Incumbent State Rep. Wendy Pieh (D-Bremen) plans to continue her work with natural resources, tax reform and energy concerns if re-elected to District 50, which covers Bremen, Waldoboro, Nobleboro and the eastern part of Jefferson. Her seat in the House is being challenged by Republican Nobleboro selectman Henry Simmons.
“I think we’re facing a real financial crisis,” the Bremen Board of Selectmen Chair said. “I want to deal with that with the least amount of pain.”
Pieh has served six years in the 118th, 119th, and 123rd Legislature. She wants to continue to serve the House Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry.
“I will continue to work hard to support farmers, foresters, and fishermen; people that make a living off of the land and sea,” she said.
Pieh has also co-chaired a natural resource agency task force. She said this governor-created task force was established to make natural resource agencies more efficient in meeting the needs of Maine people.
In the 123rd Legislature, the House passed a comprehensive tax reform package that would have broadened the sales tax and lowered the income tax. Pieh supports that reform.
She said it passed in the House, but lost by one vote in the Senate. The tax package would broaden sales tax to some other goods and services. The increased revenue from this measure would go toward lowering income tax and would eliminate the minimum alternative tax.
“It would have put money in the pockets of about 95 percent of Maine taxpayers,” she said.
Pieh sponsored LD 1068, an act to enhance Maine’s energy independence and security.
“I want to focus on Maine energy and am working toward having Maine be self-sustaining,” she said.
Pieh mentioned the fact that Maine can use its natural resources at hand such as wood, fiber, wind, and water in energy independence. She said, in these economically challenging times, people need to come together.
“In terms of the economy, we’re all going to have to tighten our belts and pull together to help each other,” she said.
Some of the challenges facing the state include the new school consolidation law and the loss of federal grant money. Pieh said the state was unable to sell a transportation bond and it is difficult to obtain matching federal funds for the rebuilding of roads.
The governor has asked departments to cut back 10 percent on their next budget. Pieh said the governor has said there will be a curtailment order, which will be an immediate cut in funds.
“People need to stop bickering along party lines and focus on working together, using common sense,” she said.
Recalling a recent time when the clamflats in Bremen were closed to shellfish harvesting, Pieh said people did pull together to solve the problem.
“Personnel from the Dept. of Marine Resources, clam diggers and volunteers in town all got together to straighten that out,” Pieh said.
In response to the declining economy, Pieh said she would focus state energy on small business. She said there are innovative technology grants available to help entrepreneurs start new enterprises.
Pieh also said town ordinances need to be more business-friendly. She said worker’s compensation needs to be scrutinized carefully and health insurance is also an issue that needs to be addressed.
“It would help businesses if they were not responsible for providing health insurance for their employees directly,” she said.
Pieh said she lived in Canada for 20 years where health insurance was supported by people who were young and healthy. Pieh said in order to encourage small business, she would make bureaucracy work for people, instead of against people.
Pieh did not support the governor’s school consolidation package. She said she saw it as a top-down effort that destroys local control.
“The current options (such as the Alternative Organizational Structure) for school consolidation are better, but it still seems like a train that’s going to run off its track,” she said.
Pieh grew up in the Outward Bound program. Her family founded the Minnesota Outward Bound School in 1964 when she was 16. She eventually became Executive Director of an Outward Bound school in Lesotho, South Africa, where she met her husband, Dr. Peter Goth.
Speaking of the Outward Bound experience she said, “It has taught me that various groups of people can work together effectively. There is always common ground.”