Government Spotlight

Candidate profiles: House District 104

There are two candidates running for the Maine House of Representatives seat for District 104 (New Gloucester and part of Gray). Here are profiles for Republican Amy Arata and Independent Anne Gass, in alphabetical order.

Amy Arata

AMY BRADSTREET ARATA

Occupation: Business owner, real estate

Education: B.S. Biology, Gordon College M.S. Genetics, University of California at Davis

Community organizations/ service:
The Root Cellar, East Auburn Baptist Church, Maine Association of Realtors. Past member of the Maine Board of Education, MSAD 15 School Board, New Gloucester Budget Committee and Planning board, coach of various youth sports.

Personal information (hobbies, etc.):
Running, hiking, walking my dog, reading, volunteering, camping, working with children, restoring my old house.

Family status: Married 25 years to Mike Arata, 3 sons, 1 daughter-in-law

Social media accounts: https://www.facebook.com/AmyArataMaine

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Why are you seeking elective office?
I’ve always had the desire to make a difference in my community. Military and first responder service is much more important than government service, but my career didn’t go in that direction, so this is one way I can help Maine continue to be a great place to live.

The single most pressing issue facing our district is ______________ and this is what I intend to do about it.
Inflation. I’ve asked hundreds of people in my district, and the #1 concern is the rising price of fuel and food due to inflation. Although inflation is primarily caused and corrected by federal policies, there are things we can do at the state level to help Mainers get through it. Reducing income taxes would leave more dollars in people’s paychecks so that they can make ends meet. Because Maine has record high tax revenue, we can afford income tax reform without decreasing crucial services, especially heating and food assistance. We also need to increase labor participation, housing supply, and streamline regulations.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidate seeking this office?
I appreciate that my opponent is willing to run for office. I know all too well how difficult it can be. I’ve made a personal commitment that I will not engage in any negative campaigning, so I will not contrast myself with her. My broad experience in budgeting at the business, municipal, school, and state levels will be crucial to state government. I have the legislative knowledge and skills that Maine needs now, and have a proven record of working hard and caring for my community as we journeyed through the pandemic and continue to recover.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.
I’ve voted on thousands of bills covering hundreds of issues, so I take a principled approach rather than define my campaign narrowly. Foremost in my mind is the constitution. Does this bill uphold property rights, religious freedom, free speech, etc.? Is it fair to taxpayers? Does it help those who cannot help themselves? Does it properly balance individual rights with public safety? Are there long term economic and social consequences if this becomes law? Have other states tried this and did it work? Most issues are incredibly complex and must be looked at from many different angles.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence of that you can be effective in this job?
I am a farm girl from central Maine who earned a full scholarship to the University of California and now run a successful real estate business while serving in the legislature. The ability to work hard and examine complex issues rationally and practically has made me an effective public servant. As a school board member, my advocacy was crucial to resisting educational fads that would have harmed our children’s career options. As a legislator, I was a key player in passing a budget that contained common sense priorities such as increasing the pension tax exemption and returning taxpayer money.

The best advice ever shared with me was:
“Be kind to everybody, just like Jesus was kind”. – Mom
This doesn’t mean that one must be a doormat, but even if we disagree, we can do so in a kind manner. Beware of politicians who pat themselves on the back and name buildings or programs after themselves because they’ve been so “kind” in spending tax dollars! Rather, kindness is found in how we conduct ourselves in personal interactions. I’ve found that it’s not only morally right to treat people kindly, but results in a better environment in the legislature and helps me make progress with those I disagree with.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I may be considered “conservative”, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t consider other points of view. I have “thank you” notes from liberal organizations, such as Maine Equal Justice and the Maine People’s Alliance, for bills I’ve sponsored and positions I’ve taken. If I want to make a bill better, I have to be willing to work with people in order to have a seat at the table, even if I don’t agree with everything in the bill. I’ve learned how to be approachable and not to take myself so seriously that I lose my sense of humor.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Anne Gass

ANNE GASS

Occupation: Self-employed- ABG Consulting LLC

Education: BA in Psychology, Reed College, 1982; MA in Community Planning, University of Maryland

Community organizations/ service: Past: * MSAD 15 School Board * Gray Town Council * Gray Comprehensive Plan (1990) * Gray Zoning Board of Appeals * Gray Community Economic Development Committee * Gray Bike-Ped Committee * Gray Community Endowment * Genesis Community Loan Fund * Maine Low-Income Housing Investment Fund * Maine Building Materials Exchange * Maine Suffrage Centennial Collaborative * Maine Arts Commission- Suffrage Mural Project * National Votes for Women Trail/Suffrage Marker Project Current Volunteer/Membership: * Gray Open Space Committee * Maine Affordable Housing Coalition * League of Women Voters * Maine Historical Society * National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites

Personal information (hobbies, etc.): Hiking, wild ice skating, x-c skiing, reading, volunteering in my community, travel, learning history.

Family status: Married

Social media accounts: FB- Anne Gass – House District 104

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Why are you seeking elective office?
I have over 30 years of experience volunteering in and for the Town of Gray in all sorts of capacities (see above list). I’ve learned so much about what my community wants and what it doesn’t want, and how to get things done. I also have 40 years of working on issues related to mental health, affordable housing, homelessness, refugee resettlement, and other fields that give me a broad policy background. I’m eager to bring that experience and positive energy up to Augusta.

The single most pressing issue facing our district is ______________ and this is what I intend to do about it.
The single most pressing issue facing our district is managing growth pressures as Portland and the inner ring suburbs have become too expensive. We need to provide towns with the tools and incentives to direct housing and commercial development to growth areas in town, preserving valuable and much-loved open space and creating higher-density, walkable/bikeable areas that can support transit hubs. At the same time, we need to provide affordable housing for families and seniors who wish to remain in the community but are priced out by skyrocketing housing costs.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidate seeking this office?
 Amy Arata and all the other Republicans voted to defeat the Maine Equal Rights Amendment (Maine ERA). This means women still don’t have constitutional equality with men; unless there’s a specific law or legal ruling against it, sex discrimination is legal under the Maine Constitution. Rights won through laws or legal rulings can be more easily overturned than something that’s in the constitution- as we’ve seen recently in the overturning of federal protections for abortion rights. The legislature should pass the Maine ERA and send it to the voters. Why deny women equality? It’s grossly unfair.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.
* Keeping property taxes low through continuing to honor the State’s obligation to pay 55% of the cost of K-12 education, and maintaining municipal revenue sharing. * Protecting against climate change by upgrading storm water infrastructure, and transitioning to alternative energies. * Supporting working families and seniors through expanding access to affordable housing, health care, child care, and paid family leave. * Protecting the right to vote through nonpartisan strategies such as installing secure ballot boxes, early voting, vote by mail, as well as in-person voting. * Ensuring women’s equality and right to safe, affordable abortion and to contraception.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence of that you can be effective in this job?
Since starting my business, ABG Consulting LLC, in 1993 I’ve written almost $170 million in successful grants. Most of that money came to Maine to fund education services for first-time homebuyers, permanent housing and services for people who are homeless, after school programs for low-income children, broadband service to Maine islands, alternative education for high school dropouts, and much more. I also have thousands of hours of volunteer experience in and for the town of Gray. These experiences will help me be an effective legislator, and to be a strong advocate for constituents needing assistance.

The best advice ever shared with me was:
My mother always said “You catch more bees with honey than you do with vinegar,” advice I’ve tried hard to put into practice and which seems more important than ever now in our public discourse.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I chose to run as an Independent, Clean Elections candidate because I truly believe that legislators should work for the people, not the parties or big money donors. Clean Elections (CE) is a state-funded program which keeps big donor money out of politics; my campaign was funded through $5 contributions from voters in my district (matched by the state). If elected, I won’t owe anything to anyone except the voters. One of my heroes is Shirley Chisholm, an African American Congresswoman who ran for President in 1972. Her motto was “Unbought and Unbossed,” and that describes my campaign too.

Eds Note: This revised profile has been edited for length.