Sustainable Growth and Affordable Housing:
Our district's economic vitality hinges on sustainable growth across various sectors, from tourism to agriculture. To ensure this growth, we must prioritize local workforce development, support educational opportunities, implement sustainable land-use planning, and foster environmental stewardship. Additionally, the availability of affordable housing is crucial for fostering local growth and supporting educational endeavors. It's imperative that the state supports balanced growth initiatives that cater to the unique needs of each community.
Modernization of the Electric Grid and Renewable Energy Transition:
Maine's outdated electric grid hinders efficiency and limits our ability to harness renewable energy sources. To address this, we must modernize the grid to enable bidirectional energy flow, optimize efficiency, and align with current technological advancements. This modernization is not only vital for reliability and customer service but also imperative for achieving our climate action objectives.
Environmental Protection and Climate Resilience:
Climate change poses significant threats to our district's economy and environment, particularly affecting our natural resources and tourism industry. To safeguard our shoreline, fisheries, tax base, and infrastructure, proactive planning and investments are essential. We must collaborate with federal and state entities to secure necessary funding for environmental protection initiatives and address emerging challenges, such as the presence of PFAS chemicals in our environment.
Healthcare Accessibility and Affordability:
Access to affordable healthcare is fundamental for maintaining a high quality of life, especially for our district's aging population, which is among the highest in Maine. It's crucial to explore options that reduce healthcare costs and increase accessibility, particularly for seniors. Providing healthcare options that cater to their needs and circumstances, including home-based care, is essential to ensuring their well-being and quality of life.lthcare options that cater to their needs and circumstances, including home-based care, is essential to ensuring their well-being and quality of life.
Reproductive Rights:
The right to make personal reproductive health decisions, including access to abortion, is a fundamental human right that must be safeguarded. As your representative, I will fiercely defend Maine's current protections and work to strengthen them, ensuring that individuals have the autonomy to make choices about their own bodies without interference.
Affordable and Quality Education:
Investing in education is investing in our future. We must ensure that every child in our district has access to quality public education, and that our high school graduates have affordable pathways to further education or training, whether it's at a four-year college, community college, or through vocational programs. At the state level, we must address barriers to accessibility and affordability, ensuring that all avenues of education are celebrated and equally supported.
Diversity and Inclusion:
Our community thrives when everyone feels valued and included. Racism, discrimination, and bigotry have no place in our society. I am committed to promoting diversity and inclusion at every level, acknowledging and addressing historic injustices that have created disparities in our community. Together, we must actively combat racism and discrimination through leadership and collective effort, creating a more just and equitable society for all.