Kent Ackley

Unenrolled

Candidate’s Links:

Office Sought: Representative – District 82
Age: 49
Occupation: Registered Maine Guide, Small Business Owner
Education: BA Economics, Brown University, 1989 and MBA, Computer Information Systems, Bryant University 2002
Family: Married, 4 step children, 1 grand daughter
Hometown: Monmouth

Political experience

I am a Common Sense Independent, a regular citizen who has always paid attention to the issues and voted for policy and people, not the party line. I’m not ready to sit on the sidelines and let the parties own my democracy

Why are you running for office?

Around the dinner table, Mom (a lifelong Democrat) and Dad (a loyal Republican) would help my brothers and I understand all sides of a (sometimes heated) debate. I grew up to become an informed citizen who was willing to listen to new ideas, but understanding that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. When I registered to vote, I registered independent – and I always have been.
Today, parts of our political system are approaching a breaking point. An example is the “arsenic in well water” abatement bill that was sabotaged in the last session by four changed votes. When he changed his vote, my Representative declared the bill was ineffective, and government overreach. He’s mistaken.
This bill would have required landlords to disclose well tests to tenants (not something that is currently required). In addition, it would have educated families about the consequences of drinking arsenic contaminated well water: a Columbia University study shows that children lose an average of 5 IQ points and adults can get cancer. Kennebec County (Maine’s capital of bedrock arsenic) is in the middle of a slow motion drinking water crisis. It’s estimated that 25% of wells in Litchfield, Monmouth, and Wales are contaminated, but still in use.
So why am I running? Because I’m being misrepresented. Public health information is not government overreach. It is what gives everyday families information to protect themselves. This issue is not that government is too big, or too small – it’s government that is smart.
That’s just common sense.

• Income Tax: Gov. LePage would like to lower Maine’s income tax rate and eventually eliminate it, by increasing the state’s sales tax and expanding it across a broader range of goods and services. Do you support this proposal?
  • Yes

    Common sense tax breaks begin with Mainers in the lowest tax bracket. This is where we will get the greatest economic bang for the buck because the extra money left in Mainers pockets gets recycled into the local economy. The substitution of sales tax for income tax will work for Maine if: it is revenue neutral, starts at the bottom of the income scale and works up, and includes a refundable tax credit so that no one (especially low income Mainers) is paying more in taxes because the sales tax rate increased.

• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • Yes

    I’m for common sense gun laws, and I stand with the Maine Chiefs of Police Association on this issue. Responsible gun ownership in Maine has never been a problem. In the current climate of concern for international and domestic terror, condoning anonymous firearm purchases in Maine presents an unnecessary risk.

• Minimum Wage:
  In light of the ballot question facing voters this fall, do you support raising the state’s minimum wage from $7.50 to $12 an hour by 2020?
  
  • Yes

    When it comes the wages of working Mainers, it only common sense to support them. For Mainers to be successful, they need to earn a living wage. The best means for effective and dramatic welfare reform in Maine are jobs that support families. That’s just common sense.

• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • Yes

    I’m for common sense marijuana regulation. Prohibition didn’t work in 1928 and it doesn’t work now. Let’s face it: Our current approach is ineffective. Today we have a pervasive, unregulated, black market for marijuana that puts money in the wrong people’s pockets. Focusing law enforcement resources on opioids and using the revenue generated by marijuana regulation, we can get to work combating the addictions and drug abuse that have a much greater impact on the everyday lives of Mainers.

• Addiction/Overdoses: Do you believe the state is doing enough in response to the rise in heroin/opiate addiction and overdoses? If not, what else should be done?
  • Common sense says more needs to be done leveraging law enforcement and increasing access to treatment, but the highest priority (and most cost effective, by every measure) should be put on prevention. That means focusing on preventative health care access, education programs for young people, and smart social work for Mainers at risk.

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