing the loophole on background checks would not limit Mainer’s Second Amendment rights but rather would make it more difficult for criminals and terrorists to get their hands on guns, the Referendum’s proposed Question 3 is the wrong approach. Poorly written and ambiguous, the amendment would place onerous burdens on responsible gun owners, making firearm transfers among friends, even temporary loans, time consuming and subject to criminal penalties. None of us want criminals and terrorists to use the Maine loophole to buy their weapons here. But the proposed amendment is not the way to stop that practice.

• 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

    If you are opposed to raising the minimum wage and you think people can live on $300.00 a week prior to taxes, I challenge you to try it yourself. Even a one-person household cannot survive on $15,600 a year. Current minimum wage dictates the need for government program support, such as food stamps, which raises taxes on all of us in order to pay for these necessary added services. Allowing people to earn a “living wage” will benefit everyone, not just the wage-earner currently stuck at $7.50 an hour. Think of it this way: if the minimum wage had kept pace with inflation and the cost-of-living over the years, the current minimum wage would be well over the $12 being proposed. Denying minimum-wage earners a decent compensation for their work is simply wrong, and its negative effects on those who make $7.50 an hour are costing us all much more than this change will yield.

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

    Since the need for additional state revenues colors so much political debate in Maine, the opportunity to secure additional money for the state coffers by taxing already ongoing behavior seems only a logical move. States that have already legalized marijuana have reaped significant financial reward. It is very likely that many more States will follow. Legalization would free up law enforcement officials to focus their very limited resources on more serious crime. Some of the revenue from the legalization of marijuana could be a source of funding for our state to address the horrific heroin/opiate crisis.

• 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?
  • No. We need to increase funding for the treatment of addiction and rehabilitation of addicts. We also need to increase funding on the prevention of addiction. Maine has always had scarce resources for substance abuse treatment; alcohol and drugs. Today, it is even a more obvious scarcity of resources. During my career, I have seen the effects of substance abuse on the children of addicts. It is horrific. Today, we have parents who are literally dying of overdoses in front of their children. We need to act quickly. Increasing funds for law enforcement is not enough.