Maine House 59: Roger Fuller

Age (on Election Day): 66

Party affiliation: Democrat

Occupation: Retired educator and Gryphondale Education Services

Community organizations:

Museum LA; library volunteer

Hobbies, activities etc.:

Walking, gardening, reading, meeting people, keeping blogs

Family status: Married

Years in Legislature: 0

Clean Election candidate? Yes

Committee assignments wanted:

Education; Energy; Transportation

What is the most pressing problem in your district and what do you plan to do about it?

My district consists of hard-working people and senior citizens who have spent a life working hard. The families of this district want a good education for their children, a safe place to live, and the security that they can stay in their homes at retirement. These are important concerns.

Gov. Paul LePage wants to eliminate the state income tax. Do you support that? If not, why not?

I need more information; however, eliminating the sales tax would transfer the tax burden back to property owners. Increasing property taxes on fixed income families makes it even more difficult for those citizens to stay in their homes.

Are you willing to support raising the fuel tax to fix Maine roads? If not, why not?

In Maine we need good roads, but we also need to look closely at how we spend our money. We need to ask how this money might be better spent. What is the role that an expanded passenger rail service can play in Maine?

The relationship between the governor and the Legislature has deteriorated over the past six years. What can the Legislature do to improve that relationship?

The best politics always involve discussion and compromise. The Legislature and the governor must each practice good discussion and good compromise. When either side takes extreme views, there is no middle ground for compromise.

What methods do you support to reduce opiate addiction in Maine?

The state of Maine has taken the first steps to deal with this crisis. We have far to go, and we need to explore options. We can not punish our way out of this crisis, and need to address citizen needs for productive lives.

How are you voting on the referendum questions?

Question 1: No
Question 2: Yes
Question 3: Yes
Question 4: Yes
Question 5: Yes