Rivers and Dams
I support free flowing waterways. In 1999, Maine made national news when the Edwards dam in Augusta was removed. It took years of hard work by Mainers to make this happen. For more than 150 years, the dam had been blocking movement and access to spawning grounds of anadromous fish such as shad, salmon, alewives, […]
Preserving Public Lands
I strongly support expanding our public lands. I support replacing the Land for Maine’s Future program with a new program funded by reliable funding sources such as taxes and fees rather than by unreliable citizen referenda. Property values in Maine are rising rapidly and more and more land is being posted. We must act quickly […]
Agriculture
Like many Mainers, my agricultural roots run deep. My great grandfather came from Cape Breton in the late 19th century to help build the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad. He married a Maine girl and settled down in Monticello where he farmed potatoes for the rest of his life. His son farmed potatoes in Blaine, retiring […]
Reproductive Rights
My position on reproductive rights is simple. The government has no business telling anyone what they can and can’t do with their reproductive system.
Marine Resources
The photo is of a right whale entangled in fishing gear. The right whale issue has been very controversial in Maine. I support the right whale and Maine’s lobster industry. We can have both. Unfortunately the lobster industry has been fighting changes to help save the right whale. Maine’s government has sided with and pandered […]
Labor
I took this photograph in Washington, D.C. prior to the April 5, “Hands Off” demonstration. I am a strong supporter of labor and a union member. I have been a union member of the Maine Service Employees Association for nearly forty years. Several years ago, I visited the Occupy Wall Street encampment shortly prior to […]
Environmental Protection
Maine’s environment is Maine’s economy. I worked in the Department of Environmental Protection from 1987-2016. The majority of my service was in water enforcement. Over the years the political pendulum swung back and forth depending on the governor. Unfortunately, the general trend has been to promote development at the expense of the environment. As governor, […]
Child Welfare
As governor, my goal will be to not lose a single child to abuse or neglect. There is no legitimate reason for this to happen. I will conduct an exhaustive nationwide search for the best people to head up Child Protective Services. We must spare no expense to have the best CPS agency in the […]
Climate Change and CO2 Offsets
Climate change is real. This period of climate change is caused and/or exacerbated by increasing anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide and decreasing CO2 capture due to deforestation. I question whether Maine can significantly decrease its CO2 emissions given environmental and social concerns regarding hydroelectric dams, current windpower and solar technology, and nuclear power. Rather than […]
State Employees
As a former state employee of nearly thirty years, and as a current Maine Service Employees Association member, I know that Maine’s state employees are treated as second class citizens. They are not allowed to speak publicly about state government problems for fear of losing their job or being reprimanded. Maine’s whistle blower law is […]