Office Sought: Representative – District 96
Age: 67
Occupation: Retired Merchant Marine deck officer
Education: BA, Dickinson College, AA, SMCC, attended graduate school at Maine Maritime dealing with international maritime management
Family: Married, one daughter
Hometown: Montville
Political experience
Since I retired as a ship’s master I have become the vice chair of the RSU 3 School Board and the vice chair of the Unity Area Regional Recycling Board. I have been engaged in the solid waste contracts that are coming up in 2018. I am also the Democratic chair for my town.
Why are you running for office?
First of all, I am running because our representative Christine Burstein is retiring and asked me to run. But more than just that, I am running because as a retired senior on a fixed income I want to make sure that we have a safety net so that seniors don’t lose their homes due to increasing property taxes. And as these seniors age, that we have a system that provides assistance to keep them in their homes as long as possible. Also, I have a daughter who has graduated with student loan debt. We need to assist the next generation in finding employment that can aid society, yet without worrying that they won’t be able to repay their debt. As a school board member, I see how the future opportunities of our students are limited by this debt. Furthermore, we need to protect our environment, as it will protect us and give our children the future they deserve. Government is neither the problem nor the solution, but a tool to provide our society the ability to help all our citizens. I would like to go to Augusta to be able to work with this tool!
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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?
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Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
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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?
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Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
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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?
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