Theodora J. Kalikow

Democrat

Candidate’s Links:

Office Sought: Representative – District 29
Age: 75
Occupation: College President, retired
Education: Ph.D., Sc.M, A.B
Family: Deb Kalikow-Pluck, partner
Hometown: Scarborough

Political experience

None in elected office! But 20+ years of public service in Maine, as president of UMF, USM, and on many non-profit boards and commissions, such as FAME, Maine Economic Growth Council, Governor’s Commission on LGBTQ Youth, Maine Humanities Council, etc.

Why are you running for office?

Help develop an economic plan that can grow steady, good-paying jobs for Maine people; support public education at all levels, early childhood through college; represent Scarborough with respect and partner with our town’s leaders to get things done for our community; aim for bipartisan cooperation to get Augusta working again.

• 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.
    The sales tax is a regressive tax, not what our state needs for tax fairness. It is also uneven over time, as the current tax is quite dependent on automobile sales. There have been a number of good bipartisan tax reform proposals over the years, and we ought to adopt one.
• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • Yes.
    The gun problem is a public health problem and we should try treating it as such. While background checks would not solve the entire problem, they may help to mitigate it, and success in this effort may inspire other creative solutions that could preserve 2nd Amendment rights and cut down on the number of gun-caused fatalities.
• 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.
    The minimum wage ought to be at a level where a full-time worker could support a family decently. The current level is woefully inadequate. This proposal would be a real help.
• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • Yes.
    I favor taxation and regulation over criminalization. The current proposal seems to be well thought 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?
  • Not doing enough. Making Narcan more widely available to first responders would be good. And then, treatment options should be expanded! The Scarborough Police Department has been doing a great job getting drug users to come in for treatment without penalty, but there have then got to be sufficient treatment options so people can be served. Drugs and addiction is an area where we need new thinking, since the present policies have not served our society well.