What is one new policy that the state should embrace to make housing easier to build and afford?
We should make it easier to build by reducing regulations that are hurting small businesses in general by increasing their costs. Feel Free to check out my substack on this: https://charleschuckellis.substack.com/p/maines-housing-crisis?r=28qvu0
Transmission lines, solar incentives and offshore wind development have been controversial over the past several years. What steps should Maine take to meet growing demand for electricity?
We should aim to produce electricity in a cost-effective way. Supposed clean energy initiatives, when considering their entire supply chain, arguably are not better than traditional energy sources. I am all for doing what we can to protect the environment, but if we’re going to be shifting away from fossil fuels, we need energy sources that are cost-effective. We have to consider the economic impact on our people in the short term as well as the long-term implications. Presently, wind & solar are not realistic solutions, and throwing government money at them doesn’t make them cost-effective but instead simply harms our industries by creating an oppressive tax environment that discourages business in Maine.
Should the state make changes to its tax laws? If so, outline your priorities.
Yes. We need to reduce our taxes across the board and reduce our unnecessary spending. The reality is our taxpayers are struggling because of the impacts of inflation and the broader economic slowdown. They are having to cut back on their spending, and it’s only responsible for us to do the same.
We are closing in on the one-year anniversary of the Lewiston mass shooting. Are further legislative responses required around guns, mental health, supporting victims and families or other policy areas?
None of the proposed responses would have stopped the most recent shooting. I’m not interested in violating the US or the state of Maine’s constitution by seeking to infringe on Mainer’s right to bear arms, especially since this is primarily a mental health crisis, not a gun crisis.
Describe a unique attribute or area of focus that you will bring to the Legislature.
I spent 12 years as a student and then working with students doing leadership development at the University of Maine at Farmington and, as such, have connections with teachers all across the state, giving me a lot of inside information into the problems we’re having in public education. I have spent the last 14.5 years working in banking with everyone from our homeless populations all the way up to people who own multimillion-dollar properties on the coast. I understand the financial position of our citizens and small businesses and have practical knowledge and understanding of the impacts that Maine’s policies have on both. These experiences make me an ideal candidate to be able to get our education system as well as our economy back on track.
