I'm running first because I'm thoroughly committed to service. This is readily apparent to anyone who reviews my background. It's how I was raised and what I've always done. I've been blessed with fantastic opportunities to lead and to learn, and I have a need to give back.

The second reason I'm running for re-election is because I know (after one term) that my presence in Augusta does indeed make a difference to the lives of local people. I feel I have much to contribute. I've learned a lot during my time as a State Legislator. And I've also had some great successes.

I've been the primary sponsor of 25 successful bills and an active champion for many more. I'm particularly proud of the work I've done in my committees (Taxation and Agriculture, Conservation, & Forestry), where we worked hard to reach unanimous consensus on my most bills.

I've also been very frustrated at times. The partisanship really gets to me. I'm non-partisan by nature, and refuse to view politics as a game of us versus them. But many people do, and it makes it hard to get work done.

At times, partisan politics kills initiatives that would have been in the best interest of Maine people. Tax reform is a great example. Last session, I led a bi-partisan tax caucus (with a roughly equal number of Republicans and Democrats) that came together to develop some good proposals for tax reform. But in the end, nothing was passed, due to the failures of legislative leadership (of both parties).

That part of the job is very frustrating indeed. But the fact that the job is frustrating at times is no reason to avoid it. I want to continue to serve in the Legislature because I care deeply about this District, its people and its communities. I'm worried about the threats to rural Maine, and particularly the threats to this District. These threats include…

• Rising taxes that burden us all, but especially farmers and older residents trying to hold onto their property.
• Conflicts over education that arise because school funding relies so heavily on property taxes.
• The loss of farmland and small town character that can result when a community doesn't have the energy or resources to craft its own future, and where its future is determined by outside forces.
• A health-care crisis that cripples small businesses, working families, and senior citizens.

  I'm not so naïve to think that I can solve these problems by myself, or that any of them can be solved simply or quickly. But I know that in a state like Maine, a few energized people can make a big difference. And with 25 years experience in public policy, I have what it takes to bring people together to work through differences and develop consensus.

In me, our region has a strong advocate, one who combines a thorough understanding of rural community development (which is my profession) with a deep passion for this region (its special people and communities) and a proven ability to work with others and get things done.

In Augusta, I will continue to work hard to…

• Reform the property tax system to help protect rural areas.
• Recast Maine's economic development programs to better serve small businesses and farms.
• Support rural livelihoods and way of life by helping local people and communities craft their own futures.
• Provide state education funding in a way that is fair to poorer, rural districts.
• Do what can be done (at the State level) to help solve our health care crisis.
• Do far more to protect and enhance our environment, which is so critical to the future prosperity of rural Maine.

See Ideology & Views for more information about these topics.