Age (on Election Day): 67
Party affiliation: Republican
Occupation: State conservation manager, retired
Community organizations:
Chairman, Weld Board of Selectmen; board member, Western Maine Transportation Services; member, Small Woodlands Owners Association of Maine; member, National Rifle Association; member and past master, Mystic Tie Lodge #154, A.F.& A.M.; district deputy grand master, 15th Masonic District.
Hobbies, activities etc.:
Woodworking, yard work, Maine and U.S. history, hunting, reading and spending time with the family.
Family status:
Married to Gordeen; 4 children, 8 grandchildren
Years in Legislature: 2
Clean Election candidate? Yes
Committee assignments wanted:
Taxation or Agriculture; Conservation, Forestry; State and Local Government
What is the most pressing problem in your district and what do you plan to do about it?
The economy.The wood/fiber/logging based industries in my district have been hit hard over the past years. The hurtful ripple effect is damaging to support businesses as well. We desperately need to reduce our energy costs in order to make Maine mills and businesses competitive with other areas in the nation.
Gov. Paul LePage wants to eliminate the state income tax. Do you support that? If not, why not?
Yes. Income tax discourages the ability to keep and recruit workers. Studies have shown that given a choice young workers will go where taxes are lower or nonexistent. Given that we are demographically the oldest state in the nation, we need to continue to lower and eliminate the income tax.
Are you willing to support raising the fuel tax to fix Maine roads? If not, why not?
No. We have a large number of good hard working folks who are still struggling. An increase would be hard on them. I think more efficiencies at the agency level can be made. I applaud DOT for taking advantage of lower petroleum prices to resurface many more miles of highway.
The relationship between the governor and the Legislature has deteriorated over the past six years. What can the Legislature do to improve that relationship?
The three branches of government, executive, legislative and judicial need to work together. Their attempt to do so is paramount for good government. One branch hasn’t the ability to force another to cooperate. Our founding fathers rightfully made sure of that. We need to listen more and be less partisan.
What methods do you support to reduce opiate addiction in Maine?
I support increased enforcement relating to out-of-state traffickers. We need to keep opiates from coming into Maine. Treatment of those with addiction needs to continue. We need to explore other options that have seemed to show success in other places. This is a crisis throughout our beautiful state.
How are you voting on the referendum questions?
Question 1: No
Question 2: No
Question 3: No
Question 4: No
Question 5: No
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