"Republicans not Exactly in the Running" by Peter Smith in the Portland Forecaster: October 11, 2006

PORTLAND – Jeff Ferland, the Republican candidate in state House District 120, stopped knocking on doors last week. Ferland, 21, lives with friends in an apartment on Munjoy Hill. He joined the Republican Party after attending a debate last spring with former gubernatorial candidate Peter Mills. Steven Scharf, a Republican coordinator in Portland’s Bayside neighborhood, approached Ferland about running on the GOP ticket for District 120. Ferland, then an independent, decided the GOP’s priorities – cutting taxes and controlling government spending – were in line with his views. But in an interview last week, Ferland admitted he was less interested in the party line than in running as a visible neighborhood representative. “I wanted to represent the neighborhood,” he said. “The Republicans were willing to run with me and put me on the ballot.” On Oct. 3, Ferland announced he would withdraw from the race. “There’s somebody out there that’s running a better race,” he said. “Ben (Meiklejohn) seems like a really good candidate.” Ferland said he spoke regularly with the Green Independent Party candidate and said he had only met Anne Rand, the Democratic contender, at a recent debate. His informal withdrawal from the race illustrates chronic problems that Republican organizers face in legislative races across the city. “It’s emblematic,” Scharf said. “It’s a very liberal town. ...We sometimes run candidates in places that don’t stand a chance.” Ferland summed up the challenge to his campaign in six words: “I’m a Republican on Munjoy Hill.” In two other Portland races for state representatives, Republican contenders who replaced placeholder candidates toward the end of July, close to the filing deadline, have also called it quits on the campaign trail. In District 115, candidate Melinda Loring, replaced Andrew Worcester. “She’s on the ballot and running,” Scharf said, “but she’s not actively campaigning.” District 117 candidate David Pelletier, who replaced Justin Boynton, will appear on Nov. 7 ballots, but according to Scharf, “He’s not really running a campaign either.” In District 118, no GOP replacement was found after Benjamin Crocker withdrew. Not every Republican candidate still running for the House of Representatives has stopped campaigning. Those still knocking on doors include Jason Lavoie (District 119), Sharon Forbis (District 114), David Elowitch (District 113) and Janette Gauger (District 116). Scharf said placing candidates on the ballot merely to oppose candidates running unopposed is not a policy he endorses. “We do it to put out a message,” he said, “to deliver our message.” “Everybody’s got limited resources,” said Ron Schmidt Jr., a professor of political science at the University of Southern Maine. “The state (Republican) party definitely wants to support TABOR and Woodcock.” Schmidt said the party likely hoped the statewide initiative and the gubernatorial challenger would draw registered Republicans to the polls to support local candidates. “Especially in an election like this,” he said, “where the turnout is low, they’re trying to get people out for the big elephant.” Peter Smith can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 126 or psmith@theforecaster.net.

Hill Race Narrows to Meiklejohn, Rand

PORTLAND – The departure of four-term Rep. Benjamin Dudley opened up the Maine House District 120 seat, which covers Portland’s Munjoy Hill. Three candidates filed papers, but Jeffrey Ferland, the Republican, formally announced his withdrawal from the race Tuesday, leaving Democrat Anne Rand and Green Independent Ben Meiklejohn in the race. Rand is a former legislator, who has served in both the House and Senate. Meiklejohn is on the Portland School Committee, a position he has held since 2001. Ben Meiklejohn “People are really thirsty for change for something different than the established political parties,” Meiklejohn said. Meiklejohn, 35, campaigns on the Green Independent ticket; he chaired the state party from 2000-2004. Meiklejohn has also served as president of the University of Maine student government, he volunteered for AmeriCorps at Munjoy Hill’s Community Policing Center, and he currently is an at-large member of the Portland School Committee. His previous experience has some carry-over to this campaign, he said, and he intends to complete his term on the school board if elected to the Legislature. “Education is one of my priorities,” Meiklejohn said adding that he believes strong economies are backed by good educational systems. “We need to invest in education,” he said. Meiklejohn said better education doesn’t necessarily mean higher taxes; comprehensive tax reform is his second priority. “People are just beside themselves with taxes,” he said. Given the influx of seasonal visitors who use state services, Meiklejohn hopes to enact tax reform by authorizing municipalities to develop a tax structure – additional taxes levied on hotels and lodging – that might benefit permanent residents. “We need to do more to export the tax burden,” he said. A house painter and a musician, Meiklejohn is single and lives on Exchange Street. Anne Rand “The main reason I’m running is because I believe, from my experience, that you really can make a difference,” Rand said. Rand, 60, a Democrat, said she has seen the possibilities as a representative; she served four terms in the state House and two in the state Senate. Rand introduced a bill to maintain affordable housing, as it related to Munjoy South, and soon found it had statewide appeal. She also co-sponsored bills on sexual harassment in the workplace and helped pass legislation recognizing the effect of video display terminals on carpal tunnel syndrome in the workplace. This year, taxes are her top priority. “I believe tax reform is absolutely the first thing that has to be addressed,” she said. She hopes to send out a synopsis of taxes to each household and “get everyone on the same page” regarding how the state gets money into the treasury. Three changes Rand would work toward include: an increase in the minimum taxable income for the state income tax, a broadened sales tax and local option taxation. She said an additional 1 percent meals and lodging tax in Portland might benefit the city and halt increases in property tax. She also wants health care reform: “I’d like to improve and expand Dirigo,” Rand said, “and move toward universal access.” The former nurse lives on Munjoy Hill with her husband, Dale, and their daughter, Alicia. The couple own a small business, Rand Printing,. Peter Smith can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 126 or psmith@theforecaster.net.

"Adams Takes on Challengers from Left, Right" by Peter Smith in the Portland Forecaster: October 4, 2006

PORTLAND – Two political newcomers are challenging incumbent Rep. Herbert Adams in House District 119, representing the diverse Bayside and Parkside neighborhoods of Portland. Matt Reading, a Green Independent, and Jason Lavoie, a Republican, both newcomers to the district and politics, offer the veteran Democrat an additional reason to knock on doors this campaign season. The candidates present differing strategies on how to spur economic development. Herb Adams Adams, 53, the Democratic incumbent, said the “energy and enthusiasm and experience that is reflected in my past record” would aid him in seeking another term. Adams served on Portland’s School Committee, chaired the Cumberland County Democratic Committee and served five terms as a state representative in the Legislature. Adams said two recent legislative achievements were a bill that connected schools and libraries with the Internet, an initiative that he says eliminated “technological haves and have-nots.” Adams also supported legislation that made Casco Bay a “No-Discharge Zone” with some of the strictest environmental laws. Adams campaigns on what he calls his “doorstep issues.” “There would be taxes in general,” he said, “the affordability of higher education, affordability of social services, and general consumer-oriented issues, such as the cost of cable TV.” If re-elected, three items on Adams’ upcoming legislative agenda would be a version of the Opportunity Maine initiative, which proposed tax credits to repay tuition costs (“So we can keep talent in Maine”), $25 million for affordable housing (“$25 million is barely enough”), and $50 million for land (“So we can preserve the best of Maine’s national treasures for future Mainers”). A resident of Parkside, Adams is a history buff who also teaches as an adjunct political science faculty member at USM. Jason Lavoie “I’m running because I want to see Maine change its direction,” Lavioe said. Lavoie, 22, a Republican, focuses his campaign on health care, jobs and taxes. Lavoie wants to stimulate job growth. “It’s all about the economy,” he said. “That’s how we can make the economy work for Maine and for Portland.” “I think that we need to get a handle on our high tax burden,” Lavioe said. “I think we need to make this a better place to do business.” He said businesses ought to have a closer relationship with lawmakers and less involvement with social services. “Government is too far involved in health care,” Lavoie said. He envisions a privatized, “free market approach” to the state’s health care woes and hopes to offer Mainers out-of-state insurance options. Lavoie, a student at the University of Southern Maine, serves on the USM student senate and attributes his leadership skills to coordinating a Boy Scout technology center. He lives in the dorms on Congress Street. His campaign is privately financed. Lavoie considers himself a leader “who will stand up and want to bring jobs to Maine.” Matt Reading Reading, 25, graduated from Lewiston-Auburn schools. Only three of his friends from high school have remained in the area, a trend he attributes to high taxes, few technology jobs and “little in the Legislature to counteract that.” Reading, a relative newcomer to Portland, worked as an online fund-raiser with a nonprofit organization before turning to his campaign full time on the Green Independent ticket. Working on John Eder’s 2003 House campaign inspired Reading. “He had a real passion for change in Portland,” Reading said, “and a real passion for action in Augusta.” Affordable housing, a student loan reimbursement, and a universal health care system top Reading’s agenda. “All of our economic development money currently goes to Wal-Mart and Home Depot,” Reading said. Targeted tax incentives, Reading said, would “keep the Maine dollar in Maine and make it easier for small businesses and to start small businesses.” Reading is single. He lives in Bayside, across from the Public Works Department. “I know what’s going on with city services all hours of the day,” he said. Peter Smith can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 126 or psmith@theforecaster.net.

"House District 118: 2 Parties, 2 Progressive Agendas, 1 Race" by Peter Smith in the Portland Forecaster: October 4, 2006

PORTLAND – Republican candidate Benjamin Crocker withdrew in July from the Maine House of Representatives District 118 race, leaving incumbent Green Independent Rep. John Eder and Democrat Jon Hinck to battle for the representation of Portland’s West End. Both describe their agendas as progressive. Eder, first elected in 2002, is counting on the continued support of constituents and his voting record, while challenger Hinck maintains his record as an environmental activist bests the incumbent’s performance. John Eder Eder, 37, has served two terms in the state Legislature as the nation’s top-elected Green Independent. “It’s all about accomplishments,” Eder said. “I’ve brought hundreds of thousands of dollars to Portland.” Before he became a first-time candidate in 2002, Eder worked as a citizen activist, a massage therapist and a home health-care aide. As a representative, he said he votes with the Democrats on “98 percent of issues” and comprises part of the “working majority.” Eder supports initiatives for a living wage, universal health care and issues of social and economic justice. “I’ve introduced legislation on tax reform,” Eder said. He supported tax rebates for rent and property, including a check-off on the state income tax. “I’ve passed a bill on energy efficiency,” he said. The bill provided renters with a buyer-beware form on energy use. In the upcoming session, Eder plans work on a $50,000 initiative for a creative economy. “To me, a creative economy means supporting artists and the arts as they are an economic driver. That brings people into Portland.” Eder said initiatives would include micro-loans for individuals. “I think we need to get creative about getting people out of poverty,” he said. He and his wife, Suzanne, live in the West End. Jon Hinck “For years, I’ve been involved in the environment,” Hinck said. Before launching a campaign focused on green (with a lower-case “g”) issues, the Democrat worked for years with Greenpeace and lobbied in Augusta with the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “I’d like to join those making positive progressive policy,” he said. Hinck said he supported laws controlling the disposal of mercury and electronic waste. A 2004 law defers the cost of recycling TV and electronic equipment to manufacturers nationwide. “It’s one of the few times Maine has figured how to take care of an issue without raising taxes,” Hinck said. Besides his work as an environmental activist, Hinck is a lawyer who has worked on legal settlements involving Bayer’s Baycol, the gasoline-additive MBTE, and Maine’s class action suit against tobacco companies. Hinck also has health care and energy reform high on his agenda. He supports the concept of Dirigo health plan and said he would make sure the Legislature devotes the attention needed in hopes of ultimately achieving universal care. “I’d like to become one of the leaders aggressively pursuing energy issues,” he said. Hinck’s energy agenda includes increased energy efficiency, energy independence, and fiscal security along with wind and other renewable energy resources. Hinck said his background (as a lawyer and as an environmental advocate) is “clearly” superior to his opponent’s. “The incumbent has fashioned himself as an outsider,” Hinck said, “but he sends legislative communications - his campaign message - on taxpayer money.” He lives in the West End with his wife, Juliet Browne, an environmental lawyer, and 9-year-old daughter, Darcy. Peter Smith can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 126 or psmith@theforecaster.net.

District 117 a 3-Way Toss-Up

PORTLAND – With Rep. Joseph Brannigan running for state Senate, the House District 117 seat representing neighborhoods in the Rosemont and Stroudwater sections of the city is up for grabs. For the Democratic Party, Anne Haskell is on the ballot after moving back to her hometown. Haskell is a former state representative from Gorham, where she served from 1988 to 1994 when she was Anne Larrabee. She is retired. Haskell’s Green Independent Party opponent, John Safarik, is also retired. He ran for office two years ago and said he believes it is his civic obligation to run again. Republican candidate David Pelletier was reached for comment once, but was unable to provide any information at that time. He did not return subsequent telephone calls. Anne Haskell Haskell, 63, lives in the home she grew up in on Higgins Street and married Lou Haskell two years ago. She has two grown children and he has four. A former Finance Authority of Maine communications manager and head of the Maine International Trade Center, Haskell graduated from Deering High School and attended the University of Southern Maine. She is opposed to TABOR and calls the bill a “meat-ax approach to a complex issue.” Haskell said she is running for office again because she enjoyed working in the House before and feels she has something to offer to her neighbors. She said her time representing Gorham gave her an understanding of suburban concerns, which provides a nice contrast with her understanding of Portland’s urban concerns. Haskell is interested in supporting higher education through loan repayment for college graduates. She said loan repayment is better than loan forgiveness, because with the latter, students often need to decide a career path as a college freshman. With loan repayment, the benefit would come after graduation. Haskell is also a supporter of improving the juvenile justice system and said the state should concentrate on helping offenders early, so they can function as adults in regular society. “It is something that needs advocates,” Haskell said. John Safarik Safarik, 69, lives on Ivy Street with his wife, Sharon. He worked in various information technology jobs, including as a software developer. Safarik said the Taxpayer Bill of Rights is “a good example of what we shouldn’t do in general.” He said he did not want to rely on the future needs of the state by a simple algorithm, and believes people should rely on the representatives they elect. Safarik, who holds a doctorate in political philosophy from the University of Oklahoma, would like the state to encourage businesses to use environmental concerns to their advantage. “We need not to look at these issues as constraining,” he said. Safarik would also like a process put in place where adults can re-educate themselves. He said a good liberal arts degree is a start. “Being trained for the obsolete is never ending,” he said. “One way to lessen that is to educate people so they can update themselves easily.” Safarik is in favor of a universal health care system. “A healthy population is a more productive population,” he said. Sustaining public transportation is also a priority for Safarik. He said a mass transit fund should be set up and people should be encouraged to use buses and even trains to travel. “There are some fragments left of public transportation,” he said. Kate Bucklin can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 106 or kbucklin@theforecaster.net.

"District 115 Challengers Stand in Cummings' Leadership Path" by Kate Bucklin in the Portland Forecaster: October 11, 2006

PORTLAND – There is a three-way race in House District 115, where incumbent Rep. Glenn Cummings faces challengers from the left and right. Running on the Republican ticket, political newcomer Melinda Loring admitted she is not a natural politician and said she is running in part to try and keep Maine affordable. Green Independent Party candidate Murrough O’Brien said he is sick of both of the major parties running things in Augusta and believes the Greens would bring new ideas to the Legislature. Cummings, meanwhile, is positioned to be elected speaker of the House if he is re-elected. District 115 includes the neighborhoods of Woodford’s Corner and Back Cove. Glenn Cummings Cummings, 45, is the House majority leader and is seeking a fourth term in the Legislature. A Nevens Street resident, Cummings lives with his wife, Leslie Appelbaum, and their two children. “TABOR endangers public safety and education,” Cummings said of the citizen-initiated Taxpayer Bill of Rights. A strong opponent of the bill, Cummings said the state needs to work on alternative reform for the tax code and for spending that supports small business and working families. Cummings is a professor of economics and entrepreneurship at Southern Maine Community College and said the state needs more people to attend and complete college and other higher education programs. “To do that we need to make it affordable,” the graduate of Brown and Harvard universities said. “Lower tuition at community colleges.” He said increasing skill level will also increase high paying jobs in Maine, which will boost the economy. Investing in research and development of the state’s infrastructure and of open space are also important to Cummings. Melinda Loring Unlike her opponents, Melinda Loring is a strong supporter of TABOR. A professional actuary, Loring said the proposal is a good way to get state spending under control. “I think it is a very reasonable way to deal with a very big problem in Maine,” the Bates College graduate said. Loring, who declined to provide her age, lives on Concord Street and has two teenage sons. The average citizen does not get heard in state government, Loring said. She said her main reason for running is she is tired of complaining. “At some point you need to step up and do something,” she said. Loring said she would like her sons to be able to stay in Maine when they grow up, and that means the economy needs to be stronger and so does the job pool. Murrough O’Brien O’Brien, 61, joined the Green Party six years ago because he was tired of the Democratic Party. An attorney and Portland native, he said he would like to see politicians spend less time being divisive. The Taxpayer Bill of Rights, O’Brien said, is a “simple-minded mechanical solution to a complex problem.” “I would vote against it,” O’Brien, a graduate of Harvard University and Maine Law School, said. “It obviously resonates with a lot of people though.” A Concord Street resident, O’Brien acknowledged he is running against a very popular incumbent. He also admitted his priorities in Augusta would be vastly different than most representatives’. “Global warming is the most important issue,” said O’Brien, who has two grown children with his wife, Johanna. “Other issues won’t matter if we don’t deal with climate change.” O’Brien said a lot can be done at the local and state level to take on global warming, and not just energy conservation efforts. He said the Baldacci administration did little to make the environment a priority, and at a world level the United States refused to sign the Kyoto Treaty. “The glaciers are melting and polar bears are beginning to drown,” O’Brien said. “I would be a full-time irritant on the subject of global warming.” O’Brien would also like to have the state Department of Environmental Protection audited, along with taking a serious look at the state Department of Health and Human Services, which he said is letting people down. Kate Bucklin can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 106 or kbucklin@theforecaster.net.

Clarke Canfield of the Associated Press on the DNC Action in House District 120: October 19, 2006

PORTLAND - Howard Dean talked up Democrats, talked down Republicans and went door-to-door in a Portland neighborhood Monday to rally Democrats for the coming election.

Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a former Vermont governor, and Maine Gov. John Baldacci spoke to about 150 people at a breakfast fundraiser at the Italian Heritage Center before knocking on doors in a heavily Democratic Munjoy Hill neighborhood.

Accompanied by a gaggle of reporters and cameras, Dean and Baldacci stopped at four houses to tout the Democratic message.

One of them was owned by Jon Radtke, a high school teacher who said it’s important for Democrats to conduct a grass-roots effort to remind voters what’s at stake in the Nov. 7 election.

"It was a way to boost spirits as we go into an election," he said.

Earlier in the morning, Dean told party supporters at a fundraiser that Americans can’t trust Republicans with their money or to defend the country. The Maine Democratic Party asked for contributions of $29.29 because the event took place 29 days before the election.

While Bush likes to talk tough, Osama bin Laden is still on the loose, North Korea announced it has tested a nuclear device, and Iran has threatened to do the same, Dean said.

"You’ve got to be tough and smart, not just tough and talking tough at election time," Dean said.

For the governor’s race, Dean called Baldacci’s Republican opponent, Chandler Woodcock, a "clone of George Bush."

"If you like what George Bush is doing, you ought to vote for Chandler Woodcock," he said.

Barry Flynn, communications director for the Maine Republican Party, later said that Dean represents a "shrill vitriolic wing" of his party, and that Mainers are capable of determining which issues are important to them and which leaders they want in office.

"Maine people at the end of the day are going to define Chandler Woodcock," he said.

On Munjoy Hill, Dean and Baldacci visited several homes of people who were notified ahead of time that they might be coming to their door.

At the first house, Gary Akovenko asked what should be done about the war in Iraq. He was pleased to hear Dean say a change of direction is needed and Baldacci call for a comprehensive foreign policy, not one that changes from country to country.

"I wanted to hear about Iraq. I think that’s what’s on people’s minds," Akovenko said.

While Dean and Baldacci knocked on doors, several neighborhood residents followed behind carrying signs for Ben Meiklejohn, who is running in the district as a Green Independent Party candidate for the Legislature.

Kevin Donoghue, who is registered as a Green, commented about how "staged" the event was.

"I think it’s interesting to see an establishment party pretending to do grass-roots politics," he said.

"Democratic Chairman Lends a Hand in Maine" by Greg Kesich in the Portland Press Herald: October 10, 2006

Portlnd Press Herald staff photo by John Ewing

Gary Akovenko looked surprised to answer his door Monday and find Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, Gov. John Baldacci, a crowd of party activists and a clutch of reporters from newspapers, radio and television waiting to greet him.

"With all of you, I thought I won Publisher's Clearinghouse," Akovenko said.

Instead of a prize, he accepted literature for a handful of Democratic candidates.

The door to Akovenko's hand-picked home on Monument Street was the first to be knocked on by Dean and Baldacci in a joint campaign appearance on a crystal clear October morning, 29 days before the Nov. 7 election.

As part of his "50 state strategy," Dean is taking the Democratic message to parts of the country that have gotten little attention from national leaders in the past because they were considered either too hostile to the party or so friendly that they didn't need the support.

For Maine, Dean's leadership of the national party has meant the addition of three state organizers who are working on behalf of candidates at all levels of government.

It also meant a quick visit from the party's national leader, beginning with a red-meat partisan speech far tougher than what's typically heard in a state where "partisan" can be a dirty word.

Dean focused much of his attack on President Bush, who he said could not be trusted with the economy or the national defense.

He said Bush had sent mixed signals to North Korea instead of trying to delay its nuclear weapons program through negotiation.

"His administration thought that North Korea was going to collapse of its own weight, and the hardliners refused to negotiate," Dean said. "That was a huge mistake."

Ignoring the Green Independent Party and independent challengers to Baldacci, Dean dug into the Republican opponent, Chandler Woodcock, whom Dean compared with Bush.

"If you like what George Bush is doing in Washington, you ought to vote for Chandler Woodcock, because he's a clone of George Bush," Dean said. "He's mouthing the same stuff, although he may be further to the right."

Maine Republican Party Executive Director Julie Ann O'Brien said she was not surprised by Dean's presence in Maine or his hot rhetoric.

"They try to throw things against the wall and see if they will stick. It's just not happening," she said. "People know the difference between what's happening in Maine and what's happening in Washington."

After the speech, the first person who greeted Dean's arrival on Munjoy Hill was Ben Meiklejohn, the Green candidate for the Maine House of Representatives who is running against Democrat Anne Rand and Republican Jeffrey Ferland. A handful of Green activists followed the Democrats, holding up Meiklejohn's campaign signs in the line of television news cameras.

"Nice to have Greens at Democratic events," state Democratic Party Chairman Ben Dudley said to Meiklejohn. "It's nice that you know who's actually getting stuff done."

Meiklejohn sniped back: "It's great to see you guys doing the doors, finally."

Meiklejohn said he has spent the last four months meeting voters in the district that includes Munjoy Hill.

He said there has been significant turnover in the district, giving him a chance to beat Rand, a popular Democrat who has been elected eight times to represent Portland in the House and Senate.

Rand agreed that the neighborhood in which she grew up has changed, but said she does not change her message because she is running against a challenger from the left instead of the right.

"Wherever I go, I come to the door and tell the people what I stand for," she said. "If they don't like it they can vote for someone else."

At Baldacci's and Dean's first stop, Akovenko said he had been called by party advance people Sunday and expected a visit from canvassers.

He asked Dean and Baldacci about the Democratic position on the war in Iraq.

"We don't like it," Dean answered. "We don't think we should be there and they think that we should."

Akovenko asked him to be more specific, and Baldacci responded that the country's position on Iraq should be part of a comprehensive Middle East strategy.

Akovenko said he was satisfied with the answers and said that he does not consider the Greens a realistic alternative when the issue is the war.

"That's really what's on people's minds," he said.

Staff Writer Gregory D. Kesich can be contacted at 791-6336 or at:

gkesich@pressherald.com