PARIS – Bobby Kennedy, universal health care, the war in Afghanistan, tax reform and Ed Muskie, were some of the topics raised Thursday at a forum for Democratic candidates for the United States Senate.

About two dozen people from the Oxford Hills area listened to former Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap of Old Town, state Sen. Cynthia Dill of Cape Elizabeth, state Rep. Jon Hinck of Portland and Ben Pollard, a Portland businessman, who are contending for the seat held by Republican Olympia Snowe.

The forum was held at the Western Maine University and Community College Center in Paris and moderated by Rep. Terry Hayes of Buckfield, assistant House Democratic leader. The forum covered a range of hot-button issues from health care and Afghanistan to convincing young people to stay in Western Maine.

“We spend too much money on our military,” Dill said. She wants military personnel in Afghanistan to return home now. She also said she is for “unabashed” democratic core values such as protecting the environment and properly funding education.

Dill said she believes the Democratic Party is at a crossroads in this election and she is the candidate that can go “toe to toe” with Independent candidate Angus King in the general election in November. She said King’s legacy as governor, in part, weakened unions and left the state with a large deficit.

Pollard said he believes he can win not only Democratic votes, but Independent and Republican votes, because of his sometimes idealistic and passionate views and his desire to go in a new direction, much like the late U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy.

“I want to revive the spirit of Bobby Kennedy,” said Pollard, who unlike the other candidates agrees that the United States military should stay in Afghanistan. He said Congress must work to reduce the federal budget deficit and create policies that will decrease Americans’ dependence on carbon fuel, and that Americans should improve their health and cut their health costs in part by exercising more and eating more nutritious foods.

Dunlap said he is a big supporter of affordable health care. The Obama Care package was “a good start,” he said, but there is a long way to go to make it work well. He blamed those who make large profits off the current health care system for the problems.

“Someone out there is going to lose a lot of money and that’s where the real fight will be,” he said, referring to the problems legislators face to fix the health care system.

Dunlap said the tax rate has to be “strongly” addressed and that every federal program needs to be scrutinized to reduce the budget deficit. He also said it is critical that America takes action to retain companies in the United States. He said Americans must “do better” to support entrepreneurial ventures and, in Maine particularly, bring back farming as a viable occupation to keep young people from leaving the state to find work.

Hinck said Americans should reduce their overall demand on carbon fuels and called offshore wind energy a “great opportunity.” He said the Obama health care plan could have been better and that Congress should look at other countries who have successful universal health care systems and find out how they do it.

Hinck said small businesses in Maine can still work to create a viable economic base but they must be supported. Saying he has the ability to collaborate and fight in the United States Senate, much like his inspiration, the late Sen. Ed Muskie of Maine, Hinck said he will make a difference on critical issues facing the country today.

The candidates all generally felt that the federal government can play a role in education but that it should be limited. One area the federal government can have an impact on, they all agreed, is finding a way to restructure student loans to make college more affordable.

The Democratic winner of the June 12 state primary will run against the Republican primary winner and Independent candidate Angus King in the November general election.

Bates College Democrats will host a debate with the four Democratic candidates at 5 p.m. Friday, May 11, in the Muskie Archives on campus. Questions from the audience will be accepted. The event is free and open to the public.

The Sun Journal will be streaming the debate from Bates College on Friday evening beginning at 5 p.m. on SunJournal.com.

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