Democratic
Candidates Night
Initial Order
1.
2.
3.
Introduction:
Opening
remarks
·
Amey and two
daughters and tom run the Castine Inn
·
·
CT College
·
Creative Cooking
·
Cooked in a
variety of restaurants - NYC, Paris
·
Involved in
activities
·
Health Care - Temporary
Fix Want universal coverage
·
Stabile Economy
Charlotte Martin-Berry
·
Born in
·
·
Southhamption college to UMO
·
Anthropology Women’s
studies
·
Clamming, stern
man, wreath maker
·
Live in Sedgwick
- building a home there
·
Work at
·
Like non-profit
environment
·
Traveled with
Marine Resources committee
·
saw a range of
legislators from dedicate to not
·
I can do that
work.
·
fine race,
similar views
·
district 37 is
a new district -potentially successful
run for a democrat -
·
Ran three times -
last year won these towns
·
moved to the area
in 1980 - converted barn to inn
·
involved in local
committees,
·
work in poverty
and social service programs
What skills
do you bring to the legislature to get things done?
Charley
·
Ability to
negotiate, listen, I enjoy the negotiating and problem solving
·
Know how to do my
homework - need to prepare to be decisive.
Jim
·
Have an ability
to synthesize - pick up ideas, discuss problems and issues.
·
Helps people to
arrive at a compromise
·
Need to
communicate with people who think differently
·
Sense of
humor. Helps to deal with serious
issues.
Tom
·
Good as a leader
·
business with 40
employees at age 26
·
try to keep a
focus on the business at hand
·
will play devil's
advocate to bring ideas out
·
need to make hard
choices
How will you
deal with the Palesky Referendum?
Jim
·
I'm opposed to it
·
It didn't work in
·
In Blue Hill -
loss of $300k to $400k
·
Legislature is
beginning to get to a solution to deal with it
·
probably won't be
constitutional
Tom
·
Very opposed to
the referendum
·
attended several
session in
·
this is a problem
that has to be solved
·
need look at how
businesses solve problems
·
can't spend time
with bad ideas
·
need to find
alternative sources - luxury taxes
Charley
·
Opposed to the
amendment
·
some towns would
loose dramatically
·
legislature may
meet again in special session
·
will campaign
against it
·
if it passes - figure out how to provide immediate relief.
How do we
protect our agricultural heritage?
Tom
·
working hard to
protect the agricultural sector
·
buy local food
·
support MOFGA,
BHHT, Maine Farmland Trust
·
looking at ways
to protect farmland
·
dollars spent on local farms helps much more than imported
foods.
·
need to train
youth in environmental sustainability
Charlie
·
Cleonises also purchase local food
·
working at
liberty school with youth agriculture programs
·
need to put
information out to show where food is produced
·
local food tastes
better
·
support
legislation to protect farmland
Jim
·
feature locally
grown food
·
biodiesel products
·
value added
products from agricultural products
·
direct research
to new products
·
looking at diet -
nutrition want to incorporate this into food production
What do we
do about aquaculture?
Charlie
·
Lived very close
to working with families depending on aquaculture
·
aquaculture has
been an issue in
·
Dept. of Marine
Resources - need to protect resource
Jim
·
fin fish
aquaculture is not appropriate for
·
listened to both
parties
·
will fight to
avoid the industrial operations
·
need to have a
participatory process
·
need to hold DMR
accountable
Tom
·
long term
comprehensive thought about the issue is needed
·
Blue Hill bay is inappropriate
·
for long term
production of protein we need to figure out ways to raise them safely
·
we need to make
some compromises -
How to win?
Jim
·
I know the
district well
·
I have run in
many elections
·
Democrats make up
a third. Unenrolled
need to vote democrat.
·
need to talk to
the Greens and republicans - doing this for 12 years
·
do not have
political background
·
serve elite
·
work with blue
collar
·
summer carpenter
·
work with all
parties
·
the key will be
working together
·
structuring work
this fall to be abler to campaign
Charley
·
lived here for
six years, schools, waitress, nonprofits
·
knocking on doors
·
300 doors a week
for 20 weeks
·
already doing it
·
nervous about
green party - have a competing message
·
voters remember
what happened last time
·
national level
too
Can state
Capital be a model for alternative energy?
Tom
·
Need to think
long term and short term
·
Production costs
are high for alternatives
·
State can lead in
investing in alternatives - add to demand for these products
·
Need to better
manage current expenditures to fund long range programs.
Charley
·
·
Women in
leadership
·
Green party
started in
·
sad that the left
is divided
·
need to draw
environmentally conscious jobs to
·
manufacturing of
alternative energy products
Jim
·
Policy to
encourage renewable products and alternative energy
·
solar technology
in
·
manufacturing of
these devices
·
the cost-benefit
of alternative energy is getting better
Strategy for
neutralizing the Green party
Charlie
·
Don't have a
strategy yet
·
Door to door I
can be persuasive
·
Nader is so controversial - what is the Green party doing?
·
We could beg
Steve not to run, he has a right to run.
·
It would be sad
to see this seat stay republican
·
open to ideas
Jim
·
not sure about
the strategy
·
talking with
greens - they are more aware that they may cause a bad outcome
·
there will be
fewer voters this round
Tom
·
Steve is a great
guy and he has a right to run
·
I talk with
people who run the farms
·
we can change
their decisions door to door
·
connections with
Hancock County Growers
·
will do so
whether or not nominated
·
need to pick up
other liberals
Name an area
of state spending that should be cut or increased?
·
Need to look at
administrative costs of running departments -
·
regionalizing at MDOT is not a real cut.
·
other specific
programs may be cut
·
Do not cut
tobacco - under any circumstance
Tom
·
Cuts
o
not familiar with
all of the costs
o
poor oversight of
administration
o
creating
investigative committee
·
increases -
o
education
o
health - getting
to single payer universal coverage, should be taken care of
o
need to look to
European models
o
dealing with job
dislocation
Charlie
·
Don't know where
we would cut
·
how much is being
spent on tourism in
·
What are we
promoting versus not supporting - e.g. boat building
·
inconsistencies
·
more work on
small businesses in
·
increase support
for small businesses
What do we
do about the Green Party splitting the liberal vote?
Tom
·
Environmental
issues - in agreement with greens
·
Third party
existence
·
health insurance
·
tax relief
·
bond issues
·
support most of
the green positions
·
cannot stop
Charley
·
never voted green
·
not sure what
issues divide dems and greens
·
difference in priorities
·
two party game
·
thank the radical
s for pushing the margins
Jim
·
imagine segments
within the green
-
not seeing an
alternative
-
reference group -
local issues
-
tradition - party loyalty.
·
We can find a
candidate that meets their needs
Health care
Charlie
·
Very proud of
·
Dirigo is an
opportunity
·
health care is a
right
·
story about a boy
without health insurance - uninsured
·
people don't sign up when they are qualified.
·
need more
education
Jim
·
All three
candidates are supporting single payer
·
Dirigo may not
get us there
·
some aspects of
the program may be pulled down by others
·
what happens if it fails? then
what?
·
Need to be
careful not to undercut current health care
Tom
·
Misgivings about
consolidation
·
Concerned about
loss of local providers
·
Need to go to
single payer system
·
Works in European
countries
·
People are
helping each other
·
need to make it a
none issue
Closing
remarks
Jim
·
presented my
positions
·
pro choice
·
anti assault
weapons
·
work to reduce
property taxes
·
support tobacco
settlement funds
·
coastal waterways
·
suspicious of
regionalization -prefer decentralization
·
access and right
of way to public to waterways
·
experience
working on various boards - prepared to work on issues
Tom
·
Need to be proactive,
not reactive
·
Will not be
content to spend time solving problems
·
issues
·
Health care -
single payer - universal coverage
·
Economic
development needs to be focused on sustainable goals
·
have a solar
company in Penobscot -need to facilitate more of that
·
Need better cell
phone service
·
Need competitive
airfare
·
Alternative
energy
·
sustainable agriculture
and aquaculture
Charlie Martin Bery
·
Thank you
·
Young woman from
·
Want young people
to stay
·
Believe in making
a difference
·
Given the
opportunity to - want to work for the region
·
sociology - would
pay more if everyone had health care
·
being a good
mother and partner
·
want to learn
more
·
thrilling to go
door to door
·
hope to get to
know people