Guide can be viewed at:http://www.theballot.org/2010/maineleaguestatewide

The Maine League of Young Voters - STATEWIDE Edition

Lewiston, ME

November 2, 2010

** This guide covers the statewide offices that we target, only **

The League of Young Voters empowers young people nationwide to participate in the democratic process and create progressive political change on the local, state and national levels – with a focus on non-college youth and youth from low-income communities and communities of color.

Every election cycle, the Maine League of Young Voters chooses the candidates who represent our values. Here are our picks for this year's elections in Maine!

State Question 1: Citizen Initiative Do you want to allow a casino with table games and slot machines at a single site in Oxford County, subject to local approval, with part of the profits going to specific state, local and tribal programs?

Endorsed Vote: No Endorsement

The League takes no stance on this issue. What would an election year look like without another casino initiative? Proponents of the initiative (including big out-of-state casino interests) claim the casino will help bring jobs to the state and support education. Opponents worry that the casino will harm Mainer’s quality of life, increase crime, and require area towns to pay for new roads and infrastructure at a time when many communities are struggling to support the roads we have.

State Question 2: Bond Issue Do you favor a $5,000,000 bond issue to be awarded on a competitive basis to increase access to dental care in Maine, $3,500,000 to be used for a community-based teaching dental clinic affiliated with or operated by a college

Endorsed Vote: Yes

While few people enjoy a trip to the dentist, The League supports a YES vote on this bond! Maine has substantially fewer practicing dentists than the national average, the majority of Maine dentists are approaching retirement age, and we have a real scarcity of dental care in the most rural areas of the state. We need to attract young dentists to Maine.

State Question 3: Bond Issue Do you favor a $9,750,000 bond issue to invest in land conservation and working waterfront preservation and to preserve state parks to be matched by $9,250,000 in federal and other funds?

Endorsed Vote: Yes

The League supports a YES vote on this bond. Our open spaces, special places, and working waterfronts are what make Maine an amazing place to live—so we support protecting them. We like that there are significant matching funds available for this, too.

State (Cumberland County) Question 4: County Charter Referendum Shall the county approve the new charter recommended by the charter commission?

Endorsed Vote: Yes

The League supports a YES vote. Currently, Cumberland County operates under the state’s one-size-fits-all County Charter system. A home-rule charter empowers Cumberland County to incorporate a number of best practices in government to improve constituent representation. The new charter will improve services to the 28 municipalities in the county. It will also reduce the cost of those services through improved efficiency and accountability.

Governor

Elizabeth “Libby” Mitchell

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Elizabeth “Libby” Mitchell (Democrat) describes herself as “tough,” which is an accurate reflection given her status as the first woman in the country to be both state Speaker of the House and Senate President. We admire her support of marriage equality, which she helped champion. Libby is an environmental champion, too, and has chosen to launch her first statewide commercial highlighting her stance on protecting Maine’s people and special places. To help foster more Maine-grown jobs, she wants to help encourage more innovation and reduce energy costs through investments in sustainable energy. We hope Libby breaks the last glass ceiling in Maine politics to become the first woman governor.

Eliot Cutler

Endorsed Vote: No

Eliot Cutler (Independent) is an attorney and lives in Cape Elizabeth. He does not support a single-payer healthcare system and calls for rewarding people who live healthy lifestyles as an alternative to the ailing Dirigo program. Cutler considers himself a strong environmentalist, having helped write the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts as a Muskie-aide, yet his campaign rhetoric has sounded anti-environmental: he’s called for the elimination of the Board of Environmental Protection, the citizen oversight board that has passed a number of ground-breaking environmental protections over the past decade. As an attorney, he’s worked for plenty of polluters finding loopholes in environmental regulations. Cutler believes we pay too much for education and get too little in return. Cutler supports rewarding successful teachers, charter schools, and merging our two college systems into one system and eliminate dual-overhead costs.

Shawn Moody

Endorsed Vote: No

Shawn Moody (Independent), the owner of Moody’s Collision Centers, sees the economy, education, and affordable energy are the biggest issues facing Maine. He calls for increasing hydro-power output from existing dams as a way to increase our green energy. He also calls for promoting biomass electricity. He admits that he has not heard much in his circles about problems the immigrant population is facing in Maine. As governor, he will only sign a marriage equality bill that puts the issue in front of voters again because he feels the electorate has spoken. He opposes a single-payer healthcare system and insists that the best way to reduce healthcare costs is to reduce regulations. He calls on merit-based pay as a way to improve our K-12 education system.

Paul LePage (Republican and Tea Party favorite) and Kevin Scott (Independent)

Endorsed Vote: No

Paul LePage (Republican and Tea Party favorite) and Kevin Scott (Independent) did not fill out their questionnaires after repeated calls and emails.

Representative, Maine Federal District 1

Chellie Pingree

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Chellie Pingree (Democrat) is a champion for Mainers. After her first term in Congress, she has an excellent voting record on everything from healthcare to ending the wars in the Middle East. She’s voted against funding the wars (twice) in order to bring our war dollars home. She also has also earned constituent service points. She’s fought Anthem to get $500,000 in veteran claims. She’s fought for Maine consumers by helping pass a law that restricts predatory lending. We’d do good by Maine sending her to Washington for a second term.