Issues

Our State has much to offer whether you are a lifelong resident or a first-time visitor. Despite the enormous potential, economic conditions remain unfavorable to the majority of Mainers.

At the same time our population is aging, it is growing poorer and more dependent on taxpayer subsidized programs.

Contributing to these problems are excessively punitive levels of taxation, myriads of complex government regulations, and counterproductive bureaucracies that absorb huge sums of tax revenues without producing real returns for the taxpayers of Maine.

In recent years, it has been increasingly difficult for Maine families to secure good employment, create business opportunities, have access to quality schools, obtain affordable access to health care and build the local economies that make our State what it is.

I believe that most of the problems we face can be traced back to losses in personal freedom, individual responsibility, and free market competition.

Politicians have told us time and again that bigger government makes for a better future. Every problem that exists in our society can be corrected with higher taxes and more government agencies. When these solutions fail or create even more new problems, we are told yet again that more taxes and bureaucrats can deliver the solutions we need.

Despite the good intentions of many people, I believe it is time to admit that more of the same is no longer an acceptable answer. We must take a fresh look at the direction we are going, we must carefully consider the options available to us, and we must make some dramatic policy changes in order to build a future of prosperity and freedom for ourselves and our children.

We must remind ourselves that the ultimate end of government & politics is to secure the rights and freedoms of individuals. Government employees are supposed to function as servants of the people, yet somehow these roles have gotten reversed. A gigantic entitlement culture has been bred that features ever-growing numbers of people trapped by their dependence on government social programs, coupled with bureaucrats who presume that we the people exist to serve the government.

I believe that the best way forward for our State is to make policy that rewards responsibility, extends personal freedom, protects our natural resources in a way that permits efficient and sustainable economic development, and improves quality of life through free market competition.

N.B. - Sources linked from this page are for information only, and are not meant to imply any endorsement of my candidacy.

Education

Parents and teachers are in better positions to make decisions about matters of education than politicians and bureaucrats in Augusta, and I trust that parents and teachers working through local school boards will make the best decisions for their children and their communities.

Home schooling

I am committed to protecting the fundamental right of parents who wish to home-school their children.

California State appellate court says those who teach children in private must have a credential.

Additionally, I oppose the imposition of certification requirements, fees, or any other financial levy against homeschooling parents.

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Energy

The rising cost of energy is a serious problem for Maine people. Since price is a function of supply and demand, we as individuals and the elected representatives in the legislature must find ways to address both to the extent possible.

Tens of thousands of Maine people face disconnection for failure to pay their electrical bills

Renewable energy

Some information about solar power in Maine

Wood Based Bio-Fuels and Bio-Products: A Maine Status Report

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Health care

When I consider government managed health insurance programs, I ask myself one simple question:

Do I really want the same politicians managing our roads to be managing my health care?

Over the years, government interference in our once envious free market health care system has led to rising costs and declining quality. Too much control over health care has been taken away from doctors and patients and placed under the control of bureaucrats in government or insurance companies.

I believe that the best way to improve health care in our State is to return as much control as possible over medical decisions to patients and their chosen health professionals.

Health freedom

I am totally opposed to mandatory vaccination programs, preemptive mental health screening and laws or regulations that prohibit the distribution of truthful information about the health benefits of vitamins, supplements and other natural remedies.

The role of government ought not be to decide which medical treatments and procedures are best for individual patients. Rather, these decisions should be made by individuals whose access to information is protected by government so that they may make informed choices.

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Taxation

Virtually all working people believe that taxes are too high. I agree wholeheartedly.

In study after study, Maine consistently ranks at or near the bottom in terms of state and local tax burden. Not surprisingly, a high percentage of Maine people depend on welfare programs for survival and aspiring entrepreneurs leave the state in search of more favorable business environments.

While some in Augusta act as though their jobs are to extract as much revenue from the people as possible, I will fight tirelessly for those who are drowning under the heavy burden of taxation.

The sources of tax revenue for the State of Maine

Income tax

The income tax is absolutely the worst way for the government to collect revenues. I wholeheartedly support abolishing the income tax. This will force those in Augusta to dramatically curtail spending, and to reform themselves into their proper role as servant to the people.

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