donations
I was born in Kansas at Fort Riley while my father was serving in the US Army during the Vietnam conflict. When I was four years old my parents and I moved to a farm in rural Waldo County Maine. I attended the local schools and graduated from Mount View High School in Thorndike in 1985. I then attended the University of Maine where I received a BA in Communications/Broadcast Production. After graduation worked as ground fishermen and lobsterman. While working on a groundfish gill netter in Boothbay Harbor I met my now wife. We moved to Portland, got married, and started a family. When our daughter was two and we had another child on the way we decided to buy a house in Gorham ME. We went on to raise three daughters in Gorham.
My experience with raising a family in Maine has made me aware of the many challenges one faces raising a family in Maine. Our state is quite an expensive place to raise a family. The cost of living here is high between food and energy costs etc. I support tax relief for working families, such as earned income credits. Despite the challenges one can face living in Maine I would not have wanted to raise my children anywhere else. Having been raised in Maine, I may be biased, but with the right resources a childhood in Maine can be an unparalleled experience.
As your representative, I will work to protect the environment for future Mainers while prioritizing the need for clean, affordable, alternative energy. I would also work to ensure that the state continues to invest in education and our children’s futures.
I see opportunities in my district for smart strategic growth that can benefit our community. I understand that the needs of our community are unique; the only way to come up with solutions that work is by listening to those who actually live and work here. As your representative, I will be there to listen to you and I will use what I have learned to take action in Augusta.
(above photo cred. Attribution-ShareAlike)
As your representative, I will fight for property tax relief. No one should be forced out of their homes due to spiraling property taxes. Owning a home should not be out of reach for working Mainers and retirees.
As a former lobsterman I understand the importance of preserving a healthy environment to ensure the long-term viability of some of our most important industries. Protecting the environment and growing the economy can and should work together. We can see this cohesion through the new jobs created in the renewable energy sector, improvements in public health leading to higher productivity and lessening the strain on our healthcare system, and growing tourism at our state parks.
Investing in clean energy can lead to job creation, energy independence, and reduced consumer costs.
One of the main reasons I chose to raise my family in Gorham was our wonderful education system. I feel so fortunate our kids received the education they did that is why I will ensure the state continues to spend 55% of its budget on K-12 education. As your representative, I will fight to ensure our schools get the support they need to continue giving that same high-quality education to the next generation.
