PARTY AFFILIATION: Republican
PREVIOUS ELECTED EXPERIENCE: None
What is the biggest need your constituents are expressing as you speak with them and how can the legislature address this?
The first thing constituents express to me is their strong lack of faith in politicians. Most express that they are sick and tired of politicians saying one thing to get elected and then voting the opposite way when they get in office. The majority say that it is too expensive to live in Maine. The taxes and the cost of living are too high. The business owners say that there are too many onerous regulations which result in higher costs to the consumer. The vast majority of constituents want to end the use of EBT cards at ATM machines to get cash and they are not in favor of giving welfare benefits to non-citizens. The people of Maine are strapped with high energy costs and the lack of higher paying jobs here in Maine. They know firsthand that the high energy costs and excessive taxes have resulted in businesses fleeing the State of Maine. The Legislature can address these issues by producing more of our electricity from Hydro power, which costs approx. 5 cents per KWH as compared to commercial wind power which can cost up to 37 cents per KWH. We don’t need to build any more dams to do this. The Legislature just needs to remove the 100 megawatt limit that the windmill lobbyists’, (special interests) convinced most of our representatives to vote into law. We also need to bring Natural Gas into more of our State. We could also buy cheap hydro power from our friends in Quebec to lower our energy costs here in Maine. Just these 3 solutions would substantially lower our energy bills in Maine and new businesses would move back to Maine.
Are there areas to cut money from the state budget without cutting services to people who need them and where would I start cutting?
The budget is a matter of priorities. We have a limited budget. We can’t spend money that we do not have. We must protect the most vulnerable in our state-the elderly, the intellectually and physically disabled, and our veterans first. They are the heart and soul of our State. We must prioritize. I will legislate against giving millions of tax payer dollars in welfare money to non-citizens. We must care for our Maine citizens first. My opponent favors giving our limited resources to those who aren’t Maine citizens. It is essential that we cut out the fraud and abuse of the welfare system. Welfare is meant to cover the basic necessities in a time of need-not to create or encourage a lifestyle of dependency. A minimum 90 day residency requirement should be enacted to ensure we put Maine citizens first. Further, we reduce the budget by cutting welfare for politicians. My opponent has up to $60,000 of tax-payer funded money to finance her campaign. This translates to millions of dollars spent on excessive mailings and robo-calls that could be better utilized to put Maine citizens first. We must end corporate welfare by eliminating subsidies to special interest groups. Traditional education is proven to be more effective in quality, results and costs in contrast to common-core’s next generation science and math standards that are economically and educationally deficient.
What makes you the best candidate to serve in this office?
I am a builder and a problem solver with common sense. I start at the root of a problem and build from the ground up. I have a 38 year proven track record of success as a business owner and building contractor in Maine. I served in the Maine Army National Guard as a 1st Lieutenant and as an officer in the Corps of Engineers. I am a community builder and volunteer, former planning board member and chairman. I am a devoted husband of 39 years, father of 4 children and grandfather to 9 children. I am not a politician. I will be a citizen legislator. I am for individual freedom with less big government intrusion into our lives. I strongly support the freedom of parents to decide what is best for their children, to choose the manner in which they will provide for their education, healthcare and upbringing. Let’s build a better Maine.
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