The Key Issues
The What and Why
As Americans, we must come together to determine what the existing problems are, and why they exist before we can determine how to solve them. We all know that there are endless ways to solve a problem, and I believe that as Americans -we all generally agree on what outcome we are seeking to achieve. However, there are vastly different ways to get to the solution.
Whether we are dealing with the current immigration crisis, inflation, crime, the drug epidemic, or national security – we must discuss the best solutions to solve these problems. Any solution must embrace the free market, ensure the safety and security of American citizens, and put Mainers first.
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Divisive Political Discourse
Before we are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, we are Americans. That idea has largely been forgotten in Washington, D.C. Politicians in D.C. have failed the American people. They’ve become so focused on putting points on the board against the other team that they have failed to come together to solve the many issues facing Maine and America’s families and small businesses.
Politicians need to put their self-interests aside and remember that they work for the people. The time has come to stop the games and political posturing, and to embrace real solutions. We can solve the issues facing our country but we need to put politics aside and find real solutions.
Immigration
Joe Biden’s open border policies have failed America. Our nation faces an unprecedented immigration crisis, jeopardizing our national security and straining local resources. Here in Maine, we’ve seen this happening across our state, specifically when it comes to housing. Too many Mainers are struggling to afford basic necessities such as housing and food, while people continue to flow across our border.
This Biden Administration’s failure to enforce immigration laws has led to a surge in illegal border crossing, overwhelming our local communities and law enforcement. This lack of control at our borders allows dangerous individuals , including drug traffickers and criminals, to exploit the system, threatening the security of American citizens. It is time to prioritize law and order, and to uphold the rule of law.
America is a melting pot and I embrace legal immigration. The United States accepts over a million legal immigrants for citizenship every year. This number is based on our requirement for additional citizens and an adequate labor force to support our economy. We must analyze whether this is an appropriate number of individuals, or whether it should be increased or reduced. Our nation should welcome immigrants into our country who are properly vetted and are upstanding candidates for citizenship. These new citizens must be assimilated into our culture, our economy, our language, and our way of life.
However, the number of LEGAL immigrants pales in comparison to the number of ILLEGAL immigrants. The number of illegal immigrants entering our country are unmanageable, and our towns, citizens, states, and federal resources are stretched too thin.
In addition to illegal border crossings, we must reform our amnesty system. Our amnesty system is filled with individuals who are claiming amnesty without valid reasons. We do not adequately screen amnesty recipients to ensure we know who they are and if they have a valid claim. More importantly, we are not performing adequate background checks on those entering our country.
We must prioritize securing our border to stem the illegal flow of unsustainable numbers of immigrants.
Taxes
It’s simple: our taxes are too high. Mainers continue to bear the burden of high taxes. Lowering taxes is crucial to foster economy growth and empowering Maine families. At the federal level, we must do everything we can to lower taxes for Maine’s working families. Lower taxes will stimulate job creation, put more money back in consumers’ pockets, and enhance overall economic productivity.
Maine taxpayers know their money better than government does. We should allow people to keep more of their hard-earned money so they can work to financial freedom and invest in their futures. Lowering taxes will empower consumers and taxpayers to spend
Energy and the Economy
The Biden Administration has implemented policies that are crushing Maine’s middle class. If we do not ease the burden of inflation and reduce our cost-of-living, the middle class will completely disappear.
We must continue to lower taxes for working Maine families and our small businesses. We must take a comprehensive approach to reducing regulation, and ensuring what we’re doing makes good common sense, but doesn’t unnecessarily burden business. We need to focus on reducing government bureaucracy and red-tape.
However, the most important thing we can do to strengthen our economy is to become energy independent. Too many Mainers are struggling to provide basic necessities for their families. Not only will this help lower fuel costs for Americans filling their gas tanks, but it will also aid in reducing the cost of items such as groceries, home heating oil and other commodities that we rely on in our daily lives.
In addition to lowering our cost-of-living, achieving energy independence will strengthen American’s position across the globe. Our European allies will not be held hostage by countries who are not our friends such as Russia. Also, we must stop importing oil from countries that seek to do America harm, such as Iran.
We should embrace renewable energy technology where it is cost-effective and makes sense. Wind, hydropower, solar and nuclear are all examples of renewable energy that we should embrace. However, current technology will not allow those sources of energy to replace fossil fuels, and we should not deprive consumers of their energy choices. We must continue to develop renewable technologies so they are a cost-effective alternative to fossil fuels, but I will not support any efforts to mandate the energy sources that Mainers’ choose to power their vehicles or heat their homes.
Gun Control
Discussion
When I wrote about this issue initially, my discussion included the following parragraph.“I understand weapons and their correct application as a retired Army officer. I firmly believe in the 2nd Amendment and support citizens’ right to keep and bear arms. That opinion also includes reasonable limitations on that right. Some of our citizens should not share in our 2nd Amendment rights. Unfortunately, the process for determining who should, and more importantly, who should not share in the right, is flawed and needs to be updated. Those who decide who may legally purchase and possess a firearm need access to HIPAA information to identify anyone with significant mental issues that would prevent them from owning a gun.” Apparently this paragraph has caused some confusion so I will try to clarify my comments. As a lifelong Mainer, I recognize and respect Maine’s rich heritage of safe and responsible firearm ownership. As a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Army, an Airborne Ranger, and a qualified Green Beret, I have spent decades serving our great nation to protect the freedoms we hold dear.
After the Lewiston tragedy, there have been sweeping calls for gun control in Maine and America. Punishing law-abiding Mainers, turning them into criminals overnight, will not reduce violent crime or prevent another tragedy. At every level of government, our system failed.
Our state and nation face a mental health crisis. The procedures that we already have in place to ensure that relevant mental health records are entered into the firearm background check are inadequate. I support efforts to close these gaps, to ensure that the mental health records of individuals struggling with severe mental health issues, or are in the midst of crisis, are entered into our background check system.
As a veteran myself, I understand the need to balance the privacy and protection of civil rights for all people – especially our military veterans. However, for individuals like the Lewiston shooter, we must have a system in place to ensure that individuals who intend to harm themselves or others get the appropriate care they need.
I oppose any and all effort to impose burdensome gun control regulations on law-abiding citizens, and I will advocate for more resources to treat those individuals struggling with mental health issues.
Election Integrity
Americans must believe in and trust our elections. Restoring faith in America’s election system is paramount to preserving our democratic principles and ensuring the integrity of our republic. No citizen should ever doubt that any U.S. federal, state or local level is secure. We can ensure the integrity of our elections, without depriving individuals of their right to vote. Reforms such as voter ID are common-sense measures that ensure that every eligible citizen trusts that there vote counts and that the outcomes reflect the true will of the people. All across Maine, I hear stories of how Mainers’ feel like their vote doesn’t matter. I spent a career in the military to ensure that we could hold elections. Restoring faith in our election system is not just about fixing processes; it’s about reaffirming the foundational belief that each American’s voice matters and that our democracy is resilient and just.
Education
America’s schools are failing. Improving America’s education system is essential for ensuring our nation’s future prosperity and global competitiveness. Our children need to graduate high school meeting standards in core curriculum, and they deserve access to a high quality education. The U.S. ranked 5th in the world in funding education. However, according to one study, we rank 24th in science, 39th in math, and 39th in reading. We MUST do better than that if we want our kids to compete with the rest of the world.
We must empower parents to have a more active role in their kids’ education. They are the primary decision makers when it comes to their children’s education, and their concern and input should be valued and not dismissed. We must focus on teaching core classes such as math, science, history and English. By focusing on proficiency in core curriculum, we can prepare our kids to excel in higher education, trade school, and the workforce.
Investing in our kid’s is investing in our future. However, we must stop just throwing money at a system that is not improving. We must assess what works and what doesn’t, and embrace reforms such as school choice to give our kids the best opportunity we can to succeed.
Reducing Crime & Supporting First Responders
Under Joe Biden’s leadership, America has witnessed a disturbing rise in crime rates. This jeopardizes the safety and security of every community across Maine. This administration’s lenient policies have created a culture where America is “soft on crime.” The blatant lack of support for law enforcement and first responders has left Mainers’ feeling vulnerable, while emboldening violent criminals.
We must restore law and order in America. We need to ensure violent criminals serve their sentences, and provide law enforcement with the resources they need to keep our communities safe. First responders risk their lives every day to keep us safe, and they deserve our thanks and support, not a call to “defund the police.”
Nationwide the calls to “defund the police” are not only out-of-touch, but they are dangerous. From my experience in the U.S. Army, I know that more resources lead to better-trained professionals, and ultimately more desirable outcomes. We need to pay our law enforcement and first responders a decent wage so we attract the best and the brightest to the field. Our police departments need enough money to ensure officers are adequately trained to do the best job they can in the field.
Maine is lucky to be home to one of the best police academies in the country. Maine law enforcement has a long history of excellent service. We need to support our men and women in uniform, and thank them for their commitment to keeping our communities safe.