Blaine House hopefuls talk to
veterans about health care, taxes

By SUSAN M. COVER
Staff Writer

Copyright © 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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AUGUSTA -- The five candidates running for governor all expressed support for veterans Monday night, but differed on the best ways to help lower taxes and provide quality health care.

At a forum sponsored by the Maine Veterans' Coordinating Committee in Augusta, the candidates who will be on the Nov. 7 ballot shared personal stories about their connection with the military and mixed in a healthy dose of policy.

Although only about a dozen people attended the forum, the answers from all candidates will be distributed to veterans' groups around the state, said Gary Lawerson, chairman of the coordinating committee, which represents 16 veterans' organizations.

"The questions were to the point and the answers were very enlightening," he said.

In recent weeks leading up to the election, it's been rare to have all five candidates in the same room at the same time. Throughout the hour-plus forum, the three men and two women shared their vision for the state, describing how they want to address issues such as health care.

Gov. John Baldacci, a Democrat, said he wants to continue to improve the Dirigo Health program, which has provided health insurance to about 16,000 people.

"We're trying to do as much as possible," he said.

Green Independent Patricia LaMarche talked about her plan for single-payer health coverage for all Maine people. She said those who live in nations that provide health care live longer, healthier lives.

Independent Rep. Barbara Merrill said the state needs to think more like Massachusetts, which recently required all its citizens to purchase health insurance. She said the Dirigo program needs to be reformed.

Independent Phillip Morris NaPier said the government should provide health insurance for all people from "cradle to grave."

And Republican Sen. Chandler Woodcock said the state needs to bring in more competition to force rates to go down.

"We need to be able to buy health insurance outside the state," he said.

On the issue of taxes, Woodcock said he wants to gradually reduce the income tax from 8.5 percent to 5 percent. A supporter of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, he said the spending limits in the plan will help reform government spending.

The measure, which will also be on the Nov. 7 ballot, limits increases in state and local government spending to the rate of inflation plus population growth, and requires voter approval for all tax and fee increases.

NaPier said he also supports TABOR, and would eliminate the income tax and "jack up the sales tax" to make up for lost revenue.

However, the three other candidates all oppose it.

LaMarche said there are better, more innovative ways to reduce taxes, such as collecting a business profit tax rather than a business income tax. She also supports a water extraction fee that would tax companies that sell Maine water.

"We deserve a return on that investment," she said.

Merrill said TABOR is a bad idea.

"I think it's going to do less at the state level and more to interfere with democracy at the local level," she said.

Baldacci said TABOR doesn't address the problem of rising property valuations. He said he wants to propose a constitutional amendment to freeze valuations on the primary homes of year-round residents. He also wants to require that 90 percent of new education money given to schools be passed along to taxpayers for tax relief.

On the lighter side, NaPier said he would not live in the Blaine House if elected governor. He said he'd rent it out as a bed and breakfast, and use the profit to buy a recreational vehicle so he could travel the state.

"That's my approach to resolving problems," he said.

Susan Cover -- 623-1056

scover@centralmaine.com