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June 10, 2016
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Maker and Howard face off in primary election
by Lora Whelan

 

      In the Tuesday, June 14, primary election in Maine, Washington County voters will face only one contested race, in the Republican primary for State Senate District 6. For the seat that is currently held by Senator David Burns of Whiting, who is not seeking reelection, Republicans will have a choice between Joyce Maker of Calais and William Howard of Calais. Maker has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2010, serving District 140. Howard is currently serving on the Calais City Council. The Democratic candidate is Rocky Alley of Jonesport, who is president of the Maine Lobstering Union. State Senate District 6 encompasses all of Washington County and a portion of Hancock County.
     For the Second Congressional District, Emily Cain of Orono is running again as the Democratic candidate against incumbent Republican Bruce Poliquin of Oakland.
     For House District 138, incumbent Robert Alley Sr. of Beals is the Democratic candidate, and Peter Doak of Columbia Falls, who previously served in the House, is the Republican candidate.
     For District 139, Republican incumbent William Tuell of East Machias is running again. The Democratic candidate is Colleen Morton of Eastport.
     For the House District 140 seat that has been held by Joyce Maker, Marianne Moore, who is currently the mayor of Calais, is running as the Republican candidate. Anne Perry of Calais, who previously served four terms in the House, is the Democratic candidate.
     For District 141, incumbent Republican Beth Turner of Burlington is seeking reelection. The Democratic candidate is Robert Griffin of Chester.

SENATE DISTRICT 6
     The two candidates in the Republican primary for Senate District 6, which is the only contested primary race in Washington County, are profiled here. William Howard and Joyce Maker were asked to offer specific measures in regards to education funding, the economy and the drug crisis.

William Howard
     Milltown native William Howard says, "I don't have all the answers," but he's running for the Senate, "because what they've been doing obviously isn't working." Howard raised his family in the Calais area, working for several years at the Georgia Pacific OSB plant as a lead man and relief supervisor. Since 2002 he has been working in real estate covering all of Washington County. He has been on the Calais City Council for six years, was on the Calais School Committee for 10 years and the Calais Planning Board for seven. Other organizations he has or is serving with include the Washington County Council of Governments and Calais Regional Hospital. He is a member of the NRA and the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine, among others.
     Howard says that he fought hard when he was on the school board to keep the Calais school system's infrastructure in good shape, and he notes that he does the same while on the council. "The Calais council and the school board are working better than they have in a long time." From his experience working with budgets, he believes that the single largest education cost that needs to be addressed is the high cost of healthcare for all levels of school staffing. "It's killing the schools and the towns."
     Reaching children, "younger, sooner and spend money on it," he feels is the best way to approach the substance abuse crisis. "Fix it before it's the problem," he says, and adds that a much larger focus needs to be put on prevention.
The economy "runs together with education and infrastructure." If Washington County wants to develop its economy, "if we want people to come," then the county's roads and bridges need to be kept in good shape. Look at the Trans‑Canada Highway, he says, as an example of economic development benefiting areas that are not considered major hubs. Other areas of economic priority are property taxes, the lack of nursing homes in the area, the logging industry and the next generation of fishermen.

Joyce Maker
     Joyce Maker has served in numerous local, county and state organizations, which has given her the "unique ability" to understand the concerns of the area, she says. She has gained valuable experience serving District 140 for six years and feels that it has prepared her for the Senate.
     Maker is a member of the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee. She has studied ways to make the education funding formula fairer for coastal rural Maine. "We still have a lot of ground to cover." However, she notes that changes in the formula can have long-term unintended and unexpected consequences. Her top priority is to ensure that education funding and policy are a good fit for Washington County. She says, "I think keeping people informed and up to date and involved in the process is critical."
     When it comes to the substance abuse crisis, Maker says, "This was one issue where we had strong, bipartisan support," getting people help, making sure that law enforcement has the resources it needs and helping people in recovery once they return home. One of Maker's bills this session sets up peer support services in rural Maine. She adds that it is a family, community, county, state and national problem. "We need to address it on all levels and take appropriate action. Some actions will also have to be taken on the local level, and it will take additional funds."
      With economic development, rules and regulations should strike a balance "between protecting the public and encouraging people to start and expand their businesses." Specific steps are: to eliminate repetitive laws; improve business access to existing resources; and identify resource gaps. Career and technical education "is very important as our workforce gets older and we look for new employees." The next generation needs to be ready for work, understand employer expectations and have business start‑up skills. Infrastructure investment in roads, sewer and water and "especially high‑speed, affordable broadband" is important. "And I think we need to do a better job of talking about all the good things we have going on right here in Downeast Maine."

June 10, 2016   (Home)     

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