District 81 voters respond to politician inquiry

AUGUSTA — Rep. James Skoglund, D-St. George, has received 435 responses in reply to a questionnaire he mailed out to his constituents last winter.

“The state house postmaster said that of all the legislative districts, District 81 had the largest number of returns,” said Skoglund, who represents the towns of Cushing, Owls Head, St. George, South Thomaston, Vinalhaven, North Haven, Matinicus, Monhegan and some unorganized territories.

Skoglund and his Democratic colleagues in the Legislature will use the responses to help formulate policy during future sessions of the Legislature.

In response to a question about the Homestead Exemption Program, 60 percent of respondents said the funding for that program should be re-directed to the “circuit breaker” program, which targets property tax relief to those who most need it.

Twenty percent said they would not favor such a change and 19 percent were undecided.

To address the state’s revenue shortfall, 53 percent of respondents said expenditures for equipment should be cut. Percentages of respondents supporting cuts in other areas broke down like this: law enforcement, 9 percent; state employee work force, 58 percent; University of Maine System, 30 percent; vocational education programs, 7 percent; environmental protection programs, 17 percent; state assistance to business programs, 53 percent; training programs for welfare mothers, 18 percent; social services for the low-income, 17 percent.

Re-education and training for displaced workers, 18 percent; construction of facilities, 58 percent; tourism promotion, 55 percent; product promotion programs, 51 percent; and state assistance to communities, 17 percent.

Forty percent of respondents favored reinstitution of parole to help reduce the state prison population; 49 percent were opposed to parole and 11 percent were undecided.

Ninety-one percent of respondents favored reducing the prison population by diverting non-violent offenders to structured alternatives to incarceration such as “boot camps” and restitution centers.

Additionally, 53 percent of respondents said they would not support a construction of an additional new maximum-security prison. Thirty-seven percent said they would support a new prison; 10 percent were undecided.

Because of public concern about how the Department of Human Services handles cases involving child support, child sexual abuse and guardianship and a number of program deficits, 72 percent of respondents said they would support an independent examination of DHS.

Fourteen percent said they would not and 14 percent were undecided.

Fifty-one percent of the respondents said they would support creation of a state Workers’ Compensation Insurance program that would enter a competitive market, thus provide employers with a voluntary alternative to a private insurance company.

Twenty-three percent said they would not support such a change; 26 percent were undecided.

Another fifty-one percent of respondents said they would support a $20 million bond issue to provide funds for the costs of capital construction of municipal sewer correction initiatives.

Thirty-six percent said they would not support such a plan; 13 percent were undecided.

Another $20 million proposed bond issue to provide funds for purchase of equipment and construction costs for solid-waste disposal facilities was supported by 56 percent of respondents; 33 percent were opposed and 11 percent undecided.

A proposal to raise a $75 million bond, to be issued over a period of five years in $15 million increments, that would pay for land of outstanding recreational, scenic, natural or wildlife value was supported by 55 percent of respondents.

Thirty-six percent were opposed; 9 percent were undecided.

A proposal to raise a $10 million bond to develop a statewide 911 network emergency telephone network was supported by 39 percent of respondents; 47 percent were opposed and 14 percent undecided.