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Staff reports 10/24/2008

Name: Eric H. Dickey
Age: 37
Political Party: Republican
Residence: Richmond
Employment: Service Disabled Veteran and Volunteer Veterans Advocate
Education: A.S. Degree, Paralegal Studies, Husson College, Bangor
Political experience: Past campaign aide: “Josh Tardy for Maine House” 2002 & 2004; Current Richmond chairperson “Collins for Senator” 2008 “McCain for President” 2008


Name: Seth Berry
Age: 39
Political Party: Democrat
Residence: Bowdoinham
Employment: Teacher, MSAD 75
Education: MA, Columbia Univ., BA, Brown Univ.
Political experience: Four years as Selectperson in Bowdoinham, one year as Chair; two years as State Representative for House District 67, sitting on the Joint Standing Committee on Utilities and Energy as well as the Governor’s Pre-Emergency Energy Task Force.

What can you, as a state legislator, do to help people struggling this year with the high cost of gas and oil?
Dickey: I could call for the Governor to dispense funds from the Rainy Day Fund to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and to taxpayers to help with fuel costs this winter. Further incentives for home, business owners, and towns doing more to use less fuel and oil and harness power from renewable resources.
Berry: First, help publicize what already exists. Calling 2-1-1 can help save you (or a neighbor) hundreds if not thousands on home heating, transportation, medicine, property taxes, and more. Second, continue to push for conservation and weatherization funding, smart building standards, alternative transportation and work schedules, and increased renewable energy.

How would you handle the biggest issues facing the towns in your district?
Berry: Richmond, Bowdoin and Bowdoinham are booming—adding new jobs faster than almost anywhere in the state. We need to continue directing the growth so that it is sustainable and enhances our quality of place. Also, we need to keep our schools, roads and services strong while collaborating for efficiency.
Dickey: If elected, I would sit down with town officials from each town in my district to assess the most pressing issues and do whatever I could to resolve them.

Do you have any plans that would result in more jobs for Maine?
Dickey: Yes, “Green Jobs” would be great for our economy and environment. The state and towns have taken some steps but there’s much more to be, which means more jobs for Mainers working in this field. The state and UMaine should team up to create a center for emerging technologies.
Berry: Investment in green energy, community colleges, health care, and early childhood education are a few areas I am passionate about. Maine has strong export growth. We also need to put our builders to work on solar, wind, and insulation, and learn to buy local, to support local jobs and businesses.

What do you think of the beverage-tax repeal on the November ballot?
Berry: Basic health care should be a right, not a privilege. Maine has been the only state lately to insure more of its citizens. Yet nationally, health care costs are the #1 cause of bankruptcy. Voting “yes” keeps soda cheaper than water. Voting “no” helps make health care more preventive.
Dickey: I’m in favor of it. Repealing the beverage tax is a must! If voters fail to repeal it and if I’m elected, I will work to repeal it. The Democratically-controlled House is taxing people and businesses out of Maine and keeping new business and people from coming in.

Would you support legislation to change the income tax or sales tax?
Dickey: I would support legislation to lower Maine’s income and sales tax and oppose legislation to increase it.
Berry: I favor a reduced income tax across the board, with refundable credits to ensure progressiveness. I would expand the base on the sales tax to pay for this and would also reduce property taxes in some cases. Mainers will pay $140 million less, and state revenue will be more predictable.

What’s the biggest social issue facing the state in the next two years?
Berry: It depends what bills get introduced. My focus will be on the economy.
Dickey: If something doesn’t change in the way the next Legislature does business, there will be no more middle class Mainers, there will be just the rich and the poor and much of the poor Mainers will be working poor.

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