Lawrence Bliss

504 Cottage Road, South Portland

Education: B.A. history and political science; M. Admin. urban public administration; California secondary teaching credential

Occupation: Director, Career Services and Professional Life Development, University of Southern Maine

Age: 59

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Political experience: Serving third term as representative to the
legislature from this district. Chair, Joint Legislative Committee on
Utilities and Energy, and serves on two national legislative committees.

Statement about candidacy: I want to thank the Sentry for the
opportunity to share my thoughts and views with the people in this
district. I have served for three terms, and am proud of my work in
small business development, environmental cleanup, energy efficiency,
and equal protection. But we have not yet provided true property tax
relief. TABOR is not the answer. I look forward to the opportunity to
work hard for the people of South Portland and for the people of the
State of Maine.

Stance on the following issues

TABOR and tax-reform: I oppose TABOR. I believe that it will cause
significant harm to municipalities, school districts, the University
and Community College systems, and to a lesser degree, to the overall
operation of the State.

I am supportive of broad revenue-neutral tax reform, and have worked
hard for its implementation. We must eliminate some of the exemptions
on the sales tax, increase state support to municipalities,
significantly reduce the property tax, and adjust the state income tax
levels. But we cannot snip around the edges as we have done for so many
years; we must do all of this together, to accomplish a true tax reform
plan.

Debt: According to the State Treasurer, “Maine’s tax-supported debt is
considered low, and we have been on a steady payment track for several
years... there’s no crisis here...” In addition, we repay our
tax-supported bonds at a faster rate than other states and we reduce
the overall bond package every year. We are in good shape as a state;
certainly not “bankrupt” as some candidates have claimed.

Education funding: In the last legislature, we ramped up the amount of
funding to K-12 education significantly. We have not, however, done so
for the university and community college systems. This must be a
priority in the new legislature, if education is to become the vehicle
for economic growth in the state.

Economic development: Economic development will come by creating a
highly skilled, highly educated workforce. We must increase funding for
our public university and community college systems, and for research
and development, in order to promote a more highly skilled and highly
educated workforce. I am delighted to see the growth of small
businesses in my district. In the past few years, we have seen an array
of new businesses pop up. I am particularly pleased to see how local
residents have welcomed these new businesses. Small businesses such as
these are the heart of Maine’s economy.

Infrastructure priorities: The deferred maintenance of our roads and
bridges has created a huge backlog of projects, and has made some
stretches of highway and some bridges particularly dangerous to travel.
We must have a significant transportation bond this year. We must
change the policy that halts rush hour traffic on the Casco Bay Bridge
when ships need to arrive or leave. We must do a better job of working
with them before they enter the harbor and begin their approach.
Between 7:15 and 8:15 a.m., and 5:15 and 6:00 p.m., I can be assured of
calls from frustrated citizens. There must be a better way!

Spending priorities: 1.)Funding for infrastructure repair through a
transportation bond. 2.) Increased funding for research and
development; every dollar we spend returns $9 to $13 to the state in
matching funds. 3.) Increase our support to higher education.

Spending cuts: I have heard stories of bloated budgets, but have not
seen any actual incidents. But “OPEGA” has already been productive in
analyzing several areas of the state budget, and continues to audit
areas of the state government. They are the experts, and I am anxious
to see if they find those bloated areas.

Goals to accomplish: I want to work on the development of a true tax
reform package. I want to advance economic development by investing in
the university and community college systems, and by increasing funding
for research and development. And I want to continue the work of energy
efficiency that will reduce overall energy costs for everyone in the
state.

As you campaign, what are the issues voters bring up most often? I hear
concerns about the Federal Part D “doughnut hole.” We’ll need to step
in and protect our citizens from this federal failure. I hear concerns
about property taxes, which we must solve through an overall
restructuring of the tax system.

Three ways voters can differentiate you from your opponents: I am a
proven administrator and consensus builder. I encourage people to
contact me with their views, and I work hard to find answers to their
concerns. I believe in the power of citizens to work together to make a
difference, and am pleased to be a part of that work.