Legislative Candidate Questionnaire
Sent to Maine candidates in September, 2014.
Deadline for responses: October 5, 2014
MCSE sent a questionnaire to the following legislative and gubernatorial candidates in Maine. A response date of October 5 was requested. We will share each candidate's responses as they are returned.
Mike Michaud
Eliot Cutler
Gov. Paul LePage
Susan Collins
Shenna Bellows
Chellie Pingree
Isaac Misiuk
Bruce Poliquin
Emily Cain
MCSE is also requesting that DEBATE hosts and entities, such as MPBN, include a question on the topic of military jobs and diversification at this year's debates.
If you agree that this is a topic of urgency that should be addressed this election year, please write to the legislative candidates and encourage them to participate in the "MCSE JOBS QUESTIONNAIRE;" you can also write to debate hosts yourself. For example, you can send an email to MPBN about this issue, addressed to News Director Keith Shortall, at kshortall@mpbn.net.
QUESTIONNAIRE:
Dear (Candidate),
Maine is heavily dependent on Defense contracts, more so than many states, and defense spending is widely expected to suffer serious realignment in coming years, putting Maine's already fragile economy in possible harm's way.
Midcoast Citizens for Sustainable Economies is therefore greatly concerned with how such potential economic loss will affect the state in general and our area, so reliant on BIW employment, in particular. Other states are ahead of Maine in exploring avenues for anticipating likely impacts. Connecticut's Commission on Business Opportunity, Defense Diversification and Industrial Policy, directed by statute, is already underway.
Planning for diversification in advance of possible defense contract cutbacks, and putting apparatus in place for eventual necessary conversion to non-defense work, should be part of any political agenda in the near and long term. Local economies should be readied for whatever defense cuts may befall our state. Continuing to robustly secure defense work shouldn't preclude pursuit of diversification as a prudent and farsighted economic safety net. MCSE hopes that you share our concern and will publicly address this important economic issue, in your campaign speeches and in any upcoming debates.
MCSE's own public forum on the subject, held in June, drew a capacity crowd (100 people) of concerned citizens. This matter is a public policy issue that calls out for coordinated, responsible and forward looking political leadership. To further that end, we are circulating a candidate questionnaire to ascertain various positions on this issue. Candidate's responses (or non-responses) will then be disseminated to the media, put on Facebook and posted on MCSE's website, in hopes of bringing about heightened public awareness this election season.
Thank you for your time and attention. We look forward to the opportunity of direct dialog on this subject, and to your questionnaire response.
Please submit your response by October 5. Send to: midcoastsustainable@gmail.com
1) With the coming likelihood of federal cuts in defense spending, along with the impacts of climate change and the job opportunities that would help address it, what plan do you have for sustaining current jobs and creating new ones? What sector would you concentrate on for job growth?
2) Are you familiar with UMASS-Amherst study that reports military spending is the least effective way to create jobs? What are your thoughts?
http://www.peri.umass.edu/fileadmin/pdf/published_study/PERI_military_spending_2011.pdf
3) Congress has put off an audit of the DOD numerous times. What are your thoughts on a DOD audit, and why it does not appear to be a priority in Washington?
4) Would you support legislation, along the lines of the Connecticut effort, to create a similar commission in Maine? (Other states are now in process of creating similar commissions.)
5) Would you be willing to meet with members of MCSE to discuss these issues?