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Maine News Interview With U.S. Maine Senate Candidate Tom Ledue Maine News (Alex Hammer): Tom, why are you the best candidate for U.S. Senator from Maine in the - The Common Good I am bringing forth a broad scope of integrated, consistent and coherent thought. I am not a two, five or seven issue candidate. I am running on multiple ideas and issues that will require assertive, slightly impatient and visionary leadership that demand change; I have not set out to make a marketing plan to get elected. Rather I have asked with my team: “How are we off course as a nation and how can we best set a new course for Maine and the Nation?” I am not playing it safe vying for a hollow political middle. Rather, I seek to bring concrete, common sense issues and solutions to the table that will make a difference. I have brought forth very specific ideas in every policy area. The reach of my platform is wide. The common sense of Maine that I bring forward will appeal across party lines. There is no aisle to reach across. We are all in this together. My message is based upon the promise of the ideals of our country and not based upon traditional political thinking. Fiscal prudence and social justice are not mutually exclusive – in fact they go hand in hand to build a strong nation and a vigorous economy. Somehow Washington has decided that we need to sacrifice our economic security and national security to fund an economy that relies on corporate imperialism, war, waste, finite reserves of fossil fuels, and the exploitation of people and places around the world economy. I just don’t believe that is the best way to maintain healthy capitalism and it certainly is not the best way to invest in the foundation of our people or in the future that puts the American Dream within reach of every American. Washington is broken – if we do not change the players, the game will remain the same. As a parent of four young daughters and as an educator who has worked shoulder to shoulder with Maine people for over twenty years I offer a different kind of experience than that of career politicians. I see our problems from the trenches of trying to serve Maine people in our communities and from the perspective of trying to raise a family in these challenging times. I will represent the people of Maine in the United States Senate with a commitment to keep the needs of our people and our great country at the heart of every day and at the heart of every decision, steadfastly immune to the political and corporate pressure that will seek to corrupt that commitment. There is no time for business as usual. Maine News: Two of your opponents, including the incumbent, are well known, generally highly regarded, longstanding political figures. In comparing yourself to them, you’ve stated, Can you provide details in regard to how specifically these differences that you view manifest themselves, providing examples in the context of the duties of a US Senator from Maine? Also, what are the specific actions, votes or decisions of your opponents that have led you to the above conclusions? Tom Ledue: A United States Senator must have a clear and transparent vision of the direction that he or she intends to help lead our country. For both of these candidates I see a lack of a clearly defined vision of how we can move forward as a people to capture the promise of our ideals for all people. I do not see either of them as champions of the politics of the possible. Rather I see elected officials who have settled into styles of leadership that either maintain the status quo or inch forward when it is perceived as a good time to do so. Their leadership styles are not transformative. Our Nation is at a critical point in its history. We need transformative leadership, leadership that is in a hurry to protect and promote the inalienable rights of all Americans. We are ill served by leadership that fails to invest our tax dollars in our people while serving special interests instead, or leadership that fails to uphold the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. While dealing with problems as they arise is important, dealing with issues before they become national problems is more important. For example, my education platform is based on the goal to find effective ways of offering comprehensive and effective education for everyone. This begins with preschool and sees our students through high school, to college and beyond – as far as they need to go to be as productive as they can be. The size of one’s wallet should not determine educational access. Senator Collins makes news when she sponsors legislation to give a $300.00 tax credit to teachers. While this is great and it helps a lot of people, it is a small gesture. We need leadership that will pursue a substantive vision that will create real change, investment in our people that will support them so that they can support themselves and contribute to the common good. In a reactionary style, Senator Collins deals with problems as they arise and then offers band-aids or stop gaps to fix them. One example is the energy crisis that we face. This is not a new issue, and we have been aware of the insecurity caused by over reliance on fossil fuels for at least forty years. In recent months Senator Collins has trumpeted her support of LIHEAP. This is an example of managerial leadership applying small bandages when needs become acute enough to get attention. While LIHEAP has served as an important safety net for many Maine families this year, it was only necessary because of the lack of visionary leadership in years prior. Susan Collins has had over eleven years to work towards our energy independence and failed Mainers when she failed to vote for S.AMDT.784 that would have pushed the country to reduce oil imports 40% by 2025. Such a measure in combination would cut worldwide demand significantly, thus dropping prices in the short term. Combined with other efforts to promote wind, solar and geothermal energy it would have done much to provide true security and for our country and our pocketbooks. In addition to energy security, Senator Collins’ work in homeland security has been troubling at times. Her support of the Patriot Act in addition to her introduction of S. 1959, the “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007” in the Senate makes me think of the Red Scare from the last century. The language of this bill is so vague, that one could argue any politically minded group of citizens with dissenting opinions and a desire for change could be targeted. Combined with her support for the Real ID Act, an unfunded mandate that fails to protect privacy while potentially leading to more identity theft, I fear that we are on a course for a brave new world where people are less secure and have less freedom. Congressman Allen has filled his role as a Representative in a safe fashion. I am sure that there is reason for doing this in the sometimes-venomous atmosphere of the present day Congress. While I am also sure that the atmosphere in Washington has not beaten the passion for Democracy out of all of our Congressmen and Congresswomen; I think it has left many of them always looking for the safe ground. I am not sure if this is why Congressman Allen refuses to hold the executive branch accountable and support impeachment hearings. Playing it safe will not safeguard the rights and freedoms that so many of our servicemen, servicewomen and the great leaders of our past gave their energy and in some cases their lives to build and ensure for us. I will fight to restore the vision of our forefathers who wrote the Constitution with insistence upon proper checks and balances of power. I will be more assertive in developing legislation that serves the common good, even if it initially seems that there is not enough support for success. I will use my position as a Senator to bring forth ideas that need to be heard, from redirecting some of our military spending to increase our energy security to redirecting subsidies away from corporate giants and toward our local communities. Maine News: According to a recent press account in Foster’s Daily Democrat, http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080201/NEWS0104/217527883: “Thomas Ledue, a Sanford Democrat, has raised between $15,000 and $20,000 so far, according his campaign manager. Ledue did not file with the FEC until after Dec. 31, so he was not required to file a fundraising report for the last quarter, Doak said.” Will you be able to raise an amount of money to be seen as a viable candidate by the media and others, and if so, how will you do so? Maine News: Your website, http://tomledue.com/, has some nice features. Can you detail some of them? Tom Ledue: Thank you – that is indeed a compliment coming from someone as experienced with the technology as you appear to be. “Meet Tom” provides readers with a quick introduction to my life complete with a variety of snapshots of my life that provide context for my candidacy. “Goals and Issues” is the great strength of the site because of the coherence and common sense of the ideas presented within it. All of our policy ideas are packaged into four goals and each goal is supported across all major policy areas. The principles and framework sections offer a clear vision for the voters to evaluate. This is important. People can read the framework of thought that I am committed to. As good as the site is now, we are still evolving different aspects. One feature that will be live shortly is what we call the Ledue Local button. This will utilize a fairly new Web 2.0 application. We believe this will be the first political campaigns to use such methodology. In some ways it will seem similar to a campaign-centered Facebook or My Space environment. It was built for the educational community and it allows for expansion on ideas. We invite people to contribute their thoughts here; the usual protocol of decorum will be maintained and expected, but we really want people to weigh in on our policy directions. We want them to tell us their stories, compare what is going on in their lives to what we are offering and see if our solution fits or needs adjustments. This is a conversation that we want to begin now and our goal is to keep it going throughout the campaign and beyond. Maine News (Alex Hammer): On your “Why Tom” page, http://tomledue.com/?page_id=13, you discuss your view in regard to a deterioration of conditions in Maine necessitating an “uncommon vision”. A similar concern that Maine’s challenges require new vision led me to run for Governor of Maine in 2006: This Great State. On your “Goals / Issues” page, http://tomledue.com/?page_id=7, you state in part: and on your “Principles” page, http://tomledue.com/?page_id=8, you write in part: Tie this together for us if you would. What should people walk away with to remember? Where does it come from? What is unique? Tom Ledue: What is unique and what I want people to remember is that there is a framework of thought and a plan presented here for how we can reclaim our greatness as a country.These thoughts were gathered and forged by a group of ordinary citizens concerned that our country is not headed in the right direction. That work led to my candidacy. Nearly all of this work was created by volunteer effort. No marketing or polling specialists were consulted. We did not concern ourselves with what democrats want to hear. Rather, we asked, “What are the problems? What change needs to be made? How do we get there? What makes sense? “ The thoughts we forged and the thoughts upon which I build my candidacy are of national significance. I want people to take away that there is a large disconnect between the federal government and the people struggling to keep their bills paid. When people ask about why property taxes are going up so fast or why the state has to cut services due to shortfalls, but the federal government has the money to dole out a $150-200 billion “stimulus package” – no one is shouting about the disconnect. Taxes are used to provide the infrastructure that allows companies to grow and create jobs and make the country strong. When capitalism is allowed to work in its simple form; a need is identified and filled by a supplier who is compensated by a consumer, communities thrive. What we have now is a system that creates false needs to maintain the status quo for those that make the most money from it. (Start of underline) If we simply changed our investment priorities as a nation to prioritize investment in our people and communities we would find that we can create a country in which all of us can have the opportunity for the American Dream (end of underline) rather than the deep despair felt by a great percentage of our people. As we talk with people around the state, we know that more and more people are recognizing the insanity – especially since more and more people are falling behind. Maine is not creating the jobs it needs to participate in the global economy. Indeed our nation is lagging behind in the new, clean and green economy that the rest of the world is taking the lead in. Even China refused US cars until US automakers agreed to more fuel-efficient standards. There is a real lack of common sense at our federal level – common sense that says the greed of our system cannot be sustained. Every action or inaction we decide upon has impact on the rest of the planet. By recognizing this interdependence we can build relationships and use best practices in all areas where challenges exist to reduce needless suffering across the street and across the globe. Our society is broken in its foundation to provide for the commonwealth of all citizens. Here, in the words of Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations: No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable. It is but equity, besides, that they who feed, clothe and lodge the whole body of the people, should have such a share of the produce of their own labour as to be themselves tolerably well fed, clothed and lodged.” Working together toward a vision that promotes the promise of our ideals for all of our people, we can create a stronger, more secure and and more economically sustainable nation. Maine News: If you were US Senator from Maine, what is the first five things that you would do for the state, and why? Tom Ledue: 2. I would work to strengthen Maine Communities by shifting our national subsidy priorities toward local, small business that are the lifeblood of local economies. In doing so we can support local solutions for critical problems especially through the support of 3+4. I would work to develop a stable and sustainable economy by: Working to dramatically reduce our dependence on fossil fuels by supporting clean power generation and committing to cut our carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, on pace for 10% in three years. 5. I would work to assert collaborative international leadership by: Maine News: How should a US Senator be judged? Tom Ledue: Any elected official should be judged by how well they uphold the charge of their office, The Constitution, and how well they take the lead in issues that effect the people who put them there – by this I mean the voters not the donors. It is important to respond to crises as they arise, but the best leadership is leadership that serves to anticipate pitfalls and problems and acts quickly to prevent the crisis from causing damage. There is much talk about potential crisis’ on the horizon – many of these are not news and yet we are left with a crisis of political will to address them head on. Maine News: In “Tom’s Journal”, http://tomledue.com/?cat=9, you wrote in part in your Jan 23 entry, Tom Ledue: Between our blog and our Ledue Local conversations we hope that the communication never ends. Communicating with our fellow citizens and with the state and local politicians is the only way we can be certain we are addressing the needs that Mainers prioritize. Keeping a Web log is new to me but as long as people find a value in it, we will keep it going. Maine News: What is the intended purposes, also, of your blog now during the campaign? Tom Ledue: Democracy depends on active participation in dialogue. The blog and our website is one tool for dialogue. We believe that every conversation has the potential to make our collective intelligence richer; we are all lifelong learners. The role of all of our communication will be to find and share examples of justice, compassion, enlightenment, hope and action that will lead to better answers for all of us. Maine News: What have been the most surprising, and also the most memorable, campaign experiences so far and why? Tom Ledue: There have not been many surprises. There have been many great memories. My favorite was talking with a group of old timers in Rangeley when one very stately man looked me in the eye and said, “Imagine what it would be like if we sent someone to Washington that we could really talk to.” This tone had been replicated in most places that I have been. There is a huge gap between the people and their government and my candidacy offers a hope of bridging that for people. Maine News: What else would you like to say to the people of Maine that we have not asked you? Tom Ledue: Let’s redefine homeland security. By focusing on local solutions to local problems, with the help of redirected Federal dollars, we can build warmer homes, local energy supplies, safer food and water supplies, stronger educational systems that better meet local demands, and a healthcare system that keep us all strong. If we expand our thought towards our neighbor, across the street and across the globe just a little, we can all sleep better at night. I once heard Sen. George Mitchell say – and I paraphrase – that “if a person is able to pick up a paycheck on Friday, they are less likely to pick up a gun.” If we are building our economy in the true fashion of capitalism, then we can all share the great wealth of our work. Knowing that all of these things can be accomplished without going into further debt will make us more secure as a nation. In Maine – far too many people are suffering. The chief reason they suffer is because of policies of inaction. Most of these people are from the vulnerable populations – the elderly, the young, and the mentally or physically impaired. The true measure of a society is in how it treats its most vulnerable citizen. (start of underline) We need to recognize that we have more than enough wealth to invest in adequate foundations for all of our people and our communities. We simply need to reassess how we use that wealth. We must put away the injustice of inaction and replace it with dignity and compassion. (end of underline) |
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Today our campaign path brought my daughter Natalie and I to Bangor where we met a new associate for lunch. After we continued on to the Bangor auditorium, the golden hall of Maine basketball, to visit with old friends. I was also able to introduce myself to new friends, shaking as many hands as possible with attendees of the event. Any Mainer and fan of basketball who has not watched a game at the auditorium needs to do so before it is rebuilt. It is an amazing place for basketball. Being there brought me back to my coaching days and made for a very enjoyable afternoon. |
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Tom recently attended the public hearing on trade held by the Citizen Trade Policy Commission to discuss the effects of NAFTA and other “free” trade agreements have on the State of Maine. Testimony was heard from a variety of citizens in regards to the environmental, social, economic, and human rights issues facing such agreements. While not anti-trade, the commission recognized the fact that the total costs must be considered when negotiating trade deals. Tom made some brief remarks on trade policy and the constitution, and later focused on the need for strict enforcable standards on fair labor, environmental, and human rights requirements with trading partners in order to level the playing for domestic business and minimizing the exploitation of foreign peoples and places in ways that we do not allow within our borders. We enforce these standards by barring access to our market. In the quest for making the cheapest possible product, we do great harm if the product is not manufactured under the same environmental and labor laws we have fought so hard for here at home. A brief overview of the nights events are detailed below from politickerme.com - Commission reviews trade deal’s affects on Maine businessBy Jessica Alaimo Maine has been hit hard by job losses, and most are quick to blame national trade agreements for the demise of the state’s factories and mills. The Citizen Trade Policy Commission, appointed by the Legislature, has been tasked to travel the state and talk to the public about the national trade deals, and then make sure the concerns are elevated to the federal level. Thursday, they met in South Portland where experts and residents spoke out against the proposed Columbian trade deal. Maine was the first state to establish such a commission. Since then Vermont and New Hampshire have followed. They all look at citizen-level impacts of trade agreements – how they affect Maine’s state and local laws, business environment and working conditions. The state’s commission includes six legislators and 13 others, both citizens and representatives from state departments. The citizens represent a variety of sectors – farmers, non-profit groups, human rights groups, etc… At the hearing, most were opposed to the Columbia deal. Many called for free trade, not fair trade. “What we call free trade agreements tend to be restricted,” said Professor John Leiby of the University of Maine at Orono, on the complex nature of the current international agreements. “People will lose jobs because of trade agreements.” Leiby said he doesn’t have a strong opinion about the Columbia deal. Professor Andreas Waldkirch of Colby College said trade agreements are beneficial in some capacities. He is opposed to the proposed Columbian deal, because it only benefits those in a higher income bracket, and it is also very complex, he said. Click here for video. UMO PhD student Stephano Tijerina said trade deals are first and foremost political. Also, “Always consider Canada’s interests behind this trade agreement. The U.S. is often followed by Canada,” he said. Click here for video. Congressman Mike Michaud said he has visited Columbian leaders, and said the human rights aspect of Columbian deals must be considered. In Columbia, union leaders are murdered, he said. Click here for video of his presentation. “It’s time we step back and see what trade agreements have done to these countries, and change that model,” Michaud said. After the experts spoke, it was the public’s turn. Some had lost their jobs. Others had public health and environmental concerns. One was concerned about trade agreements’ affects on people with disabilities. Kathy Robertson of Portland said trade agreements are linked to climate change. The U.S. has environmental standards, she said, so trade agreements allow those not willing to comply more freedom to go overseas. Members of the commission Peter Kellman of North Berwick is the president of the Southern Maine Labor Council, and spoke Thursday in that capacity. Kellman said he has been active in the labor union his whole life, and lost several jobs to trade agreements. He’s well versed on the subject. He said that not much has changed for working people since the 1970s – real wages haven’t changed since 1973. Trade agreements, however, are part of U.S. History, dating back to George Washington, when his brother’s company – the Ohio Company – made a deal with the British Empire. Out of that, the Commerce Clause of the Constitution was put in place, giving Congress the authority to manage trade activities. When Kellman looks at the 2008 slate of candidates, not many stand out, he said. He liked Dennis Kucinich’s views on trade – but he dropped out. Kellman doesn’t see much difference between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. All the First Congressional District Democrats he’s looked at are good on trade, he said. As for the Senate race, “Allen is better on trade agreements than Collins.” Kellman did single out one politician. “Michaud is the lead man in the U.S. Congress on the issue of trade,” Kellman said. “He’s made trips to other countries, and gets the information himself” instead of reading it in the papers and listening to his colleagues, Kellman said. Tom Ledue, who is also running for the U.S. Senate, told the group that trade policy needs to be reoriented. His plan would be to require both green and fair labor certifications on all agreements. “Creating the cheapest goods creates great harm,” Ledue said. At the beginning of the forum, Sen. Peggy Rotundo, who chairs the commission, said the group has voiced out against “the erosion of state sovereignty.” For example, she said, Maryland passed a bill banning lead from children’s toys. China found out about it, said it is not complaint with the World Trade Order, and has since filed a complaint. “(The commission is) not anti-trade, but we’re eager to have the states involved the agreements are negotiated,” she said. |
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The primary campaign event today was my attendance at and participation in the Maine Trade Commission’s public hearing in South Portland. After a brief panel presentation, audience members were provided with an opportunity to testify. I shared a few thoughts on commerce highlighted in our “events” section. The comments shared resounded with consensus calling for trade policy that treats all people and the global environment with respect. Maine has much to be proud of; the wisdom, commitment to the common good, and concern for humanity shared tonight adds to that list. |
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I took a little time off today to take my girls sledding. Being a candidate and being a great dad sometimes compete with each other and I needed to spend some time with my girls. A laugh-filled beautiful afternoon in Acton changed instantly when my Catherine fell off her snow tube and slammed her face into the snow packed hill; creating many contusions, two broken teeth, and more blood than I want to remember. Sitting in the emergency room, I became very much aware of what this accident would have meant for a family without heath insurance. I had brought Catherine to the emergency room without fear of a catastrophic bill. Her accident was violent enough that her injuries required a CAT scan and a set of x-rays, doctor assessments as well as major dental work in the weeks to come. With insurance these bills will likely impact our family budget in a significant way. Without insurance, the costs of these procedures would have been a very heavy burden for us to bear. I could not help but think of all of the uninsured and under-insured families in our state. Unexpected accidents such as these have devastating effects on their families’ futures; while it has been clear to me for many years that our system needs to change, this incident drives the point home. |
