Richard Fochtmann

Democrat

Office Sought: Senator – District 22
Age: 73
Occupation: Retired
Education: Some college, some technical training, some apprenticeship, and life
Family: Married
Hometown: Leeds

Political experience

None as a politician. But I watch what is happening and it is not what the Founding Fathers envisioned for the country. They were afraid of career politicians, demigods, kings, and did not trust the only corporation in existence at that time, the Hudson Bay Company. They also feared the rancor of political parties and the emotionalism of the uneducated. Their vision for the United States government was for retired older men (unfortunately women had no vote then) to serve the country for a short time and then go back to where they came from. They did not envision the country being taken over by the super wealthy, corporations & the politicians in their pockets who make laws only for their paymasters and the corporations’ benefit.

Why are you running for office?

I have never fancied myself as a politician, more a thorn in the side of politicians. But the incumbent doesn’t serve the people in this district, frequently refusing to even communicate with them. He is a surrogate for two of the wealthiest of men in America – men who make in ONE HOUR (approx. $66K) 1/3 more than the average, and more than 4 times the lowest paid Maine citizen makes in one year. I find that obscene. The incumbent, like the Governor, does not seem to mind – they want to increase the wealth of the rich. Since no one else wanted to stand against him on the ballot, I felt that it was my civic duty to have my name on the ballot as a placeholder until the Dems could find a politician to replace me – but they didn’t and now I am the candidate. I was drafted once before and will serve again if elected.
I believe that Maine’s issues are property tax relief, education, jobs, infrastructure, healthcare, and raising Mainer’s standard of living. I don’t think that giving the rich more money through tax breaks works – they have far more than they need, and don’t spend all that they have, hiding it in Wall Street and overseas. To work, an economy needs cash flowing from one person to another. I believe that if you give the average Mainer a tax break, they will help to create jobs by spending ALL of their money, EVERY paycheck. Working people with living wages creates more jobs than fattening the wallets of the rich.

• 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

    It is a give away to the rich. Those taxes pay for education, hospitals & health centers, help for our seniors, senior housing, emergency preparedness, etc, etc.

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

    I’m a veteran, and I know that criminals will always get the weapons they want, that’s a given. But they don’t tend to be the mass shooters who are mentally ill, nor are they the terrorists. How is it we put terrorists on a no-fly list, but allow them to purchase weapons, including military assault weapons. And those who are mentally ill should have access to mental health, not firearms.

• 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 way to end the (tiny amount of) “welfare fraud” that Republicans complain about is to raise the wages so people don’t need welfare and have enough to pay their own way. We need to give a helping hand to those in temporary need, like those who have lost jobs in the mills, until they get back on their feet, but paying food stamps and housing subsidies because businesses want to keep wages low, puts a burden on government and off of the businesses which won’t accept all the cost of doing business. Small businesses should be granted tax breaks for their first five years to offset the extra expense, but the Walmarts should pay a living wage.

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

    The hypocrisy of politicians, who use and abuse alcohol to escape, legislating against the use of a drug that is far less destructive, is unprincipled and unjust. And costly, because of the number of people using the judges’ and courts’ precious time and warehoused in costly prisons. The War on Drugs has cost taxpayers billions if not trillions of dollars and has been totally ineffective. Legalize it & tax it, and provide mental health access for those who abuse it and alcohol and nicotine.

• 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 really. The medical community is learning to use alternative methods to pain management – acupuncture, medical marijuana, etc. – before using opiates, but drug abuse in ANY form is also a mental health issue which Mainers need more access to, but instead the state is cutting funding. If we expanded Medicaid, the Feds would help to pay for treatment.