Voters to face choices among candidates in primary election

Maine voters will be facing some full slates of candidates in the primary election on Tuesday, June 12. With U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe deciding not to seek reelection, 11 candidates have jumped into the race for U.S. Senate. Also, a number of state representatives or senators are not running again because of term limits, so races for those seats have been opened up to some new candidates.
For Snowe's U.S. Senate seat, six Republicans and four Democrats are in the race. The Republicans are Richard Bennett of Oxford, L. Scott D'Ambiose of Lisbon, Debra Plowman of Hampden, Bruce Poliquin of Georgetown, William Schneider of Durham and Charles Summers of Scarborough. Democrats in the race are Cynthia Dill of Cape Elizabeth, Matthew Dunlap of Old Town, Jon Hinck of Portland and Benjamin Pollard of Portland. The two primary winners also will face four independent candidates in the November general election: Danny Dalton of Brunswick, Andrew Ian Dodge of Harpswell, Angus King of Brunswick and Stephen Woods of Yarmouth.
In the 2nd Congressional District, two Republicans, Kevin Raye of Perry and Blaine Richardson of Belfast, are running. The winner will face Democratic incumbent Michael Michaud of East Millinocket in the November election.
Candidates for area districts in the Maine Senate and House of Representatives were asked about economic growth, school funding and energy initiatives.

STATE SENATE
For the State Senate District 29 seat that has been held by Kevin Raye, four candidates are in the race: two Republicans, David Burns of Whiting and Kathleen Caso of Calais, one Democrat, Anne Perry of Calais, and independent candidate James Whalen of Machias, who will be on the November ballot.

David Burns
Rep. David Burns has worked in a professional and volunteer capacity in the county since 1993 as a state trooper, director of programs for children and in service on many committees and boards. Some of the boards he serves on are the Regional Medical Center at Lubec, Eastern Area Agency on Aging, Recovery Support Network, Substance Abuse Services Commission and Sunrise County Economic Council. He and his wife have raised five children in Whiting.
Burns would continue to work on economic development by making sure that only the necessary regulations are in place, thus creating "opportunities to run more business‑friendly." He says, "People need answers without a run‑around." He believes the Port of Eastport has great potential for Washington County and eastern Maine. The mill in Woodland is "extremely important." Improving infrastructure access on Routes 1 and 9 and tributary roads are vital for economic development.
There is still work to be done on the school funding formula. The funding formula shouldn't disenfranchise the cities, but needs to be fairer to rural and coastal areas. "My goal is to keep it affordable for towns to keep their schools running." He encourages schools to shares resources such as with video‑conferencing and transportation.
Burns supports just about any energy initiative as long as it doesn't cost more to produce than it does to use other forms. He believes the state could use more hydro power, wind turbines if appropriate, nuclear if done in a safe fashion and tidal. "Tidal has great opportunity for those of us on coastal areas." Tapping into the natural gas pipeline near Calais could be of great benefit to the region, he notes.

Kathleen Caso
A Republican, Kathleen Caso owns SewOutrageous in Calais. She serves on the Calais school board and is the secretary for the Calais Downtown Revitalization Coalition. She was an educator for many years and then worked in retail management as a "problem solver," earning her MBA as well. At Hertz she went from clerk to national accounts purchasing manager. She served as a commissioner for the Sand Diego County Commission for the Status of Women and volunteered with Soroptimist International in San Marcos, Calif. She says that she is the only candidate "in any party in this county that is self‑funded."
Caso believes that energy costs and regulations are barriers to business growth and economic development. A bill recently passed to cap hydro power was "unfortunate. I would see that all types of energy were in the state. We have to have all of it. Renewables are not reliable and not cheap." She is in favor of renewable energy when it is supported and financed by private business, not the government. Even with recent reductions in place, she says that there is still room for examining and reducing regulations.
Throwing money at schools is never the answer, she says, but schools and school children in rural areas are being unfairly harmed by the current school funding formula. "A different type of formula" needs to be looked at. "What we have now, children all over the state are being cheated of a valued education. That doesn't mean that the teachers aren't doing their best, but there's an imbalance."
Along with the importance of energy costs staying low and renewable energies being privately financed, Caso supports a well‑rounded energy mix. "I'm really opposed to state subsidies."

Anne Perry
A Democrat, Anne Perry was a state representative for eight years. She chaired the Health and Human Services Committee and served on the Insurance and Financial Services Committee. She is a family nurse practitioner based in Calais and has served on the school board and the Calais Rotary. Currently she is the chair of Washington County: One Community, a board member of Washington County Food and Fuel Alliance, and on the Board of Visitors to University of Maine at Machias.
Perry believes that improving the local economy means looking at the economy in a couple of different ways. Rural needs require a different look. She explains that studies have shown that the best development for rural areas comes from within. Encouraging and supporting business development in rural areas means using strategies such as loans that might be perceived as risky elsewhere. Also important to economic development are health care and health insurance. Affordability is key to strengthening the small business and entrepreneurial climate in the county.
School funding "has always been difficult." Rural areas face population density issues that affect costs, including those of transportation. Despite the challenges, Perry believes that education can be helped by telecommunications and schools coordinating their efforts. While elementary schools should be kept close to home, high schools are where innovation opportunities can be found.
"We need a variety of energy sources," she says. Fuel oil is a part of the mix, but renewables such as wind, tidal and natural gas play a role in economic stability. She'd like to see the area be able to tap into the natural gas pipeline as a means to providing "a less expensive option" for energy demands.

HOUSE DISTRICT 30
Three candidates are running for the House District 30 seat that has been held by Rep. Howard McFadden of Dennysville. They are Republican James Leighton of Pembroke, Republican Lawrence Lockman of Amherst and Democrat Dennis Mahar of Pembroke.

James Leighton
Candidate James Leighton of Pembroke was not able to be reached for comment.

Lawrence Lockman
Lockman, 61, of Amherst, says, "I've got five grandchildren and four of them live in Maine. I want to make sure there's jobs here so they don't have to move away."
"I've spent the last 20 years as a legislative analyst," he says, working primarily with small businesses. "Now I want to put some of this experience to work." The top three concerns brought to him by small business and start‑up companies are healthcare costs, tax policy and the welfare system. Expanded choice in healthcare insurance will lead to better competition, lowering prices, he says, supporting cross‑state insurance shopping. "It's available but not affordable." Current tax policies tend to drive retirees out of the state, Lockman says. "We'd rather they stayed here 10 months a year instead of only five," adding, "The last legislature started the process of making state tax codes more consistent with federal codes, but there is still work to be done."
Maine has become a "destination state" for welfare recipients, which he would address through residency requirements and drug testing.
Regarding school funding issues, "I don't have a magic bullet," but simplifying the formula, "which nobody can understand," will result in more equitable spending. The current method places rural communities "at a terrible disadvantage."
"I am not a big fan of wind towers," he says and expresses concerns about economic viability in the absence of government subsidies. "I don't see private investors lining up" behind wind companies. "We're not going to get the economy going with electric rates where they are," he says, adding that he favors "traditional forms" including natural gas.

Dennis Mahar
"We need to take a comprehensive look at the tax structure," says Dennis Mahar. "We should use the tax policy to encourage small business. To create from within." The 51‑year-old attorney, former president of the Maine Bar Association and graduate of the University of Southern Maine Law School, would use tax incentives to help local entrepreneurs develop new business initiatives.
Mahar is a product of Washington Academy, on whose board he sits, and also Bowdoin College. He stresses his connections with legislative and other leaders within the state as a means to get things done. A resident of Pembroke, Mahar is also a 20‑year veteran of the Calais Regional Hospital board.
"Our current tax structure places too much emphasis on local property owners," he explains, "and too much emphasis on cutting taxes for those making more than $200,000 per year.
When asked about state funding of rural school districts, Mahar is even more direct. "The legislature promised that the state would pay 55% of the budget," he observes. "That was a promise never met. It has to be devastating when Eastport lost $300,000." The formula needs to be revisited, he stresses, adding, "It doesn't work."
As far as energy policy goes, Mahar supports the broad range of renewable sources currently in development. "Tidal, wind, solar, the development of homegrown biomass sources," he explains, "They all help get us away from the finite energy sources." He suggests that further innovation should be encouraged, including geothermal heat pumps.

HOUSE DISTRICT 31
Democrat Harold Clark of Calais is challenging incumbent Rep. Joyce Maker, a Republican from Calais, for the House District 31 seat.

Harold Clark
Harold Clark graduated from the University of Maine in Orono with a degree in mathematics in 2004. He has owned a small business in Calais for the last 20 years, and he resides in Calais with his family.
"There are a few economic initiatives that I would like to work on for Washington County. The first would be expansion of high‑speed Internet in rural areas; lack of this slows progress and discourages businesses from taking root and growing. I would also like to bring rail back to Washington County, to be used in conjunction with a large expansion of the port in Eastport."
"Local energy initiatives can also be a driving force in the local economy. I support responsible tidal power, as well as the use of offshore wind power as a way to generate low‑cost energy for Washington County, as well as bring in revenue through the sale of electricity to other parts of Maine and southern New Brunswick."
Concerning what should be done to improve school funding for county school districts, Clark says, "I have two important points. The first is equality in education funding across the state. I believe that funding per student should be equal, regardless of population density. I am also against unfunded mandates for the schools, as they put undue stress on already cash‑strapped municipalities."

Joyce Maker
Joyce Maker and her husband Geoffrey are long‑time residents of Calais. They have two grown children and three grandsons. She was the financial aid director at Washington County Community College for 16 years before retiring in 2008. Maker was involved with the Calais LNG Liaison Committee and a trustee of Calais Regional Hospital. She has served on the Calais City Council, the Calais and Union 106 school boards, the Maine State School Board Association's board of directors, among others. In 2002 she was appointed by the governor to serve on the board of directors for the Finance Authority of Maine.
She would continue to work on LNG and the rail line. "At the same time, we need to be proactive for companies already doing business. We have worked very hard during the 125th Legislature to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses and make Maine more prosperous by placing a value on attracting new businesses and encouraging the ones we already have here." She cites the example of the recent legislation allowing the Woodland Pulp mill to proceed under state rather than federal regulation to convert from oil to natural gas. She will build on legislative work to continue to cut taxes, streamline the state budget and encourage private investment for job creation and prosperity.
She is committed to equity in rural public schools and supports charter schools. She believes the children are being hurt in the present situation. "I plan to submit a bill this next session to at least start moving the state's obligation from the approximately 50% they are spending on education toward the 55% that they are obligated to pay and at the same time to move the obligation of the towns back to 45%."
Maker favors tidal power, offshore wind power, solar, LNG and "any other alternative energy source that would start us down the road from reliance on oil."

HOUSE DISTRICT 32
Two candidates are running for the House District 32 seat that has been held by Rep. David Burns, who is running for the State Senate. They are Democrat Katherine Cassidy of Lubec and Republican Michael Radeka of Whiting.

Katherine Cassidy
Katherine Cassidy lived in Machias for nine years but recently moved to Lubec where she is buying a house. She is a freelance writer who wants voters to know that she spent 14 months caring for her husband Frank Cassidy while he battled pancreatic cancer. He passed away in January, and she describes herself as "a cancer and hospice advocate."
"I absolutely believe in the potential for Washington County," she stresses. "I can be the right active voice. I consider myself a communicator foremost and a listener, and I would write a weekly column in local newspapers."
"I love the work and development that's occurred in the Port of Eastport in the last five years under Director Chris Gardner and continue to support economic measures to further that program."
"Progress should not be done at the expense of quality of life," she says of the controversial school funding situation in Washington County. "I honor what Kevin Raye, Scott Porter and Bucket Davis did to bring more equity to our schools. There are too many voices telling educators how to educate who have no history or knowledge of the art of education."
Cassidy is a supporter of the east-west highway across Maine from New Brunswick to Quebec. "The economic impact could really affect Calais and Eastport, and it could hugely help economic development in Aroostook County."
She believes Governor Paul LePage's decision to eliminate the Maine Tourism Commission "will have a negative impact on all we've been working on in Washington County."
"I have always been against LNG coming into the region, and I'm pleased that it largely appears to be off the table as an option," she says of energy sources.

Michael Radeka
Michael Radeka is a 49-year-old Republican from East Machias.
"I was asked by David Burns if I would run," says Radeka, the owner of a plumbing, heating and solar thermal business that bears his name. "I had been thinking about it for several years, but there was no reason to contest it until now."
The candidate moved to Cutler in 1983 when he was in the Navy "and I've been here ever since," he points out. He and wife Sherry have two daughters.
"The primary reason for me to enter this race is for tax reform and welfare reform," says Radeka. "I'm really concentrating on this district, which has been left behind by Augusta. We also need to improve infrastructure, especially roads."
When it comes to ways to improve school funding for Washington County school districts, Radeka says he's good friends with Superintendent Scott Porter. "I understand what's going on in consolidation. Things aren't perfect, especially in the smaller areas."
He is adamant that Maine and New England use too much oil and that natural gas should be the fuel of the future. "Downeast Maine needs help, and its energy needs have to be addressed.
"I'm in favor of hydropower," he adds. "I'm all for energy sources that we don't have to subsidize. Being Republican, I'm not in favor of the subsidies that keep wind power projects going. If they're that great then they wouldn't be asking for money for it."

HOUSE DISTRICT 33
Two candidates are running for the House District 33 seat that has been held by Rep. Dianne Tilton of Harrington. They are Republican Peter Doak of Columbia Falls and Democrat Lawrence Finnegan of Jonesport. Republican Alfred Moore Jr. of Milbridge has withdrawn from the race.

Peter Doak
Peter Doak, who is a native of Belfast, entered the U.S. Army in 1961 and retired in 1981 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. From 1981 until 1994 he was the senior Army JROTC instructor at public schools in Pine Grove, Penn., and Bangor High School. In 1994 Doak became principal at Jonesport‑Beals High School; in 1996 he accepted the principalship at Narraguagas High School. In August 2006 he was hired as interim principal of Lubec Consolidated School and remained there until June 2011.
Doak is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and has a master's degree in education from Alfred University. He is a life member of the Military Officers Association and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Doak believes a lot has to be done for the schools. "We never got the school funding we needed. I really don't know how they are going to correct it with the state of the economy. We need local control of schools and less state mandates."
Doak believes natural gas is the answer to energy needs. He believes trunk lines could provide a supply of natural gas to the area, but he would support any energy project that is not more costly.

Lawrence Finnegan
Lawrence Finnegan served for four years in the Navy, worked for a time as a machinist for Ingersoll‑Rand and for the U.S. Census Bureau. During the 1980s he worked for the United Nations in Chile. He started and ran a landscaping nursery business for 10 years and retired in 2004. Finnegan serves as president of the Machias Rotary, served on Mano en Mano, is president and treasurer of Amigos Hospitalito Atitlan, and is on the board of Keepers of Moose Peak Light. With his wife, Dianne, he operates the Jonesport Food Pantry from the Sawyer Memorial Congregational Church.
Finnegan believes that Augusta is not focused on helping Washington County with its economy. Young adults and families continue to leave the area to find work and as a result the student population continues to fall. "The folks in Augusta are tied in knots over murals, non‑existent election‑day fraud, and implementing new laws that have increased the costs of health insurance for rural Mainers. None of these issues that have dominated the headlines have anything to do with jobs and the economy."
He believes economic health lies in promoting existing local businesses, developing new retail stores, Internet and tourist-related businesses and in increasing the value of the products of the area's fisheries, farms and forests.
Economic development is critical to the county's declining enrollment in schools. "We have to take action starting now to avoid this outcome." With people and municipalities working together and "with Augusta providing some help" the local economy could be turned around and improved.
He says energy costs are a real problem. While transportation fuel costs will continue to be an important factor, fuel costs for home heating and commercial‑industrial use can be addressed by more conservation and the use of local fuels, such as wood pellets, firewood and biomass electrical generation. Access to the natural gas being transported through the county could be used for industrial and commercial use.

Alfred Moore Jr.
Alfred Moore Jr. of Milbridge is listed as running for the District 33 seat, but he has dropped out for personal reasons. Moore says he did so with a heavy heart. "I would like to ask all those who have supported me to now turn their support to Pete Doak."