Gorham voters have four good candidates on the ballot for two seats on the town council – David Homa, Shonn Moulton, Brenda Caldwell and Phil Csoros. All of them have been active in the community in one way or another, and each of them would bring that experience to the job.

Homa is the director of a group made up of a collection of landowners and local businesses concerned with land use in town called 1,000 Friends of Gorham. Moulton is the owner of a business in the village, Dance Studio of Maine, and is involved in the Gorham Business and Civic Exchange. Csoros serves on the board of directors for the Gorham Economic Development Corp., and Caldwell was the Gorham town clerk for many years.

Two of these candidates, however, stood out for us. Our first endorsement goes to Caldwell, whose 28 years of experience in town hall can’t be overlooked. She has an intimate understanding of how the town runs. She also knows state government well. She served for eight years on the advisory board for the secretary of state and once served on the advisory board for the governor. All of that experience would serve her well on the town council.

Our second endorsement goes to Csoros, who has an impressive understanding of many of the challenges facing Gorham. He has thought a lot about the bypass that is finally close to being built and whether it will be an adequate solution to Gorham’s traffic woes. He doesn’t believe it will, and he’s also afraid the available state and federal money might not be enough. Leaders in Gorham need to be thinking about potential problems like these so that the town is prepared to respond and advocate for the best solution.

Csoros also had a direct response to a question many candidates for the town council and the Legislature danced around – What does he think of the asphalt plant proposed by Shaw Brothers Construction?

His answer was unequivocal: Build it, build it now. He said the plant would bring jobs to town, competition to the local construction industry and would have little environmental impact. Gorham needs that kind of certainty and courage in its leadership.

Buxton legislative endorsements

In House District 130, our endorsement goes to Democrat David Farrington of Gorham. Farrington is a thoughtful legislator who would be going into his second term in Augusta. With the experience of his first term behind him, he can have more influence and deserves another chance to show residents what he can do. We liked his idea to get the Circuit Breaker tax rebate to more people by including with the state income tax forms. A member of the Business, Research and Economic Development Committee, he’s also in favor of investing in research and development, which we believe would be money well spent.

In House District 131, our endorsement goes to Republican Don Marean of Hollis. Marean has an ability to work both sides of the political aisle. A farmer, Marean persuaded Gov. John Baldacci to name a Democrat as agriculture commissioner rather than a Republican who he did not believe was qualified. His experience as a farmer also serves him well on the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee.

In Senate District 5, our endorsement goes to Democrat Barry Hobbins, who has a ton of experience in state politics. He was first elected to the House in 1972, at the age of 21. That experience gives him clout in Augusta, as well as institutional memory, that can serve his constituents well.

Yes on Question 1

The Taxpayer Bill of Rights is far from perfect. Those opposed to it have raised some legitimate concerns about the effects that it could have on this state.

However, any similar referendum is likely to have some flaws, and we fear, if this fails, significant tax reform will remain an elusive goal in this state for some time. Legislators have been talking about the same changes to Maine’s taxes for years – lowering property taxes, adjusting the income tax brackets to make them fair and broadening the sales tax. The governor and the Legislature, however, have done little to change the state’s tax structure or burden and, in the meantime, Maine residents remain some of the highest taxed residents in the nation.

The state has passed legislation only in the face of voter initiatives like the Palesky tax cap and the Maine Municipal Association’s increase in state funding for education. Without the latter initiative, the state wouldn’t have made the strides it has toward lowering the property tax.

The Taxpayer Bill of Rights won’t decimate schools and services in the state. It would put a cap on the growth of budgets, at the state and local level. It might force state leaders to make some difficult decisions that are easy to avoid when voters aren’t demanding them.

It’s not perfect. It is extreme in what it requires to exceed spending limits – a ballot vote and a two-thirds majority. The two-thirds majority is perhaps the most difficult aspect of the bill to accept. However, the hurdle is intentionally high, and the governor and Legislature can amend it. If the history of the Maine Municipal Association’s initiative is any indication, they undoubtedly will.

Vote for Baldacci

Our endorsement in the governor’s race goes to incumbent Gov. John Baldacci. We don’t love the governor. He has fallen short in many areas, including tax reform and his plan to deal with the state’s health care problems, Dirigo Health, which has done little to insure uninsured Mainers or lower costs for those who already have health insurance.

The governor, however, has been working on the state’s problems, and his solutions are often thoughtful. They are often, however, too full of compromises that render them ineffective. By pleasing everyone – hospitals, insurers, legislators from both parties – at the outset of Dirigo Health, for example, the state now has a program that is pleasing no one.

However, Baldacci has shown some leadership. He worked with the Legislature to pass a law protecting the rights of homosexuals, which was long overdue in this state. Voters upheld that law last fall, after previous votes had rejected similar laws. The governor has also had difficult budgets. In his first two years, he managed to fill a $1.2 billion shortage in the budget without raising income or sales taxes.

We hope that voters will return Baldacci to the Blaine House, and that the governor will use his ability to build consensus when it’s needed to help the state tackle some of its toughest problems.

Current Publishing Editorial Board