Issue Position: Economy and Jobs

Issue Position

ACTION ITEMS:

Eliminate unnecessary job-killing regulations
Lower heating oil, gasoline, electricity costs
End Obamacare
Stop wasteful overspending
Start paying off $17 trillion national debt
Reduce taxes
Recruit new businesses to Maine

Having spent thirty-five years growing businesses and creating jobs, I understand what must be done to expand our economy and increase employment here in Maine.

For far too long, we have sent career politicians to Washington with little or no experience running a company and creating jobs. They bicker to score political points while our serious problems grow worse. The economy struggles to recover and our families suffer.

We need a new approach.

Maine's 2nd Congressional District is stuck in high unemployment and too many part-time jobs. An increasing number of our young families, many burdened with college debt, leave for better opportunities elsewhere. Those who remain are increasingly dependent on government programs to get by.

Business investment in the 2nd District will create more jobs. Government has the power to build a pro-business climate to help our hurting families with more jobs, less poverty, brighter futures, and more freedom.

As your next 2nd District Congressman, I'll use my 35 years of experience owning and managing businesses and creating jobs to help build a more competitive Maine and America. I'll use my record as Maine State Treasurer to push for fiscal discipline by ending wasteful government overspending and surging debt that are smothering our economy and killing jobs.

As shown on the graph below (see source for graph), the reckless overspending by career politicians in Washington has saddled every man, woman, and child with over $54,000 in debt that must be repaid. This debt keeps growing every year Washington spends more than it collects from us in taxes and then borrows to make up the difference.

During most of the past 40 years, liberal big government Democrats have controlled Maine state government. Their policies of overspending, high debt, high taxes, unaffordable welfare, complicated regulations, and high energy and health insurance costs have chased away Maine jobs and led to more government dependency.

Our next Representative from the 2nd District should not bring those fiscally reckless, job-killing policies to Washington.

As the following graph shows, over the past twenty years, career politicians in Augusta have increased government spending by 88% while our population has inched ahead 7%. To pay for this overspending, Maine families and businesses pay the 7th highest tax burden in the country.

In Congress, I'll fight entrenched bureaucrats and status quo politicians to build a limited, less intrusive, and less expensive federal government.

Less government spending and borrowing will allow taxes to be cut. Eliminating unnecessary regulations will make it less complicated and costly to start and run a business.

Permitting the full development of oil and natural gas deposits here in America will increase supplies and drive down our monthly heating oil and gasoline/diesel bills that drain family budgets.

Ending Obamacare and allowing Americans to shop across state lines to buy health insurance will lower unaffordable monthly premiums.

These common sense changes will help solve the jobs crisis in our 2nd Congressional District and throughout America. Employers will have growing confidence to invest in their companies and hire more workers. Our struggling families will keep more of their hard-earned money and be less dependent on government for their happiness. Then, our children will better be able to work and raise their own families here in Maine.

If we change course, the next few decades in Maine and America can be abundant with new jobs, more financial security, and more freedom. Economic growth and higher take-home pay lead to better lives. While in Congress, I'll help lead Washington down this more promising path.

As a job creator myself, I'll work diligently to encourage new business opportunities for Maine, assisting those interested in investing in our state economy and creating new jobs.

We've been sending career politicians to Washington to solve the jobs problem. It has not and will not work. It's now time to send a successful job creator to solve the jobs problem. I'm ready.

Source