Candidate Interviews - Primary Elections 2018 |
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NOTE: Candidates listed on this page have NOT necessarily been endorsed by Local Berniecrats Maine or Our Revolution at this point. These interview responses are for information-gathering only -- for voters and for LBM to select candidates to endorse in the near future. Please see the Candidates Endorsed page for updates.
Local Berniecrats Maine is interviewing candidates by email. Each candidate is sent six questions to respond to, as well as the Our Revolution (OR) endorsement application. The OR application asks the candidate's stances on key items on the progressive agenda. LBM has added supplemental questions, developed by the LBM membership to give voters more of a sense of each candidate and how they stand on issues related specifically to Maine districts and the state overall.
Candidates are informed that 1) their responses will be posted here so that all voters have access to the information, and 2) LBM will use the information to determine whom to recommend to Our Revolution for endorsement. Candidates responses are not edited except to fix typos. Interview responses and the candidates' Our Revolution endorsement questionnaires are added below as they become available.
Candidates are informed that 1) their responses will be posted here so that all voters have access to the information, and 2) LBM will use the information to determine whom to recommend to Our Revolution for endorsement. Candidates responses are not edited except to fix typos. Interview responses and the candidates' Our Revolution endorsement questionnaires are added below as they become available.
Maine House of Representatives / District 19
jeremy mele
facebook.com/Jeremy4MaineHouse
Jeremy Mele's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I am running for the Maine legislature because I believe that representatives should reflect the interests of the working class and the most vulnerable members of our communities. We live in a society of great wealth, but that wealth goes to the already wealthy, while the poor and working class face degrading conditions and lack basic necessities, like access to healthcare. I am running to be a voice for the changes that benefit the many, not the few, in Maine. This is why I'm running on a platform of single-payer healthcare, living wages, and supporting the growth of small and worker owned businesses.
Jeremy Mele's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I am running for the Maine legislature because I believe that representatives should reflect the interests of the working class and the most vulnerable members of our communities. We live in a society of great wealth, but that wealth goes to the already wealthy, while the poor and working class face degrading conditions and lack basic necessities, like access to healthcare. I am running to be a voice for the changes that benefit the many, not the few, in Maine. This is why I'm running on a platform of single-payer healthcare, living wages, and supporting the growth of small and worker owned businesses.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a legislator?
As a legislator, I would like to be a voice for a single-payer Medicare for All system that ensures that all Mainers who become sick or injured can receive the medical treatment they need without the fear of going into financial ruin. I also want to protect the gains Mainers have made in recent years with regard to increases to the minimum wage; I am a strong advocate for the minimum wage being a living wage. Furthermore, I'd like to see an increase in good paying jobs by fostering the growth of small and worker owned businesses. Finally, I would support measures to protect the environment, including the expansion of methods to produce green energy, such as wind and solar power.
As a legislator, I would like to be a voice for a single-payer Medicare for All system that ensures that all Mainers who become sick or injured can receive the medical treatment they need without the fear of going into financial ruin. I also want to protect the gains Mainers have made in recent years with regard to increases to the minimum wage; I am a strong advocate for the minimum wage being a living wage. Furthermore, I'd like to see an increase in good paying jobs by fostering the growth of small and worker owned businesses. Finally, I would support measures to protect the environment, including the expansion of methods to produce green energy, such as wind and solar power.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel the legislature needs to address in Maine?
The Opioid Epidemic has been devastating communities in Maine for far too long; the legislature needs to push for addiction treatment, and not harsh incarceration policies that only increase rates of recidivism. Those who suffer from addiction deserve our support. Overdose drugs, such as Naloxone, should be available over the counter in order to stem the tragic loss of life that has been occurring.
We also need to foster conditions that will decrease rates of addiction in the first place. Social safety policies--such as Medicare for All, living wages, and universal home care for the elderly--will sharply decrease poverty and homelessness rates. This, in turn, will contribute to the well-being of Mainers overall, and so such measures are integral in our efforts to create sustainable communities with lower risks of drug abuse.
The Opioid Epidemic has been devastating communities in Maine for far too long; the legislature needs to push for addiction treatment, and not harsh incarceration policies that only increase rates of recidivism. Those who suffer from addiction deserve our support. Overdose drugs, such as Naloxone, should be available over the counter in order to stem the tragic loss of life that has been occurring.
We also need to foster conditions that will decrease rates of addiction in the first place. Social safety policies--such as Medicare for All, living wages, and universal home care for the elderly--will sharply decrease poverty and homelessness rates. This, in turn, will contribute to the well-being of Mainers overall, and so such measures are integral in our efforts to create sustainable communities with lower risks of drug abuse.
4. What are the most pressing concerns in your district?
In District 19 (Sanford and Springvale), the Opioid Epidemic and a lack of good paying jobs are some of the biggest concerns. Part of tackling the Opioid Epidemic is fostering jobs that pay living wages and secure the wellbeing of workers. Unemployment, poverty, and a lack of resources/opportunities in an area are all factors that can lead to hopelessness and drug abuse. Communal well-being, fostered by strong social safety policies and good jobs, is necessary to take on these concerns.
In District 19 (Sanford and Springvale), the Opioid Epidemic and a lack of good paying jobs are some of the biggest concerns. Part of tackling the Opioid Epidemic is fostering jobs that pay living wages and secure the wellbeing of workers. Unemployment, poverty, and a lack of resources/opportunities in an area are all factors that can lead to hopelessness and drug abuse. Communal well-being, fostered by strong social safety policies and good jobs, is necessary to take on these concerns.
5. How do you think poverty and inequality in Maine can be addressed effectively?
Work that pays a living wage, Medicare for All, and decreased/free tuition at public universities are some of the best ways to start addressing poverty and inequality in Maine. When people are paid well, when they are not struggling to afford basic necessities like food and healthcare for themselves and their children, and when higher educational opportunities are open to them, poverty rates will decline.
We also need to strengthen labor unions. Collective bargaining allows workers to stand together and make their voices heard in their workplace. It prevents employers from making unilateral decisions that can negatively affect worker well-being and employment. Gains made for the working class can only be upheld with the presence of strong labor unions.
Work that pays a living wage, Medicare for All, and decreased/free tuition at public universities are some of the best ways to start addressing poverty and inequality in Maine. When people are paid well, when they are not struggling to afford basic necessities like food and healthcare for themselves and their children, and when higher educational opportunities are open to them, poverty rates will decline.
We also need to strengthen labor unions. Collective bargaining allows workers to stand together and make their voices heard in their workplace. It prevents employers from making unilateral decisions that can negatively affect worker well-being and employment. Gains made for the working class can only be upheld with the presence of strong labor unions.
6. What experience, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in this office and help your constituency?
I have been involved in Maine politics for a couple years now. I currently serve as the Communications Coordinator for the York County Young Democrats, and I served as the Vice Chair of the Southern Maine Democratic Socialists of America for one term. Working with these groups, I have gained valuable political experience and refined my own political beliefs. I have also been fortunate to make many friends and allies, including currently elected representatives in the legislature. These relationships will come in handy when it comes time to foster support for legislation that will support the working class. As a Democratic Socialist, I believe that the state government should work to ensure that workers and the most vulnerable members of our communities maintain a just and decent minimum standard of living.
Furthermore, I have always been a hard worker and a studious researcher (I am currently wrapping up a graduate program in philosophy at Brandeis University). This will be useful when doing the necessary research to craft and support the positive legislation that Mainers need in order to thrive.
Overall, I live by a philosophy that a person ought to do the most good for others that they can. As a legislator, I would strive to live up to that philosophy by working to make Maine a place where the well-being of the many, rather than increasing profits for the already wealthy few, is given top priority.
I have been involved in Maine politics for a couple years now. I currently serve as the Communications Coordinator for the York County Young Democrats, and I served as the Vice Chair of the Southern Maine Democratic Socialists of America for one term. Working with these groups, I have gained valuable political experience and refined my own political beliefs. I have also been fortunate to make many friends and allies, including currently elected representatives in the legislature. These relationships will come in handy when it comes time to foster support for legislation that will support the working class. As a Democratic Socialist, I believe that the state government should work to ensure that workers and the most vulnerable members of our communities maintain a just and decent minimum standard of living.
Furthermore, I have always been a hard worker and a studious researcher (I am currently wrapping up a graduate program in philosophy at Brandeis University). This will be useful when doing the necessary research to craft and support the positive legislation that Mainers need in order to thrive.
Overall, I live by a philosophy that a person ought to do the most good for others that they can. As a legislator, I would strive to live up to that philosophy by working to make Maine a place where the well-being of the many, rather than increasing profits for the already wealthy few, is given top priority.
Maine House of Representatives / District 23
tim goodwin
facebook.com/Tim4ME
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I am running for the Maine legislature because I believe that representatives should advocate for the interests of the ordinary people of Maine, particularly the working class, children, and seniors. Augusta is not living up to its obligations to these groups. Some Maine workers are paid less than a living wage and must work multiple jobs just to get by; some lack access to healthcare; food insecurity is widespread. These conditions should not exist in our state and must be addressed by our representatives in Augusta.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a legislator?
No legislative achievement will be mine alone, progress will only come through community efforts of legislators working to further the voice of their constituents. Not me, us. I would like to collaborate with other legislators to: ensure that all Mainers have access to health care (including preventative care) in a system that does not involve private insurance—health care is a basic human right; enact policies that result in a living wage for all, including fostering growth of small businesses and worker owned businesses and providing workers of all ages the education needed to perform the jobs of tomorrow; and support measures to protect the environment, including transitioning away from dependence upon fossil fuels to a green energy world—Maine should be at the forefront of the move to wind, tidal, and solar power.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel the legislature needs to address in Maine?
The economic well-being of the least fortunate in society through a bottom-up approach rather than a trickle-down approach. Universal healthcare, access to education, and living wages will go a long way toward narrowing the obscene levels of wealth and income inequality we see in our state today. I believe that corporate money in politics (through both campaign finance and lobbyists) represents a significant obstacle to many policies that would benefit individuals and society alike; the influence of corporate money on politics must be addressed. I am a Clean Elections candidate.
4. What are the most pressing concerns in your district?
Property tax relief is particularly important to Standish. Education is the single biggest expense in Standish so it has a significant impact on the mil rate. I will support efforts which involve the state living up to the Citizen Initiative passed 55% state funding level for education and am happy to accomplish this through a tax on incomes over $200,000.
5. How do you think poverty and inequality in Maine can be addressed effectively?
A minimum wage that is a living wage; universal health care; a well-educated and well-trained workforce (through free education at public colleges, universities, and technical schools).
6. What experience, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in this office and help your constituency?
Life experience: I have experienced life without access to healthcare; I have worked two jobs because the income from one was not sufficient; I know what it means to have limited options due to potential loss of health insurance when switching jobs, starting a business, or going back to school. I have served on the Budget Committee in Standish; I have been part of a union team negotiating a contract (where I noted the cost of health insurance to both employees and employer).
My philosophy might best be described as democratic socialism, I believe government should be run by the people and for the people and that the economy should better meet public needs rather than make profit for a very few. I believe that ordinary people should participate in the decisions that affect their lives.
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I am running for the Maine legislature because I believe that representatives should advocate for the interests of the ordinary people of Maine, particularly the working class, children, and seniors. Augusta is not living up to its obligations to these groups. Some Maine workers are paid less than a living wage and must work multiple jobs just to get by; some lack access to healthcare; food insecurity is widespread. These conditions should not exist in our state and must be addressed by our representatives in Augusta.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a legislator?
No legislative achievement will be mine alone, progress will only come through community efforts of legislators working to further the voice of their constituents. Not me, us. I would like to collaborate with other legislators to: ensure that all Mainers have access to health care (including preventative care) in a system that does not involve private insurance—health care is a basic human right; enact policies that result in a living wage for all, including fostering growth of small businesses and worker owned businesses and providing workers of all ages the education needed to perform the jobs of tomorrow; and support measures to protect the environment, including transitioning away from dependence upon fossil fuels to a green energy world—Maine should be at the forefront of the move to wind, tidal, and solar power.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel the legislature needs to address in Maine?
The economic well-being of the least fortunate in society through a bottom-up approach rather than a trickle-down approach. Universal healthcare, access to education, and living wages will go a long way toward narrowing the obscene levels of wealth and income inequality we see in our state today. I believe that corporate money in politics (through both campaign finance and lobbyists) represents a significant obstacle to many policies that would benefit individuals and society alike; the influence of corporate money on politics must be addressed. I am a Clean Elections candidate.
4. What are the most pressing concerns in your district?
Property tax relief is particularly important to Standish. Education is the single biggest expense in Standish so it has a significant impact on the mil rate. I will support efforts which involve the state living up to the Citizen Initiative passed 55% state funding level for education and am happy to accomplish this through a tax on incomes over $200,000.
5. How do you think poverty and inequality in Maine can be addressed effectively?
A minimum wage that is a living wage; universal health care; a well-educated and well-trained workforce (through free education at public colleges, universities, and technical schools).
6. What experience, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in this office and help your constituency?
Life experience: I have experienced life without access to healthcare; I have worked two jobs because the income from one was not sufficient; I know what it means to have limited options due to potential loss of health insurance when switching jobs, starting a business, or going back to school. I have served on the Budget Committee in Standish; I have been part of a union team negotiating a contract (where I noted the cost of health insurance to both employees and employer).
My philosophy might best be described as democratic socialism, I believe government should be run by the people and for the people and that the economy should better meet public needs rather than make profit for a very few. I believe that ordinary people should participate in the decisions that affect their lives.
Maine House of Representatives / District 30
Anne Carney
facebook.com/anneformaine
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
In January 2019, Maine gets a fresh start with a new governor, and I would like to be part of a team of progressive Democrats who move Maine forward. Many of the economic prosperity and justice goals identified in the Maine Democratic Party Platform draft can be achieved through changes in employment laws. I will bring real-world employment law expertise to the Maine House that will help us deliver tangible benefits to all Mainers.
During 26 years as I litigator, I specialized in employment, civil rights and municipal law. While a partner at Norman, Hanson & DeTroy, LLC, I represented national companies and small businesses, big cities like Portland and tiny towns like Moose River, and employees from every corner of Maine. I took this expertise to Pine Tree Legal Assistance (PTLA), where I served for 8 years as a volunteer attorney for Mainers with income near or below the Federal Poverty Level, providing free legal representation in employment law cases. My knowledge of Maine’s employment laws is based on a 360-degree view of those laws and the direct impact they have on the people in our state. My volunteer work at PTLA occurred during the LePage administration, and during the Great Recession, and gave me a deep understanding of how Maine can increase access to justice, and specifically how our labor and employment laws can be improved to better serve our state.
We also need environmental expertise in Augusta. During 9 years of service on the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust Board of Directors, three as board president, I have seen how conservation benefits a community and supports economic growth. My work with conservation and land use laws gives me concrete insight into how we can strengthen our laws to promote conservation, and to protect Maine’s natural resources with an agenda that supports renewable energy, fuel-efficient transportation infrastructure, and our $9 billion outdoor recreation and tourism industry.
I have always served in a capacity that meets community needs and helps my community achieve its goals. I would like to serve in the Maine House of Representatives because my skills and experiences will help Maine accomplish changes in the law that improve the lives of all our residents.
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
In January 2019, Maine gets a fresh start with a new governor, and I would like to be part of a team of progressive Democrats who move Maine forward. Many of the economic prosperity and justice goals identified in the Maine Democratic Party Platform draft can be achieved through changes in employment laws. I will bring real-world employment law expertise to the Maine House that will help us deliver tangible benefits to all Mainers.
During 26 years as I litigator, I specialized in employment, civil rights and municipal law. While a partner at Norman, Hanson & DeTroy, LLC, I represented national companies and small businesses, big cities like Portland and tiny towns like Moose River, and employees from every corner of Maine. I took this expertise to Pine Tree Legal Assistance (PTLA), where I served for 8 years as a volunteer attorney for Mainers with income near or below the Federal Poverty Level, providing free legal representation in employment law cases. My knowledge of Maine’s employment laws is based on a 360-degree view of those laws and the direct impact they have on the people in our state. My volunteer work at PTLA occurred during the LePage administration, and during the Great Recession, and gave me a deep understanding of how Maine can increase access to justice, and specifically how our labor and employment laws can be improved to better serve our state.
We also need environmental expertise in Augusta. During 9 years of service on the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust Board of Directors, three as board president, I have seen how conservation benefits a community and supports economic growth. My work with conservation and land use laws gives me concrete insight into how we can strengthen our laws to promote conservation, and to protect Maine’s natural resources with an agenda that supports renewable energy, fuel-efficient transportation infrastructure, and our $9 billion outdoor recreation and tourism industry.
I have always served in a capacity that meets community needs and helps my community achieve its goals. I would like to serve in the Maine House of Representatives because my skills and experiences will help Maine accomplish changes in the law that improve the lives of all our residents.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a legislator?
During my term as the Representative for House District 30, I would like to lead Maine to adopt universal health coverage for all Maine children, from birth through age 18. The most recent data (2016) shows that 8% of Maine children are uninsured. These 20,600 children fall between the coverage gaps – they are not eligible for insurance through their parents, CHIP or Medicaid. Maine’s child uninsured rate is the highest in New England and 6th highest in the nation. Indeed, the Maine child uninsured rate has risen from 5% in 2013. Covering children is the right thing to do and will not be expensive – children use fewer health care services than any other age group. Children who lack health insurance lose out on preventative care. When children do not get preventative care, they get sick more often and ultimately incur higher health care costs. This puts huge stress on families that are already struggling to make ends meet, and on our health care system. Most importantly, universal coverage for children will treat all Maine children equally. I also believe that, by covering our children, we can find a path to universal coverage.
Creation of a state-wide broadband network will support business development throughout Maine, and give all residents of our state access to educational, medical, recreational and other resources. I would like to advance this agenda by allocating resources to create a plan to build a broadband network in a fair and cost-effective way, and work with stakeholders to determine how to build that infrastructure.
Education funding is an investment in the future of our state, as successful students become responsible adults who contribute to Maine’s economy. I would like to accomplish three education-related funding goals during my term: (1) consistently meet our obligation to Maine’s K-12 students to fund 55% of the cost of public education; (2) restore support for the Maine Community College System, so that Maine has a workforce to fill our current and future jobs, 66% of which require technical skills, post-secondary, or college education; and (3) fund voluntary Pre-K programs in Maine communities where these programs will have the greatest impact.
The State of Maine owns significant tracts of land called Public Reserved Lands. We have an opportunity to support conservation, restore our natural resources, and reduce the risks of climate change by amending Maine’s Reserved Public Lands law to add criteria for selling or exchanging Public Reserved Lands. This will ensure that Maine conserves lands that provide recreational opportunities, protect wildlife and habitat, and sustain outdoor recreation and tourism. I would like to lead this work.
During my term as the Representative for House District 30, I would like to lead Maine to adopt universal health coverage for all Maine children, from birth through age 18. The most recent data (2016) shows that 8% of Maine children are uninsured. These 20,600 children fall between the coverage gaps – they are not eligible for insurance through their parents, CHIP or Medicaid. Maine’s child uninsured rate is the highest in New England and 6th highest in the nation. Indeed, the Maine child uninsured rate has risen from 5% in 2013. Covering children is the right thing to do and will not be expensive – children use fewer health care services than any other age group. Children who lack health insurance lose out on preventative care. When children do not get preventative care, they get sick more often and ultimately incur higher health care costs. This puts huge stress on families that are already struggling to make ends meet, and on our health care system. Most importantly, universal coverage for children will treat all Maine children equally. I also believe that, by covering our children, we can find a path to universal coverage.
Creation of a state-wide broadband network will support business development throughout Maine, and give all residents of our state access to educational, medical, recreational and other resources. I would like to advance this agenda by allocating resources to create a plan to build a broadband network in a fair and cost-effective way, and work with stakeholders to determine how to build that infrastructure.
Education funding is an investment in the future of our state, as successful students become responsible adults who contribute to Maine’s economy. I would like to accomplish three education-related funding goals during my term: (1) consistently meet our obligation to Maine’s K-12 students to fund 55% of the cost of public education; (2) restore support for the Maine Community College System, so that Maine has a workforce to fill our current and future jobs, 66% of which require technical skills, post-secondary, or college education; and (3) fund voluntary Pre-K programs in Maine communities where these programs will have the greatest impact.
The State of Maine owns significant tracts of land called Public Reserved Lands. We have an opportunity to support conservation, restore our natural resources, and reduce the risks of climate change by amending Maine’s Reserved Public Lands law to add criteria for selling or exchanging Public Reserved Lands. This will ensure that Maine conserves lands that provide recreational opportunities, protect wildlife and habitat, and sustain outdoor recreation and tourism. I would like to lead this work.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel the legislature needs to address in Maine?
Affordable health care is the most pressing issue we need to address, because the future of the Affordable Care Act is in jeopardy. While I am in favor of a single payer system as the most equitable and affordable way to cover all Mainers, there are state-based measures we can enact now to preserve the progress made through the Affordable Care Act. First and foremost, Maine must immediately implement Medicaid expansion. Overwhelmingly approved by the voters, it will extend coverage to 80,000 more Mainers. For the last four years, Mainers have not only lost out on coverage, we have paid for coverage in other states through our taxes. Second, we should develop a state based individual mandate, which will result in lower premiums and decrease the uninsured rate. Finally, we should explore other options through Medicaid waivers to expand coverage, such as increasing the CHIP eligibility level.
Implementation of referenda is the most pressing process-related issue. Citizens are frustrated that initiatives like rank choice voting and Medicaid expansion passed with strong voter support, and seem to be stalled at the legislative level. I believe the legislature must set aside partisan differences when addressing referenda, and focus on achieving the goals established by the voters.
Affordable health care is the most pressing issue we need to address, because the future of the Affordable Care Act is in jeopardy. While I am in favor of a single payer system as the most equitable and affordable way to cover all Mainers, there are state-based measures we can enact now to preserve the progress made through the Affordable Care Act. First and foremost, Maine must immediately implement Medicaid expansion. Overwhelmingly approved by the voters, it will extend coverage to 80,000 more Mainers. For the last four years, Mainers have not only lost out on coverage, we have paid for coverage in other states through our taxes. Second, we should develop a state based individual mandate, which will result in lower premiums and decrease the uninsured rate. Finally, we should explore other options through Medicaid waivers to expand coverage, such as increasing the CHIP eligibility level.
Implementation of referenda is the most pressing process-related issue. Citizens are frustrated that initiatives like rank choice voting and Medicaid expansion passed with strong voter support, and seem to be stalled at the legislative level. I believe the legislature must set aside partisan differences when addressing referenda, and focus on achieving the goals established by the voters.
4. What are the most pressing concerns in your district?
As I have canvassed and listened to voters’ concerns, two clear themes have emerged. Cape Elizabeth voters prioritize protecting the environment. In the words of one voter, “If we destroy our environment, nothing else matters.” Within this theme, I have learned, voters want the legislature to enact measures that prevent pollution, preserve Maine’s natural beauty for respite and recreation, and support our outdoor recreation and tourism economy. Voters also want Maine to promote initiatives that reduce the risks of climate change while promoting the growth of renewable energy and other sustainable industries.
The second theme is ensuring that all Mainers are treated equitably. Cape Elizabeth voters care that all Maine children have access to high quality education. They want immigrants to feel welcome in our state and community. There is strong support for programs that provide services to Mainers who face health, financial, educational and other challenges.
As I have canvassed and listened to voters’ concerns, two clear themes have emerged. Cape Elizabeth voters prioritize protecting the environment. In the words of one voter, “If we destroy our environment, nothing else matters.” Within this theme, I have learned, voters want the legislature to enact measures that prevent pollution, preserve Maine’s natural beauty for respite and recreation, and support our outdoor recreation and tourism economy. Voters also want Maine to promote initiatives that reduce the risks of climate change while promoting the growth of renewable energy and other sustainable industries.
The second theme is ensuring that all Mainers are treated equitably. Cape Elizabeth voters care that all Maine children have access to high quality education. They want immigrants to feel welcome in our state and community. There is strong support for programs that provide services to Mainers who face health, financial, educational and other challenges.
5. How do you think poverty and inequality in Maine can be addressed effectively?
Each of the accomplishments outlined in answer to question 2 will address poverty and inequality in a different way. Since I have specific experience working with Maine’s employment laws to protect jobs, recover unpaid wages, and redress employment discrimination, I want to identify five statutory changes that I know will help Mainers keep their jobs and get paid for their work.
Each of the accomplishments outlined in answer to question 2 will address poverty and inequality in a different way. Since I have specific experience working with Maine’s employment laws to protect jobs, recover unpaid wages, and redress employment discrimination, I want to identify five statutory changes that I know will help Mainers keep their jobs and get paid for their work.
- Expand Maine’s Family Sick Leave law to allow an employee to take up to 80 hours of paid or unpaid leave. The current law only applies to employees who have accrued paid time off; workers without these benefits get no protection. As amended, this law would provide job security to employees who need time off to care for children and other family members who are sick but not seriously ill enough to come within FMLA.
- Provide for paid Family Medical Leave using an employee-funded system similar to unemployment insurance, if LD 1587 is not enacted this session. As a practical matter, employees who earn minimum wage cannot utilize FMLA. While the reinstatement rights granted by the FMLA provide protection for employees who have financial resources, many employees simply cannot afford time off from work.
- Strengthen Maine’s Fund For Unpaid Wages law to provide an enforcement mechanism that will deter insolvent employers from repeated instances of wage theft.
- Restructure Maine’s system for accruing the Highway Fund. The current per-gallon tax falls too heavily on rural Mainers, many of whom drive greater distances for work.
- Work collaboratively with businesses and service workers to ensure that, when employers use tip credit, service workers realize the same benefit from increases in minimum wages as other workers.
6. What experience, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in this office and help your constituency?
Two aspects of my work style will help me achieve results as a legislator. I am a fierce advocate who takes on big challenges and gets results. As a volunteer attorney with PTLA, I represented migrant farmworkers who came to Maine for the blueberry harvest so they could support their families in Haiti. It is hard to imagine what they endured. They had wage claims, but even worse, they were housed in deplorable conditions – dozens of men and women sleeping in shifts in a two bedroom trailer with one toilet. We brought Agricultural Worker Protection Act (AWPA) claims in federal court, and I figured out how to get affidavit testimony from clients who spoke Haitian Creole, and often were not able to read, had no phones and sometimes no mailing address. We litigated complex legal issues unique to AWPA for which there was little case law. The clients did not give up and neither did I. This litigation upheld the dignity of our clients, compensated them, and led to greatly improved housing.
I am able to find common ground with adversaries. In my litigation practice, because I worked on and understood legal issues from all angles, I was able to find an area of agreement that could serve as a foundation for resolving a dispute. As a conservation leader, I collaborate with people who hold diverse and sometimes conflicting political views. Building on our shared conservation values, I am able to resolve disagreements and achieve common goals. When conflict seems to prevent resolution, I picture in my mind a Venn diagram (the image of two circles that overlap), and work tirelessly to find the common ground that will help me overcome conflict and find resolution.
Both of these attributes will help achieve the core policies and principles that progressive Democrats will fight for, with more votes and renewed energy, when the legislature convenes in January 2019.
Two aspects of my work style will help me achieve results as a legislator. I am a fierce advocate who takes on big challenges and gets results. As a volunteer attorney with PTLA, I represented migrant farmworkers who came to Maine for the blueberry harvest so they could support their families in Haiti. It is hard to imagine what they endured. They had wage claims, but even worse, they were housed in deplorable conditions – dozens of men and women sleeping in shifts in a two bedroom trailer with one toilet. We brought Agricultural Worker Protection Act (AWPA) claims in federal court, and I figured out how to get affidavit testimony from clients who spoke Haitian Creole, and often were not able to read, had no phones and sometimes no mailing address. We litigated complex legal issues unique to AWPA for which there was little case law. The clients did not give up and neither did I. This litigation upheld the dignity of our clients, compensated them, and led to greatly improved housing.
I am able to find common ground with adversaries. In my litigation practice, because I worked on and understood legal issues from all angles, I was able to find an area of agreement that could serve as a foundation for resolving a dispute. As a conservation leader, I collaborate with people who hold diverse and sometimes conflicting political views. Building on our shared conservation values, I am able to resolve disagreements and achieve common goals. When conflict seems to prevent resolution, I picture in my mind a Venn diagram (the image of two circles that overlap), and work tirelessly to find the common ground that will help me overcome conflict and find resolution.
Both of these attributes will help achieve the core policies and principles that progressive Democrats will fight for, with more votes and renewed energy, when the legislature convenes in January 2019.
Mary Ann Lynch
facebook.com/MaryAnnLynchForCapeElizabeth
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I am running for the Maine Legislature because I want to see that every child in Maine has an opportunity for a great education, health care, a good job, and inherit a clean environment.I am also running because, having represented the Judicial Branch before the Maine Legislature for the last 9 years, I have observed firsthand the influence of money on our politics. I want to get money out of politics, which is why I chose to be a Clean Election candidate. I am the only Clean Election candidate in the HD 30 primary.
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I am running for the Maine Legislature because I want to see that every child in Maine has an opportunity for a great education, health care, a good job, and inherit a clean environment.I am also running because, having represented the Judicial Branch before the Maine Legislature for the last 9 years, I have observed firsthand the influence of money on our politics. I want to get money out of politics, which is why I chose to be a Clean Election candidate. I am the only Clean Election candidate in the HD 30 primary.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a legislator?
1. Universal health care (if not resolved at the national level) ; 2) an affordable, quality public education through college, without crushing loans; 3) a ban on assault weapons, high capacity magazines, bump stocks, and closing the private sale loophole for background checks.
1. Universal health care (if not resolved at the national level) ; 2) an affordable, quality public education through college, without crushing loans; 3) a ban on assault weapons, high capacity magazines, bump stocks, and closing the private sale loophole for background checks.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel the legislature needs to address in Maine?
Funding the Medicaid expansion, making college affordable for all, and ending the disparity in educational results, including the rate of post secondary education, between affluent and poor school districts.
Funding the Medicaid expansion, making college affordable for all, and ending the disparity in educational results, including the rate of post secondary education, between affluent and poor school districts.
4. What are the most pressing concerns in your district?
I live in an affluent town, though not all residents are affluent. Many people have responded that the environment and climate change are their most pressing concerns. As I have gone door to door, I have seen a strong minority concerned with the problems of the more vulnerable among us.
I live in an affluent town, though not all residents are affluent. Many people have responded that the environment and climate change are their most pressing concerns. As I have gone door to door, I have seen a strong minority concerned with the problems of the more vulnerable among us.
5. How do you think poverty and inequality in Maine can be addressed effectively?
The long term answer is in education and healthcare. Making sure that everyone has access to a good education, including post secondary college and/or vocational training. And access to health care. More people are in bankruptcy due to health issues and illness than for any other reason. Most people are a paycheck away from calamity. Making healthcare available to all, especially preventative care, will remove the single biggest cause of personal bankruptcy. A healthy, educated workforce will attract the kinds of employers that will help Maine prosper.
The long term answer is in education and healthcare. Making sure that everyone has access to a good education, including post secondary college and/or vocational training. And access to health care. More people are in bankruptcy due to health issues and illness than for any other reason. Most people are a paycheck away from calamity. Making healthcare available to all, especially preventative care, will remove the single biggest cause of personal bankruptcy. A healthy, educated workforce will attract the kinds of employers that will help Maine prosper.
6. What experience, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in this office and help your constituency?
I was born the eldest of 10 children. My parents were immigrants, neither of whom had a high school education. I know what it is like to be poor and hungry, and one paycheck away from disaster. That was my life until I graduated from law school at 28. I know from this experience that education, training, and healthcare, including dental, are the keys, and we need to attack the disparate levels of post secondary education in Maine. Educational opportunity and outcomes should not be a function of your zip code.
My family has, in the last 20 years, faced serious, life-threatening healthcare issues. But we were fortunate to be employed and have access to health care. From those experiences I have come to believe that health care should be a right for all, not a privilege for some.
In 2016, I caucused for Bernie in Cape Elizabeth. In 2008, I caucused for Obama. I have never been part of the status quo. I am the only Clean Election candidate in the race. I served on the Town Council for 8 years where I have a record of supporting the environment, the elderly, and good schools.
I was born the eldest of 10 children. My parents were immigrants, neither of whom had a high school education. I know what it is like to be poor and hungry, and one paycheck away from disaster. That was my life until I graduated from law school at 28. I know from this experience that education, training, and healthcare, including dental, are the keys, and we need to attack the disparate levels of post secondary education in Maine. Educational opportunity and outcomes should not be a function of your zip code.
My family has, in the last 20 years, faced serious, life-threatening healthcare issues. But we were fortunate to be employed and have access to health care. From those experiences I have come to believe that health care should be a right for all, not a privilege for some.
In 2016, I caucused for Bernie in Cape Elizabeth. In 2008, I caucused for Obama. I have never been part of the status quo. I am the only Clean Election candidate in the race. I served on the Town Council for 8 years where I have a record of supporting the environment, the elderly, and good schools.
Maine House of Representatives / District 32 |
NOTE: Richard Rottkov, also running for District 32, did not respond to LBM offers to be considered for endorsement.
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CHRISTOPHER KESSLER
facebook.com/kesslerforrep
Chris Kessler's Our Revolution endorsement application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I have always been an Independent, but I have decided to run this race within the Democratic Party. I joined the party back in 2016, inspired by Bernie Sanders' bold and progressive economic vision for our nation. The results of our local caucus showed me that the vast majority of South Portland Democrats feel the same. We want to see an end to wealth and income inequality. We want universal healthcare. We want debt-free and tuition-free higher education. We want to expand access to affordable housing. We want everyone to earn a living wage. We want to preserve and protect our environment. We want to transition to a clean energy economy and create good jobs that slow the effects of climate change. We want to expose and eliminate corruption in our political system. We want to make a better nation for our children. The list goes on. I know that we share the same values, and that we are stronger together.
I have always believed that we as individuals need to be the change we want to see. In these troubled times, I also believe that the most effective thing we can do is to be engaged in our community and shape it into the vision we see for our world. It doesn’t matter how big or small the effort is; what matters is that we make any effort at all. That is why I am running to be state representative. I am driven to make positive change.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a legislator?
All of those issues listed above, as well as adequately funding our public schools.
4. What are the most pressing concerns in your district?
By creating universal access to core needs such as housing, healthcare and education, the average working-class person will be able to live a much higher quality of life, rather than live paycheck to paycheck and remain in perpetual debt.
6. What experience, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in this office and help your constituency?
I believe that decisions must be made with the philosophy of doing the least harm, and should always be guided by solid, fact-based evidence. I strive to listen to all sides of an argument and recognize that there may be valid opposing views that I don’t understand. I strive to let logic, not emotion, influence my decision-making.
I have also been an advocate and activist over the years. I have shown I am ready to make things happen, and make some noise:
Chris Kessler's Our Revolution endorsement application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I have always been an Independent, but I have decided to run this race within the Democratic Party. I joined the party back in 2016, inspired by Bernie Sanders' bold and progressive economic vision for our nation. The results of our local caucus showed me that the vast majority of South Portland Democrats feel the same. We want to see an end to wealth and income inequality. We want universal healthcare. We want debt-free and tuition-free higher education. We want to expand access to affordable housing. We want everyone to earn a living wage. We want to preserve and protect our environment. We want to transition to a clean energy economy and create good jobs that slow the effects of climate change. We want to expose and eliminate corruption in our political system. We want to make a better nation for our children. The list goes on. I know that we share the same values, and that we are stronger together.
I have always believed that we as individuals need to be the change we want to see. In these troubled times, I also believe that the most effective thing we can do is to be engaged in our community and shape it into the vision we see for our world. It doesn’t matter how big or small the effort is; what matters is that we make any effort at all. That is why I am running to be state representative. I am driven to make positive change.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a legislator?
- Increase funding for Efficiency Maine to invest in residential and commercial energy efficiency projects
- Accelerate the growth of solar power generation in the state, where we lag behind the rest of New England
- Universal healthcare coverage for all Maine residents
- Tuition-free college education for all Maine residents
- Universal access to pre-K for all Maine children
- Increase access to affordable housing for working families
- Implementation of a long-term strategy to adapt to climate change and natural disasters through investment in local agriculture, distributed power generation, water resource protection and emergency management
All of those issues listed above, as well as adequately funding our public schools.
4. What are the most pressing concerns in your district?
- The legislature’s repeal of the 3% surcharge on taxable income over $200,000 to fund our schools, as well as increasing local real estate values has resulted in South Portland receiving almost 11% less from the state based on the school funding formula. This has us facing budget shortfall that we need to address locally, and although property values have risen, household incomes have barely moved.
- The short-term rental ordinance has been dominating the attention of the City Council, and is now likely going to referendum due to citizen backlash. Although it is an important topic, there is solely a municipal-level issue.
- The fight over the flow reversal of the Portland Pipeline and local regulation of the oil industry is still dragging on. The ultimate fate of the Clear Skies Ordinance lies in federal court.
- Affordable housing projects have been proposed in various locations around the city, with significant concern from residents. In this legislative district in particular, a proposal is in the works in Thornton Heights at the site of the former St. John the Evangelist Church. The balance between providing housing and increasing density is hotly debated. Again, another municipal-level issue.
By creating universal access to core needs such as housing, healthcare and education, the average working-class person will be able to live a much higher quality of life, rather than live paycheck to paycheck and remain in perpetual debt.
6. What experience, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in this office and help your constituency?
I believe that decisions must be made with the philosophy of doing the least harm, and should always be guided by solid, fact-based evidence. I strive to listen to all sides of an argument and recognize that there may be valid opposing views that I don’t understand. I strive to let logic, not emotion, influence my decision-making.
I have also been an advocate and activist over the years. I have shown I am ready to make things happen, and make some noise:
- I worked with my neighbors to help preserve public access to Willard Beach
- In the face of crippling student loan debt, I worked to raise awareness about predatory student lending and advocated for the rights of student loan borrowers.
- I volunteered to winterize the homes of our neighbors in need, and from it built a career in the energy efficiency industry.
- I served on South Portland’s Energy and Recycling Committee in 2010, where we laid the initial groundwork for the City’s Climate Action Plan and worked to create the City’s Sustainability Coordinator position.
- I did not want to see the burning off of toxic chemicals on our iconic shores in support of an unsustainable tar sands oil industry. I stood with my neighbors to oppose Portland Pipeline.
- I am an active steward of our open spaces and trails throughout South Portland. Alongside my neighbors, we’ve worked to restore Pope Preserve in Mill Creek.
- I know what it is like to be a renter whose housing security is thrown into jeopardy on a whim. I raised awareness of the lack of affordable housing and the need for better protections for renters. I organized tenants and community stakeholders, and served on the Affordable Housing Committee from which South Portland's infant Housing Security Ordinance was created.
Maine House of Representatives / District 65
Robert L. maheu
Mayheu4MaineHouse (Facebook)
Bob Maheu's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
To help make Maine be the best State it can be, for all the citizens living in it. I want to serve my community and its citizens, by being responsive and available, when they need assistance. The Democrats have been in the majority, not the Republicans. The Republicans and the Governor always seem to win every battle. I want to help the Democrats start winning these battles and turn the state around.
Bob Maheu's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
To help make Maine be the best State it can be, for all the citizens living in it. I want to serve my community and its citizens, by being responsive and available, when they need assistance. The Democrats have been in the majority, not the Republicans. The Republicans and the Governor always seem to win every battle. I want to help the Democrats start winning these battles and turn the state around.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a legislator?
I would like to accomplish 3 major items during my term. Medicare for all or support legislation that gets us moving in that direction. Support the development of small business. The Maine economy will improve, if we increase and expand new and current small businesses. With these small businesses we will provide opportunities for living wage jobs with benefits. Lastly get Big Money Out of Politics. Maine is off to a good start with the Clean Elections Act, still the program needs to be expanded.
I would like to accomplish 3 major items during my term. Medicare for all or support legislation that gets us moving in that direction. Support the development of small business. The Maine economy will improve, if we increase and expand new and current small businesses. With these small businesses we will provide opportunities for living wage jobs with benefits. Lastly get Big Money Out of Politics. Maine is off to a good start with the Clean Elections Act, still the program needs to be expanded.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel the legislature needs to address in Maine?
The biggest issue is solving the opioid crisis. This problem is on a pace to become the leading cause of death in the U.S. It is also responsible for lowering the life expectancy in our country for the last three years. The next issue would be returning respect to the People’s Initiative Process. This should be the fourth branch of Government, and the legislature needs to enact the people’s wishes. We need to grow the economy in Maine, and lastly Medicare for All.
The biggest issue is solving the opioid crisis. This problem is on a pace to become the leading cause of death in the U.S. It is also responsible for lowering the life expectancy in our country for the last three years. The next issue would be returning respect to the People’s Initiative Process. This should be the fourth branch of Government, and the legislature needs to enact the people’s wishes. We need to grow the economy in Maine, and lastly Medicare for All.
4. How do you think poverty and inequality in Maine can be addressed effectively?
If we grow the Maine economy, and pay folks a living wage, this will resolve poverty and inequality in Maine. We also need to improve relations with Native Americans, live up to our responsibilities in treaties and respect their land and traditions.
If we grow the Maine economy, and pay folks a living wage, this will resolve poverty and inequality in Maine. We also need to improve relations with Native Americans, live up to our responsibilities in treaties and respect their land and traditions.
5. Please provide any other concrete thoughts you have on how you will represent your constituents in the legislature.
Listen to what the people in my district are saying and give them a voice in what is happening in Augusta. As a Democratic Socialist, I believe that Government should operate “by the people, for the people”.
Listen to what the people in my district are saying and give them a voice in what is happening in Augusta. As a Democratic Socialist, I believe that Government should operate “by the people, for the people”.
Maine House of Representatives / District 88
Chloe maxmin
chloeforrep.com
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
My answer to this question is simple: I am running because I love our home and our community. I am twenty-five years old and grew up on my family’s farm. I went to Lincoln Academy in Newcastle for high school and then to Harvard College. The day after I graduated, I put all my stuff in my dad’s truck and came straight home because I’ve known for my whole life that I want to devote myself to fighting for and protecting our home.
I have been a community organizer for thirteen years, over half of my life. During all this time, I’ve been working to unite people and to call on our politicians to stand up for us: for the planet that we depend on, for our schools, healthcare, farms, and towns. I am so tired of begging people in power to listen to us. We need a new generation of politicians who understand what it’s like to have to fight to have your voice heard.
Young people and women are at the forefront of this new kind of politics. We understand that we need to preserve the values and traditions of the past and advocate for our communities in the present. We also understand that we need to ensure a healthy future. We need young people to join the ranks of elected officials in order to inject new perspective and new energy into a political system that has failed rural Maine.
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
My answer to this question is simple: I am running because I love our home and our community. I am twenty-five years old and grew up on my family’s farm. I went to Lincoln Academy in Newcastle for high school and then to Harvard College. The day after I graduated, I put all my stuff in my dad’s truck and came straight home because I’ve known for my whole life that I want to devote myself to fighting for and protecting our home.
I have been a community organizer for thirteen years, over half of my life. During all this time, I’ve been working to unite people and to call on our politicians to stand up for us: for the planet that we depend on, for our schools, healthcare, farms, and towns. I am so tired of begging people in power to listen to us. We need a new generation of politicians who understand what it’s like to have to fight to have your voice heard.
Young people and women are at the forefront of this new kind of politics. We understand that we need to preserve the values and traditions of the past and advocate for our communities in the present. We also understand that we need to ensure a healthy future. We need young people to join the ranks of elected officials in order to inject new perspective and new energy into a political system that has failed rural Maine.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a legislator?
One of the major issues that I want to focus on as a legislator is to make Maine a leader on renewable energy and climate change. I see the renewable energy economy as a way to revitalize Maine and make sure that our natural resource-based state will thrive. This will never happen unless we have the political support to turn possibility into reality. Unfortunately, LePage has given unprecedented power to the Public Utilities Commission to dismantle any incentives for Maine’s solar installers and solar consumers. He has vetoed every solar bill that made it through the House and Senate. The legislature--especially the House--has fallen short of the votes needed to override the veto. I want to be part of a new administration that will restore Maine’s solar economy and make significant advances on other forms of renewable energy.
As a legislator, I also want to play a key role in making sure that Mainers have access to affordable healthcare. I worked to put Universal Home Care on the ballot this November, a citizens initiative that guarantees access to in-home care to seniors and Mainers with disabilities. It also increases the wages for in-home caretakers so that we can attract more people into this profession and create rewarding careers for Mainers. I will join the lead to make sure that this citizens initiative--when hopefully it is passed in November--will be swiftly implemented in Augusta.
Lastly, I want to help lead initiatives that support young people in Maine. We need programs that provide debt relief for students who stay in Maine. We need to increase services for people struggling with opioid addiction in our district and make sure that we have the infrastructure and community resources available in our communities to address this crisis. We need to make sure that our schools are well-funded and that we support educational innovation so that all families--those who live here now and those who want to move here--know that their children have all the support that they need to thrive in the twenty-first century.
One of the major issues that I want to focus on as a legislator is to make Maine a leader on renewable energy and climate change. I see the renewable energy economy as a way to revitalize Maine and make sure that our natural resource-based state will thrive. This will never happen unless we have the political support to turn possibility into reality. Unfortunately, LePage has given unprecedented power to the Public Utilities Commission to dismantle any incentives for Maine’s solar installers and solar consumers. He has vetoed every solar bill that made it through the House and Senate. The legislature--especially the House--has fallen short of the votes needed to override the veto. I want to be part of a new administration that will restore Maine’s solar economy and make significant advances on other forms of renewable energy.
As a legislator, I also want to play a key role in making sure that Mainers have access to affordable healthcare. I worked to put Universal Home Care on the ballot this November, a citizens initiative that guarantees access to in-home care to seniors and Mainers with disabilities. It also increases the wages for in-home caretakers so that we can attract more people into this profession and create rewarding careers for Mainers. I will join the lead to make sure that this citizens initiative--when hopefully it is passed in November--will be swiftly implemented in Augusta.
Lastly, I want to help lead initiatives that support young people in Maine. We need programs that provide debt relief for students who stay in Maine. We need to increase services for people struggling with opioid addiction in our district and make sure that we have the infrastructure and community resources available in our communities to address this crisis. We need to make sure that our schools are well-funded and that we support educational innovation so that all families--those who live here now and those who want to move here--know that their children have all the support that they need to thrive in the twenty-first century.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel the legislature needs to address in Maine?
So many of the challenges faced in Maine are also faced in my district. We are an aging state that lacks the programs and community services to support our seniors. We need to institute Universal Home Care. After eight years of LePage, our state government has failed to provide affordable healthcare to its citizens. This must change.
LePage has also crippled our ability to establish Maine as an innovative leader in key new sectors, including renewable energy. This has not only diminished our state’s climate leadership but also punished innovators that can bring vibrant economic improvement and new jobs to our state. The next Governor and legislature need to right that wrong.
So many of the challenges faced in Maine are also faced in my district. We are an aging state that lacks the programs and community services to support our seniors. We need to institute Universal Home Care. After eight years of LePage, our state government has failed to provide affordable healthcare to its citizens. This must change.
LePage has also crippled our ability to establish Maine as an innovative leader in key new sectors, including renewable energy. This has not only diminished our state’s climate leadership but also punished innovators that can bring vibrant economic improvement and new jobs to our state. The next Governor and legislature need to right that wrong.
4. What are the most pressing concerns in your district?
For every concern and challenge facing our community, there is a solution. Three challenges are the foundation of my platform.
The first is that we need to fight for the young people in District 88. We face many hurdles as we try and build our lives here, but our voices are not well-represented in Augusta. As I visit voters across our district, I have spoken with young Mainers who commute to Brunswick and Portland just to find jobs with a living wage, even though they want to live and work in our district. We need to support the ingenuity and creativity of young folks so that they can thrive in our district, raise their families, and have the resources to do so. This is what will ensure that our way of life and values can continue for a new generation.
The second challenge is that we are an aging district, and we need to support our seniors. This includes providing affordable and accessible in-home care, but it’s also about making sure that we have additional support in place. We can provide access to transportation and engaging programs for our seniors--including lifelong educational opportunities and intergenerational mentorship.
Finally, so much of our economy and way of life in District 88 is based on our natural resources--our lakes, fields, rivers. Climate change poses a serious threat to all of these. As we have each experienced, our seasons have become less and less dependable. Droughts cripple us in the summer. Extreme cold snaps make it hard for us to heat our homes. Intense storms destabilize power supplies. We need to make sure that our communities are resilient. What does this look like? It’s about transitioning to reliable renewable energy, developing local energy cooperatives, and using new approaches that will keep our homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer, while keeping our energy costs low. Again, it’s about preserving our way of life and values with new creative methods so that they can endure far into the future.
For every concern and challenge facing our community, there is a solution. Three challenges are the foundation of my platform.
The first is that we need to fight for the young people in District 88. We face many hurdles as we try and build our lives here, but our voices are not well-represented in Augusta. As I visit voters across our district, I have spoken with young Mainers who commute to Brunswick and Portland just to find jobs with a living wage, even though they want to live and work in our district. We need to support the ingenuity and creativity of young folks so that they can thrive in our district, raise their families, and have the resources to do so. This is what will ensure that our way of life and values can continue for a new generation.
The second challenge is that we are an aging district, and we need to support our seniors. This includes providing affordable and accessible in-home care, but it’s also about making sure that we have additional support in place. We can provide access to transportation and engaging programs for our seniors--including lifelong educational opportunities and intergenerational mentorship.
Finally, so much of our economy and way of life in District 88 is based on our natural resources--our lakes, fields, rivers. Climate change poses a serious threat to all of these. As we have each experienced, our seasons have become less and less dependable. Droughts cripple us in the summer. Extreme cold snaps make it hard for us to heat our homes. Intense storms destabilize power supplies. We need to make sure that our communities are resilient. What does this look like? It’s about transitioning to reliable renewable energy, developing local energy cooperatives, and using new approaches that will keep our homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer, while keeping our energy costs low. Again, it’s about preserving our way of life and values with new creative methods so that they can endure far into the future.
5. How do you think poverty and inequality in Maine can be addressed effectively?
This is a really big question, and there are no easy answers. I think that a core way to address poverty and inequality in our state is to make sure that kids are getting a really good education, no matter where they grow up in the state. In Lincoln and Kennebec counties, teenagers 18 years old and younger experience the highest rates of poverty. Our teachers and schools need more resources and programs to support students throughout their educational experience, including after college. Vocational training and a post-secondary degree should be an option for every student in the state. This means that we need to make these degrees affordable and accessible, which requires significant and thoughtful state-wide reforms.
I also see public transportation options in rural Maine as an important part of addressing inequality in our state. Maine is the most rural state in the country. There are parts of Maine that already have creative transportation options. For example, Hancock and Washington Counties have bus routes for its citizens to commute and travel. Those do not yet exist in District 88. So many people are too young to have a car, can’t afford a car, or are too old to drive. We need transportation options here to provide mobility and access to many Mainers who don’t have that option and still need to get to their jobs and support their families.
This is a really big question, and there are no easy answers. I think that a core way to address poverty and inequality in our state is to make sure that kids are getting a really good education, no matter where they grow up in the state. In Lincoln and Kennebec counties, teenagers 18 years old and younger experience the highest rates of poverty. Our teachers and schools need more resources and programs to support students throughout their educational experience, including after college. Vocational training and a post-secondary degree should be an option for every student in the state. This means that we need to make these degrees affordable and accessible, which requires significant and thoughtful state-wide reforms.
I also see public transportation options in rural Maine as an important part of addressing inequality in our state. Maine is the most rural state in the country. There are parts of Maine that already have creative transportation options. For example, Hancock and Washington Counties have bus routes for its citizens to commute and travel. Those do not yet exist in District 88. So many people are too young to have a car, can’t afford a car, or are too old to drive. We need transportation options here to provide mobility and access to many Mainers who don’t have that option and still need to get to their jobs and support their families.
6. What experience, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in this office and help your constituency?
I love our home and our community more than anything. It is what I devote my life to. My commitment to District 88 has been a constant in my life, and I know that will never change. This unwavering dedication is what drives my life and will drive my work as a legislator.
I also know what it’s like to be on the outside of the political system. My background is in community organizing, which means that I’ve been building people power to call on politicians to take action. I know how frustrating it is to have your voice ignored, to have your elected officials overlook you. I will not be that kind of representative. I will fight for and with each community in District 88 to create a more vibrant future.
Although I am the candidate now, I have worked for many candidates. I volunteered on Obama’s campaign. I worked for Bernie Sanders’ campaign in Maine. And I worked to get out the student vote for Ben Chin’s Mayoral campaign in Lewiston.
As a young person and as a woman, I understand what it’s like to have your voice discounted because of who you are. I’ve been told that youth are “naive” and “idealistic,” that we have the passion but not the knowledge to change the world. I profoundly disagree. I’ve been blessed to work alongside brilliant young changemakers who understand what is right and wrong and are not afraid to stand up and fight for what they care about. As a woman, I’ve been objectified, interrupted, and dismissed. I do not stand for that anymore. I am not afraid to stand up for what I believe in.
Even though I am not afraid to speak my mind, I grew up on a farm, in a farming community, in rural Maine. Our culture here is built on our shared values and respect for each other. It’s not about who can speak louder. It’s about--are you a good person? Are you there when your neighbor needs you? We live in a unique place, and I am so honored to fight for it alongside so many District 88-ers who are ready to elect a young women to advocate for everyone in our community.
I love our home and our community more than anything. It is what I devote my life to. My commitment to District 88 has been a constant in my life, and I know that will never change. This unwavering dedication is what drives my life and will drive my work as a legislator.
I also know what it’s like to be on the outside of the political system. My background is in community organizing, which means that I’ve been building people power to call on politicians to take action. I know how frustrating it is to have your voice ignored, to have your elected officials overlook you. I will not be that kind of representative. I will fight for and with each community in District 88 to create a more vibrant future.
Although I am the candidate now, I have worked for many candidates. I volunteered on Obama’s campaign. I worked for Bernie Sanders’ campaign in Maine. And I worked to get out the student vote for Ben Chin’s Mayoral campaign in Lewiston.
As a young person and as a woman, I understand what it’s like to have your voice discounted because of who you are. I’ve been told that youth are “naive” and “idealistic,” that we have the passion but not the knowledge to change the world. I profoundly disagree. I’ve been blessed to work alongside brilliant young changemakers who understand what is right and wrong and are not afraid to stand up and fight for what they care about. As a woman, I’ve been objectified, interrupted, and dismissed. I do not stand for that anymore. I am not afraid to stand up for what I believe in.
Even though I am not afraid to speak my mind, I grew up on a farm, in a farming community, in rural Maine. Our culture here is built on our shared values and respect for each other. It’s not about who can speak louder. It’s about--are you a good person? Are you there when your neighbor needs you? We live in a unique place, and I am so honored to fight for it alongside so many District 88-ers who are ready to elect a young women to advocate for everyone in our community.
Alan plummer
facebook.com/alanplummerformainehouseseat88
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I am running for office because last year I was frustrated with our legislature and other governmental issues, and found myself complaining. I strive to maintain a positive outlook and don’t like to complain. I’ve been service-oriented all of my life, serving my community of Whitefield through my parent’s guidance, then as a member of the U.S. Army, followed by teaching in public schools and now through environmental and community support.
I’d rather do something positive to make a difference rather than complain.
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I am running for office because last year I was frustrated with our legislature and other governmental issues, and found myself complaining. I strive to maintain a positive outlook and don’t like to complain. I’ve been service-oriented all of my life, serving my community of Whitefield through my parent’s guidance, then as a member of the U.S. Army, followed by teaching in public schools and now through environmental and community support.
I’d rather do something positive to make a difference rather than complain.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a legislator?
I want to work on affordable healthcare for all, strengthening Maine’s commitment to local economy and our valuable and beautiful natural resources, help our children and grand kids be able to afford quality education after high school, and take steps to keep our public places safe.
I want to work on affordable healthcare for all, strengthening Maine’s commitment to local economy and our valuable and beautiful natural resources, help our children and grand kids be able to afford quality education after high school, and take steps to keep our public places safe.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel the legislature needs to address in Maine?
Affordable housing, healthcare, and a living wage are critical for our state. Helping all of the people below, at, or just above the average income level is where the majority of our focus and attention should be. Isn’t it common sense that the bulk of our decision-making focus should be toward helping the average citizen? Protecting the beauty of our state and ensuring a place for lifelong Mainers to call home is the way Maine remains Maine, the way life should be. If the only people who can afford to live here are from away, will it be Maine anymore?
Affordable housing, healthcare, and a living wage are critical for our state. Helping all of the people below, at, or just above the average income level is where the majority of our focus and attention should be. Isn’t it common sense that the bulk of our decision-making focus should be toward helping the average citizen? Protecting the beauty of our state and ensuring a place for lifelong Mainers to call home is the way Maine remains Maine, the way life should be. If the only people who can afford to live here are from away, will it be Maine anymore?
4. What are the most pressing concerns in your district?
My district has several issues that are in focus right now.
Chelsea is working to develop a comprehensive plan to use recently acquired TIF monies to positively affect the people of Chelsea, attract small companies who will in turn contribute to the tax base.
Jefferson has similar concerns about the pursuit of life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness like other small Maine towns. There is some local concern with the increased need for food safety for low income and elderly citizens, the alewife passage, management of the spillway in town during heavy winter rain or increased water volume, and road maintenance in general.
Nobleboro is the quieter towns in the district, but a couple things that may be coming up is a possible ECO Tourism organization that was recently proposed to the Town Planning board, as well as he possibility of renovating the Fire Station, but both are only being. One big thing in the last few years is the fish ladder upkeep which is jointly managed by Nobleboro and Damariscotta.
Whitefield is working on education and being able to maintain quality standards, and ensuring safety for every child. I’ll support and work for common sense efforts to that end.
My district has several issues that are in focus right now.
Chelsea is working to develop a comprehensive plan to use recently acquired TIF monies to positively affect the people of Chelsea, attract small companies who will in turn contribute to the tax base.
Jefferson has similar concerns about the pursuit of life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness like other small Maine towns. There is some local concern with the increased need for food safety for low income and elderly citizens, the alewife passage, management of the spillway in town during heavy winter rain or increased water volume, and road maintenance in general.
Nobleboro is the quieter towns in the district, but a couple things that may be coming up is a possible ECO Tourism organization that was recently proposed to the Town Planning board, as well as he possibility of renovating the Fire Station, but both are only being. One big thing in the last few years is the fish ladder upkeep which is jointly managed by Nobleboro and Damariscotta.
Whitefield is working on education and being able to maintain quality standards, and ensuring safety for every child. I’ll support and work for common sense efforts to that end.
5. How do you think poverty and inequality in Maine can be addressed effectively?
Services for our citizens in need have to be taken into account. I don’t believe in a hand out, but a hand up is the humane thing. Working to eliminate fraud, and increase the productivity of our down-on-luck, elderly and others in need should be a baseline consideration. All of our citizens are just one big life event away from needing a hand. We can never forget that! But we must do everything to help those receiving assistance realize that there is a way for everyone to contribute to the common good.
Services for our citizens in need have to be taken into account. I don’t believe in a hand out, but a hand up is the humane thing. Working to eliminate fraud, and increase the productivity of our down-on-luck, elderly and others in need should be a baseline consideration. All of our citizens are just one big life event away from needing a hand. We can never forget that! But we must do everything to help those receiving assistance realize that there is a way for everyone to contribute to the common good.
6. What experience, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in this office and help your constituency?
A calm, critical thinking, and level head are and have been my life tools. Leadership skills taught to me as a combat soldier have helped form who I am today. I seize opportunities, employ quick wit in all of my work and remain focused on positive solutions.
I hope to bring these committed and common sense skills to Augusta and remove obstacles to prosperity, life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for my constituents, while working on new opportunities for typical Maine people.
A calm, critical thinking, and level head are and have been my life tools. Leadership skills taught to me as a combat soldier have helped form who I am today. I seize opportunities, employ quick wit in all of my work and remain focused on positive solutions.
I hope to bring these committed and common sense skills to Augusta and remove obstacles to prosperity, life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for my constituents, while working on new opportunities for typical Maine people.
Maine House of Representatives / District 91
JEFFREY EVANGELOS
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 207.832.7378
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I served 2 terms (4 years) in the Maine Legislature, 2012-2016. I did not run in Nov 2016 because I was helping the Sanders campaign and also had become disgusted with the corruption and antics of the Clinton "Democrats" in Augusta, who obstructed my LePage impeachment effort. But the times they are a changing, the pendulum has swung too far to the right, and I decided to run again to be part of reversing the horrible path our nation is on. I am running to support our people's right to livable wages, affordable healthcare and education.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a legislator?
Support livable wages, affordable healthcare including Medicaid Expansion, protect our environment, oppose offshore drilling, adequate funding for education, and in general represent the interests of poor & working people just as FDR did.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel the legislature needs to address in Maine?
Income inequality, lack of affordable health care, protect our environment, a return to honesty and civility in government.
4. What are the most pressing concerns in your district?
Same as #3
5. How do you think poverty and inequality in Maine can be addressed effectively?
By increasing wages, supporting a progressive tax code which will also fund our schools, enacting Medicaid Expansion, supporting $$$ for affordable higher education. No college graduate should be saddled with $50,000-100,000 in student debt. It's a disgrace. Also, health care is a universal human right and we need to adopt a European model. Single payer universal health care for all, funded by higher taxes on the top 10%, same goes for education funding. We voted in 2016 to tax the wealthy in Maine and use the $$$ for education, but the Republicans and some of the Clinton Democrats, along with LePage, thwarted the will of the people.
6. What experience, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in this office and help your constituency?
Since the 1960s I have been a life long fighter for civil and human rights for all, anti-war, support the peace movement, support for livable wages and affordable health care. As a Legislator, I sponsored bills for higher minimum wages and Medicaid Expansion, both vetoed by LePage. I'm a leader with courage, I led the movement to impeach Paul LePage because of his various abuses of power. We need to return to where FDR and JFK were leading us, just as Senator Sanders tried to do before the Clinton syndicate cheated us. Thanks to Donna Brazile, who confessed, we know we were robbed by the DNC/DLC. Never again!
Phone: 207.832.7378
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I served 2 terms (4 years) in the Maine Legislature, 2012-2016. I did not run in Nov 2016 because I was helping the Sanders campaign and also had become disgusted with the corruption and antics of the Clinton "Democrats" in Augusta, who obstructed my LePage impeachment effort. But the times they are a changing, the pendulum has swung too far to the right, and I decided to run again to be part of reversing the horrible path our nation is on. I am running to support our people's right to livable wages, affordable healthcare and education.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a legislator?
Support livable wages, affordable healthcare including Medicaid Expansion, protect our environment, oppose offshore drilling, adequate funding for education, and in general represent the interests of poor & working people just as FDR did.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel the legislature needs to address in Maine?
Income inequality, lack of affordable health care, protect our environment, a return to honesty and civility in government.
4. What are the most pressing concerns in your district?
Same as #3
5. How do you think poverty and inequality in Maine can be addressed effectively?
By increasing wages, supporting a progressive tax code which will also fund our schools, enacting Medicaid Expansion, supporting $$$ for affordable higher education. No college graduate should be saddled with $50,000-100,000 in student debt. It's a disgrace. Also, health care is a universal human right and we need to adopt a European model. Single payer universal health care for all, funded by higher taxes on the top 10%, same goes for education funding. We voted in 2016 to tax the wealthy in Maine and use the $$$ for education, but the Republicans and some of the Clinton Democrats, along with LePage, thwarted the will of the people.
6. What experience, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in this office and help your constituency?
Since the 1960s I have been a life long fighter for civil and human rights for all, anti-war, support the peace movement, support for livable wages and affordable health care. As a Legislator, I sponsored bills for higher minimum wages and Medicaid Expansion, both vetoed by LePage. I'm a leader with courage, I led the movement to impeach Paul LePage because of his various abuses of power. We need to return to where FDR and JFK were leading us, just as Senator Sanders tried to do before the Clinton syndicate cheated us. Thanks to Donna Brazile, who confessed, we know we were robbed by the DNC/DLC. Never again!
Maine House of Representatives / District 99
Abigail St. Valle
stvalle4maine.weebly.com
Abigail St. Valle's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I’m running for the Maine legislature because progressive change starts from the grassroots. I was called to action by the 2016 Democratic primary. The election showed us how corrupt our political system is. We are living under an oligarchy. Corporations and the wealthy 1% have a stronghold on our government and our lives. We need to to take back the power that they have and put it in the hands of the many. Our journey starts with electing people to office that represent us, not the corporations and special interest groups.
Abigail St. Valle's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I’m running for the Maine legislature because progressive change starts from the grassroots. I was called to action by the 2016 Democratic primary. The election showed us how corrupt our political system is. We are living under an oligarchy. Corporations and the wealthy 1% have a stronghold on our government and our lives. We need to to take back the power that they have and put it in the hands of the many. Our journey starts with electing people to office that represent us, not the corporations and special interest groups.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a legislator?
We need to focus on jobs, healthcare, education, the environment, and poverty. Many of these issues are caused and perpetuated by money in politics. As a representative my main focus in everything that I do will be to take control from the 1% and put it back into the hands of all of us. Too many of our friends and family are one illness away from bankruptcy. When we take back our government, the average Mainer will see their prosperity return to that of previous generations, when America had the world’s greatest middle class. I will defend and strengthen Maine's Clean Elections Act as part of our effort to strengthen our democracy.
We need to focus on jobs, healthcare, education, the environment, and poverty. Many of these issues are caused and perpetuated by money in politics. As a representative my main focus in everything that I do will be to take control from the 1% and put it back into the hands of all of us. Too many of our friends and family are one illness away from bankruptcy. When we take back our government, the average Mainer will see their prosperity return to that of previous generations, when America had the world’s greatest middle class. I will defend and strengthen Maine's Clean Elections Act as part of our effort to strengthen our democracy.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel the legislature needs to address in Maine?
A. Honor our commitment to democracy- Maine is special for many reasons but one of my favorites is our referendum process. Unlike in other states, here our referendums mirror the issues people are most concerned with. We voted for an expansion of Medicare [sic - Medicaid], ranked choice voting and legalized recreational cannabis. Yet, these are being blocked or delayed by our state government. People in government are voted in to amplify our voices, not to suppress them. I will always vote with my constituents. I will also support, and craft bills to make the rest of the state government more accountable to its people.
B. Jobs- Many of the jobs which are available in Maine, that pay well, don't have enough people with the skills to fill the vacancies. This leads to closing or relocating of businesses which results in even less jobs for Mainers. This leads young graduates to leave Maine in search of opportunity. It's a cycle which will get worse unless we act. We must create more vocational training programs which will get our unemployed or underemployed citizens into better paying vacant jobs all over Maine. We need more Community Colleges. The future is technological, which is why I also support any program which will allow more STEM programs to be introduced to our students at an early age.
C. Healthcare- We need Medicare for all. I will craft and advocate for legislation that accomplishes this basic human right.
D. Opioid Abuse- We need to treat the symptoms as well as the cause of drug dependence. The feeling of hopelessness is a major characteristic of drug abusers which many times comes from financial instability, this can be helped by easing the financial stress that the poor face daily. We also need to increase funding for drug treatment and outreach programs.
E. Education- We need to invest in future and current generations and give educators the tools to help our students succeed. Mainers need better access to trade schools, community colleges and universities. As a representative I will work with fellow house representatives to bring a community college to Waldo County. We must work to make all public colleges and universities in Maine tuition free. We need to also work on student loan debt forgiveness.
F. Environment/Agribusiness- Waldo county has been seeing an upward trend for our number of farms but, for every food dollar that an American spends, the farmer sees just under 16 cents. About 50 years ago that number was 40 cents and it will continue to get worse as the international conglomerates continue to merge and become more powerful in the marketplace. The issue is that farmers have no leverage when negotiating prices. A blueberry farmer gets more from insurance if his crop is destroyed than if he sells it to a corporation. As representative I will work on legislation which will help change that relationship and make family farms more prosperous. This is not only a problem for our local economy but also a problem for our health and our environment. Local farmers make better stewards for our water, air and land because they have a stake in the long term outcome. A corporate entity is only concerned with the next quarter profits, a farmer is concerned with what they will leave behind for their children. Family farms are motivated to take care of the environment. We need to continue encouraging people to see agriculture as a viable career.
A. Honor our commitment to democracy- Maine is special for many reasons but one of my favorites is our referendum process. Unlike in other states, here our referendums mirror the issues people are most concerned with. We voted for an expansion of Medicare [sic - Medicaid], ranked choice voting and legalized recreational cannabis. Yet, these are being blocked or delayed by our state government. People in government are voted in to amplify our voices, not to suppress them. I will always vote with my constituents. I will also support, and craft bills to make the rest of the state government more accountable to its people.
B. Jobs- Many of the jobs which are available in Maine, that pay well, don't have enough people with the skills to fill the vacancies. This leads to closing or relocating of businesses which results in even less jobs for Mainers. This leads young graduates to leave Maine in search of opportunity. It's a cycle which will get worse unless we act. We must create more vocational training programs which will get our unemployed or underemployed citizens into better paying vacant jobs all over Maine. We need more Community Colleges. The future is technological, which is why I also support any program which will allow more STEM programs to be introduced to our students at an early age.
C. Healthcare- We need Medicare for all. I will craft and advocate for legislation that accomplishes this basic human right.
D. Opioid Abuse- We need to treat the symptoms as well as the cause of drug dependence. The feeling of hopelessness is a major characteristic of drug abusers which many times comes from financial instability, this can be helped by easing the financial stress that the poor face daily. We also need to increase funding for drug treatment and outreach programs.
E. Education- We need to invest in future and current generations and give educators the tools to help our students succeed. Mainers need better access to trade schools, community colleges and universities. As a representative I will work with fellow house representatives to bring a community college to Waldo County. We must work to make all public colleges and universities in Maine tuition free. We need to also work on student loan debt forgiveness.
F. Environment/Agribusiness- Waldo county has been seeing an upward trend for our number of farms but, for every food dollar that an American spends, the farmer sees just under 16 cents. About 50 years ago that number was 40 cents and it will continue to get worse as the international conglomerates continue to merge and become more powerful in the marketplace. The issue is that farmers have no leverage when negotiating prices. A blueberry farmer gets more from insurance if his crop is destroyed than if he sells it to a corporation. As representative I will work on legislation which will help change that relationship and make family farms more prosperous. This is not only a problem for our local economy but also a problem for our health and our environment. Local farmers make better stewards for our water, air and land because they have a stake in the long term outcome. A corporate entity is only concerned with the next quarter profits, a farmer is concerned with what they will leave behind for their children. Family farms are motivated to take care of the environment. We need to continue encouraging people to see agriculture as a viable career.
4. How do you think poverty and inequality in Maine can be addressed effectively?
Poverty is a complex problem but one we must solve. There are parts to the solution which Maine is currently engaged in implementing that I support. Like increasing the minimum wage to a living wage, and making college more affordable, or free in the case of the smaller UMS schools, but we need to go further. We need medicare for all, pay equity for women and non-white Mainers. We need to strengthen labour unions, and help them expand to new industries. We need to make it easier for people with a prison record to mainstream back into our workforce. A mistake from your past should not condemn you to a life in poverty. We also need to secure social security for our elders and future generations.
Poverty is a complex problem but one we must solve. There are parts to the solution which Maine is currently engaged in implementing that I support. Like increasing the minimum wage to a living wage, and making college more affordable, or free in the case of the smaller UMS schools, but we need to go further. We need medicare for all, pay equity for women and non-white Mainers. We need to strengthen labour unions, and help them expand to new industries. We need to make it easier for people with a prison record to mainstream back into our workforce. A mistake from your past should not condemn you to a life in poverty. We also need to secure social security for our elders and future generations.
5. Please provide any other concrete thoughts you have on how you will represent your constituents in the legislature.
If when I leave the house I have made the government more responsive to the will of the people I will have accomplished my goal. I believe to my core that we need medicare for all, free college and universities, better jobs, and solutions to climate change, I will work everyday to accomplish our goals in Augusta. I will defend and strengthen the clean elections act, support ranked choice voting, make referendums more difficult to block, and support a constitutional convention to reverse the citizens united decision.
If when I leave the house I have made the government more responsive to the will of the people I will have accomplished my goal. I believe to my core that we need medicare for all, free college and universities, better jobs, and solutions to climate change, I will work everyday to accomplish our goals in Augusta. I will defend and strengthen the clean elections act, support ranked choice voting, make referendums more difficult to block, and support a constitutional convention to reverse the citizens united decision.
April turner
April Turner's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I first ran for the District 99 seat in 2016 because I could see many injustices in my community and decided that I could no longer hope that someone else would step up and make change. I had been watching the democratic candidacy position starting in November of 2015 and saw no one stepping up. Many conversations with my family from November through February created the support and reinforced my motivation to run. As I watched the open democratic candidacy I was also paying attention to Bernie’s messaging. His progressive ideas and positive. I developed a sense of urgency to becoming involved in a much more active way. In 2016 I also was finishing up my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work in 2016 and found that the ethics of my profession matched my political aspirations. I have developed a passion policy work because there were many families that I was working with that could not change their circumstances because of the policies set by our State and Federal Systems. I was a Bernie Alternate Delegate at the 2016 Democratic Convention. As part of my Bachelor’s degree I also interned with Senator Geoff Gratwick and the Maine Senate Democratic Office. I ran a very successful campaign, earning 43% of my districts vote -- just shy of a win for the seat, but a fantastic learning experience!
I am running again because there was no way I was going to let all the hard work I had put in 2016 go to waste. I have created a strong grassroots base, networked with many members of the Legislature, and became so much more knowledgeable about my community. After the 2016 election results I knew that we would need more advocates within the State House. I have continued to be active within my community. I am a volunteer with the Freedom Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary and at many community events. I work as a Family Visitor with Kennebec Valley Community Action Program. My experience as a social worker is called to action everyday as I partner with families as they navigate many different systems. I am working toward the development if healthcare for all Mainers, through the Waldo County Maine AllCare Chapter.
I want my community to be a vibrant and successful place, where all families are able to meet their needs. I want families to have access to maternity and paternity leave. I want our healthcare system to include mental health and dental care. I want traditional and non- traditional students to be able to attend college and technical programs of their choice to improve their skills. I want us to have a public transportation system that is effective and convenient in urban and rural areas. I want those that receive social security to not have to rely on food pantries to keep themselves fed. I want funds to be available to improve the living conditions of my community members. I cannot meet all my dreams without your help. I need your support.
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for Maine legislature?
I first ran for the District 99 seat in 2016 because I could see many injustices in my community and decided that I could no longer hope that someone else would step up and make change. I had been watching the democratic candidacy position starting in November of 2015 and saw no one stepping up. Many conversations with my family from November through February created the support and reinforced my motivation to run. As I watched the open democratic candidacy I was also paying attention to Bernie’s messaging. His progressive ideas and positive. I developed a sense of urgency to becoming involved in a much more active way. In 2016 I also was finishing up my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work in 2016 and found that the ethics of my profession matched my political aspirations. I have developed a passion policy work because there were many families that I was working with that could not change their circumstances because of the policies set by our State and Federal Systems. I was a Bernie Alternate Delegate at the 2016 Democratic Convention. As part of my Bachelor’s degree I also interned with Senator Geoff Gratwick and the Maine Senate Democratic Office. I ran a very successful campaign, earning 43% of my districts vote -- just shy of a win for the seat, but a fantastic learning experience!
I am running again because there was no way I was going to let all the hard work I had put in 2016 go to waste. I have created a strong grassroots base, networked with many members of the Legislature, and became so much more knowledgeable about my community. After the 2016 election results I knew that we would need more advocates within the State House. I have continued to be active within my community. I am a volunteer with the Freedom Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary and at many community events. I work as a Family Visitor with Kennebec Valley Community Action Program. My experience as a social worker is called to action everyday as I partner with families as they navigate many different systems. I am working toward the development if healthcare for all Mainers, through the Waldo County Maine AllCare Chapter.
I want my community to be a vibrant and successful place, where all families are able to meet their needs. I want families to have access to maternity and paternity leave. I want our healthcare system to include mental health and dental care. I want traditional and non- traditional students to be able to attend college and technical programs of their choice to improve their skills. I want us to have a public transportation system that is effective and convenient in urban and rural areas. I want those that receive social security to not have to rely on food pantries to keep themselves fed. I want funds to be available to improve the living conditions of my community members. I cannot meet all my dreams without your help. I need your support.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a legislator?
I want to sponsor (or co-sponsor) and see implemented a Healthcare Bill that provides healthcare coverage to all Mainers. I no longer want to see my family, friends, and community members have to hold fundraisers to help pay for their medical expenses. We are all living temporarily without a disability and cannot continue to allow large corporations profit off the health of Mainers. When this Bill is introduced I want to make sure that it includes mental health and dental care.
I want to sponsor (or co-sponsor) and see implemented a Healthcare Bill that provides healthcare coverage to all Mainers. I no longer want to see my family, friends, and community members have to hold fundraisers to help pay for their medical expenses. We are all living temporarily without a disability and cannot continue to allow large corporations profit off the health of Mainers. When this Bill is introduced I want to make sure that it includes mental health and dental care.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel the legislature needs to address in Maine?
The Legislature needs to address the opiate crisis. Every Mainer is affected by this. Addressing the opiate crisis means addressing addiction, but more importantly it means addressing the situations and policies that have created this situation. To address the situations and policies that have perpetuated this epidemic the Legislature will need to address and improve the state’s policies on poverty, healthcare, education, employment opportunities, treatment options, medical facilities, legal system, DHHS, education, mental health, and trauma.
The Legislature needs to address the opiate crisis. Every Mainer is affected by this. Addressing the opiate crisis means addressing addiction, but more importantly it means addressing the situations and policies that have created this situation. To address the situations and policies that have perpetuated this epidemic the Legislature will need to address and improve the state’s policies on poverty, healthcare, education, employment opportunities, treatment options, medical facilities, legal system, DHHS, education, mental health, and trauma.
4. How do you think poverty and inequality in Maine can be addressed effectively?
Poverty and inequality can be addressed through education. Equal access to education when it comes to primary and secondary schools, and education of the inequalities in our systems. Creating a plan that funds schools at the 55% that Mainers have demanded and setting up fair taxing systems that support education rather than relying on property taxes for schools revenues. We need to be offering open dialogue about the oppressive nature of many of our systems and policies. We are all products of the generations before us. We need to evaluate the beliefs that we have, examine the social assignments that we have been given, look to see who is at the table of the decision making process. Those that are most impacted by these issues often do not have a voice in the making of the policies. Legislators remain uneducated about the needs of the people they represent. I have grown up in poverty and worked with families and individuals that are experiencing poverty and inequality. I want to advocate for those that have not had a voice.
Poverty and inequality can be addressed through education. Equal access to education when it comes to primary and secondary schools, and education of the inequalities in our systems. Creating a plan that funds schools at the 55% that Mainers have demanded and setting up fair taxing systems that support education rather than relying on property taxes for schools revenues. We need to be offering open dialogue about the oppressive nature of many of our systems and policies. We are all products of the generations before us. We need to evaluate the beliefs that we have, examine the social assignments that we have been given, look to see who is at the table of the decision making process. Those that are most impacted by these issues often do not have a voice in the making of the policies. Legislators remain uneducated about the needs of the people they represent. I have grown up in poverty and worked with families and individuals that are experiencing poverty and inequality. I want to advocate for those that have not had a voice.
5. Please provide any other concrete thoughts you have on how you will represent your constituents in the legislature.
I am a bio/adoptive/foster mom of 4 wonderful young men. I want them, and all of our children, to be able to choose a future that makes them happy and successful. Unfortunately, the current rate our state and country is going they are set up to live with a lower standard of living than their father and I have had. My life experiences have prepared me to be a successful advocate for my community. My devotion to serving my community continues to expand. I am a lifelong learner and will be graduating with a Masters in Social Work in May. Even though I had never ran for office prior to 2016, I jumped wholeheartedly into campaigning and have continued to passionately learn about my community and its needs. I am proud to consider myself an advocate for my community and all of Maine.
I am a bio/adoptive/foster mom of 4 wonderful young men. I want them, and all of our children, to be able to choose a future that makes them happy and successful. Unfortunately, the current rate our state and country is going they are set up to live with a lower standard of living than their father and I have had. My life experiences have prepared me to be a successful advocate for my community. My devotion to serving my community continues to expand. I am a lifelong learner and will be graduating with a Masters in Social Work in May. Even though I had never ran for office prior to 2016, I jumped wholeheartedly into campaigning and have continued to passionately learn about my community and its needs. I am proud to consider myself an advocate for my community and all of Maine.
County Commissioner District 2 (Hancock)
John wombacher
facebook.com/WombacherforCountyCommissioner
John Wombacher's Our Revolution endorsement application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for County Commissioner?
In 2016 I was inspired by the Bernie Sanders campaign to run for the state legislature. I didn't win my race but that didn't deter my commitment to the political process. I took Bernie Sanders’ call for progressives to run for local and state offices to heart. The frontline on so many issues flow through the town office, county courthouse and state capital. Looking at my commitments to family and career, I have decided the best place to put my effort is at the county level. As the Hancock County Commissioner for District 2 I would be in the position to assure county budgets are balanced, roads and facilities are maintained, while reflecting my progressive values. County government has a role in ensuring public safety, environmental protection and economic growth.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a county commissioner?
I will bring a progressive voice to the county commissioners duties. The commissioners act as a board. I will be an advocate for county workers, the environment and the counties most vulnerable citizens. The business decisions the county commissioners make need to support sustainability. Increased pressure has been felt from Augusta to privatize or close jails in the state. As a county commissioner I would work to keep the Hancock County jail maintained and staffed appropriately and out of private hands. I want to ensure the East West corridor or MEPCO transmission corridor is opposed. I have concerns about the environmental impact of these projects and the questionable use of eminent domain.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel your county government needs to address?
County governments most pressing issues are the management of county properties, staff and insuring public safety. I believe county government needs to find ways to continue supporting local communities with the opioid crisis and job skills training. As I stated earlier I feel county government needs be actively supporting sustainable communities. County departments and properties can be operated from a stronger environmental perspective.
4. What are the most pressing concerns in your district?
My district consists of Brooklin, Bucksport, Castine, Dedham, Deer Isle, Orland, Penobscot, Sedgwick, Stonington, and Verona. I feel the most pressing concerns are food insecurity, job skills training, opioid addiction and treatment, healthcare costs, and lack of public transportation. County government can assist to varying degrees on some of these issues through the use of community benefit funds associated with the agreement with Blue Sky East wind turbines.
5. How do you think poverty and inequality in Maine can be addressed effectively?
Having a clean safe environment to raise a family is not too much to expect from society. Affordable housing and the stability it provides can be the foundation that helps families out of poverty. I support a 15 dollar minimum wage and workers right to organize. Until the political will power exists to achieve universal healthcare the struggles of the working poor and whats left of the middle class will continue. At the ballot box we have attempted to address many of these issues through referendums and bonds but implementation has been blocked or slowed despite the people's will. It is easy to lay the blame at the Governor's door but both sides of the aisle have been complicit in putting corporate and party interests ahead of the people.
6. What experience, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in this office and help your constituency?
First and foremost I see myself as a dad with a desire to make the world a better place for my daughter. I am unapologetically a liberal/progressive and those beliefs are reflected in my personal and professional life. I am a small business owner with my wife, Leslie and I am a supervisor at The Home Depot. I have a Masters Degree in Fine Arts and have taught photography at the college level and in the private sector. I have lived the struggles of paying the bills, taxes and finding affordable healthcare for my family. I will bring those experiences and challenges to the office and it is my belief it will help county government better reflect working families needs.
John Wombacher's Our Revolution endorsement application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for County Commissioner?
In 2016 I was inspired by the Bernie Sanders campaign to run for the state legislature. I didn't win my race but that didn't deter my commitment to the political process. I took Bernie Sanders’ call for progressives to run for local and state offices to heart. The frontline on so many issues flow through the town office, county courthouse and state capital. Looking at my commitments to family and career, I have decided the best place to put my effort is at the county level. As the Hancock County Commissioner for District 2 I would be in the position to assure county budgets are balanced, roads and facilities are maintained, while reflecting my progressive values. County government has a role in ensuring public safety, environmental protection and economic growth.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve as a county commissioner?
I will bring a progressive voice to the county commissioners duties. The commissioners act as a board. I will be an advocate for county workers, the environment and the counties most vulnerable citizens. The business decisions the county commissioners make need to support sustainability. Increased pressure has been felt from Augusta to privatize or close jails in the state. As a county commissioner I would work to keep the Hancock County jail maintained and staffed appropriately and out of private hands. I want to ensure the East West corridor or MEPCO transmission corridor is opposed. I have concerns about the environmental impact of these projects and the questionable use of eminent domain.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel your county government needs to address?
County governments most pressing issues are the management of county properties, staff and insuring public safety. I believe county government needs to find ways to continue supporting local communities with the opioid crisis and job skills training. As I stated earlier I feel county government needs be actively supporting sustainable communities. County departments and properties can be operated from a stronger environmental perspective.
4. What are the most pressing concerns in your district?
My district consists of Brooklin, Bucksport, Castine, Dedham, Deer Isle, Orland, Penobscot, Sedgwick, Stonington, and Verona. I feel the most pressing concerns are food insecurity, job skills training, opioid addiction and treatment, healthcare costs, and lack of public transportation. County government can assist to varying degrees on some of these issues through the use of community benefit funds associated with the agreement with Blue Sky East wind turbines.
5. How do you think poverty and inequality in Maine can be addressed effectively?
Having a clean safe environment to raise a family is not too much to expect from society. Affordable housing and the stability it provides can be the foundation that helps families out of poverty. I support a 15 dollar minimum wage and workers right to organize. Until the political will power exists to achieve universal healthcare the struggles of the working poor and whats left of the middle class will continue. At the ballot box we have attempted to address many of these issues through referendums and bonds but implementation has been blocked or slowed despite the people's will. It is easy to lay the blame at the Governor's door but both sides of the aisle have been complicit in putting corporate and party interests ahead of the people.
6. What experience, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in this office and help your constituency?
First and foremost I see myself as a dad with a desire to make the world a better place for my daughter. I am unapologetically a liberal/progressive and those beliefs are reflected in my personal and professional life. I am a small business owner with my wife, Leslie and I am a supervisor at The Home Depot. I have a Masters Degree in Fine Arts and have taught photography at the college level and in the private sector. I have lived the struggles of paying the bills, taxes and finding affordable healthcare for my family. I will bring those experiences and challenges to the office and it is my belief it will help county government better reflect working families needs.
Congressional District 2 (CD2) Candidate Interviews
phil cleaves
PhilCleaves.com
facebook.com/CleavesForCongress
Phil Cleaves' Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for US Representative of Maine's CD2?
Medicare for all, bringing back and starting new jobs in rural Maine, Keeping Trump and his minions in check in hopes of turning this circus sideshow back to a functioning government again.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve in Congress?
Medicare for all, Free College, free trade and tech schools, Eliminating student debt, Reversing climate change, Legalizing Hemp (again, even if it's just in Maine for now), Ending Racial inequality, Women's rights, LGBTQ Rights, Criminal reform, Using our Sovereign governments economic system to its fullest, Which will pay for all of the above and won't cost us a dime. Clean elections and also Country wide voting machines or Country wide Paper Ballots. Paid Maternity leave and free childcare plus We can create a Job Guarantee and bring our unemployment down close to zero.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel need to be addressed for the country and for CD2?
Jobs Jobs and More Jobs, More rehab places so people get get off drugs easier and more effectively. Healthcare. A damn Living Wage.
4. What is your stance on gun control? (Background checks, assault weapons, etc.)
All for the 2nd Amendment but there has to be background checks for starters. Possibly a 1 or 2 day waiting period. To try and crack down on straw-man buyers, a 1st time buyer has to wait 3 days and take a gun safety course. Let me tell ya something, I had to have a background check and fingerprinted just to coach HS Football. So a background check, waiting period or a safety course to buy a weapon that kills, shouldn't be such a big deal to honest people. I would ban assault rifles, I just don't see the need to have one. Stricter ban for online sales of guns and ammo. Instant but full background checks for people buying guns and ammo at gun shows. Yes, People have the right to own guns but People also have the right not to get shot. Concealed Gun permits for everyone, the cops need to know who the hell they are walking up onto.
5. How do you think poverty can be effectively addressed, particularly in rural Maine and the rural U.S.?
With more jobs and the job guarantee I mentioned above will help that tremendously. Job training centers and more mentors.
6. Please provide any other concrete thoughts you have on how you will represent your constituents in Congress.
I am planning on having Liaisons in every business sector and every Group in the State and in every County so that anyone with a problem or concern will be able to reach out to me. (Example: Teachers are having problems with, I dunno, not getting enough supplies let's say. They can contact one of the Teacher Liaisons and then get straight to me (Or contact me directly) and I will find out what's wrong and see if we can get it solved.) I will be hiring a lot of State Staffers to man phone calls from all over the state to get messages directly to me. Let's do a hypothetical here: Let's say there was a Bill in Congress, A Healthcare bill for example and I will be voting on in 7 days from now. I ENCOURAGE Everyone to Participate in my decision, call me or one of my many staffers (See why I'll have a lot of staffers) and give me a Yes or No to vote, and I want to do this why? Because I WORK FOR YOU, I'm not there to look pretty, make friends and get a check. I'm there because YOU want representation, YOU want your Voices heard and I WANT to be YOUR Voice, Because I Love Maine and Love our Country.
facebook.com/CleavesForCongress
Phil Cleaves' Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for US Representative of Maine's CD2?
Medicare for all, bringing back and starting new jobs in rural Maine, Keeping Trump and his minions in check in hopes of turning this circus sideshow back to a functioning government again.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve in Congress?
Medicare for all, Free College, free trade and tech schools, Eliminating student debt, Reversing climate change, Legalizing Hemp (again, even if it's just in Maine for now), Ending Racial inequality, Women's rights, LGBTQ Rights, Criminal reform, Using our Sovereign governments economic system to its fullest, Which will pay for all of the above and won't cost us a dime. Clean elections and also Country wide voting machines or Country wide Paper Ballots. Paid Maternity leave and free childcare plus We can create a Job Guarantee and bring our unemployment down close to zero.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel need to be addressed for the country and for CD2?
Jobs Jobs and More Jobs, More rehab places so people get get off drugs easier and more effectively. Healthcare. A damn Living Wage.
4. What is your stance on gun control? (Background checks, assault weapons, etc.)
All for the 2nd Amendment but there has to be background checks for starters. Possibly a 1 or 2 day waiting period. To try and crack down on straw-man buyers, a 1st time buyer has to wait 3 days and take a gun safety course. Let me tell ya something, I had to have a background check and fingerprinted just to coach HS Football. So a background check, waiting period or a safety course to buy a weapon that kills, shouldn't be such a big deal to honest people. I would ban assault rifles, I just don't see the need to have one. Stricter ban for online sales of guns and ammo. Instant but full background checks for people buying guns and ammo at gun shows. Yes, People have the right to own guns but People also have the right not to get shot. Concealed Gun permits for everyone, the cops need to know who the hell they are walking up onto.
5. How do you think poverty can be effectively addressed, particularly in rural Maine and the rural U.S.?
With more jobs and the job guarantee I mentioned above will help that tremendously. Job training centers and more mentors.
6. Please provide any other concrete thoughts you have on how you will represent your constituents in Congress.
I am planning on having Liaisons in every business sector and every Group in the State and in every County so that anyone with a problem or concern will be able to reach out to me. (Example: Teachers are having problems with, I dunno, not getting enough supplies let's say. They can contact one of the Teacher Liaisons and then get straight to me (Or contact me directly) and I will find out what's wrong and see if we can get it solved.) I will be hiring a lot of State Staffers to man phone calls from all over the state to get messages directly to me. Let's do a hypothetical here: Let's say there was a Bill in Congress, A Healthcare bill for example and I will be voting on in 7 days from now. I ENCOURAGE Everyone to Participate in my decision, call me or one of my many staffers (See why I'll have a lot of staffers) and give me a Yes or No to vote, and I want to do this why? Because I WORK FOR YOU, I'm not there to look pretty, make friends and get a check. I'm there because YOU want representation, YOU want your Voices heard and I WANT to be YOUR Voice, Because I Love Maine and Love our Country.
jonathan fulford
fulfordforcongress.com
facebook.com/FulfordForME
Jonathan Fulford's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for US Representative of Maine's CD2?
A few years ago I was with my grandson and he was having a wonderful time, out with his grandparents and looking up at me with such joy and trust. The moment hit me like a knife to my heart because I couldn’t return that confidence with a world in peril and thinking what would the future hold for him. I’ve always been an activist but felt it was time to step up and run for office to help be the change that is clearly and sorely needed. That was the moment.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve in Congress?
I will join with others and champion the Rural Progressive Caucus with the goals of bringing economic fairness, universal health care and addressing climate as core concerns.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel need to be addressed for the country and for CD2?
Wealth inequity is out of control and hurting America. We must restore fairness in taxation and invest in the future of CD2 which is largely rural and has been forgotten. Our parents and grandparents should not have to live in fear of how they will live out their years after working for most of their lives. My commitment is to making the future one of abundance, justice, and peace, with healthy and meaningful lives for all. Our commonality is greater than our divisions. Our shared goals are greater than the different ideas on how best to achieve them.
4. What is your stance on gun control? (Background checks, assault weapons, etc.)
I am a gun owner and support education and regulation of weapons, especially those that are not designed for hunting so I support background checks and assault weapon restrictions.
5. How do you think poverty can be effectively addressed, particularly in rural Maine and the rural U.S.?
I have been a farmer and a carpenter and for thirty years. I have run a construction business focused on energy efficiency and have always paid a living wage. I have seen the importance that a decent job makes for people to succeed. We must attack poverty and not people and we can begin by investing in infrastructure including broadband that can provide living wage jobs.
6. Please provide any other concrete thoughts you have on how you will represent your constituents in Congress.
I am running for congress because I believe that we need a government that is working for the people of Maine. We need a government that holds the wellbeing of its citizens above all else. We need a government that puts quality universal healthcare above insurance companies and pharmaceutical company profits. We need a government that sees renewable energy, which brings good paying jobs and energy independence, as part of the solution to climate change. We need a government that protects our fishing, farming, and forestry resources. We need elected officials who are accessible to the people, and have the courage to take clear stands. Our government should protect the financial interests of our people instead of helping to line the pockets of Wall Street and the 1%.
facebook.com/FulfordForME
Jonathan Fulford's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for US Representative of Maine's CD2?
A few years ago I was with my grandson and he was having a wonderful time, out with his grandparents and looking up at me with such joy and trust. The moment hit me like a knife to my heart because I couldn’t return that confidence with a world in peril and thinking what would the future hold for him. I’ve always been an activist but felt it was time to step up and run for office to help be the change that is clearly and sorely needed. That was the moment.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve in Congress?
I will join with others and champion the Rural Progressive Caucus with the goals of bringing economic fairness, universal health care and addressing climate as core concerns.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel need to be addressed for the country and for CD2?
Wealth inequity is out of control and hurting America. We must restore fairness in taxation and invest in the future of CD2 which is largely rural and has been forgotten. Our parents and grandparents should not have to live in fear of how they will live out their years after working for most of their lives. My commitment is to making the future one of abundance, justice, and peace, with healthy and meaningful lives for all. Our commonality is greater than our divisions. Our shared goals are greater than the different ideas on how best to achieve them.
4. What is your stance on gun control? (Background checks, assault weapons, etc.)
I am a gun owner and support education and regulation of weapons, especially those that are not designed for hunting so I support background checks and assault weapon restrictions.
5. How do you think poverty can be effectively addressed, particularly in rural Maine and the rural U.S.?
I have been a farmer and a carpenter and for thirty years. I have run a construction business focused on energy efficiency and have always paid a living wage. I have seen the importance that a decent job makes for people to succeed. We must attack poverty and not people and we can begin by investing in infrastructure including broadband that can provide living wage jobs.
6. Please provide any other concrete thoughts you have on how you will represent your constituents in Congress.
I am running for congress because I believe that we need a government that is working for the people of Maine. We need a government that holds the wellbeing of its citizens above all else. We need a government that puts quality universal healthcare above insurance companies and pharmaceutical company profits. We need a government that sees renewable energy, which brings good paying jobs and energy independence, as part of the solution to climate change. We need a government that protects our fishing, farming, and forestry resources. We need elected officials who are accessible to the people, and have the courage to take clear stands. Our government should protect the financial interests of our people instead of helping to line the pockets of Wall Street and the 1%.
craig olson
craigforme2.com
facebook.com/CraigForME2
Craig Olson's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for US Representative of Maine's CD2?
Our family has struggled with keeping a small business afloat and maintaining affordable health care. In 2016, I took on a second full-time job to stabilize our finances and provide us with better health insurance. An illness in 2015 nearly drove us into bankruptcy but the assistance of friends and neighbors helped us weather that storm. Not everyone is fortunate to have the support network that our family enjoys and I want to serve as the 2nd District’s next member of Congress to insure that those who have struggled have a voice at the table, making decisions that help all Mainers.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve in Congress?
I want to see Universal Health Care with a low deductible that covers all Americans. I would also fight for the requirement that all members of Congress and their staffs must choose their health insurance from the plans available in the state they represent, not the top level plans they currently enjoy while their constituents struggle to find affordable options.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel need to be addressed for the country and for CD2?
The 2nd District needs jobs and new industries. Mills need to be re-used if they can, we need to find new uses for materials provided by the forest products industries, and we need assistance from the Federal government in repairing and improving our infrastructure. The inequality of wealth and the loopholes that allow so many citizens to fall through the cracks is inexcusable. Our priorities need to be jobs; affordable, universal health care; taxation that is equitable for all; and putting an end to the belief that if you have been successful in life it was something you did devoid of any help from local, state or federal government assistance. We are all in this together and we owe it to this country to give back and help those who need it now.
4. What is your stance on gun control? (Background checks, assault weapons, etc.)
I was raised on a dairy farm and hunting was part of our daily life. I don’t hunt now, but believe in the 2nd Amendment and everyone’s right to keep and bear arms. In 2010, my three daughters and I completed the Hunter’s Safety course offered by the Islesboro Sporting Club -- I did so because I wanted them comfortable around firearms. I do not, however, believe in the right to keep and bear any arm that is produced. I see no need in hunting and sporting for the use of assault weapons, nor do I believe there is a need for high capacity magazines and clips being available to the public. Background checks are important and needed. You cannot sell a truck without a transfer of title, why shouldn’t you be required to do the same with a gun?
5. How do you think poverty can be effectively addressed, particularly in rural Maine and the rural U.S.?
For those who are able to work we need to create more jobs that pay a living wage and to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour nationally. It is not simply a case of creating more jobs, it is a need to create more jobs that pay well and allow workers to achieve a standard of living that brings stability to their families and communities. We need to do that with programs and industries that are sustainable and draw on both the natural and human resources of Maine. For those who cannot work we have an obligation as a society to provide opportunities that enable them to live a productive life in a society that cares for all of its citizens equally.
6. Please provide any other concrete thoughts you have on how you will represent your constituents in Congress.
I have spent most of my adult life leading institutions and operating a small business where the key to success is listening to those you serve. My role in Congress would be to serve the people of the 2nd District, listening to their concerns, working on the issues that matter most. I will be adamant about the fact that I need to represent all of the 2nd District and not simply putting party first -- which has been happening in both parties. I am also passionate about working across the aisle, there are good ideas on both sides and I would do all in my power to bring some civility back to Congress. My role as Maine’s next Congressman would be to be a true servant leader in the U. S. House of Representatives for Maine’s 2nd District.
facebook.com/CraigForME2
Craig Olson's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for US Representative of Maine's CD2?
Our family has struggled with keeping a small business afloat and maintaining affordable health care. In 2016, I took on a second full-time job to stabilize our finances and provide us with better health insurance. An illness in 2015 nearly drove us into bankruptcy but the assistance of friends and neighbors helped us weather that storm. Not everyone is fortunate to have the support network that our family enjoys and I want to serve as the 2nd District’s next member of Congress to insure that those who have struggled have a voice at the table, making decisions that help all Mainers.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve in Congress?
I want to see Universal Health Care with a low deductible that covers all Americans. I would also fight for the requirement that all members of Congress and their staffs must choose their health insurance from the plans available in the state they represent, not the top level plans they currently enjoy while their constituents struggle to find affordable options.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel need to be addressed for the country and for CD2?
The 2nd District needs jobs and new industries. Mills need to be re-used if they can, we need to find new uses for materials provided by the forest products industries, and we need assistance from the Federal government in repairing and improving our infrastructure. The inequality of wealth and the loopholes that allow so many citizens to fall through the cracks is inexcusable. Our priorities need to be jobs; affordable, universal health care; taxation that is equitable for all; and putting an end to the belief that if you have been successful in life it was something you did devoid of any help from local, state or federal government assistance. We are all in this together and we owe it to this country to give back and help those who need it now.
4. What is your stance on gun control? (Background checks, assault weapons, etc.)
I was raised on a dairy farm and hunting was part of our daily life. I don’t hunt now, but believe in the 2nd Amendment and everyone’s right to keep and bear arms. In 2010, my three daughters and I completed the Hunter’s Safety course offered by the Islesboro Sporting Club -- I did so because I wanted them comfortable around firearms. I do not, however, believe in the right to keep and bear any arm that is produced. I see no need in hunting and sporting for the use of assault weapons, nor do I believe there is a need for high capacity magazines and clips being available to the public. Background checks are important and needed. You cannot sell a truck without a transfer of title, why shouldn’t you be required to do the same with a gun?
5. How do you think poverty can be effectively addressed, particularly in rural Maine and the rural U.S.?
For those who are able to work we need to create more jobs that pay a living wage and to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour nationally. It is not simply a case of creating more jobs, it is a need to create more jobs that pay well and allow workers to achieve a standard of living that brings stability to their families and communities. We need to do that with programs and industries that are sustainable and draw on both the natural and human resources of Maine. For those who cannot work we have an obligation as a society to provide opportunities that enable them to live a productive life in a society that cares for all of its citizens equally.
6. Please provide any other concrete thoughts you have on how you will represent your constituents in Congress.
I have spent most of my adult life leading institutions and operating a small business where the key to success is listening to those you serve. My role in Congress would be to serve the people of the 2nd District, listening to their concerns, working on the issues that matter most. I will be adamant about the fact that I need to represent all of the 2nd District and not simply putting party first -- which has been happening in both parties. I am also passionate about working across the aisle, there are good ideas on both sides and I would do all in my power to bring some civility back to Congress. My role as Maine’s next Congressman would be to be a true servant leader in the U. S. House of Representatives for Maine’s 2nd District.
tim rich
richfortherestofus.com
facebook.com/RichForTheRestOfUs
Tim Rich's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for US Representative of Maine's CD2?
I am a 7th generation Mainer, a successful small business owner, a former health care reform advocate for the SEIU, and a former Union Organizer for the MSEA. I am running because life in rural Maine has been getting harder and harder with each passing decade. My parents worked hard all their lives and when they were nearing retirement they had very little to show for it. Most of my friends live nearly paycheck to paycheck just like I do. I couldn’t sit by and watch things getting harder for all of us and not do anything about it. I feel compelled to run for the people who have been left behind by politicians who said they have our backs but have done nothing to address our problems in any meaningful way. I’m running to represent every family that is struggling to make ends meet, build a better life for their children. The rich have all the power in this country. I’m running to give a voice for the rest of us.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve in Congress?
In the short term, we need to secure the gains we have made in the health insurance sector since 2009, protect the Affordable Care Act and expand Medicaid everywhere we can. As a former healthcare advocate, I will always be a champion of any legislation that lowers the out-of-pocket expenses Americans have to pay for their healthcare and brings reliable, affordable, and universal health care coverage to every American. We need to tackle our debt before it bankrupts our country. I’d also like to see legislation that helps address Maine’s crumbling infrastructure, creates jobs in rural Maine, and helps all of us address the growing threat of climate change.
Lastly, I feel very strongly that we need to place greater protections on our nuclear arsenal and work very hard to limit and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons all around the world. They are a ticking time bomb and we need to address this issue before someone makes a grave mistake.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel need to be addressed for the country and for CD2?
As a future member of Congress, it will be my job to advocate for policies that encourage and support policies that help Mainers find better jobs, with better wages, so they can build stronger families. There are several key policies that I think will help get us there: legislation that helps increase funding to workforce development programs to ensure that Maine workers have the necessary skills to compete in today's global workforce; working with public and private partners to expand access to capital to Maine farmers, fishermen, small business owners and entrepreneurs so they can start or grow their businesses right here in Maine; and working to guarantee that American workers are given a seat at the negotiating table when federal trade deals are being crafted.
4. What is your stance on gun control? (Background checks, assault weapons, etc.)
I was raised hunting and fishing and I have a deep respect for the 2nd amendment and the right of responsible gun owners to collect, carry, and purchase firearms. However, there are some common sense policy solutions that can help address gun violence. First off, in the aftermath of the Las Vegas massacre, I think it’s clear that we need to ban bump-fire stocks and other accessories that allow someone to convert a semi-automatic weapon into something that acts like an automatic weapon, which are highly regulated and expensive to purchase. Secondly, I think we need universal background checks for anyone purchasing a gun from a gun dealer or at a gun show. Lastly, I believe that it makes sense to prevent anyone on the no-fly list from purchasing a firearm so long as there is an appeals process which allows Americans who have been placed on the no-fly list erroneously to regain their 2nd amendment rights.
5. How do you think poverty can be effectively addressed, particularly in rural Maine and the rural U.S.?
If we’re going to reduce poverty in rural Maine we need to come together to look at causes and address them with bold and practical solutions. We need to address the rising cost of healthcare which is currently leading to financial insecurity of thousands of Maine families. We need to work directly with our local communities to find creative and sustainable solutions that will grow economic development in the long term, like renewable energy. Lastly, despite what the Republicans tell us, no one is going to convince me that a reasonable increase in the minimum wage will hurt our economy. When I opened The Independent Cafe, instead of paying our employees minimum wage I’m proud of the fact that we paid all our employees a livable wage right from the start. As a small business owner I feel a moral obligation to ensure that my employees can put food on the table, pay for college, and build a better life for themselves -- which is why I’ve proposed raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $12 over the next 5 years and tying regular future increases to the cost-of-living.
6. Please provide any other concrete thoughts you have on how you will represent your constituents in Congress.
I am willing to work with anyone — Democrat, Republican or Independent — to address some of the nation’s greatest challenges. The first thing I will do is hold a series of town hall meetings across the district to hear directly from my constituents. I will always be honest and open with the hard-working families and small business owners of Maine. I will seek input from all people affected by major legislation, especially those who disagree with my position, so that I can make the most informed and practical decisions on policy which is why I have committed that my first act as the newly elected representative will be to hold a town hall. To me, elected office isn’t a right; it’s a responsibility – and one I will take seriously. I pledge to listen to everyone, as much over the course of the campaign as after, so that I can be their voice in Congress.
facebook.com/RichForTheRestOfUs
Tim Rich's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for US Representative of Maine's CD2?
I am a 7th generation Mainer, a successful small business owner, a former health care reform advocate for the SEIU, and a former Union Organizer for the MSEA. I am running because life in rural Maine has been getting harder and harder with each passing decade. My parents worked hard all their lives and when they were nearing retirement they had very little to show for it. Most of my friends live nearly paycheck to paycheck just like I do. I couldn’t sit by and watch things getting harder for all of us and not do anything about it. I feel compelled to run for the people who have been left behind by politicians who said they have our backs but have done nothing to address our problems in any meaningful way. I’m running to represent every family that is struggling to make ends meet, build a better life for their children. The rich have all the power in this country. I’m running to give a voice for the rest of us.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve in Congress?
In the short term, we need to secure the gains we have made in the health insurance sector since 2009, protect the Affordable Care Act and expand Medicaid everywhere we can. As a former healthcare advocate, I will always be a champion of any legislation that lowers the out-of-pocket expenses Americans have to pay for their healthcare and brings reliable, affordable, and universal health care coverage to every American. We need to tackle our debt before it bankrupts our country. I’d also like to see legislation that helps address Maine’s crumbling infrastructure, creates jobs in rural Maine, and helps all of us address the growing threat of climate change.
Lastly, I feel very strongly that we need to place greater protections on our nuclear arsenal and work very hard to limit and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons all around the world. They are a ticking time bomb and we need to address this issue before someone makes a grave mistake.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel need to be addressed for the country and for CD2?
As a future member of Congress, it will be my job to advocate for policies that encourage and support policies that help Mainers find better jobs, with better wages, so they can build stronger families. There are several key policies that I think will help get us there: legislation that helps increase funding to workforce development programs to ensure that Maine workers have the necessary skills to compete in today's global workforce; working with public and private partners to expand access to capital to Maine farmers, fishermen, small business owners and entrepreneurs so they can start or grow their businesses right here in Maine; and working to guarantee that American workers are given a seat at the negotiating table when federal trade deals are being crafted.
4. What is your stance on gun control? (Background checks, assault weapons, etc.)
I was raised hunting and fishing and I have a deep respect for the 2nd amendment and the right of responsible gun owners to collect, carry, and purchase firearms. However, there are some common sense policy solutions that can help address gun violence. First off, in the aftermath of the Las Vegas massacre, I think it’s clear that we need to ban bump-fire stocks and other accessories that allow someone to convert a semi-automatic weapon into something that acts like an automatic weapon, which are highly regulated and expensive to purchase. Secondly, I think we need universal background checks for anyone purchasing a gun from a gun dealer or at a gun show. Lastly, I believe that it makes sense to prevent anyone on the no-fly list from purchasing a firearm so long as there is an appeals process which allows Americans who have been placed on the no-fly list erroneously to regain their 2nd amendment rights.
5. How do you think poverty can be effectively addressed, particularly in rural Maine and the rural U.S.?
If we’re going to reduce poverty in rural Maine we need to come together to look at causes and address them with bold and practical solutions. We need to address the rising cost of healthcare which is currently leading to financial insecurity of thousands of Maine families. We need to work directly with our local communities to find creative and sustainable solutions that will grow economic development in the long term, like renewable energy. Lastly, despite what the Republicans tell us, no one is going to convince me that a reasonable increase in the minimum wage will hurt our economy. When I opened The Independent Cafe, instead of paying our employees minimum wage I’m proud of the fact that we paid all our employees a livable wage right from the start. As a small business owner I feel a moral obligation to ensure that my employees can put food on the table, pay for college, and build a better life for themselves -- which is why I’ve proposed raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $12 over the next 5 years and tying regular future increases to the cost-of-living.
6. Please provide any other concrete thoughts you have on how you will represent your constituents in Congress.
I am willing to work with anyone — Democrat, Republican or Independent — to address some of the nation’s greatest challenges. The first thing I will do is hold a series of town hall meetings across the district to hear directly from my constituents. I will always be honest and open with the hard-working families and small business owners of Maine. I will seek input from all people affected by major legislation, especially those who disagree with my position, so that I can make the most informed and practical decisions on policy which is why I have committed that my first act as the newly elected representative will be to hold a town hall. To me, elected office isn’t a right; it’s a responsibility – and one I will take seriously. I pledge to listen to everyone, as much over the course of the campaign as after, so that I can be their voice in Congress.
henry john bear
Website, Facebook page not available as of 12/24/17
Our Revolution endorsement application not submitted.
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for US Representative of Maine's CD2?
I am a Green Independent Party candidate running for Congress to ensure that the voice of the people of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District will be heard in Washington. For too long now, congressional representatives having been serving the interests of their top donors, rather than the will of the people…the majority of which want single payer healthcare for all as a basic human right, college education as a basic human right, criminal justice system reforms, and getting money out of politics. Primarily it comes down to the last point…getting big money, corporate interests out of politics. Since the Green Party is the only party that remains independent of corporate monied influences, you can be assured that that is exactly what you’ll get if I am elected. If you want something to change in politics, you must vote for the person that best represents the change that you want. But, remembering that the best candidate is not always the typical one.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve in Congress?
In Maine, we share a rich history and are charged with protecting environmental treasures. We need sustainable economic development with the creation of jobs centered around a Green New Deal...to rebuild our infrastructure with a focus on conserving our natural resources and to strive for a renewable energy future. Climate change is already upon us. I am a trained Climate Change Adaptation Planner and intend to be at the forefront in a renewable energy revolution to preserve the environment in Maine that we cherish. I am fully committed to protecting the State’s longstanding slogan “Maine…The Way Life Should Be”.
In addition to that, I intend to use my voice in Congress to stand against our never-ending wars abroad for regime change and the conquest of other sovereign nations’ natural resources. We should be seeking to de-escalate tensions and be brokers for and enforcers for peace, for the sake of our interconnected world. While we do need to spend some amount of money towards the defense of our nation until we regain the trust of the People of other Nations, we must stand up to the bloated military spending that works to undermine our People and other sovereign nations, and primarily benefits arms manufacturers. We can no longer afford to prop up nations that seek to oppress their own people or other nations through the various proxy wars being fought today, especially when so many Americans (including our constituents in Maine CD2) are not having their basic needs met. Spending needs to be focused on what is best for the American people (e.g. healthcare, education, a free and open internet with net neutrality, etc.), not what’s best for the CEO’s of Boeing and Lockheed Martin. As you can see, these priorities are founded on the basic core of what the Green Independent Party stands for…People, Planet, and Peace over Profit.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel need to be addressed for the country and for CD2?
The health of our citizens and our lands are at stake around the country and especially here at home in central and northern Maine's CD2. To address these issues, we need to fix our broken healthcare system, focus on environmental protections, and sustainable economic development for a moral, caring and prosperous economy.
If less affluent nations around the world have figured out how to meet the healthcare needs of their people (including mental health treatment), then we can certainly accomplish the same, here in the US. We need to learn from countries that have shown how universal single payer healthcare can be achieved to prevent the bilking of public tax funds for out-of-control, hospital profit centers. This is not rocket science and we do not need to reinvent the wheel. Let’s be smart and cap these costs, these billings, by recognizing that the type of healthcare system, focused on patient outcomes and not insurance company profits, already exists and can be found in Canada and Europe, and is only a decision away right here in the US as well.
In addition to Americans’ basic healthcare needs not being met, we have an urgent crisis with opioid addiction and overdose deaths, here in Maine CD 2 and around the US. The fact is, we need to treat opioid addiction/substance abuse as a healthcare problem and not as a criminal justice problem. To address this, reforms are needed to get people the substance abuse treatments they need and to change the way opioids are prescribed as medical treatment. The healthcare system has contributed to this problem and needs to be part of the solution.
In terms of protecting our lands, our overall health also depends on the quality of our environment. Our sacred lands, that my ancestors fought and died for, need to be protected for the well-being of our current population and of future generations. To that end, we must oppose crude-oil pipeline construction projects that threaten the health of our lands and waterways (with eventual oil spills that will occur). In addition, these projects for crude oil transportation facilitate the extraction and use of fossil fuels which contribute to climate change/global warming…which in itself results in more frequent storms and more severe weather events. The extraction and use of these fossil fuels only results in more death and destruction from these extreme weather events. Therefore, it is also crucial for our health and well-being to oppose and reduce our reliance upon the use of fossil fuels by every means necessary. We need to wean ourselves and transition to readily available alternatives. This includes ending tax breaks for businesses that profit from the extraction of natural resources and pollute our air, our soil, and our waters. Again…the peoples’ priorities, including rapid development of alternatives, jobs and revenue growth, must come first over the priorities of those that would profit from the degradation of our environment.
4. What is your stance on gun control? (Background checks, assault weapons, etc.)
While the Green Party takes no direct position on gun control, our party honors non-violence as one of our ten key values. In that light, as a hunter and fisherman, I stand with the majority of Americans that agree with balancing our right to own and possess firearms with the need for common sense gun control laws that teach and ensure public safety. Public firearms training programs combined with Universal background checks and closing background check loopholes are absolutely necessary to achieve this. Additionally, we must address the need for continued ability to purchase assault weapons and hardware (such as bump stocks) that make guns fully automatic. The wide availability of these weapons is contradictory to protecting the health and well being of the public. Therefore, I would support an assault weapons ban bill if it came up for vote in the House. We can support the right to bear arms for hunting and home protection, while reducing the likelihood of the horrific mass shooting events. At the same time, we need to seriously look at mental health as it relates to gun ownership and ways to decrease the frequency of domestic abuse murder/suicide cases. Overall for the question of gun control, we again need to put the rights and wellbeing of our people over the interests of those profiting from the sale of weapons of violence.
5. How do you think poverty can be effectively addressed, particularly in rural Maine and the rural U.S.?
Having grown up in poverty in Maine's Second Congressional District, I have a focused and informed perspective on this issue. The three biggest factors that result in poverty (around the country and here at home) are the widening income gap/disappearing middle class, underfunded educational opportunities, and a biased criminal justice system that essentially targets and, in a sense, enslaves people to continued poverty.
The poor have little hope unless there is change. The middle class are quickly disappearing, with most of these people sinking into poverty. People are more often working multiple jobs, that fail to provide a livable wage, resulting in more and more families being one paycheck away from living on the street…let alone having them be able to achieve the American dream. To address this wage gap, we must raise the minimum wage to at least $15 per hour and tie it to inflation in the future. In the meantime, we need to bring back manufacturing jobs with a Green New Deal and local agriculture…investing in good paying jobs that will also benefit us all with a healthier environment and a healthier food supply. In addition, we should also be shifting subsidies and tax breaks to businesses that are worker owned companies, such as co-ops, that puts power back into the hands of the workers and takes it away from boards of directors and shareholders that capitalize off of hard working Americans. Lastly, we need to overturn the oppressive tax plans (such as the recent Trump Tax Bill that passed), that result in trickle up economics. This is class warfare and it’s time for those at the top of our society to at least pay their fair share.
To prepare people for the created by a Green Independent Party "New Deal, we need to fully fund public education in Maine as a basic human right. To that end, public universities and vocational trade schools need to be free and open to all People in Maine. As it stands, our children come out of schools and become adults with crushing debt and little opportunity. We need to address both to help lift people out of poverty and on the path to meaningful, well paying jobs, and happiness. With the right spending priorities, ending efforts to segregate public education as between poor and wealthy, we can make this a reality.
The last factors that need to be considered to address poverty is to get rid of the current For-Profit prison system and the current war on drugs that fuels that system. The overall result of the current school to prison pipeline, results in our children going into the “correctional” system, rather than going to college and onto good paying jobs. Once in the “correctional” system, convicts are forced into slave labor (where they literally earn only slave wages), as allowed by the exception clause of the 13th amendment. We can fight this school to prison pipeline by ending the war on drugs and by bringing sensible reforms to the criminal justice system.
To digress a little…on the topic of criminal justice reforms, we must address our current policing practice. We need a less militarized police force, free from profiling and prejudice, with a focus on community policing. We also need to begin holding law enforcement officers that are involved in police killings, accountable to the very laws they are supposed to protect. No one is above the law and we need a justice system that reflects that.
6. Please provide any other concrete thoughts you have on how you will represent your constituents in Congress.
Maine has a history of electing independently minded people outside the Democratic and Republican parties, because we live by our states motto "Dirigo…I lead". However, progressives and independent Mainers have been under-represented in Congress as of late. I intend to change that. In 2016, Senator Sanders showed us that now is the time for a grassroots revolution to give power back to the people. That’s what my campaign is all about. As the first American Indian in New England to offer for this high office, I come from grassroots People and will be able to naturally and credibly represent that grassroots perspective and value system for Maine and the Nation, and look forward to doing so if I am hired for the job.
The US House of representatives is supposed to be the Peoples’ house, not Wallstreet’s House. Sadly, congress has increasingly become a club for millionaires that bounce back and forth between lobbying firms, Wallstreet investment banks, and Congress. To illustrate this, information indicates our current incumbent in CD2 has a net worth estimated to be between $10 and $20 million dollars, which makes him the 64th wealthiest member of Congress. It is reported that his work prior to entering office included being a funds manager at Avatar Investors Corporation that handled $5 billion in worker pension funds. The reason why the background of current incumbent matters is because Maine CD2 is not made up of multi-millionaire bankers from Wallstreet. Constituents of CD2 are hardworking Mainers that fight tooth and nail to make a decent living. It’s time the people of CD 2 were represented by one of their own…a lifelong resident of CD 2 that understands and has actually experienced everyday Americans’ problems firsthand, unlike our incumbent. Once I am elected as Maine’s representative for CD2, I will truly serve the interests of my constituents because I am one myself. My family has lived here, where my connection runs deep, for many thousands of years. That is what sets me apart from others in this race and what gives me the ability to truly represent the people of CD2 with an inclusive, helpful and progressive voice.
Our Revolution endorsement application not submitted.
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for US Representative of Maine's CD2?
I am a Green Independent Party candidate running for Congress to ensure that the voice of the people of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District will be heard in Washington. For too long now, congressional representatives having been serving the interests of their top donors, rather than the will of the people…the majority of which want single payer healthcare for all as a basic human right, college education as a basic human right, criminal justice system reforms, and getting money out of politics. Primarily it comes down to the last point…getting big money, corporate interests out of politics. Since the Green Party is the only party that remains independent of corporate monied influences, you can be assured that that is exactly what you’ll get if I am elected. If you want something to change in politics, you must vote for the person that best represents the change that you want. But, remembering that the best candidate is not always the typical one.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve in Congress?
In Maine, we share a rich history and are charged with protecting environmental treasures. We need sustainable economic development with the creation of jobs centered around a Green New Deal...to rebuild our infrastructure with a focus on conserving our natural resources and to strive for a renewable energy future. Climate change is already upon us. I am a trained Climate Change Adaptation Planner and intend to be at the forefront in a renewable energy revolution to preserve the environment in Maine that we cherish. I am fully committed to protecting the State’s longstanding slogan “Maine…The Way Life Should Be”.
In addition to that, I intend to use my voice in Congress to stand against our never-ending wars abroad for regime change and the conquest of other sovereign nations’ natural resources. We should be seeking to de-escalate tensions and be brokers for and enforcers for peace, for the sake of our interconnected world. While we do need to spend some amount of money towards the defense of our nation until we regain the trust of the People of other Nations, we must stand up to the bloated military spending that works to undermine our People and other sovereign nations, and primarily benefits arms manufacturers. We can no longer afford to prop up nations that seek to oppress their own people or other nations through the various proxy wars being fought today, especially when so many Americans (including our constituents in Maine CD2) are not having their basic needs met. Spending needs to be focused on what is best for the American people (e.g. healthcare, education, a free and open internet with net neutrality, etc.), not what’s best for the CEO’s of Boeing and Lockheed Martin. As you can see, these priorities are founded on the basic core of what the Green Independent Party stands for…People, Planet, and Peace over Profit.
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel need to be addressed for the country and for CD2?
The health of our citizens and our lands are at stake around the country and especially here at home in central and northern Maine's CD2. To address these issues, we need to fix our broken healthcare system, focus on environmental protections, and sustainable economic development for a moral, caring and prosperous economy.
If less affluent nations around the world have figured out how to meet the healthcare needs of their people (including mental health treatment), then we can certainly accomplish the same, here in the US. We need to learn from countries that have shown how universal single payer healthcare can be achieved to prevent the bilking of public tax funds for out-of-control, hospital profit centers. This is not rocket science and we do not need to reinvent the wheel. Let’s be smart and cap these costs, these billings, by recognizing that the type of healthcare system, focused on patient outcomes and not insurance company profits, already exists and can be found in Canada and Europe, and is only a decision away right here in the US as well.
In addition to Americans’ basic healthcare needs not being met, we have an urgent crisis with opioid addiction and overdose deaths, here in Maine CD 2 and around the US. The fact is, we need to treat opioid addiction/substance abuse as a healthcare problem and not as a criminal justice problem. To address this, reforms are needed to get people the substance abuse treatments they need and to change the way opioids are prescribed as medical treatment. The healthcare system has contributed to this problem and needs to be part of the solution.
In terms of protecting our lands, our overall health also depends on the quality of our environment. Our sacred lands, that my ancestors fought and died for, need to be protected for the well-being of our current population and of future generations. To that end, we must oppose crude-oil pipeline construction projects that threaten the health of our lands and waterways (with eventual oil spills that will occur). In addition, these projects for crude oil transportation facilitate the extraction and use of fossil fuels which contribute to climate change/global warming…which in itself results in more frequent storms and more severe weather events. The extraction and use of these fossil fuels only results in more death and destruction from these extreme weather events. Therefore, it is also crucial for our health and well-being to oppose and reduce our reliance upon the use of fossil fuels by every means necessary. We need to wean ourselves and transition to readily available alternatives. This includes ending tax breaks for businesses that profit from the extraction of natural resources and pollute our air, our soil, and our waters. Again…the peoples’ priorities, including rapid development of alternatives, jobs and revenue growth, must come first over the priorities of those that would profit from the degradation of our environment.
4. What is your stance on gun control? (Background checks, assault weapons, etc.)
While the Green Party takes no direct position on gun control, our party honors non-violence as one of our ten key values. In that light, as a hunter and fisherman, I stand with the majority of Americans that agree with balancing our right to own and possess firearms with the need for common sense gun control laws that teach and ensure public safety. Public firearms training programs combined with Universal background checks and closing background check loopholes are absolutely necessary to achieve this. Additionally, we must address the need for continued ability to purchase assault weapons and hardware (such as bump stocks) that make guns fully automatic. The wide availability of these weapons is contradictory to protecting the health and well being of the public. Therefore, I would support an assault weapons ban bill if it came up for vote in the House. We can support the right to bear arms for hunting and home protection, while reducing the likelihood of the horrific mass shooting events. At the same time, we need to seriously look at mental health as it relates to gun ownership and ways to decrease the frequency of domestic abuse murder/suicide cases. Overall for the question of gun control, we again need to put the rights and wellbeing of our people over the interests of those profiting from the sale of weapons of violence.
5. How do you think poverty can be effectively addressed, particularly in rural Maine and the rural U.S.?
Having grown up in poverty in Maine's Second Congressional District, I have a focused and informed perspective on this issue. The three biggest factors that result in poverty (around the country and here at home) are the widening income gap/disappearing middle class, underfunded educational opportunities, and a biased criminal justice system that essentially targets and, in a sense, enslaves people to continued poverty.
The poor have little hope unless there is change. The middle class are quickly disappearing, with most of these people sinking into poverty. People are more often working multiple jobs, that fail to provide a livable wage, resulting in more and more families being one paycheck away from living on the street…let alone having them be able to achieve the American dream. To address this wage gap, we must raise the minimum wage to at least $15 per hour and tie it to inflation in the future. In the meantime, we need to bring back manufacturing jobs with a Green New Deal and local agriculture…investing in good paying jobs that will also benefit us all with a healthier environment and a healthier food supply. In addition, we should also be shifting subsidies and tax breaks to businesses that are worker owned companies, such as co-ops, that puts power back into the hands of the workers and takes it away from boards of directors and shareholders that capitalize off of hard working Americans. Lastly, we need to overturn the oppressive tax plans (such as the recent Trump Tax Bill that passed), that result in trickle up economics. This is class warfare and it’s time for those at the top of our society to at least pay their fair share.
To prepare people for the created by a Green Independent Party "New Deal, we need to fully fund public education in Maine as a basic human right. To that end, public universities and vocational trade schools need to be free and open to all People in Maine. As it stands, our children come out of schools and become adults with crushing debt and little opportunity. We need to address both to help lift people out of poverty and on the path to meaningful, well paying jobs, and happiness. With the right spending priorities, ending efforts to segregate public education as between poor and wealthy, we can make this a reality.
The last factors that need to be considered to address poverty is to get rid of the current For-Profit prison system and the current war on drugs that fuels that system. The overall result of the current school to prison pipeline, results in our children going into the “correctional” system, rather than going to college and onto good paying jobs. Once in the “correctional” system, convicts are forced into slave labor (where they literally earn only slave wages), as allowed by the exception clause of the 13th amendment. We can fight this school to prison pipeline by ending the war on drugs and by bringing sensible reforms to the criminal justice system.
To digress a little…on the topic of criminal justice reforms, we must address our current policing practice. We need a less militarized police force, free from profiling and prejudice, with a focus on community policing. We also need to begin holding law enforcement officers that are involved in police killings, accountable to the very laws they are supposed to protect. No one is above the law and we need a justice system that reflects that.
6. Please provide any other concrete thoughts you have on how you will represent your constituents in Congress.
Maine has a history of electing independently minded people outside the Democratic and Republican parties, because we live by our states motto "Dirigo…I lead". However, progressives and independent Mainers have been under-represented in Congress as of late. I intend to change that. In 2016, Senator Sanders showed us that now is the time for a grassroots revolution to give power back to the people. That’s what my campaign is all about. As the first American Indian in New England to offer for this high office, I come from grassroots People and will be able to naturally and credibly represent that grassroots perspective and value system for Maine and the Nation, and look forward to doing so if I am hired for the job.
The US House of representatives is supposed to be the Peoples’ house, not Wallstreet’s House. Sadly, congress has increasingly become a club for millionaires that bounce back and forth between lobbying firms, Wallstreet investment banks, and Congress. To illustrate this, information indicates our current incumbent in CD2 has a net worth estimated to be between $10 and $20 million dollars, which makes him the 64th wealthiest member of Congress. It is reported that his work prior to entering office included being a funds manager at Avatar Investors Corporation that handled $5 billion in worker pension funds. The reason why the background of current incumbent matters is because Maine CD2 is not made up of multi-millionaire bankers from Wallstreet. Constituents of CD2 are hardworking Mainers that fight tooth and nail to make a decent living. It’s time the people of CD 2 were represented by one of their own…a lifelong resident of CD 2 that understands and has actually experienced everyday Americans’ problems firsthand, unlike our incumbent. Once I am elected as Maine’s representative for CD2, I will truly serve the interests of my constituents because I am one myself. My family has lived here, where my connection runs deep, for many thousands of years. That is what sets me apart from others in this race and what gives me the ability to truly represent the people of CD2 with an inclusive, helpful and progressive voice.
Responses requested but not received from Jared Golden.
U.S. Senate
zak ringelstein
Ringelsteinformaine.com
facebook.com/RingelsteinForSenate
Zak's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for U.S. Senate?
We are living in a period of historic inequality where 1% of the American population owns 40% of our wealth, 82% of all wealth created last year went to the top 1%, 1 in 5 children live in poverty, and life expectancy went down this year for the first time in decades. College is hardly affordable to anyone outside the top 1%, and our prisons are working for profit over people. As Americans trying to make sense of how our democracy has become so threatened and our country so divided, we can say once and for all that we do know the reason. Corporations and the top 1% control every facet of our government. The lobbyists write the bills, then pay off of Congress in the form of campaign contributions to pass them -- and who is left out? Us, the working class. In this dark period of our history where we look more like an oligarchy than the democracy we love and treasure, we cannot afford to compromise our progressive values and we need bold leaders who are willing to
stand up to big money in politics. As the father of my two-year-old son, Zion, and my one-week-old son, Jack, I simply cannot stand back as our democracy slips from our fingertips.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve in Congress?
Here are 10 accomplishments I plan to work tirelessly to achieve as Maine’s next U.S. Senator:
● Get money out of politics by repealing Citizens United and creating a publicly-financed election system
● Enact Medicare for All
● Divest from fossil fuels and renew our commitment to beating climate change
● Ban assault weapons, ban bump stocks, mandate universal background checks, and fund CDC research on gun violence so that no American has to lose a child or loved one to a preventable tragedy
● End the era of college debt by creating comprehensive loan forgiveness programs and making public colleges, universities, and trade schools tuition free
● Restore Glass-Steagall to break up large banks and re-regulate the financial sector after the recent gutting of Dodd-Frank
● Raise taxes for the top 10% of wealth earners in America, including a tax on financial transactions
● Create a $15/hour living wage and make a rule that allows minimum wage to increase with inflation
● Pass legislation mandating equal pay in the workplace and 12 weeks of paid family leave
● Invest in our public education system, decriminalize drug use, and deprivatize prisons
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel need to be addressed for the country and for Maine?
Big Money In Politics
We always ask why the richest country in the world doesn't have excellent affordable universal healthcare or why tax cuts continue to be given to the wealthiest Americans. We can say once and for all that we know the reason. It is because corporations and the ultra-wealthy control policy in Washington -- and this needs to end. We are running without a single penny from corporations, PACs, or lobbyists because the only way to achieve Medicare for All, defeat climate change, end the era of college debt, and grow the middle class again is to stay completely uninfluenced. We need to usher in a new era of real public servants who are not influenced by big money. Billionaires and corporations fund congressional campaigns and expect something in return: control over our elected leaders’ votes. A recent Princeton study shows that there is a strong correlation between the demands of the wealthy and congressional votes, but no correlation between the needs of the working-class and congressional votes. This is corruption must end immediately.
Poor Healthcare and High Drug Costs
There is no excuse for why the richest country in the world has forced millions of people to live in fear about their next medical bill or trip to the hospital. No one should wonder how they are going to pay for medicine that would save their lives and pharmaceutical lobbyists need to stop standing in the way of making Americans healthier. The Affordable Care Act has increased the percentage of Americans covered by insurance and ensured that people with preexisting conditions can’t be taken advantage of. However, it still doesn’t work well for all Americans and we deserve better. We believe that healthcare is a right, and that a prosperous country has a healthy citizenry. Therefore we believe Medicare, a single-payer system that has proven itself over the course of many decades, should be implemented universally. Medicare For All legislation will be my priority because no Mainer should pay the cost of a second mortgage just to get the insurance they need to make sure their family can remain healthy.
This is not just the right thing to do; it will also stimulate our economy and spend our taxpayer dollars more efficiently. We would pay for it by cutting waste in billing departments and insurance administration, ending an era when hospitals overcharge for routine procedures and supplies, eliminating two insurance subsidies, and adjusting the Medicare tax (split between employers and employees) to meet the needs of the bill.
Climate Change
We believe the future of our planet depends on us significantly curbing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and we don't think we are doing nearly enough. The effects of climate change are real and will continue to take a devastating toll on Maine, the United States, and our planet, including: natural disasters; rising waters; shrinking and moving fish populations, including lobsters; wildfires; spread of disease; water scarcity; loss of wildlife; and agricultural struggles. Already over half of the world’s
wildlife has been decimated since the 1970s, and it is going to take major efforts to preserve, protect, and regenerate our natural ecosystem here in Maine.
Our plan to protect and preserve our environment includes:
1. Divesting from fossil fuels once and for all;
2. Leading the world with an economy that generates all energy from renewable sources;
3. Renewing our commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement;
4. Protecting and preserve larger tracts of American land;
5. Creating higher standards for pollution reduction, and hold parties accountable for their emissions;
6. Preventing private ownership of public resources by corporations like Nestle/Poland Springs;
7. Creating a carbon tax to incentivize businesses and individuals to meet CO2 reduction goals; and,
8. Investing in public education programs that develop environmental stewardship in present and future generations of Americans.
4. How do you think poverty and inequality can be effectively addressed, in Maine and the U.S.?
We live in a time of historic economic disparity and we are sad to admit that the American Dream has increasingly become a privilege that only wealthy Americans can access. The wealthy have more money than ever, and hard-working Mainers keep getting a smaller and smaller piece of the pie even though we are working harder than ever before.
Our plan to reduce income inequality includes:
1. Getting big money's influence out of politics;
2. Cutting taxes for the working class and small businesses, and making the rich pay their fair share;
3. Ending tax loopholes for big corporations;
4. Increasing the federal minimum wage to $15/hour and creating a rule that allows minimum wage to rise with inflation;
5. Getting tough on federal antitrust laws;
6. Encouraging investment in entrepreneurship, innovation, and research and development;
7. Giving American workers more vacation time, more sick leave, and better pay standards;
8. Empowering communities to create tougher local laws against multinational corporations;
9. Rewriting international trade agreements to favor American workers over multinational corporations;
10. Investing in better public schools for all American children;
11. Investing in research-backed early childhood and in-home/community education programs;
12. Making college affordable and ending the era of crippling college debt;
13. Creating an effective single-payer healthcare system;
14. Making financial literacy a public school course that bears equal importance with traditional classes like math and English;
15. Investing in adult education and career counseling programs for Americans who want or need to switch careers;
16. Creating a federal law protecting net neutrality;
17. Restoring Glass-Steagall to break up large banks;
18. Giving all workers the right to organize and collectively negotiate in the workplace;
19. Creating a participatory budgeting framework on the local, national and state levels of government; and,
20. Ending agricultural monopolies to benefit local farms and give consumers healthier native crop options.
5. How would you have voted on bill S.2155?
Not only would I have voted against S.2155, I would have worked tirelessly to dissuade other senators from voting for this bill. Under the false promise of “growth” and “relief” for small banks and credit unions, S.2155 actually weakens consumer protection and rolls back regulations on 25 of the country’s 38 biggest banks. While running for U.S. Senate, I’ve travelled the state and talked with thousands of Mainers. People demand single-payer healthcare, lower prescription drug costs, more living wage jobs, less college debt, an end to the opioid crisis, better investment in public schools, and a cleaner environment. Not a single person has suggested giving a break to big banks. So why would Angus King, Susan Collins, and 65 other senators vote for S.2155? Since the 1990s, the financial sector has spent $3.2 billion on candidates, including Senators King and Collins. We, the hard-working taxpayers of Maine, have a right to be upset that there is a high likelihood that we will have to fund another bailout because our senators prioritize big banks over the people of Maine. Here is a video with my reaction to the gutting of Dodd-Frank.
6. How will you fight the big money resisting sensible gun legislation while honoring the cultural traditions of Maine's responsible gun owners?
I grew up in a conservative rural town that has a gun shop at its center. I will continue to respect the Second Amendment, but I believe that there would be common sense legislation to protect American children and families -- much like in every other industry -- if it weren’t for big money influence. Banning assault weapons, banning bump stocks, mandating universal background checks, and funding CDC research on gun violence are popular , including among gun owners, but fundamental reform won’t happen until we get the NRA’s money out of congressional campaigns. Our message is not against gun owners in Maine, but against gun violence itself.
7. Maine is a rapidly aging state. How do you plan to help combat the growing student loan crisis to help young people be able to afford to stay in Maine to work and raise their families?
Student debt is a crisis of mass proportions that is preventing a whole generation of working-class Americans from buying homes, going to college, starting businesses, and taking steps to advance up the economic ladder. This will lead to large-scale economic disaster if left unfixed. Young Mainers would love to stay and raise their families in Maine, but many can’t because of limited economic opportunity. This must change immediately. Our plan to ensure Maine students graduate college without debt and stay in Maine includes:
1. Free tuition at all public colleges and universities;
2. Refinancing college loans at lower rates;
3. Loan forgiveness programs (similar to the G.I. Bill) for Americans who serve their country as teachers, nurses, social workers, and in other service occupations.
4. Massive location-specific federal investment in entrepreneurship, existing businesses, and new offices.
5. A program called “Prosperity Corps” that would send Maine-born and educated entrepreneurs and college graduates into rural areas to start companies, farms, and restaurants.
6. Comprehensive federal and state investment in infrastructure, including new roads, airports, harbors, railways, hospitals, schools, and broadband internet throughout Maine;
7. Land grants for new universities, technical schools, and community colleges
8. What experience and philosophies do you have that make you a strong candidate for Senate?
My wife, Leah, and I were raised in rural, working-class homes less than two hours from where we live today by parents who live their values as teachers and social workers. Growing up, my brothers and I qualified for free and reduced lunch at school, but my parents refused to let class define us. My parents shaped us to believe that the truest form of fulfillment comes from public service, which motivated me to become a public school teacher and my two brothers to serve in the Navy. Leah and I graduated college with over $150,000 in debt, and began careers as public school educators in one of the country’s most impoverished areas. As a teacher, I saw first-hand how privatization is damaging our public schools and creating more inequality. In response, Leah and I started UClass, a company that helped students and teachers collaborate and share innovative curriculum across the nation. As the CEO, I negotiated the sale of our company at the age of 28 and was fortunate enough to be named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. I have worked on early childhood education policy at the White House, given a TEDx Talk on the damaging effects of standardized testing, and fought for educational, healthcare, and economic justice as a contributor for Forbes and the New York Times. Most recently, I worked as a public school teacher in Portland and co-led a campaign called “PowerToPublic” against the confirmation of Betsy Devos to be our Secretary of Education. As someone who has worked and struggled to make it in America, I believe it is time to elect uninfluenced public servants to lead our country to a more just and prosperous society for all.
facebook.com/RingelsteinForSenate
Zak's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What are the primary reasons you are running for U.S. Senate?
We are living in a period of historic inequality where 1% of the American population owns 40% of our wealth, 82% of all wealth created last year went to the top 1%, 1 in 5 children live in poverty, and life expectancy went down this year for the first time in decades. College is hardly affordable to anyone outside the top 1%, and our prisons are working for profit over people. As Americans trying to make sense of how our democracy has become so threatened and our country so divided, we can say once and for all that we do know the reason. Corporations and the top 1% control every facet of our government. The lobbyists write the bills, then pay off of Congress in the form of campaign contributions to pass them -- and who is left out? Us, the working class. In this dark period of our history where we look more like an oligarchy than the democracy we love and treasure, we cannot afford to compromise our progressive values and we need bold leaders who are willing to
stand up to big money in politics. As the father of my two-year-old son, Zion, and my one-week-old son, Jack, I simply cannot stand back as our democracy slips from our fingertips.
2. What are the major accomplishments you want to achieve in Congress?
Here are 10 accomplishments I plan to work tirelessly to achieve as Maine’s next U.S. Senator:
● Get money out of politics by repealing Citizens United and creating a publicly-financed election system
● Enact Medicare for All
● Divest from fossil fuels and renew our commitment to beating climate change
● Ban assault weapons, ban bump stocks, mandate universal background checks, and fund CDC research on gun violence so that no American has to lose a child or loved one to a preventable tragedy
● End the era of college debt by creating comprehensive loan forgiveness programs and making public colleges, universities, and trade schools tuition free
● Restore Glass-Steagall to break up large banks and re-regulate the financial sector after the recent gutting of Dodd-Frank
● Raise taxes for the top 10% of wealth earners in America, including a tax on financial transactions
● Create a $15/hour living wage and make a rule that allows minimum wage to increase with inflation
● Pass legislation mandating equal pay in the workplace and 12 weeks of paid family leave
● Invest in our public education system, decriminalize drug use, and deprivatize prisons
3. What are the most pressing issues you feel need to be addressed for the country and for Maine?
Big Money In Politics
We always ask why the richest country in the world doesn't have excellent affordable universal healthcare or why tax cuts continue to be given to the wealthiest Americans. We can say once and for all that we know the reason. It is because corporations and the ultra-wealthy control policy in Washington -- and this needs to end. We are running without a single penny from corporations, PACs, or lobbyists because the only way to achieve Medicare for All, defeat climate change, end the era of college debt, and grow the middle class again is to stay completely uninfluenced. We need to usher in a new era of real public servants who are not influenced by big money. Billionaires and corporations fund congressional campaigns and expect something in return: control over our elected leaders’ votes. A recent Princeton study shows that there is a strong correlation between the demands of the wealthy and congressional votes, but no correlation between the needs of the working-class and congressional votes. This is corruption must end immediately.
Poor Healthcare and High Drug Costs
There is no excuse for why the richest country in the world has forced millions of people to live in fear about their next medical bill or trip to the hospital. No one should wonder how they are going to pay for medicine that would save their lives and pharmaceutical lobbyists need to stop standing in the way of making Americans healthier. The Affordable Care Act has increased the percentage of Americans covered by insurance and ensured that people with preexisting conditions can’t be taken advantage of. However, it still doesn’t work well for all Americans and we deserve better. We believe that healthcare is a right, and that a prosperous country has a healthy citizenry. Therefore we believe Medicare, a single-payer system that has proven itself over the course of many decades, should be implemented universally. Medicare For All legislation will be my priority because no Mainer should pay the cost of a second mortgage just to get the insurance they need to make sure their family can remain healthy.
This is not just the right thing to do; it will also stimulate our economy and spend our taxpayer dollars more efficiently. We would pay for it by cutting waste in billing departments and insurance administration, ending an era when hospitals overcharge for routine procedures and supplies, eliminating two insurance subsidies, and adjusting the Medicare tax (split between employers and employees) to meet the needs of the bill.
Climate Change
We believe the future of our planet depends on us significantly curbing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and we don't think we are doing nearly enough. The effects of climate change are real and will continue to take a devastating toll on Maine, the United States, and our planet, including: natural disasters; rising waters; shrinking and moving fish populations, including lobsters; wildfires; spread of disease; water scarcity; loss of wildlife; and agricultural struggles. Already over half of the world’s
wildlife has been decimated since the 1970s, and it is going to take major efforts to preserve, protect, and regenerate our natural ecosystem here in Maine.
Our plan to protect and preserve our environment includes:
1. Divesting from fossil fuels once and for all;
2. Leading the world with an economy that generates all energy from renewable sources;
3. Renewing our commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement;
4. Protecting and preserve larger tracts of American land;
5. Creating higher standards for pollution reduction, and hold parties accountable for their emissions;
6. Preventing private ownership of public resources by corporations like Nestle/Poland Springs;
7. Creating a carbon tax to incentivize businesses and individuals to meet CO2 reduction goals; and,
8. Investing in public education programs that develop environmental stewardship in present and future generations of Americans.
4. How do you think poverty and inequality can be effectively addressed, in Maine and the U.S.?
We live in a time of historic economic disparity and we are sad to admit that the American Dream has increasingly become a privilege that only wealthy Americans can access. The wealthy have more money than ever, and hard-working Mainers keep getting a smaller and smaller piece of the pie even though we are working harder than ever before.
Our plan to reduce income inequality includes:
1. Getting big money's influence out of politics;
2. Cutting taxes for the working class and small businesses, and making the rich pay their fair share;
3. Ending tax loopholes for big corporations;
4. Increasing the federal minimum wage to $15/hour and creating a rule that allows minimum wage to rise with inflation;
5. Getting tough on federal antitrust laws;
6. Encouraging investment in entrepreneurship, innovation, and research and development;
7. Giving American workers more vacation time, more sick leave, and better pay standards;
8. Empowering communities to create tougher local laws against multinational corporations;
9. Rewriting international trade agreements to favor American workers over multinational corporations;
10. Investing in better public schools for all American children;
11. Investing in research-backed early childhood and in-home/community education programs;
12. Making college affordable and ending the era of crippling college debt;
13. Creating an effective single-payer healthcare system;
14. Making financial literacy a public school course that bears equal importance with traditional classes like math and English;
15. Investing in adult education and career counseling programs for Americans who want or need to switch careers;
16. Creating a federal law protecting net neutrality;
17. Restoring Glass-Steagall to break up large banks;
18. Giving all workers the right to organize and collectively negotiate in the workplace;
19. Creating a participatory budgeting framework on the local, national and state levels of government; and,
20. Ending agricultural monopolies to benefit local farms and give consumers healthier native crop options.
5. How would you have voted on bill S.2155?
Not only would I have voted against S.2155, I would have worked tirelessly to dissuade other senators from voting for this bill. Under the false promise of “growth” and “relief” for small banks and credit unions, S.2155 actually weakens consumer protection and rolls back regulations on 25 of the country’s 38 biggest banks. While running for U.S. Senate, I’ve travelled the state and talked with thousands of Mainers. People demand single-payer healthcare, lower prescription drug costs, more living wage jobs, less college debt, an end to the opioid crisis, better investment in public schools, and a cleaner environment. Not a single person has suggested giving a break to big banks. So why would Angus King, Susan Collins, and 65 other senators vote for S.2155? Since the 1990s, the financial sector has spent $3.2 billion on candidates, including Senators King and Collins. We, the hard-working taxpayers of Maine, have a right to be upset that there is a high likelihood that we will have to fund another bailout because our senators prioritize big banks over the people of Maine. Here is a video with my reaction to the gutting of Dodd-Frank.
6. How will you fight the big money resisting sensible gun legislation while honoring the cultural traditions of Maine's responsible gun owners?
I grew up in a conservative rural town that has a gun shop at its center. I will continue to respect the Second Amendment, but I believe that there would be common sense legislation to protect American children and families -- much like in every other industry -- if it weren’t for big money influence. Banning assault weapons, banning bump stocks, mandating universal background checks, and funding CDC research on gun violence are popular , including among gun owners, but fundamental reform won’t happen until we get the NRA’s money out of congressional campaigns. Our message is not against gun owners in Maine, but against gun violence itself.
7. Maine is a rapidly aging state. How do you plan to help combat the growing student loan crisis to help young people be able to afford to stay in Maine to work and raise their families?
Student debt is a crisis of mass proportions that is preventing a whole generation of working-class Americans from buying homes, going to college, starting businesses, and taking steps to advance up the economic ladder. This will lead to large-scale economic disaster if left unfixed. Young Mainers would love to stay and raise their families in Maine, but many can’t because of limited economic opportunity. This must change immediately. Our plan to ensure Maine students graduate college without debt and stay in Maine includes:
1. Free tuition at all public colleges and universities;
2. Refinancing college loans at lower rates;
3. Loan forgiveness programs (similar to the G.I. Bill) for Americans who serve their country as teachers, nurses, social workers, and in other service occupations.
4. Massive location-specific federal investment in entrepreneurship, existing businesses, and new offices.
5. A program called “Prosperity Corps” that would send Maine-born and educated entrepreneurs and college graduates into rural areas to start companies, farms, and restaurants.
6. Comprehensive federal and state investment in infrastructure, including new roads, airports, harbors, railways, hospitals, schools, and broadband internet throughout Maine;
7. Land grants for new universities, technical schools, and community colleges
8. What experience and philosophies do you have that make you a strong candidate for Senate?
My wife, Leah, and I were raised in rural, working-class homes less than two hours from where we live today by parents who live their values as teachers and social workers. Growing up, my brothers and I qualified for free and reduced lunch at school, but my parents refused to let class define us. My parents shaped us to believe that the truest form of fulfillment comes from public service, which motivated me to become a public school teacher and my two brothers to serve in the Navy. Leah and I graduated college with over $150,000 in debt, and began careers as public school educators in one of the country’s most impoverished areas. As a teacher, I saw first-hand how privatization is damaging our public schools and creating more inequality. In response, Leah and I started UClass, a company that helped students and teachers collaborate and share innovative curriculum across the nation. As the CEO, I negotiated the sale of our company at the age of 28 and was fortunate enough to be named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. I have worked on early childhood education policy at the White House, given a TEDx Talk on the damaging effects of standardized testing, and fought for educational, healthcare, and economic justice as a contributor for Forbes and the New York Times. Most recently, I worked as a public school teacher in Portland and co-led a campaign called “PowerToPublic” against the confirmation of Betsy Devos to be our Secretary of Education. As someone who has worked and struggled to make it in America, I believe it is time to elect uninfluenced public servants to lead our country to a more just and prosperous society for all.
Governor
Sean faircloth
seanfaircloth.com
facebook.com/fairclothmaine
Sean Faircloth's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What unique experiences, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in serving all of Maine as Governor?
My most relevant experience and attribute for the job of governor is a passion for envisioning progressive change, then using my organizing skills to bring bold ideas to reality -- many times over in the course of my life. For me, a speech or a guest column is just not enough. I want to organize people and legislators and persuade voters and politicians until a positive vision becomes reality. Right out of school in Bangor in my twenties, I had an idea to organize curbside recycling on a volunteer basis using street captains who each had responsibility for collecting recyclables on their block. Environmentalists were then able to point to Bangor Renewal (that’s what I called it) as a demonstration of community support for curbside municipal recycling.
As a legislator, it was never sufficient for me to “vote the right way.” In fact, I did vote the right way -- if you agree with the Maine Women’s Lobby (100% over ten years), LGBTQ equality (100% over ten years), the Maine People’s Alliance (100% over ten years but for one vote in the nineties), the Maine Education Association (100%) and the Maine AFL-CIO (I voted with them on very labor-management issue), but during my decade asa legislator, my greatest satisfaction came from something more important to me than simply pressing red or green.
I strived to come up with entirely new creative initiatives and see them through. I’ve initiated over thirty laws that ended with a governor’s signature and, while a few came from progressive lobbyists, I did not generally take a “template” from the lobbyist community. Instead, I tried to envision new solutions. I won the Maine People’s Alliance Rising Tide Award in part for my record of initiating creative and progressive legislation multiple times. (The Sean’s Record tab at seanfaircloth.com documents some of this legislation.)
Some find the nuts and bolts of legislation tedious, but, to me, it was the most exciting board game that actually mattered. Drafting the legislation, consulting with wide varieties of people to learn flaws in the draft, redrafting, anticipating the opposition (often from powerful monied interests with savvy lobbyists), building alliances of supporters, encouraging and recruiting well-crafted and diverse testimony in public hearing, working the committee, planning strategy for the work session, and seeking passage in both chambers. Some people love golf. I love seeing a bill I believe will help thousands of people when it becomes law.
Having served on Appropriations (the most powerful committee in Augusta), as Majority Whip, and attending leadership meetings and from six years on the Judiciary Committee, I know the process and I know that the governor is in fact the Legislator-In-Chief. The governor decides what is set before the legislature in the budget. That, more than anything, sets the legislative agenda. The governor also gets to introduce myriad legislation via their department heads.
Also the governor has the biggest bully pulpit in state policy for issues detailed and symbolic. I want that gubernatorial pen and I want to use that bully pulpit for progress -- historic progress -- like our state has never seen. I want to outdo Muskie. I want to build a creative team that transforms Maine for the better, so we are known nationwide as one of the most innovative and progressive states in America. I want to transform Mainers -- together -- to transform our perception of our state.
Governors also must demonstrate administrative skill in ways that the typical job does not require because of the fluidity and unexpected nature of the challenges. Leading a new administration is like leading a startup. I had the idea for the Maine Discovery Museum while on a vacation. We ended up with literally hundreds of volunteers, energized and engaged. I had two goals: 1) provide mentally stimulating recreational opportunities, particularly when winter cabin fever sets in -- for children and their parents -- in a large warm colorful creative space; 2) revitalize a downtown Bangor that was dead in the 1990s. People said start small. I decided, let’s start big. Of the 25 children’s museums in New England, I wanted Bangor’s to be the largest outside Boston. And so it became, larger (and more well-reviewed at that time) than similar museums in larger communities such as Providence, Worcester, and Portland. John Rohman, a Republican Mayor of Bangor, noted that the Maine Discovery Museum was the catalyst -- in his words -- the “energy and pride” that made the folk festival, art museum, and other initiatives possible, leading to what is a dramatically improved downtown. I led a huge team of volunteers. I was the chief fundraising presenter for this $4.5 million project. I was chief administrator: hiring fundraisers, overseeing contractors, hiring new staff. We came in on time and under budget. The Lewiston Sun Journal wrote that our multi-story facility exceeded expectations. The Boston Globe covered its opening. The opening day of Maine Discovery Museum created a line on a cold day around the entire block. It was the biggest downtown crowd in Bangor in winter until the women’s march this year (in which I participated).
I view the governor as the organizer-in-chief, the visionary-in-chief, the team-builder-in-chief. I’m not a specialist on opiates nor high speed internet. I’m not an accountant -- but I am someone who can bring people together and inspire them to believe they can do something truly fantastic together -- and see it through.
My time as Mayor is indicative. Often when you ask politicians about their accomplishments, they point to supporting initiatives that were already in the works -- and that can be very positive no doubt (and I’ve gladly done so many times). But that is not good enough for me. I didn’t want to just hold a gavel and get my picture on the Mayor’s wall at City Hall, going with the flow that is already flowing. I decided on three projects as Mayor: 1) EnergySmart Bangor; 2) Innovative Neighborhoods; 3) The Maine Multicultural Center.
a. EnergySmart Bangor helped a lot of Bangor homeowners, particularly those who made just a bit too much to be eligible for LIHEAP -- so they, too, could weatherize their home or get a heat pump. EnergySmart also still offered help with more expensive projects. Efficiency Maine participation at at the end of last fiscal year increased less than 1%. In Bangor, it increased 54%. With Maine having the oldest housing (and sometimes least energy efficient) stock in America, this truly helps average people -- and the environment.
b. Innovative Neighborhoods is a friendly competition I conceived that engages citizens in civic team efforts that the Bangor Daily News called a “Blueprint” for improving the city. Maine Civic Hackers are eager to bring Innovative Neighborhoods to other cities. As governor, I want to take the concept statewide. It can be an engine of civic engagement and new ideas that energizes young and old working together. Think of it as pub trivia that improves people’s lives -- it’s really fun too!
c. Finally, I initiated the Maine Multicultural Center, addressing our workforce shortage by welcoming immigrants. I conceived of the plan as an economic development concept in 2015, but as Trump reared his jingoistic head, this project took on greater significance. I secured city funding and worked to get a non-profit team that secured grant funding. This project is still in process, but it demonstrates values I want to take statewide. And it makes clear that progressive values (in this case welcoming immigrants) is, in fact, smart economic development.
In ten years in the legislature, during my time as mayor and a community organizer from Bangor Renewal to the Maine Discovery Museum, I have shown Maine people who I am and what I care about in public policy. You don’t need to guess.
As governor, you can be confident I will search relentlessly for the most creative, innovative and, progressive ideas -- and inspire an entire state to get involved.
facebook.com/fairclothmaine
Sean Faircloth's Our Revolution Endorsement Application
1. What unique experiences, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in serving all of Maine as Governor?
My most relevant experience and attribute for the job of governor is a passion for envisioning progressive change, then using my organizing skills to bring bold ideas to reality -- many times over in the course of my life. For me, a speech or a guest column is just not enough. I want to organize people and legislators and persuade voters and politicians until a positive vision becomes reality. Right out of school in Bangor in my twenties, I had an idea to organize curbside recycling on a volunteer basis using street captains who each had responsibility for collecting recyclables on their block. Environmentalists were then able to point to Bangor Renewal (that’s what I called it) as a demonstration of community support for curbside municipal recycling.
As a legislator, it was never sufficient for me to “vote the right way.” In fact, I did vote the right way -- if you agree with the Maine Women’s Lobby (100% over ten years), LGBTQ equality (100% over ten years), the Maine People’s Alliance (100% over ten years but for one vote in the nineties), the Maine Education Association (100%) and the Maine AFL-CIO (I voted with them on very labor-management issue), but during my decade asa legislator, my greatest satisfaction came from something more important to me than simply pressing red or green.
I strived to come up with entirely new creative initiatives and see them through. I’ve initiated over thirty laws that ended with a governor’s signature and, while a few came from progressive lobbyists, I did not generally take a “template” from the lobbyist community. Instead, I tried to envision new solutions. I won the Maine People’s Alliance Rising Tide Award in part for my record of initiating creative and progressive legislation multiple times. (The Sean’s Record tab at seanfaircloth.com documents some of this legislation.)
Some find the nuts and bolts of legislation tedious, but, to me, it was the most exciting board game that actually mattered. Drafting the legislation, consulting with wide varieties of people to learn flaws in the draft, redrafting, anticipating the opposition (often from powerful monied interests with savvy lobbyists), building alliances of supporters, encouraging and recruiting well-crafted and diverse testimony in public hearing, working the committee, planning strategy for the work session, and seeking passage in both chambers. Some people love golf. I love seeing a bill I believe will help thousands of people when it becomes law.
Having served on Appropriations (the most powerful committee in Augusta), as Majority Whip, and attending leadership meetings and from six years on the Judiciary Committee, I know the process and I know that the governor is in fact the Legislator-In-Chief. The governor decides what is set before the legislature in the budget. That, more than anything, sets the legislative agenda. The governor also gets to introduce myriad legislation via their department heads.
Also the governor has the biggest bully pulpit in state policy for issues detailed and symbolic. I want that gubernatorial pen and I want to use that bully pulpit for progress -- historic progress -- like our state has never seen. I want to outdo Muskie. I want to build a creative team that transforms Maine for the better, so we are known nationwide as one of the most innovative and progressive states in America. I want to transform Mainers -- together -- to transform our perception of our state.
Governors also must demonstrate administrative skill in ways that the typical job does not require because of the fluidity and unexpected nature of the challenges. Leading a new administration is like leading a startup. I had the idea for the Maine Discovery Museum while on a vacation. We ended up with literally hundreds of volunteers, energized and engaged. I had two goals: 1) provide mentally stimulating recreational opportunities, particularly when winter cabin fever sets in -- for children and their parents -- in a large warm colorful creative space; 2) revitalize a downtown Bangor that was dead in the 1990s. People said start small. I decided, let’s start big. Of the 25 children’s museums in New England, I wanted Bangor’s to be the largest outside Boston. And so it became, larger (and more well-reviewed at that time) than similar museums in larger communities such as Providence, Worcester, and Portland. John Rohman, a Republican Mayor of Bangor, noted that the Maine Discovery Museum was the catalyst -- in his words -- the “energy and pride” that made the folk festival, art museum, and other initiatives possible, leading to what is a dramatically improved downtown. I led a huge team of volunteers. I was the chief fundraising presenter for this $4.5 million project. I was chief administrator: hiring fundraisers, overseeing contractors, hiring new staff. We came in on time and under budget. The Lewiston Sun Journal wrote that our multi-story facility exceeded expectations. The Boston Globe covered its opening. The opening day of Maine Discovery Museum created a line on a cold day around the entire block. It was the biggest downtown crowd in Bangor in winter until the women’s march this year (in which I participated).
I view the governor as the organizer-in-chief, the visionary-in-chief, the team-builder-in-chief. I’m not a specialist on opiates nor high speed internet. I’m not an accountant -- but I am someone who can bring people together and inspire them to believe they can do something truly fantastic together -- and see it through.
My time as Mayor is indicative. Often when you ask politicians about their accomplishments, they point to supporting initiatives that were already in the works -- and that can be very positive no doubt (and I’ve gladly done so many times). But that is not good enough for me. I didn’t want to just hold a gavel and get my picture on the Mayor’s wall at City Hall, going with the flow that is already flowing. I decided on three projects as Mayor: 1) EnergySmart Bangor; 2) Innovative Neighborhoods; 3) The Maine Multicultural Center.
a. EnergySmart Bangor helped a lot of Bangor homeowners, particularly those who made just a bit too much to be eligible for LIHEAP -- so they, too, could weatherize their home or get a heat pump. EnergySmart also still offered help with more expensive projects. Efficiency Maine participation at at the end of last fiscal year increased less than 1%. In Bangor, it increased 54%. With Maine having the oldest housing (and sometimes least energy efficient) stock in America, this truly helps average people -- and the environment.
b. Innovative Neighborhoods is a friendly competition I conceived that engages citizens in civic team efforts that the Bangor Daily News called a “Blueprint” for improving the city. Maine Civic Hackers are eager to bring Innovative Neighborhoods to other cities. As governor, I want to take the concept statewide. It can be an engine of civic engagement and new ideas that energizes young and old working together. Think of it as pub trivia that improves people’s lives -- it’s really fun too!
c. Finally, I initiated the Maine Multicultural Center, addressing our workforce shortage by welcoming immigrants. I conceived of the plan as an economic development concept in 2015, but as Trump reared his jingoistic head, this project took on greater significance. I secured city funding and worked to get a non-profit team that secured grant funding. This project is still in process, but it demonstrates values I want to take statewide. And it makes clear that progressive values (in this case welcoming immigrants) is, in fact, smart economic development.
In ten years in the legislature, during my time as mayor and a community organizer from Bangor Renewal to the Maine Discovery Museum, I have shown Maine people who I am and what I care about in public policy. You don’t need to guess.
As governor, you can be confident I will search relentlessly for the most creative, innovative and, progressive ideas -- and inspire an entire state to get involved.
2. Please describe how you supported Bernie Sanders during the 2015-2016 primary season.
I publicly declared my early support for Bernie in the spring of 2015.
I wrote a July 2015 op-ed in the Bangor Daily News declaring “Bernie Sanders can be a catalyst for a better America.” I wrote, “He’s the one speaking with full-throated, plain-spoken accuracy about American public policy.” I wrote, “I love it when Sanders tells it like it is. I love that he was a damn good mayor of Burlington, Vermont (liberals bring jobs!), and senator (who, unlike some chest-thumping right wingers) got actual results for our veterans.” “That’s why I’m supporting Sanders for president — that, and he has kept his campaign positive.” “Don’t let anyone tell you Sanders is not mainstream. He expresses ideas fully consistent with the Kennedys, harkening back to an era when Democrats not only won but when our Democratic leaders were actually loved.”
During my time on the city council and then as Mayor, I made regular social media posts in support of Bernie to my nearly 4000+ Facebook friends.
I was selected to speak in support of Bernie at the Bangor caucus on March 6, 2016 while I was Mayor. Sadly -- for me -- I was bumped when Jerry of Ben & Jerry’s made it to Bangor that day. He did a good job!
I publicly declared my early support for Bernie in the spring of 2015.
I wrote a July 2015 op-ed in the Bangor Daily News declaring “Bernie Sanders can be a catalyst for a better America.” I wrote, “He’s the one speaking with full-throated, plain-spoken accuracy about American public policy.” I wrote, “I love it when Sanders tells it like it is. I love that he was a damn good mayor of Burlington, Vermont (liberals bring jobs!), and senator (who, unlike some chest-thumping right wingers) got actual results for our veterans.” “That’s why I’m supporting Sanders for president — that, and he has kept his campaign positive.” “Don’t let anyone tell you Sanders is not mainstream. He expresses ideas fully consistent with the Kennedys, harkening back to an era when Democrats not only won but when our Democratic leaders were actually loved.”
During my time on the city council and then as Mayor, I made regular social media posts in support of Bernie to my nearly 4000+ Facebook friends.
I was selected to speak in support of Bernie at the Bangor caucus on March 6, 2016 while I was Mayor. Sadly -- for me -- I was bumped when Jerry of Ben & Jerry’s made it to Bangor that day. He did a good job!
3. As a supporter of single-payer/Medicare for All, what is your plan for implementing health care for all in Maine?
Expansion of Mainecare is an important, but obvious, step. We must do more. I’d support the legislation offered by Sen. Troy Jackson and supported by Sen. Shenna Bellows to secure access to less costly prescription drugs: http://bangordailynews.com/2017/07/17/politics/senate-democratic-leader-lashes-out-at-janet-mills-over-drug-bill/
Most important is that, while I would strongly advocate for federal universal healthcare, I would seek to persuade the state that, failing federal action, Maine should take what action it can to secure universal healthcare in Maine: single payer. I’d be happy and eager to partner with other states, regardless of location. I’d consider a Kaiser Permanente model that has had some success if we can use it to go to universal coverage. I emphasize that countries like Iceland (about one-third the population of Maine) have a healthcare system that works far better for the average citizen than does our own.
Expansion of Mainecare is an important, but obvious, step. We must do more. I’d support the legislation offered by Sen. Troy Jackson and supported by Sen. Shenna Bellows to secure access to less costly prescription drugs: http://bangordailynews.com/2017/07/17/politics/senate-democratic-leader-lashes-out-at-janet-mills-over-drug-bill/
Most important is that, while I would strongly advocate for federal universal healthcare, I would seek to persuade the state that, failing federal action, Maine should take what action it can to secure universal healthcare in Maine: single payer. I’d be happy and eager to partner with other states, regardless of location. I’d consider a Kaiser Permanente model that has had some success if we can use it to go to universal coverage. I emphasize that countries like Iceland (about one-third the population of Maine) have a healthcare system that works far better for the average citizen than does our own.
4. What is your plan to protect immigrants/refugees, and ensure all Mainers feel safe and comfortable living and working here?
I founded the Maine Multicultural Center in Bangor exactly because I view immigrants as an affirmative asset to our economy. I would create a state initiative with the express policy of helping to meet our state’s serious workforce shortage challenge by making Maine more welcoming immigrants. I would reinstate in the 2004 Executive Order prohibiting state officials from inquiring about the immigration status of those seeking public assistance. As the leader with the biggest megaphone regarding state policy, I would go out of my way to celebrate diverse cultures, including people of color and people from foreign backgrounds. This is smart for Maine because it is right and also because it is smart economics. I would treat immigrants as they in fact are, a tremendous value-added to the economy and culture of what is the oldest state in America and, by some measures,& the whitest state in America. I emphasize that immigrants start businesses at a third higher rate than non-immigrants. I also emphasize that young people, including born-and-raised young white Mainers, prefer to live in diverse communities. Thus encouraging immigrants to move here actually helps Maine to retain the youth that often leaves our state. You can count on me to have these values. Why? I publicly demonstrated them as Bangor mayor at the most controversial time regarding immigrants since the 1920s.
I founded the Maine Multicultural Center in Bangor exactly because I view immigrants as an affirmative asset to our economy. I would create a state initiative with the express policy of helping to meet our state’s serious workforce shortage challenge by making Maine more welcoming immigrants. I would reinstate in the 2004 Executive Order prohibiting state officials from inquiring about the immigration status of those seeking public assistance. As the leader with the biggest megaphone regarding state policy, I would go out of my way to celebrate diverse cultures, including people of color and people from foreign backgrounds. This is smart for Maine because it is right and also because it is smart economics. I would treat immigrants as they in fact are, a tremendous value-added to the economy and culture of what is the oldest state in America and, by some measures,& the whitest state in America. I emphasize that immigrants start businesses at a third higher rate than non-immigrants. I also emphasize that young people, including born-and-raised young white Mainers, prefer to live in diverse communities. Thus encouraging immigrants to move here actually helps Maine to retain the youth that often leaves our state. You can count on me to have these values. Why? I publicly demonstrated them as Bangor mayor at the most controversial time regarding immigrants since the 1920s.
5. Please describe your plan for addressing poverty, food insecurity and inequality across Maine.
I will lead the effort to go beyond the current minimum wage law and continue to increase the minimum wage one dollar per year so that it reaches $15 per hour by the end of my first term. Obviously, expand Mainecare, but universal healthcare is my goal and that would help profoundly. Every tax decision I would make would be weighted to -- finally -- reward moderate and low income people for their work. I will restore TANF funding cut by the current governor. I will make major investments in roads and bridges via bonding -- and issue a $100 million internet bond, all three of which will create jobs directly. I will increase revenue sharing and that will hold down property taxes for moderate and low income Mainers.
I will lead the effort to go beyond the current minimum wage law and continue to increase the minimum wage one dollar per year so that it reaches $15 per hour by the end of my first term. Obviously, expand Mainecare, but universal healthcare is my goal and that would help profoundly. Every tax decision I would make would be weighted to -- finally -- reward moderate and low income people for their work. I will restore TANF funding cut by the current governor. I will make major investments in roads and bridges via bonding -- and issue a $100 million internet bond, all three of which will create jobs directly. I will increase revenue sharing and that will hold down property taxes for moderate and low income Mainers.
6. What is your plan for ensuring access to and sustainability of health care services and schools in Maine's rural districts, and attracting and keeping jobs in those regions?
I will invest state money in Federally Qualified Health Care Centers (as so many other states do). This aids health care significantly in rural areas, making it more feasible for people to remain in rural communities and to get treatment for addiction and services in small communities rather than driving long distances. I would also increase funding for school based health centers. I will lead Maine to more on-shore and offshore wind power, much of which benefits rural maine. The same for solar power. I will increase state support and marketing for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, consistent with my early support of this proposal when it was deemed unpopular in my area. I will seek the gold standard of outdoor marketing: National Park status. National Park is the term that attracts the most visitors. Under my governorship Maine will market itself heavily as the only two-national park location in the northeast. And we will market our internet access in rural areas with a 100 million internet bond -- which will benefit rural areas so that small communities in some of our most rural areas will be an attractive location for internet businesses. Many Mainers overlook the attraction -- and the lower real estate costs for a good size home -- from the perspective of people who live in Boston, New York, DC and even (like a friend of mine who moved here) from the high-traffic Bay Area of California. Maine can create a very attractive niche: live near two national parks and still have fast broadband. And, if you work in a motel or service job, I will make sure that before my administration is out you make at least $15 an hour.
I will invest state money in Federally Qualified Health Care Centers (as so many other states do). This aids health care significantly in rural areas, making it more feasible for people to remain in rural communities and to get treatment for addiction and services in small communities rather than driving long distances. I would also increase funding for school based health centers. I will lead Maine to more on-shore and offshore wind power, much of which benefits rural maine. The same for solar power. I will increase state support and marketing for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, consistent with my early support of this proposal when it was deemed unpopular in my area. I will seek the gold standard of outdoor marketing: National Park status. National Park is the term that attracts the most visitors. Under my governorship Maine will market itself heavily as the only two-national park location in the northeast. And we will market our internet access in rural areas with a 100 million internet bond -- which will benefit rural areas so that small communities in some of our most rural areas will be an attractive location for internet businesses. Many Mainers overlook the attraction -- and the lower real estate costs for a good size home -- from the perspective of people who live in Boston, New York, DC and even (like a friend of mine who moved here) from the high-traffic Bay Area of California. Maine can create a very attractive niche: live near two national parks and still have fast broadband. And, if you work in a motel or service job, I will make sure that before my administration is out you make at least $15 an hour.
7. How would you ensure all students can obtain an education at state educational institutions and trade schools?
At all state higher education institutions Maine would provide the first year of tuition free for Maine high school students with a 2.5 GPA or above for community college and 3.0 or above for four year institutions. Students in the top two quintile families of Expected Family Contribution (higher incomes) would pay a portion of tuition costs while still getting state aid. For the second year year, students would receive the same subsidy if they maintain a 3.0 GPA or above.
At all state higher education institutions Maine would provide the first year of tuition free for Maine high school students with a 2.5 GPA or above for community college and 3.0 or above for four year institutions. Students in the top two quintile families of Expected Family Contribution (higher incomes) would pay a portion of tuition costs while still getting state aid. For the second year year, students would receive the same subsidy if they maintain a 3.0 GPA or above.
8. How will you strengthen Maine's role in addressing climate change and protect Maine's coastline from off-shore oil drilling and seismic blasting?
I will use all legal means, from state legislation to lawsuits against the federal government, to halt offshore drilling and seismic blasting. I want Maine to be a 100% renewable state not a tool for the Koch Brothers and their ilk.
I will lead the way on solar and wind. However, I’m distinguished by a proven record regarding getting results on energy for Maine people. It is critically important that economic justice is part of our environment plan, both because it is right -- given the struggles moderate and low-income people face -- and also because many moderate and low-income folks sometimes are wary of environmentalism as elitist.
My Bangor EnergySmart program was a big success. Participation in EnergySmart increased less than 1% statewide at the end of the last fiscal year among homeowners. It increased 54% in Bangor. Note that most homeowners who saved money on energy efficiency lived in homes with a value of $150,000 or less. This brings environmentalism to the majority of Maine people who often don’t see how it benefits them. All my decisions as governor will include an element of economic justice so that average people are empowered and included.
I will use all legal means, from state legislation to lawsuits against the federal government, to halt offshore drilling and seismic blasting. I want Maine to be a 100% renewable state not a tool for the Koch Brothers and their ilk.
I will lead the way on solar and wind. However, I’m distinguished by a proven record regarding getting results on energy for Maine people. It is critically important that economic justice is part of our environment plan, both because it is right -- given the struggles moderate and low-income people face -- and also because many moderate and low-income folks sometimes are wary of environmentalism as elitist.
My Bangor EnergySmart program was a big success. Participation in EnergySmart increased less than 1% statewide at the end of the last fiscal year among homeowners. It increased 54% in Bangor. Note that most homeowners who saved money on energy efficiency lived in homes with a value of $150,000 or less. This brings environmentalism to the majority of Maine people who often don’t see how it benefits them. All my decisions as governor will include an element of economic justice so that average people are empowered and included.
9. How will you address the opioid crisis?
1. Chronic Pain is often overlooked in this crisis. The truth is the big pharma offered a quick chronic pain “solution” (Oxycontin and other addictive opioids) that has led to the current crisis:
a) Physical therapy (like exercise) is often the best solution that requires effort, but can have the best results -- and yet insurance companies regularly fail to cover physical therapy and the repeated sessions necessary for success. As governor I would require not only coverage for physical therapy but coverage for a sufficient number of sessions to truly address the problem;
b) Dealing with the trauma, sometimes of a direct physical injury, sometimes of a childhood emotional trauma, is important: counseling, psychotherapy, trauma-informed care, mindfulness disciplines such as meditation, yoga, and tai chi must be offered.
c) Evidence-based medications for treating chronic pain which are sometimes psychopharmacological in nature and very often do NOT include opiates.
2. Focus on mental health services, housing and employment for people in recovery.
3. Prescription Monitoring Program data will be used proactively by licensing boards to monitor prescribing patterns and to intervene earlier when they see a focus of irresponsible prescribing.
4. Make naloxone, also known as Narcan, widely available, including for over-the-counter use, but the most effective use of naloxone is to get it out on the street – to people actively using heroin – through needle exchanges, street distribution, through treatment programs and peer support groups like the BARN. In addition, it should be prescribed for anyone taking chronic daily opioids for any reason.
5. Create a community health worker hotline to help people navigate a very complicated addiction treatment delivery system.
6. End the two-year limit on methadone treatment for Medicaid patients and raise Medicaid reimbursement rates for treatment, so that robust counseling services are ensured . Increase payments for treatment and also lift two-year limit on Suboxone.
7. Expand drug courts and provide medication-assisted treatment and supportive services to participants. Oppose the Attorney General’s call for stiffer heroin penalties. https://www.pressherald.com/2016/02/03/maine-attorney-general-says-stiffer-heroin-penalties-could-prod-addicts-into-treatment/
That may have popular appeal with some, but, as we’ve seen in Switzerland and the Netherlands, this problem is more scientifically addressed through other methods.
8. Customize the Vermont spoke and wheel model for Maine. Use Federally Qualified Health Centers as the backbone (some already have the expertise and, with support, could share it with the other FQHCs). There are 18 in Maine, from Fort Kent to York, Belfast to Bingham. Vermont offers treatment and therapy statewide, with a “hub” of medication treatment to reduce chemical dependency and “spokes” of primary care, intensive outpatient services, vocation and housing assistance.
9. Big Pharma markets unnecessarily high-dose opiates on the market and I will seek prohibit that dangerous practice.
10. “Adverse childhood experiences” contribute significantly to substance-use disorders in teen and adult years. Use the evidence based education tools for every age group that are outlined in the Surgeon General’s report https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/
11. Offer recovery coaches available at emergency rooms and clinics, and medication-assisted treatment available for every person with opioid use disorder..
12. Expand the number of detox slots, recovery residence beds, and peer recovery centers.
13. Reinvigorate public health nursing to address the problem of drug exposed newborns.
1. Chronic Pain is often overlooked in this crisis. The truth is the big pharma offered a quick chronic pain “solution” (Oxycontin and other addictive opioids) that has led to the current crisis:
a) Physical therapy (like exercise) is often the best solution that requires effort, but can have the best results -- and yet insurance companies regularly fail to cover physical therapy and the repeated sessions necessary for success. As governor I would require not only coverage for physical therapy but coverage for a sufficient number of sessions to truly address the problem;
b) Dealing with the trauma, sometimes of a direct physical injury, sometimes of a childhood emotional trauma, is important: counseling, psychotherapy, trauma-informed care, mindfulness disciplines such as meditation, yoga, and tai chi must be offered.
c) Evidence-based medications for treating chronic pain which are sometimes psychopharmacological in nature and very often do NOT include opiates.
2. Focus on mental health services, housing and employment for people in recovery.
3. Prescription Monitoring Program data will be used proactively by licensing boards to monitor prescribing patterns and to intervene earlier when they see a focus of irresponsible prescribing.
4. Make naloxone, also known as Narcan, widely available, including for over-the-counter use, but the most effective use of naloxone is to get it out on the street – to people actively using heroin – through needle exchanges, street distribution, through treatment programs and peer support groups like the BARN. In addition, it should be prescribed for anyone taking chronic daily opioids for any reason.
5. Create a community health worker hotline to help people navigate a very complicated addiction treatment delivery system.
6. End the two-year limit on methadone treatment for Medicaid patients and raise Medicaid reimbursement rates for treatment, so that robust counseling services are ensured . Increase payments for treatment and also lift two-year limit on Suboxone.
7. Expand drug courts and provide medication-assisted treatment and supportive services to participants. Oppose the Attorney General’s call for stiffer heroin penalties. https://www.pressherald.com/2016/02/03/maine-attorney-general-says-stiffer-heroin-penalties-could-prod-addicts-into-treatment/
That may have popular appeal with some, but, as we’ve seen in Switzerland and the Netherlands, this problem is more scientifically addressed through other methods.
8. Customize the Vermont spoke and wheel model for Maine. Use Federally Qualified Health Centers as the backbone (some already have the expertise and, with support, could share it with the other FQHCs). There are 18 in Maine, from Fort Kent to York, Belfast to Bingham. Vermont offers treatment and therapy statewide, with a “hub” of medication treatment to reduce chemical dependency and “spokes” of primary care, intensive outpatient services, vocation and housing assistance.
9. Big Pharma markets unnecessarily high-dose opiates on the market and I will seek prohibit that dangerous practice.
10. “Adverse childhood experiences” contribute significantly to substance-use disorders in teen and adult years. Use the evidence based education tools for every age group that are outlined in the Surgeon General’s report https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/
11. Offer recovery coaches available at emergency rooms and clinics, and medication-assisted treatment available for every person with opioid use disorder..
12. Expand the number of detox slots, recovery residence beds, and peer recovery centers.
13. Reinvigorate public health nursing to address the problem of drug exposed newborns.
10. How will you ensure that referendums and ballot initiatives passed by Mainers are enacted, and enacted in a timely manner?
My reaction to the minimum wage and marijuana initiatives was that these were sound proposals. Similarly I think 55% funding for schools will help education and help keep property taxes down. Ranked Choice Voting is an appropriate policy that allows the real policy views of voters to come forward. I support the will of the voters on these matters. I will be blunt: if Maine voters passed some measure that harmed minority rights or was harmful in some way to average Mainers overall, I would speak out. That said, I don’t expect Maine people to do that. I certainly think once recreational marijuana is legal that a portion of the revenue can be and should be used for education and for substance abuse treatment. So there is room for discussion, but my inclination is support the will of the people on referenda and initiatives unless a basic principle of justice and fairness is violated.
My reaction to the minimum wage and marijuana initiatives was that these were sound proposals. Similarly I think 55% funding for schools will help education and help keep property taxes down. Ranked Choice Voting is an appropriate policy that allows the real policy views of voters to come forward. I support the will of the voters on these matters. I will be blunt: if Maine voters passed some measure that harmed minority rights or was harmful in some way to average Mainers overall, I would speak out. That said, I don’t expect Maine people to do that. I certainly think once recreational marijuana is legal that a portion of the revenue can be and should be used for education and for substance abuse treatment. So there is room for discussion, but my inclination is support the will of the people on referenda and initiatives unless a basic principle of justice and fairness is violated.
betsy sweet
sweetforgovernor.com
facebook.com/sweet4governor
1. What unique experiences, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in serving all of Maine as Governor?
I have been a progressive advocate and activist for 35 years in Maine. I am an advocate for health care, women, LGBTQ community,people with mental health issues, children, effective education, and a clean environment. I have also worked on every budget that has been proposed for the last 35 years to ensure that people in Maine who need services and support receive it. I have been a leader in the women’s movement and the LGBTQ movement for decades.
I believe we still have a much progress to make but it is increasingly difficult because our system is very broken. Our democracy is no longer in the hands of Maine Voters – it is in the hands of big funders and special interests. That is why I am running as a Clean Elections candidate and why I helped research and draft the initial law in 1996. I believe we are at a unique and historic crossroads where we can do something completely different, bold and innovative to take back our democracy. We have the opportunity to get money out and a woman in. I believe I am the “sweet spot” of someone who has the experience of getting things accomplished in the legislature but has not been a part of the broken electoral system.
I have always worked to bring ordinary Mainers voices to the table, also have worked shoulder to shoulder with progressive activists all over the state to form coalitions (Dirigo Alliance, MECEP, Women’s Legislative Agenda coalition, Maine Can Do Better) to increase our influence and help enact policies that improve the life of all Mainers.
facebook.com/sweet4governor
1. What unique experiences, philosophies and attributes do you have that will aid you in serving all of Maine as Governor?
I have been a progressive advocate and activist for 35 years in Maine. I am an advocate for health care, women, LGBTQ community,people with mental health issues, children, effective education, and a clean environment. I have also worked on every budget that has been proposed for the last 35 years to ensure that people in Maine who need services and support receive it. I have been a leader in the women’s movement and the LGBTQ movement for decades.
I believe we still have a much progress to make but it is increasingly difficult because our system is very broken. Our democracy is no longer in the hands of Maine Voters – it is in the hands of big funders and special interests. That is why I am running as a Clean Elections candidate and why I helped research and draft the initial law in 1996. I believe we are at a unique and historic crossroads where we can do something completely different, bold and innovative to take back our democracy. We have the opportunity to get money out and a woman in. I believe I am the “sweet spot” of someone who has the experience of getting things accomplished in the legislature but has not been a part of the broken electoral system.
I have always worked to bring ordinary Mainers voices to the table, also have worked shoulder to shoulder with progressive activists all over the state to form coalitions (Dirigo Alliance, MECEP, Women’s Legislative Agenda coalition, Maine Can Do Better) to increase our influence and help enact policies that improve the life of all Mainers.
2. Please describe how you supported Bernie Sanders during the 2015-2016 primary season.
I was a Hillary Clinton supporter. I worked strongly, however, to ensure equal unbiased treatment of Bernie supporters at caucuses and was a voice of bringing people together fairly and equally afterward. I have long been a supporter of Bernie’s policies and analysis of both the problem and the solutions.
I was a Hillary Clinton supporter. I worked strongly, however, to ensure equal unbiased treatment of Bernie supporters at caucuses and was a voice of bringing people together fairly and equally afterward. I have long been a supporter of Bernie’s policies and analysis of both the problem and the solutions.
3. As a supporter of single-payer/Medicare for All, what is your plan for implementing health care for all in Maine?
Fund MaineCare expansion immediately. Work in compact with 5 New England states to form a New England single payor system, as we await that move from the federal government. We also need to cut costs – we need true transparency of costs, negotiating lower prescription drug prices, promoting primary health care and prevention – (good food, good exercise and adequate sleep) and we need to remove the corporate/profit elements of our current system (insurance companies, labs, hospitals, doctor practices). I also believe we need to cover allied services (acupuncture, reiki, massage) as cost effective treatment that can be of great use in conjunction with western medical treatments.
Fund MaineCare expansion immediately. Work in compact with 5 New England states to form a New England single payor system, as we await that move from the federal government. We also need to cut costs – we need true transparency of costs, negotiating lower prescription drug prices, promoting primary health care and prevention – (good food, good exercise and adequate sleep) and we need to remove the corporate/profit elements of our current system (insurance companies, labs, hospitals, doctor practices). I also believe we need to cover allied services (acupuncture, reiki, massage) as cost effective treatment that can be of great use in conjunction with western medical treatments.
4. What is your plan to protect immigrants/refugees, and ensure all Mainers feel safe and comfortable living and working here?
We need to put out the welcome mat in a meaningful way. In addition to stopping Trump’s punitive plans at the border, we need to support with public dollars adequate English as a second language services, housing and employment services and determine ways to recognize the education and training attained in another country so that immigrants and refugees can utilize their talents fully as they participate in Maine’s economy. I also believe the state should provide 5 years of financial assistance to communities where there are large numbers of immigrants and refugees so that they receive adequate services and support but it is not solely the financial and service responsibility of that local community as the presence of new Americans in Maine benefits the entire state.
In addition I would bolster support for the Civil Rights Team Project in our schools (that I founded with Steve Wessler) so that our young people get the training and leadership skills to address bias, discrimination and bullying in their schools in order that every person feels valued and welcomed from the very beginning and at a very early age.
We need to put out the welcome mat in a meaningful way. In addition to stopping Trump’s punitive plans at the border, we need to support with public dollars adequate English as a second language services, housing and employment services and determine ways to recognize the education and training attained in another country so that immigrants and refugees can utilize their talents fully as they participate in Maine’s economy. I also believe the state should provide 5 years of financial assistance to communities where there are large numbers of immigrants and refugees so that they receive adequate services and support but it is not solely the financial and service responsibility of that local community as the presence of new Americans in Maine benefits the entire state.
In addition I would bolster support for the Civil Rights Team Project in our schools (that I founded with Steve Wessler) so that our young people get the training and leadership skills to address bias, discrimination and bullying in their schools in order that every person feels valued and welcomed from the very beginning and at a very early age.
5. Please describe your plan for addressing poverty, food insecurity and inequality across Maine.
Increase the minimum wage to $15. Provide additional pathways out of poverty by empowering state workers to serve as a client’s coach, with flexible funds to enable them to take the steps the need to create a lasting path out of poverty. That includes education, child care, decent housing, transportation and services that help them reach benchmarks as they move forward. I also believe no child should go to bed hungry. Feeding hungry children will be a priority, we cannot have 25% of our kids unable to learn and thrive because they are hungry. This means supporting our small and growing farms and ensuring adequate income to buy that food. We also need to reform our tax structure to so that tax breaks are not given to the wealthiest in Maine, but are fair and just and those funds are invested in economic growth that truly creates jobs, not just additional profits. Additionally, I intend to create Regional Development Authorities that have the ability and the money (currently concentrated in Augusta) to create and support economic development that is promising and appropriate for the region. It will look different in different areas of the state (ie what is needed in Caribou and Millinocket is different than what is needed in Portland and Elliot), and that is appropriate and necessary.
Increase the minimum wage to $15. Provide additional pathways out of poverty by empowering state workers to serve as a client’s coach, with flexible funds to enable them to take the steps the need to create a lasting path out of poverty. That includes education, child care, decent housing, transportation and services that help them reach benchmarks as they move forward. I also believe no child should go to bed hungry. Feeding hungry children will be a priority, we cannot have 25% of our kids unable to learn and thrive because they are hungry. This means supporting our small and growing farms and ensuring adequate income to buy that food. We also need to reform our tax structure to so that tax breaks are not given to the wealthiest in Maine, but are fair and just and those funds are invested in economic growth that truly creates jobs, not just additional profits. Additionally, I intend to create Regional Development Authorities that have the ability and the money (currently concentrated in Augusta) to create and support economic development that is promising and appropriate for the region. It will look different in different areas of the state (ie what is needed in Caribou and Millinocket is different than what is needed in Portland and Elliot), and that is appropriate and necessary.
6. What is your plan for ensuring access to and sustainability of health care services and schools in Maine's rural districts, and attracting and keeping jobs in those regions?
This is exactly the gift of universal coverage. The services and facilities will be based on where people are and where health care services are needed as opposed to where they can be financially profitable. We will have health care planning, triaging of services, and ensure that everyone has access to those. For schools we need to make sure that we are streamlining administrative costs so that our dollars are going towards adequate teacher pay across the state and services for our children. The quality of one’s education should not be related to one’s zip code. Please see the answer above about Regional Development Authorities above as part of the answer to the jobs question. I will add that we need high speed, high capacity broad band statewide to encourage entrepreneurs in all areas - clean energy, high technology, technical service, small farm selling their products. We must use our R& D dollars to support the innovative and entrepreneurial passion that is all over Maine – especially in our rural districts..
This is exactly the gift of universal coverage. The services and facilities will be based on where people are and where health care services are needed as opposed to where they can be financially profitable. We will have health care planning, triaging of services, and ensure that everyone has access to those. For schools we need to make sure that we are streamlining administrative costs so that our dollars are going towards adequate teacher pay across the state and services for our children. The quality of one’s education should not be related to one’s zip code. Please see the answer above about Regional Development Authorities above as part of the answer to the jobs question. I will add that we need high speed, high capacity broad band statewide to encourage entrepreneurs in all areas - clean energy, high technology, technical service, small farm selling their products. We must use our R& D dollars to support the innovative and entrepreneurial passion that is all over Maine – especially in our rural districts..
7. How would you ensure all students can obtain an education at state educational institutions including trade schools?
We must provide relief from current student debt as part of our support of higher education.
I propose offering every high school senior the opportunity to give one year of community service (e.g. providing day care, elders services, weatherization, trail building, trade apprenticeship, teaching English to New Americans) and in exchange receive 2 years of tuition at ANY Maine institution of higher learning - and it would be two years of technical school or the final 2 years of a four year institution as in Maine many of our students start higher education but do not finish. We must also support robust collaborative union/government apprenticeship programs in the trades.
We must provide relief from current student debt as part of our support of higher education.
I propose offering every high school senior the opportunity to give one year of community service (e.g. providing day care, elders services, weatherization, trail building, trade apprenticeship, teaching English to New Americans) and in exchange receive 2 years of tuition at ANY Maine institution of higher learning - and it would be two years of technical school or the final 2 years of a four year institution as in Maine many of our students start higher education but do not finish. We must also support robust collaborative union/government apprenticeship programs in the trades.
8. How will you strengthen Maine's role in addressing climate change and protect Maine's coastline from off-shore oil drilling and seismic blasting?
As a state, we will sign on to and abide by the Paris Agreement. Pass legislation to prohibit off-short oil drilling and blasting in Maine jurisdiction. Work vigorously with federal delegation to oppose the same in federal waters.
Addressing climate change is one of my highest priorities. We are the first generation dealing with the effects of climate change and the last generation that can deal with it.
We can and must be energy independent from fossil fuels by 2030. Maine has the natural resources necessary to not only serve Maine but to become an energy producer for New England. We must reverse this administrations ban on solar and wind investment, the taxing of electric cars, and rolling back REGI, and instead incentivize these things. We must also deal with consumer consumption. We will invest in additional public transportation. We have backed away from personal responsibility of using cars less, car pooling, providing safe bicycle paths, developing trails as alternative transportation routes, and cutting back on fossil fuel use for home and industrial use. We will use the office of energy efficiency more robustly to do education about and provide financial incentives for heat saving home measures (heat pumps, weatherization, geo thermal sources and individual solar generation systems.
As a state, we will sign on to and abide by the Paris Agreement. Pass legislation to prohibit off-short oil drilling and blasting in Maine jurisdiction. Work vigorously with federal delegation to oppose the same in federal waters.
Addressing climate change is one of my highest priorities. We are the first generation dealing with the effects of climate change and the last generation that can deal with it.
We can and must be energy independent from fossil fuels by 2030. Maine has the natural resources necessary to not only serve Maine but to become an energy producer for New England. We must reverse this administrations ban on solar and wind investment, the taxing of electric cars, and rolling back REGI, and instead incentivize these things. We must also deal with consumer consumption. We will invest in additional public transportation. We have backed away from personal responsibility of using cars less, car pooling, providing safe bicycle paths, developing trails as alternative transportation routes, and cutting back on fossil fuel use for home and industrial use. We will use the office of energy efficiency more robustly to do education about and provide financial incentives for heat saving home measures (heat pumps, weatherization, geo thermal sources and individual solar generation systems.
9. How will you address the opioid crisis?
We must deal with the opioid crisis as a health issue, not a criminal issue. We must deal with both the emotional pain and isolation as a foundation for substance abuse by having adequate mental health services, strengthening our communities to help prevent isolation and despair and more fully integrating behavioral and physical health. And we must ensure that there are adequate, affordable rehabilitation facilities. We can move people who are in jail with no treatment services to rehab facilities and we will save enough money to pay for it and get better outcomes. We must also put restrictions on large drug companies and begin regulation of opioid prescription abuse in earnest. We must also demand health coverage for complementary health treatments like acupuncture, reiki, massage, physical therapy to alleviate physical pain.
We must deal with the opioid crisis as a health issue, not a criminal issue. We must deal with both the emotional pain and isolation as a foundation for substance abuse by having adequate mental health services, strengthening our communities to help prevent isolation and despair and more fully integrating behavioral and physical health. And we must ensure that there are adequate, affordable rehabilitation facilities. We can move people who are in jail with no treatment services to rehab facilities and we will save enough money to pay for it and get better outcomes. We must also put restrictions on large drug companies and begin regulation of opioid prescription abuse in earnest. We must also demand health coverage for complementary health treatments like acupuncture, reiki, massage, physical therapy to alleviate physical pain.
10. How will you ensure that referendums and ballot initiatives passed by Mainers are enacted, and enacted in a timely manner?
Voters matter. Our votes matter. Always. We must address this in two ways. Up front, there needs to be a more thorough, collaborative process to ensure that ballot measures are vetted in full with those who propose them to ensure their legal viability. Once a ballot measure is passed, we must implement the law as passed and put a time restriction (no changes within 2 years for example) and/or a 2/3 majority before changes can be made.
Voters matter. Our votes matter. Always. We must address this in two ways. Up front, there needs to be a more thorough, collaborative process to ensure that ballot measures are vetted in full with those who propose them to ensure their legal viability. Once a ballot measure is passed, we must implement the law as passed and put a time restriction (no changes within 2 years for example) and/or a 2/3 majority before changes can be made.