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| State Representative Jessica Fay, a Democrat, right, is opposed for the Maine House District 86 seat by Republican Gregory Foster. SUBMITTED PHOTOS |
ELECTION CANDIDATE Q&A
(Unedited for grammar and spelling and exactly as answered and submitted by each candidate.)
Maine House District 86, Republican
Occupation: A Forester, and owns Timberstate G. Inc., a consulting forestry company.
Previous Elected Experience: Served on various town committees, currently the Raymond Planning Board and the Comprehensive Plan Committee.
Why are you running for this position and please be specific.
What’s the very first bill you will introduce if you are elected to serve in the Maine Legislature?
A bill pertaining to Workers Compensation where a forest land owner is considered the employer of an independent logging contractor, and ultimately liable for injury costs if that contractor is injured and has no Workers Compensation or does not have a Workers Compensation certificate of independence, and a timber sale agreement that includes a specific statement as required by statute. Non industrial forest landowners are not employers of independent logging contractors, and should not be treated like this.
Please share your thoughts about the parent’s rights movement in Maine education.
"I support the parent’s right movement, as parents should know what public schools are teaching their children. Parents should have the option to move their child to a school of their choice, and the education money should follow the student."
What three things have you accomplished to benefit this community in the past three years?
"As a member of the Raymond Planning Board, have participated in compliance with town ordinances, and participated in amending or otherwise improving these town ordinances. I have promoted good long term forest practices on private and public property in district 86 and other towns. Good forestry leads to more valuable forests that helps keep these lands affordable and less vulnerable to land use changes, which is better for the Sebago Lake watershed. The town of Raymond has recently assembled a comprehensive plan committee, of which I am a member."
Would you support legislation to require dairies to test milk for PFAS contaminants before it is sold to Maine consumers and if so, why is this important to the residents of Windham?
"Maine DEP is testing now and has shut down dairies with high levels. If this is not adequate, yes. As for milk from other states, we first need to learn if there is a contamination problem and act accordingly."
What do you think you will do better or differently than the candidate running against you if elected?
"I support laws and policy that keep or return more of the people’s money, rights and freedoms."
What are the greatest economic, cultural, and social strengths of this community in your opinion, and how will you support those strengths if elected?
"Certainly the many lakes and ponds in the district attract seasonal visitors who enjoy our quality of place and support local business’s. The district also has abundant forests with one of the largest White Pine Sawmills in Maine, Hancock Lumber. The communities of District 86 contain people who typically are well connected with their respective towns and the town leaders. After meeting many of these residents, I became very aware of this, listening to people who acknowledge knowing individual selectmen, school board members and other town officials. Many of these town officials tend to be more senior in age, bringing the wisdom acquired over the years. Members of this district trend on the pro-family side, demonstrating their strength through community involvement, including school sports, and other community functions such as fishing derbies, Casco Days and Poland Heritage days. Casco, Poland and Frye Island still have traditional annual town meetings. Raymond has been moving away from this system. I see these annual town meetings as a positive cultural and social strength, and would like to see Raymond return to the traditional annual town meeting. People in District 86 care about each other, and come together when necessary. A recent example is the Casco Raymond historical society request for labor and funds to relocate and preserve a local iconic blacksmith building. The community delivered. I will be an advocate for keeping the tree growth tax law, and other current use property tax laws intact for the purpose of making land more affordable to the owner. Otherwise, I will support laws and policies that improve Maine’s business climate. People are more generous with their time and money when they are in good financial condition."
If elected, which legislative committees would you like to serve on?
"Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Natural Resources, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife."
What specific ideas and proposals do you have to alleviate Maine’s housing crisis?
"Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to this issue. We need prosperity in the state, and more than anything, Maine people need a higher income, which will come with a better business climate that keeps business’s in Maine and attracts more. Increasing Government subsidized housing will make things worse, because the money will come from tax payers, ultimately causing those taxpayers to be less able to afford their home and potentially forcing them into a housing crisis. Rather, we need to lower the cost of Government which will increase Mainers retained income. Town and state imposed standards and rules add significant cost to building new homes, and improving existing homes. Lowering these costs will help. I will support bills and policies that reduce government costs. For example, the legislature needs to explore eliminating or significantly lowering property taxes for seniors that own homes in Maine."
Jessica Fay
Maine House District 86, Democrat
Occupation: Wedding and event floral design business owner
Previous Elected Experience: State Representative 2016 to present
Why are you running for this position and please be specific.
“I am running for re-election because our region deserves an experienced and effective representative who uses common sense and is willing to work across the aisle to solve everyday problems. I will continue to work on the issues that people in our community have shared concern about – the economy, the environment, workforce and safety."
What’s the very first bill you will introduce if you are elected to serve in the Maine Legislature?
"Currently, I serve on the Government Oversight Committee and we have been digging into issues around the Office of Child and Family Services. I have heard from foster families across the state that DHHS isn’t being responsive to their concerns or needs. There currently isn’t dedicated staff charged with helping resource families navigate challenging circumstances. My first bill in the 131st Legislature will be to create an ombudsman type position specifically to help foster parents."
Please share your thoughts about the parent’s rights movement in Maine education.
"Parents have a right to be involved in their children’s education. Volunteering in the school is a great way to get first hand experience about what is happening in the classroom. Participating constructively in school board meetings and getting involved in the PTO are also ways parents can feel more connected to their children’s education."
What three things have you accomplished to benefit this community in the past three years?
"October is domestic violence awareness month and one of the most meaningful laws I’ve passed - now a national model - is a definition of financial abuse in the protection from abuse statute. This law helps survivors of domestic violence repair credit that has been damaged by an abusive partner. If you or someone you know needs help with a domestic abuse situation the state hotline is 1-866-834-HELP. Most of the residents in House District 86 get their water from private wells. Because of the geology of our area, some wells have naturally-occurring toxic contaminants like arsenic and radon. These can cause a host of health problems as well as developmental issues for children. Working with a bi-partisan group of members of the Labor and Housing Committee, I was able to secure funding for a program to help income-eligible people and landlords afford water filters. If you are interested in the program, you can call Maine Housing at (800) 452-4668. We all hear about how Maine is the oldest state in the nation. As the House Co-Chair of the non-partisan Legislative Caucus on Aging I was able to draw attention to and help pass policies that have impacted older Mainers like property tax relief, age-friendly communities and access to home care. I will continue working to improve the way we value and care for older people in our communities so that everyone can age with dignity in the way that suits them best."
Would you support legislation to require dairies to test milk for PFAS contaminants before it is sold to Maine consumers and if so, why is this important to the residents of Raymond?
"Toxic forever chemical contamination is a significant issue for Maine – we are leading the charge on testing and research. Farmers and people with contaminated drinking water are paying the biggest price and the work has just begun on how to help these folks. PFAS can cause significant health problems including cancer and immune function deficit. PFAS has been shown to cause developmental issues in children and since children are great consumers of milk, making sure the milk is safe is important. I believe that this type of testing should be required at the federal level. Much of the milk consumed here in Maine is not produced in Maine – so a state testing program could let contaminated milk in from other states while disproportionally affecting Maine farmers."
What do you think you will do better or differently than the candidate running against you if elected?
"During my time in the Legislature, I have shown a willingness to listen to bi-partisan ideas for solutions to problems that face people in the region. Governing requires patience and open-mindedness and those qualities have helped me be an effective advocate for people in the community."
What are the greatest economic, cultural, and social strengths of this community in your opinion, and how will you support those strengths if elected?
"Part of what makes this area so special are our many lakes and ponds. Clean water is an economic engine for our region and protecting water quality will be imperative for future economic success. Our quality of life and many businesses depend on it. My husband and I chose to put down permanent roots here 22 years ago because of our love of the outdoors. Strong community support for small business, allowed me to start my own successful floral design business. I was able to serve so many hard-working people and learn from them. People in the area have always been willing to pull together to celebrate success and help pick up the pieces when things go wrong. I will continue to work to protect clean water and to support policies that empower small and family-owned businesses who contribute so much to our community."
If elected, which legislative committees would you like to serve on?
"I currently serve on the Appropriations and Financial Affairs and the Government Oversight Committees. I am proud of the work I’ve done there on several bi-partisan budget bills as well as investigations into child protective services and other state agency functions. I would be happy to be re-appointed to either or both of these committees."
What specific ideas and proposals do you have to alleviate Maine’s housing crisis?
"Recently, I had a conversation with a local builder who focuses on the higher end housing market. We discussed his challenges finding workers. That discussion evolved into a conversation about public private partnerships around workforce housing and housing affordability. From a policy perspective, finding ways to encourage employers, state and local government to partner to build housing that working people can afford seems like a promising path."
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