I am in favor of fair taxation. I will fight to fully fund the schools at 55% as mandated by the people of Maine. I am dedicated to restoring the full 70% of revenue sharing to the towns that was cut in 2011. Both of these will result in a drop in property taxes. To pay for this, I will work to close loopholes for offshore corporate tax havens and roll back the tax giveaways to the rich.

Campaign Finance/ Clean Elections: I am running as a Clean Elections Candidate because I want to represent the people of Waldo County and not owe favors to corporations or wealthy donors. We need to get Big Money out of our democracy so that everyone’s voice has equal strength.

Jobs and Economy: I’m proud to have spent my life working as a carpenter, farmer, and parent. I believe people need to have good paying jobs and meaningful work. Small businesses are the backbone of Maine’s economy, yet many are held back by lack of credit. To grow our economy, our best bet is to give small businesses access to the credit they need to grow and add jobs.

Mainers deserve an economy that works for everyone, not just the very top. Raising the minimum wage will be good for our economy. It will get people off welfare, raise tax revenue, and create more jobs.

I am opposed to all of the free trade deals of the last 20 years that have sent most of our manufacturing jobs overseas. This has to stop.

Fraud and Abuse: I am opposed to any form of fraud or abuse of taxpayer dollars. We need a fair system where cheating isn’t tolerated and the rules are enforced from the bottom to the very top. We notice fraud when it is our neighbors or folks in the checkout line but the worst gutting of the system is being done in corporate offices behind closed doors. I am determined to end corruption, fraud and abuse.

Health Care: Everyone deserves affordable health care. I support the expansion of MaineCare which will save lives, strengthen our economy, and create jobs. The health care reforms of the last few years are an improvement, however, I will fight for single-payer, universal health care for every Mainer.

Education: Taking money from our kids to fund tax cuts for the rich is wrong. I support full 55% state-funding of our public schools as mandated by the people of Maine. Because not everyone learns in the same way or has the same interests, we also need trade schools, apprenticeship education, and community colleges. Student debt is out of control. The federal government loans money to Big Banks for less than 1% interest. Students should be able to borrow money for college at the same rate.

Energy: Every dollar we spend on out-of-state energy hurts the Maine economy. The more we can reduce our energy use and utilize in-state energy sources, the better. Energy efficiency is the number one priority. This includes insulation, appliances and transportation. These improvements all have the opportunity to provide good jobs in Maine.

In addition, we must transition our energy use from imported fossil fuels to locally produced renewable energy sources. We must promote efficient and clean wood heating, appropriately placed wind turbines, heat pumps, and the use of solar for electricity, heat and hot water. I will vote to pass the solar rebate program that was vetoed by LePage. I support the investment of seed money to jumpstart self-sustaining programs that invest in the installation of renewable energy systems.

Environment: That our children cannot eat freshwater fish safely is a sure sign our government has failed us. Our future depends on a healthy environment. If we don’t address climate change and ocean acidification, everything else that we do will not matter. We owe it to our grandchildren, our children and ourselves to protect the natural resources that we all depend on and enjoy. Solving our environmental problems will not be easy, but working together, we can do it.

Farming: I come from a family of farmers. My mother grew up on a small dairy farm, I worked on farms and orchards for much of my youth, and two of my sons are farmers right here in Waldo County. I understand that farmers are the foundation of our society and are struggling to make ends meet. I will fight for policies that support our local farms.

Labor Unions: I believe that workers should always have the right to organize for better wages and working conditions. Because of unions, we enjoy many benefits such as the minimum wage, the 40 hour work week, and safer working conditions. I oppose any erosion of workers’ rights.

LGBT: I believe that all people should be treated with dignity and respect. All people should have equal rights regardless of sexual orientation or gender identification.

Seniors: We need a fully-funded, more robust home health care system in Maine. Many seniors would prefer to stay in their own homes and they need support to do so. We can improve the quality of seniors’ lives while saving money at the same time if we improve our home health care system. We also must adequately fund nursing homes to improve the quality of care and keep their doors open.

Veterans and Military Families: The promise we made to care for our veterans and their families needs to be honored and fully implemented. Maine has an important role to play in helping returning veterans access a good education and jobs and older veterans access senior housing.

Women, Men, and Families: Raising children is the most important work of our society. I believe in supporting parents as they balance making a living with raising their children. I am pro-choice. I support women’s access to a full range of birthing options.