Political experience

I have never run for any political office in the past. In fact, I do not necessarily accept the constraint that political experience is a measure of ones abilities to know or do what is right. I believe that leadership and moral character are more important. I am a veteran of the USAF serving as a Hospital Commander, receiving the Meritorious Service Medal for Outstanding Leadership and the National Defense Service Medal. As a Past President of the Maine Medical Association, I received The President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement. I was recently installed as Chair of the New England Delegation to the American Medical Association. I am no stranger to our democratic parliamentary process. These experiences have taught me not only how to be a leader, but the importance of leadership and character.

Why are you running for office?

My candidacy is about “We the People”, the people of Maine and especially those in Piscataquis County. It seems today that we are trapped in a time warp. As I have traveled around the towns in our district, my suspicions have been confirmed. Maine is not fulfilling its promise to its citizens. I am dismayed by the conditions under which many are living. I was raised in a family of 6 children. My father was a truck driver and only went to the 8th grade, my mom a homemaker who only went to the 9th grade. I saw how hard they struggled just to make ends meet. I know what it’s like to go to bed without a meal or to school without a lunch. It seems that far too many Mainers are experiencing these same calamities today. If our society continues to allow wrongs to go unchallenged, we leave the impression that those wrongs have the approval of the majority. The imperative for us is to define what is right and to do it. So I run, not for myself, but for those we have forgotten, those whose voices are not being heard, who live in poverty, who are unemployed, the elderly and for the future of our children. Instead of the way life should be, I want a Maine community as good as its promise.

• Income Tax: Gov. LePage would like to lower Maine’s income tax rate and eventually eliminate it, by increasing the state’s sales tax and expanding it across a broader range of goods and services. Do you support this proposal?
  • No.
    Gov. Lepage’s intent is to completely eliminate the state income tax, a plan which continues corporate welfare. Several other states have gone down this road but when you look closely, it is essentially a game of bait and switch. The state still has to pay its bills. Without an income tax, individuals end up paying higher taxes for the food they eat, the clothes they wear and the gas in their cars. This is how the deficit would be made up. An example is Tennessee which has the highest sales tax in the country. Without a state income tax, sales taxes went up 7%. Combined with local sales taxes, the actual rate increased to 9.45%. Property taxes are also significantly increased as is the case in New Hampshire. All of those extra taxes contribute to higher-than-average living expenses for those least able to afford it, the poor, low income and the elderly.
• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • Yes.
    According to the most recent data, over 30,000 people have been killed in a gun related homicide, unintentional shooting, or murder/suicide. There were 372 mass shootings in 2015. This is flat out unacceptable. Federal law, which Maine follows, requires background checks for all gun sales by licensed dealers. The current federal law leaves a loophole that allows unlicensed dealers to sell guns at gun shows, online or in other private transactions. Because of these exceptions, background checks are required for only an estimated 40 percent of gun sales. Background check exceptions in Maine’s initiative would include emergency self-defense, while the parties are hunting or sport shooting, and transfers between family members. As a surgeon, I have seen first- hand the effects of gun violence. It stands to reason to me that we must do whatever we can to minimize gun violence. The Maine initiative is reasoned and I support it.
• Minimum Wage:
  In light of the ballot question facing voters this fall, do you support raising the state’s minimum wage from $7.50 to $12 an hour by 2020?
  
  • Yes.
    The minimum wage was set in 1938 at 25 cents, which would be $4.11 in today’s dollars. 50% percent of minimum wage workers are employed in food preparation and serving related occupations. 45% are ages 16-24 and 55% are older than 25. The poverty rate in Maine is 14%, ranking the state 22nd in the nation. If the minimum wage in 1968 had simply kept up with inflation, it would be more than $10 today. If it also kept up with the added productivity of American workers since then, it would be more than $21 an hour. More money in people’s pockets means more demand for goods and services, and more jobs. Employers who don’t pay enough to lift their employees out of poverty are indirectly subsidized by the rest of us who are paying billions yearly in food stamps, Medicaid, housing assistance, and welfare to make up the difference. This is a no brainer!
• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • No.
    The American Medical Association reaffirmed its opposition to marijuana legalization, but called the current federal approach to reducing the drug’s use “ineffective”. The AMA expressed support for “modification of state and federal laws to emphasize public health based strategies to address and reduce cannabis use”. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that given the data supporting the negative health and brain development effects of marijuana in children and adolescents, ages 0 through 21 years, it is opposed to marijuana use in this population. The adverse effects of marijuana have been well documented, and studies have demonstrated the potential negative consequences of short and long term recreational use of marijuana in adolescents. Efforts to decriminalize marijuana should take place in conjunction with efforts to prevent marijuana use and promote early treatment of adolescents with marijuana use problems. It took years before the deleterious effects of tobacco were known.
• Addiction/Overdoses: Do you believe the state is doing enough in response to the rise in heroin/opiate addiction and overdoses? If not, what else should be done?
  • Despite the inflammatory and irresponsible actions of Gov. LePage, I believe more responsible citizens and organizations across the state have come to the realization that addiction, especially to heroin/opiates, is a Public Health Crisis for Maine. Whenever there is such a crisis, it becomes the responsibility for all of us to work together. I was pleased to see the gathering and end product of the work of the Maine Opiate Collaborative. The Maine Medical Association has been criss crossing the state to engage physicians. The state has received assistance from the American Medical Association (AMA) and the U.S. CDC. As the new Chair of the New England Delegation to the AMA, this crisis was a priority of how all New England states can work together to stem the rising tide of this epidemic. Our efforts must remain continuous and must always include Law Enforcement, Health Professionals, Educators and everyday citizens. We need to make certain that education of our children about drug addiction begins as early as possible. I do believe however, that the current consolidation of roles and responsibilities at the Department of Health and Human Services could be detrimental in the long term for future public health crises.