SKOWHEGAN — Three term incumbent Democratic Rep. Jeff McCabe of Skowhegan is seeking a return to the state House of Representatives challenged by political newcomer Timothy Amadon, a Republican from Skowhegan.

The seat in House District 107 covers all of Skowhegan and the Somerset County Jail in East Madison. The term is for two years.

McCabe, 36, the director of Lake George Regional Park in Skowhegan and Canaan, said property taxes are too high, and if he is re-elected, he will work to find “creative ways to prevent property taxes from driving families, seniors and businesses out of town, while maintaining vital services.

“Skowhegan and Somerset County must work to attract business that will provide good jobs with livable wages,” he said. “In addition, we need to do more to attract young people who will live, work and grow our economy and community.”

Amadon, 54, said he promises to bring honesty, logic, compassion and fairness to serving in Augusta. He described himself as being fiscally conservative and someone who will fight to protect individual rights.

“I’ll vote based on principles, not the pressures of special interests,” he said. “I believe people are looking for a representative that they can trust, who will work hard to represent their values and not be bought by special interests and lobbyists. They want someone who will restore their faith in political leadership by their actions.”

On the local economy, McCabe said it is important to make sure the Business Equipment Tax Reimbursement and the Business Equipment Tax Exemption programs remain stable to ensure “predictability and continuity” in the state’s business sector in order to attract more businesses and jobs. He said the region also needs to address energy costs by expanding natural gas and developing renewable energy sources.

He said issues of heating and energy, health insurance, property taxes and protection of the area’s environmental heritage will continue to top his agenda.

“I am running for re-election because I believe in standing up for rural Maine and working Maine families,” he said. “As your representative I will be a strong voice for balancing economic growth with environmental conservation.”

Amadon said the most important issue in Skowhegan is increasing business and job opportunities, which would reduce the need for assistance programs and rejuvenate the economy and people’s self-esteem.

“It would increase the tax base which would lower the amount due per taxpayer,” he said. “Also, increasing business and job opportunities would decrease the heavy reliance on the few larger industries for the town’s financial existence.”

McCabe said the state must do more to provide revenue sharing to Maine cities and towns. He said he will work on legislation to be better prepared to help towns such as Skowhegan and Madison when a loss of taxes occurs as a result of a drop in valuation or closing of a mill, all of which will have long lasting negative impacts on families, the elderly and small business.

“We must work to prevent spikes in property taxes, keep seniors in their homes and provide quality education for Maine children,” he said.

Amadon said he does not support an extension of the state sales tax to provide more funding for local communities noting that taxes are too high already.

“Government needs to utilize current revenue more efficiently and figure ways to stay within a budget, just as it expects its citizens to do,” Amadon said. “We’ll need to make decisions in Augusta that will grow our economy and thus grow the tax base without increasing taxes.”

As for Medicaid expansion to allow MaineCare to extend health care coverage to additional low-income residents, McCabe said the expansion would mean more than 70,000 Maine people would have access to health insurance, including 3,000 veterans. He said Medicaid expansion is “fiscally responsible and morally right.”

“It would mean job growth in the health care industry in the Skowhegan area, including at our local hospital, and it would bring close to a million dollars a day into the state economy,” he said.

“I have talked to thousands of Skowhegan residents over the last six years, and I have heard many heartbreaking stories about people who can’t afford insurance,” McCabe said. “Accepting federal health care funds would mean that these people will be able to see a doctor when they get sick.”

Amadon said he does not support Medicaid expansion, which would mean spending federal money to treat the symptoms of a deeper underlying problem.

“We can’t afford the long term cost of this,” he said “We need to work on correcting the real problem by changing low-income residents into higher-income residents that can afford insurance. We need to promote business and create opportunities so people can take care of themselves. This would also free up more funds to be available to senior citizens and those who are disabled.”

Amadon said he agrees with Gov. Paul LePage on denying state reimbursement to local communities for welfare payments made to undocumented immigrants. He said taxpayers should not be supporting illegal immigrants. Government is there to protect people from this growing problem, not promote it, he said.

McCabe concurred, saying he does not support giving general assistance benefits to illegal immigrants.

“States are bearing the brunt of the gridlock in Washington, D.C., that has stalled immigration reform efforts,” he said. “I support reimbursement to cities and towns that play by the rules.”

McCabe, a registered Maine guide, said he will vote no on the referendum asking Mainers to ban baiting, trapping and using dogs to hunt bear.

Amadon agreed, saying that out-of-state animal rights extremists are bent on eliminating all forms of hunting in Maine.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @Doug_Harlow

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