By Nate Jones

Staff writer

While reading the first few lines of the article titled “Dirigo: Fix it up or shut it down,” readers may imagine an annoyed and possibly angry citizen who has had a less than positive experience with the state-run health insurance program. It doesn’t take long for it to become apparent that the narrative voice criticizing the shortfalls of the Dirigo program is not some disgruntled, insurance-less taxpayer, but the former Executive Director of the Dirigo Health Agency Tom Dunne.

“Dirigo was well-intended, but it represents the unexamined life,” he said. 

Little did Dunne know his critique of Dirigo – the program he spearheaded for nearly a year and a half – would serve as a springboard for what could be the beginning of a new career in politics. Shortly after the article printed he received a phone call from a Republican senator.

“I told them I wasn’t registered in either party, and they said that was OK, they still wanted me to run for the State Senate,” he said. “Basically they told me ‘Get off the bleachers and get in the game.’”

Dunne, 51, has launched his campaign for State Senate for District 7, which includes Cape Elizabeth South Portland and the coastal portion of Scarborough. He will be running against State Rep. Lawrence Bliss, the democratic nominee.

“As ‘Joe Citizen,’ I believe the state has been generous and needs to look at its priorities. [The message] was received well by both parties, my wife said ‘yes,’ and here I am,” he said.

Dunne said he plans on using skills developed during his working and retirement years to help prevent overspending at the state level. It wouldn’t be the first time he has been thrust into a situation to initiate change – for 20 years he served as a corporate consultant for non-profit and corporate entities in dire need of reorganization, mergers or shifts in focus. 

“The first step is to find out where you really are and determine where you ought to be,” he said. “It takes a willingness to compromise, try things and be willing to be better.”

 Able to retire at a young age, Dunne said he now considers himself a full-time volunteer. 

“I have flown over one million miles – I counted them – and once I flew around the world in a single day. I lived in an airport,” he said. “I really wanted to come back to Maine. It’s nice to earn money, but it’s really nice to change the world around you.”

Since moving to Cape Elizabeth with his wife in 2003, Dunne has taught at the Muskie School of Public Service and volunteered as the first executive director of Ingraham, a social services agency serving people with substance abuse and mental health issues. 

“When you call in the middle of the night, these are the people who are always there,” he said. 

Although originally placed in the executive director position only until a permanent replacement could be found for Ingraham, Dunne began receiving phone calls from other social services agencies his second day on the job. 

“People were calling and asking if [we could] have discussions about how to better serve people,” he said. “So my duty became not only to find a replacement but to look into some different options and avenues for Ingraham.”

After two and a half months, Dunne said executives at Ingraham realized a merger was “in the best interests of society” and joined with another social services agency, Youth Alternatives in South Portland, four months later. 

“It’s been about a year since then and from what I hear it’s turned out fantastic,” he said. 

Dunne said part of the problem facing the current legislators in Augusta is their tendency to make polarized statements and extreme policies that fail to consider all parties involved. 

“It becomes too prickly to find the common middle. I heard Maine has more laws than Florida. We’ve become overly busy,” he said. 

Entering the political arena without political experience can be intimidating, but Dunne said he has had “good coaching from friends on both sides of the aisle” and is willing to learn “on the job.”

“Nine out of 10 mornings I wake up and am happy I’m running,” he said. “One woman asked me what I thought about pensions for firemen, and I said ‘I don’t know yet.’ I won’t pretend to be deep in areas I don’t know. It’s not about you talking, it’s about you listening.”

While Dunne said he is looking forward to learning about unfamiliar issues, some are familiar enough for him to take a stance. When it comes to energy, he said he acknowledges a need for improvement but also is aware any change is going to take time.

“I don’t know where the wind farms are going to go, but I hope to heck we have the capability to transport the electricity they generate,” he said. “We need to ask, ‘How do we get prepared?’”

Dunne said he believes education is critical to the future and should not be subjected to a “perpetual evolution” of change.

“Every year they keep tuning and tuning. Try something, freeze it, and move forward,” he said. “I happen to live in a community that said they wanted more school funding, which says OK, maybe [school reorganization] is the right message.”

[The interview took place before Cape Elizabeth voters rejected a second budget as too high July 22.]

One of the problems with the “unsustainable growth” in public spending is that it creates unsustainable jobs, Dunne said.

“Maine is a great place to live, just not to work. It’s about jobs,” he said. “We have not been fiscally responsible for the next generation. Better, more secure jobs means prosperity.”

How does Dunne plan on tackling these issues, along with the increasing cost of healthcare, preserving the environment and lowering taxes? 

By “asking big, bold questions,” he said.

“It seems to me like the city of Portland took more specific action to their budget than the State of Maine, why is that?” he asked. “We need to stop and take a breath. It’s no different than a household that has to step back and prioritize. Using a credit card to pay your taxes is not good. [The state] isn’t that bad, but we’re not far away either.”

Dunne said he believes he can be effective as long as people are willing to listen. 

“At the end of the game, people will listen. If that’s not what it’s about, it’s OK, I’ll lose,” he said. “If I’m not good, I owe it to the people to say so and get out.”

To learn more about Dunne’s campaign for State Senate call 767-5692 or email thomasjdunne@gmail.com.