Philip Perry, 37, is a Libertarian and is the third candidate to enter the race, along with Grohman and former Biddeford City Councilor Bob Mills, a Democrat.
“I’m not your typical Libertarian,” Perry said in a press release. “I have developed an extensive platform and policy that I’m running on.”
Perry said that he advocates less restrictive sentencing for those convicted of non-violent crimes in Maine, freeing up funding spent in the state on prisons for other services, such as drug treatment programs, infrastructure repairs and education.
“I’ve developed drug policy that I’m going to introduce as legislation if elected pushing treatment over Corrections for all non-violent drug offenders here in the state of Maine,” Perry said. “This will strengthen families by allowing addicts to get the help they deserve all the while reducing the burden on the taxpayers in the state.”
According to Perry, if elected, he plans to grow Maine’s economy through innovative measures to benefit everyone in the state.
“We have an issue here in the state of Maine concerning jobs and need a practical economic growth package put in place. There aren’t very many well-paying jobs here in the state so many of our young people leave searching for jobs,” Perry said.
He said he is looking to create well-paying jobs that young people can walk right into out of high school because he realizes that many people cannot afford a college education or have other things pop up in their lives that will not allow them to attend college.
“We need to empower individuals here in our state to be successful,” Perry said. “What I am proposing to do is to drop taxes for any business for 20 years that is willing to come relocate to the state of Maine. This will provide well-paying jobs to many throughout our state and will boost our economy in ways that have never been seen.”
He said he came up with the idea after learning about what economic development officials achieved in Brevard County Florida after implementing a similar program when NASA’s Space Shuttle program shut down.
“They now have one of the fastest-growing most thriving economies in our country,” Perry said. “The proof is in the pudding as they say.
“If elected to the State House I will try to implement such a program for the people here in Maine to address this issue, create economic growth and provide well-paying jobs for our people here in the state. I’m taking a very bipartisan approach to my campaign and feel that working together across party lines that we can once again make Maine ‘the way life should be.'”
Perry said he’s currently living with a relatuve in Saco after moving to York County recently, but intends to become a resident of District 12 soon in order to get on the ballot for the election.
More information about Perry’s campaign can be found on Facebook at Philip Perry for Maine State House District 12.
The District 12 area encompasses part of the city of Biddeford.
— Executive Editor Ed Pierce can be reached at 282-1535 ext. 326 or by email at [email protected].
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less