Dave Emery, R-Rockland, is seeking the Senate seat for District 12, which comprises Appleton, Camden, Cushing, Friendship, Hope, Isle au Haut, Matinicus, North Haven, Owls Head, Rockport, Rockland, St. George, Thomaston, South Thomaston, Union and Warren.

A native of Rockland, Dave Emery has served his state and the nation as a two-term State Representative, a four-term Congressman, and as the deputy director of the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency during the Reagan Administration. After returning home to Maine, Dave served for a brief period as the interim president of Thomas College in Waterville. He is a 1970 Electronic Engineering graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts.

During the time he represented Maine's First District in Congress he served on the House Armed Services Committee and became an expert in naval and sea power issues. He also sat on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee where he was an active advocate for fishermen and for various environmental and conservation issues. He served as Chief Deputy Republican Whip during the 97th Congress.

In 1983, he was appointed Deputy Director of the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency by President Reagan. During this critical time, he traveled throughout the world promoting US and NATO arms control strategies, often debating with opposing groups overseas. During the fall of 1984, he represented the United States at the First Committee of the United Nations in New York City and Geneva, Switzerland.

In 1989, Dave served as the interim president of Thomas College in Waterville, and on its board of trustees. As president, he was responsible for devising and implementing a development plan; for overseeing and managing the overall operation of the College; and representing the College at Academic and other functions. It was during this period following his return that Dave Emery founded Scientific Marketing and Analysis to provide public opinion research and analysis; public policy guidance and marketing strategies; political consulting and strategy development for referendum elections and candidates; and legislative and government relations.

His wife, Carol, is a Rockland attorney. They have one son, Albert, a physician, who is in his thurd year of residency at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor.

What are the most pressing issues facing Maine today, and how would you like to see them resolved?

Opiates

Prevention of opiate addiction is always better than finding an effective treatment. Doctors must resist the temptation to over-prescribe opiate narcotics following a surgical procedure or as a response to patient complaints of chronic or non-specific pain. It is necessary to periodically review protocols that specify dosage and duration of prescriptions; shorter courses will limit access but still allow the physician to intervene if pain control is inadequate.

Unfortunately, the detoxification versus methadone debate overlooks the fundamental fact that different people have different body chemistries, and no two people will necessarily respond the same way to any given treatment strategy. Some will react well to detoxification; others will become easily addicted to opiates and cannot break dependency through detoxification alone.

A practical state strategy will be to recognize the great need for both approaches, and apply either, as indicated, based upon the individual's history and medical profile.

Economic Growth and Job Creation

A strategic plan for economic growth is essential for Maine. Practical solutions to most issues and problems require funding, and funding either means additional tax revenue or it means cuts in some other area. The only way to achieve additional revenue without raising taxes or without sacrificing other needs is an expanding economy. More profitable businesses hiring more employees mean a larger tax base to generate more tax revenue.

Any successful economic growth strategy must be built around several factors: building and maintaining a modern transportation system to promote convenient access and passage of tourists, products, goods and services and raw materials through our state; creating a first-class education system that prepares our youth for the modern economy, that recognizes that different career paths and expectations require different skills, and that inspires our youth to grow intellectually and to develop their natural skills to complement their interests; expanding Maine's current efforts to extend fast Internet access to more communities as a major catalyst for business growth and for personal connectivity; encouraging greater use of renewable energy and clean fossil fuels to reduce our dependency on oil; expanding upon the Administration's zero-based budget initiative to control spending and promote program efficiency; and finally, to create a review process for business and environmental regulations patterned on zero-based budget analysis procedures that will give state government a measure of their effectiveness, efficiency, cost, impact on business and compatibility with state and community policy goals.

How will you protect the local (municipal) taxpayer as you help shape a state budget?

Unfunded state mandates (state requirements that municipalities are expected to fund) add to the local tax burden, often without a corresponding value to the municipality. This is a poor public policy that ought to be avoided; mandates should be accompanied by an appropriate source of funding so that the burden is not shifted from the State to the cities and towns. As stated in the paragraph above, the Legislature should reaffirm its previous commitment to funding education at the 55% level and increase its commitment to Revenue Sharing in order to reduce the municipal property tax burden.

What policies would you create and promote to build Maine's natural resource-based economy?

The key to building Maine's natural resource-based economic sector is science-based conservation and management. In my answer to question #5 (just below), I discuss the writing of the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson Act) and touch on the principle of science-based management as it applies to fisheries. The basic principles of conservation and management certainly apply to forestry, as well. Just as the health of our commercial fishery depends upon a science-based understanding of sustainable yield and other policies that promote a healthy ocean environment, our forest industry benefits from harvesting practices that protect lakes and rivers, the forest soil, and that promote reforestation.

What policies would you create and promote to sustain the natural resources of this state (fisheries, timber, mining)?

I served in Congress at the time that the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson Act) was written and passed, and I was active in the writing of the House version of that bill. The final version that we wrote combined the so-called '200 mile limit' proposal with fisheries conservation and management. We knew at the time that years of over-fishing by foreign factory ships in waters adjacent to New England had seriously depleted traditional fish stocks such as cod and haddock, and that these species would never recover a sustainable population and become, once again, commercially viable unless we instituted quotas and management rules to prevent over-fishing while the populations recovered. And it worked! No one would argue that it has been perfect; quotas, closings, limited entry, by-catch rules and the like can seem unfair and bureaucratic, but these have been some of the tools that have been successfully used to bring the New England fishery back from the brink. We relied on good science to determine the levels of commercial fishing that would permit the species to recover and grow; this level of fishing is known as Optimal Sustainable Yield. The key point is that the rules were based on science, and as the science has improved, we have become better at fisheries management.

Inshore lobstering was specifically left out of the Magnuson Act; lobster management has been left to the states. But the baitfish species that the lobster fishery depends upon, primarily menhaden (pogies) and herring, are Federally managed. This summer's bait shortage should remind us that the health of the Maine lobster industry is directly linked to the health of the baitfish population. Seine and trawler fishermen have told me that they believe there is enough unreported baitfish stock to justify increased quotas. Again, good science is necessary to determine if this is really so. Modern electronics and instrumentation could be fitted onto every fishing vessel to constantly monitor and track the fish it encounters. Enough vessels outfitted with such equipment could greatly improve the quantity and the quality of data used by the Management Councils and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to set the quotas. This improved data would, over time, provide a much more complete picture of the health and sustainability of the baitfish stocks, hopefully confirming the trawler captains' observations.

In the meantime, it is very unwise from a conservation and management viewpoint to open the lobster license waiting list. Such a decision would result in increased pressure on the baitfish quotas, causing early closure and an even more severe bait shortage that would adversely affect nearly all Maine lobstermen. There has to be a balance between the available bait and the number of lobstermen who are competing for it. Too much pressure can threaten the health of the entire $500 million industry, and that would be a tragedy. Good science can help us find and maintain that essential balance.

What is your position on alternative energy and public investment into it?

Renewable energy is clearly the key to providing a substantial portion of our future energy supplies, but the most aggressive states (California, for example) understand that renewables will not come close to providing 100 percent of our energy needs within the foreseeable future. California is sunnier and 'greener' than any other state in the U.S., but California's comprehensive plan for reducing greenhouse gases by 40 percent relative to 1990 emission levels calls for ONLY 50 percent renewable energy. The same comprehensive plan calls for the extensive use of cogeneration, a well-accepted process that generates electricity from burning clean fossil fuels and produces steam using the exhaust heat. Cogeneration systems can be as much as 80 percent efficient, saving fuel and save money, and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Successful use of renewable technology demands that it be coupled it with conservation and energy efficiency standards. You will easily see that adding a solar or geothermal system to a home without proper insulation and leaky windows and doors will be as wasteful of heat as a home with a conventional oil burner. In many cases, adding insulation and replacing inefficient windows and doors will save a substantial amount of energy and money. Therefore, improving energy efficiency is the first line of defense. The correct energy strategy is to emphasize energy efficiency first, adding renewable technology where practical and economically feasible.

We must remember that one size doesn't fit all. The most appropriate renewable technology for a given installation might be solar, might be geothermal, or it might be something else; or in many cases, renewable energy might not be a cost-effective choice. At the end of the day, a home or business owner's decision to install a renewable system has to make economic sense as well as environmental sense. If the homeowner cannot afford the system or if the payback period is too long, then as much as it might seem to be the responsible and 'green' thing to do, it simply will not work from a practical economic point of view. Like it or not, this real-world consideration cannot be ignored.

Natural gas is an excellent transition fuel because it is efficient to use, burns substantially cleaner than either fuel oil or coal, and because it is a simple molecule it produces fewer greenhouse gases. As stated, even 'green' California counts on natural gas, and cogeneration, as key elements to reach their aggressive emissions goal.

A sound and practical energy policy for the State of Maine should include the following: Aggressive energy conservation and energy efficiency standards; facilitating the use of renewable energy systems (primarily solar, wind, geothermal) where feasible; adopting policies that encourage the replacement of dirty fossil fuels with cleaner fuels; and encouraging the use of efficient fossil fuel systems, such as cogeneration, for appropriate industrial and commercial applications.

What is your position on the five citizen initiatives that are before voters Nov. 8?

Question #1 - No.

Over the past ten years or so, I have occasionally worked as a consultant for various community non-profit organizations concerned about substance abuse in the adolescent and high school age population. They are greatly concerned about the impact of alcohol, marijuana and the unauthorized use of prescription drugs and pain killers within this age group. Their focus is to help parents learn how to communicate effectively with their teens and how to help each other as parents to help teens resist peer pressure and avoid risky behavior. Making marijuana available as a legal commercial product will only complicate this effort by making marijuana even more readily available that it already is. I support the availability of marijuana as a physician-prescribed drug for pain control, and I favor decriminalization of private use (it makes no sense to burden the court system with users). But I oppose making marijuana a commercial product.

Question #2 - No.

The proposed 3 percent surcharge on persons making over $200,000 is poor public policy. Maine needs to address the question of achieving a level of 55 percent state funding for public education, but the revenue necessary for this goal should be raised from a combination of sources, not just from the taxation of income of one segment of Maine's economy. There should also be a means to ensure that property taxes are reduced accordingly. Moreover, any proposed changes to the tax structure should be carefully analyzed since such changes can have a wide-ranging effect on job creation and economic growth as well as on revenue.

Question #3 - No.

The Bloomberg proposal, Question 3 on this Fall's referendum ballot, is a big city, high-crime-area law that does not and should not apply to Maine. Maine has a long history of hunting and responsible gun ownership. The very restrictive language of this proposal will make it risky for responsible sportsmen and gun enthusiasts to loan or transfer their guns without possibly being in violation of the law. It is simply not fair or reasonable to restrict the rights responsible Maine people who are not part of the problem.

Question #4 - No.

Minimum wage increases are always politically popular but are not necessarily good public policy. Increasing the minimum wage effectively increments the entire wage scale by a similar amount, thereby increasing labor costs for business across the board, making some businesses less competitive. This often results in layoffs, reduced hours and fewer benefits for workers, or increased prices for labor-produced goods and services. I would have supported the Republican compromise proposal calling for a phased $10 minimum wage as a significant increase over the current minimum wage of $7.50. Should the ballot measure fail, the new incoming legislature will likely reconsider the issue and hopefully a reasonable compromise minimum wage can be agreed upon.

The only real answer to low wages in Maine is economic growth. An expanding economy creates new businesses and generates more income for existing businesses. This results in more jobs, higher wages and more benefits for workers.

Question #5- No.

I am very skeptical of ranked-choice voting because it is not a transparent system. On Election Night, voters and candidates await the results and (with the exception of a very close race requiring a recount) the results are clearly known as soon as the votes have been counted. Not so with ranked-choice voting. In cases where there are three or more choices, the final count would be tabulated later and not known on election night. This process could make a recount or other ballot dispute a nightmare to resolve. In my opinion, the simplest voting procedure is the best procedure, and is also the one least likely to be confusing or easy to manipulate. If Mainers want to resolve elections where no candidate gets 50%, let's have a runoff election.

What issues are emerging from your conversations with the public as you go about your campaign, and what solutions do you envision?

Maine people are very concerned about the tone and demeanor of politicians and elected officials, and have expressed to me their great desire to see more civility in the political process. I couldn't agree more! Recent trends toward partisanship and division in both Washington and Augusta have frustrated our ability to address critical problems and work together to find solutions to them. This has to stop. It is up to each candidate and every elected official to embrace the highest level of ethical standards and demeanor with respect to their personal and professional conduct. And most importantly, it is time to insist that our elected officials treat each other, and their constituents, with the respect to which they are entitled. Only when this happens will Congress and the State legislature begin to earn back the public's confidence.

A recent Maine Dept. of Labor report indicates the work force will get even older, and more jobs will require post-secondary education. How will you work to build a knowledge-based economy when so many of Maine high school graduates do not seek higher education?

A knowledge-based economy is one in which the 'product' is primarily information and intellectual property rather than traditional services or manufactured goods. A key to achieving long-term economic stability for Maine is diversity. My first observation is that Maine cannot base its future economy around any one sector or approach; that is, there will be a 'knowledge-based' sector, a 'resource-based' sector and more traditional manufacturing and service sectors, as well.

With respect to the 'knowledge-based' sector, there are several policy points to address. The first of these is building an education system that inspires high school students to develop an intellectual curiosity. This can be accomplished by making school relevant to the real world that surrounds them. That is, to encourage them to pursue areas of particular interest to them, whether those areas are science and math, reading and literature, art and music, or mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC or other trade skills. Most importantly, the education system must understand statewide demographics, employment trends and identify areas and skill sets most needed by Maine employers; that is, we must prepare our students for jobs that are likely to exist when they enter the workforce.

Improving and expanding the access to fast Internet service is extremely important to growing the 'knowledge-based' sector. Maine has made a reasonably good start at promoting the availability of Internet services throughout the state, but much more needs to be done. Fast internet is essential for information-based businesses and for individuals who work at home for these companies. That means more fiber optic connectivity in areas of smaller population.

Another critical issue is the availability of college to Maine students at an affordable cost. Online services extend access to college courses to anywhere having adequate Internet service, and that trend should be encouraged. The University of Maine system should expand this sort of access as a way to make college available at an affordable cost to Maine students who are financially unable or unwilling to live and study on campus. I will also note that many major colleges and universities now offer their courses online, absolutely free. This is essentially a means for an interested person to audit a class remotely. There is no college credit earned, no degree awarded, and no personal interaction with the instructor, but it is a means for a person to gain critical knowledge and skill within an area of interest.

 Is Maine doing enough to accommodate the successful assimilation of immigrants?

In 2006, the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research conducted an academic study to determine, among other things, whether or not today's immigrants were assimilating at a slower rate than earlier waves of immigrants, and to determine if there was some quantitative measure to determine when a class of immigrants were, in fact, fully assimilated into U.S. society. One of the participants, Professor Jacob Vigdor from Duke University, devised an index from such markers as home ownership, language, marital status, income and citizenship. His conclusion was that when the index profile of the immigrant class was indistinguishable from the US population, then the class was fully assimilated. It was also noted that such quantitative measures are by no means an ideal way to measure assimilation. The study does show, however, some underlying factors. In most cases, the first generation has the hardest time, given the need to adapt to social, cultural and language differences. The second generation, however, has a foot in both cultures, usually being bi-cultural and bi-lingual. The third generation, however, is usually thoroughly assimilated.

It is important to understand that there is a difference between 'forced assimilation' and 'integration'. We cannot and should not expect to strip an immigrant of his culture and make him an American overnight. Not only is that resented, but it deprives us of the advantages of the cultural diversity that has always been the great strength of America. Accordingly, the best approach for Maine is to facilitate a respectful 'incorporation' of immigrants through our communities, by employers and particularly through the schools at all levels. The education system is particularly important; it should be noted that the learning experience goes both ways by broadening our own cultural diversity as a state as we welcome new citizens.

What is the best legislative activity that has occurred in Augusta over the last six years. This does not have to mean legislative action, but can include collaboration, research, etc.

While serving as the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Administrative and Financial Affairs in 2011 and 2012, I worked on the first zero-based budgeting project in state history. Going back to the Longley Commission in the early 1970s, there have been other attempts to reorganize state government in order to achieve greater savings and efficiency, but that and subsequent attempts did not use zero-based budgeting analysis. Contrary to common thought, this process is more than a numbers exercise. This was an effort to identify every function in DAFS (the Department of Administrative and Financial Affairs was the 'guinea pig') and to identify the role of every employee with a view to finding duplication, inefficiency and illogical organization. The great advantage of this exercise was the detailed 'down in the weeds' examination of programs and administration that it afforded; the downside was the time that it took to complete and the complexity of the reported findings. I came away from this process with the sense that if the procedure could be refined, and if it could become an ongoing function of government rather than a one-time exercise imposed on an agency, there would be a constant flow of feedback to help managers and executives (as well as the Governor and the Legislature) to improve the efficiency and cost of government.

How would you define "good state government?"

I prefer a state government that is lean and efficient rather than one that is expansive. A good state government will do its primary functions well: maintaining roads and infrastructure, ensuring public safety, administering the judicial system, providing the framework for public education, facilitating commerce and industry, regulating the use of our natural resources and maintaining the social safety net. A good state government will resist the temptation to over-regulate, subsidize or unnecessarily inject itself into decisions best made at the municipal or personal level. But most of all, a good state government will listen to and be responsive to the citizens of the state and will respect their wishes and aspirations in all matters.

Is there any other topic or issue you'd like to talk about here? Have at it!

Reducing Property Taxes.

The 120th Maine Legislature established a goal of state funding of education at a level of 55%. This goal was established for two important reasons: first, to ensure adequate funding for Maine schools; and second, to relieve property owners of an ever-increasing burden of funding education primarily through the property tax. In recent years, the state commitment has slipped, leaving our cities and towns to pick up the difference. At the same time, the Legislature's commitment to Revenue Sharing has also slipped, leaving municipalities with fewer dollars for local public works and infrastructure maintenance. Rockland's situation serves as a case in point. The State's share of Rockland's education funding has slipped to about 35%, and Rockland has also lost $750,000 in Revenue Sharing monies over the past decade. But Rockland is also facing significant infrastructure expenses for the library, sewer and storm water separation mandated by the EPA, and repairs to the Wastewater Treatment Facility. Rockland's mill rate is currently 21.72 at 100 percent valuation, a figure that may be difficult to maintain without relief; other cities and towns throughout Maine face a similar burden. The solution must include a new commitment to State Revenue Sharing, implementing a strategy to move toward the 55% education funding goal, and State bonding for environmental and wastewater infrastructure improvements. There must also be a corresponding reduction of local property taxes as the 55% goal is reached, to be implemented through a formula that takes population, valuation and tax effort into account.