Background

Tell us why you are running for the office.

I am running to be on the China Select Board because I feel the town can do a better job of helping its residents. We can help bring people together as a community and make China a place where people want to spend their time and enjoy their lives.

Schools

How would you evaluate Maine’s secondary and primary education as both exist today? What would you do through legislation or policy to make improvements?

The town should stay in the RSU. Staying provides cost savings that we could not do if we were “on our own.” For example, some teachers and administrative staff rotate around daily to different schools in the RSU.

How would you handle concerns about the contents of a specific book in a classroom or library?

Parents should raise their children as they see fit, absent abuse, neglect, or abandonment issues. However, we can’t impose our beliefs on other people’s children. A public library is different from a privately owned library. We can’t limit access to the public library catalog only to viewpoints that agree with ours. I would consult with a professional librarian to get their opinion. If there were still concerns by myself or the librarian, I would make sure to read the entire book before I formed an opinion.

How will you listen to students and teachers to incorporate their feedback to guide change?

Often, the people more directly involved in a situation have a better understanding of what changes can help. I have shared my email, phone number, and social media contact information freely and encourage anyone to reach out. I realize that I am not a subject matter expert in all things. I appreciate knowledge and viewpoints from those directly involved and would seek them out. I would then use that input to help guide ideas and decisions and use my position to facilitate communication for positive change. 

How would you work with diverse students that may have negative experiences at school (students with disabilities, students with diverse backgrounds, transgender and Queer students) to improve their school experience in these rural areas?

Everyone deserves a safe and supportive education. We need to step up and make sure every student's safety and educational needs are met. Discrimination is unacceptable. When it happens, steps need to be taken to ensure it is corrected and does not happen again. As a Select Board member, I will amplify voices that may not otherwise be heard. 

Women’s Healthcare

Do you think reproductive rights should be regulated by either the Federal or Maine State Law? If so, to what extent would you view as reasonable regulation in this area of women’s healthcare?

We should trust women. I am neither a woman nor a doctor and I am not qualified to interfere. Pregnancy is a stressful medical condition. Complications can develop at any point, and the people who are best able to determine what to do about them are the people involved. That would be the woman who is pregnant and those she trusts.

Community Colleges and Universities

Maine’s two-years-free community college was extended for another two years. What is your opinion about this extension? Please explain.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I work for the University of Maine System and am a proud member of the Universities of Maine Professional Staff Association. I generally feel that free or reduced cost higher education is a good thing. While it may not be for everyone, everyone should be able to attend one if they feel that is best for them. I feel this should apply to trade schools as well, but we have to start somewhere. The University of Maine system recently adopted a policy to guarantee admission to any graduate of the Maine community college system. (https://www.uma.edu/news/university-of-maine-system-guarantees-admission-to-maine-community-college-system-graduates/) This will allow someone to continue on for a 4 year degree if they feel that is right for them. If we continue with free tuition, we will need to make sure that the community colleges are properly funded so that both faculty and staff can be appropriately compensated for their work.

Maine's Department of Economic and Community Development has stated that Maine needs to add 75,000 technical and specialized workers in order to sustain growth in the state. A significant part of this problem is the loss of college graduates to other states. What would you do to address this long- term employment and economic issue?

We need to invest in Maine to help make it easier for these people to continue to live in Maine. I do server administration for a living, and I have had problems maintaining an adequate internet connection at home to perform my job. Both my wife and I need high speed internet at home for our jobs. When I first moved to China, I was not able to get it at our home. We were lucky that Spectrum added a line to our house before we had to move. Now, it is common for home buyers to check for internet access and other infrastructure needs before deciding where to live. If an area does not have what they need, they will look elsewhere. Large corporations will build where it is most profitable. Rural areas are often the last on their list. State incentives can change that. I focused on internet access because it is a subject I'm passionate about. There are many other areas that can keep or draw talented people.

Communication

According to a 2018 study published in the Oxford Journal of Communication, communities without a local source of news become more partisan, divided and politically fractured, yet dozens of weekly newspapers have closed across Maine in recent years. How would you reverse this trend? What other measures would you take to reduce partisan conflicts dividing local Maine communities?

I think that the town supporting a local newspaper is important. However, we also need to be careful that “government” does not interfere with the journalism process. We need to make sure that the support given is not contingent on positive articles. I believe that partisan divides happen more when people do not interact with each other. As a community we should encourage projects that will bring people together.

Economy in the State of Maine

In your opinion, is the economy in the State of Maine working for all segments of our society?

I don’t know if there has been a time in history where an economy has been working for *all* segments of the society. There have always been marginalized groups. I feel we can do more for those who have less.

If not, what would you do through the legislative actions to make adjustments.

Public services and infrastructure can be vital for those who can not afford other options and can provide competition to drive down prices for everyone. Capitalism works when there is competition. Some places we do not have and do not want competition. Power lines are an example of this. We don’t want to have multiple sets of power lines and poles running down every street so that we can choose between power line providers. This would make an ugly, dangerous mess. In this case, power lines owned by a corporation gives that corporation a monopoly. Instead, we should have a publicly run entity in charge of the local power lines. We can then choose who supplies our power to the grid.

Despite Maine having the one of lowest unemployment rates in the nation, 3.0%, at the end of last year, business owners still have difficulty filling open positions. What would be your solution to solving this employment gap?

I have always been impressed with the number of small businesses in Maine. These businesses are having problems filling open positions because workers feel they cannot afford to work for the wages the business can afford to pay. This mostly comes down to healthcare. Part-time workers tend to not receive health insurance from their employer. Many people cannot afford to work at a business where they do not receive healthcare. A small business has a small pool of employees. This can mean that one illness among the employees can drive the group’s insurance costs up. If you could reduce or remove healthcare costs that would provide small businesses with more ability to increase wages. We could also do more to encourage people to move to Maine by making sure the infrastructure and amenities they need are here.

Affordable Housing

Throughout the state there is a shortage of affordable housing. LD 2003, passed in 2022, was enacted to increase housing opportunities in Maine by adjusting zoning and land use restrictions.

In your opinion, what else could be done to ease the shortage and cost of affordable housing/apartments in Maine?

We should make sure investors are not buying up all the housing to resell as Airbnb or other similar things. Other than that, one issue we’re having is that people feel they can’t downsize to a smaller house because they currently have a good interest rate they got years ago and mortgage rates are very high now. Perhaps a program to insure those on a fixed income that want to downsize are able to do so.

Mental Health/Substance Use

Although deaths from opioid overdoses have decreased slightly under Gov Mills, Maine still lost 617 lives last year to preventable overdoses. Maine also has a well documented shortage of mental health professionals. If elected to your office, what would you do to address both of these important issues?"

In 2023 the Surgeon General issued a report on “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation” (https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf) As a Select Board Member I would support initiatives that help bring our community together. China Community Days is a wonderful thing our town does, but it’s only once a year. Parks and other meeting locations can be vital for socialization and mental health.

Closing Question

Lastly, what would you do to improve the quality of life (or learning) for the communities you serve?

The town has a limited budget, and many are on limited or fixed incomes. However. I believe that, if we work together, the town can provide cost savings from the economies of scale for services that residents want and need. Often the Town would be eligible for external money from grants, gifts, or other programs that individuals would not qualify for. We shouldn’t turn down free money when it could benefit our community.