Maine Ballot Questions and the Vice Presidential Debate
By Caraline Squires | Staff Writer
As promised, here are questions three through five that will appear on the Maine state ballot this Nov. 5.
Question Three: “Do you favor a $10,000,000 bond issue to restore historic buildings owned by governmental and nonprofit organizations, with funds being issued contingent on a 25% local match requirement from either private or nonprofit sources?”
What it means: Do you support a bond for $10 million being issued to help restore historic buildings in Maine communities? The bond will be given to the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, which will give out funds as grants to government and nonprofit organizations that apply to restore Maine’s many historical buildings.
Voting yes means you approve the bond being issued; voting no means you do not wish to implement the bond.
Question Four: “Do you favor a $30,000,000 bond issue to invest in the design, development, and maintenance of non-motorized, motorized, and multi-use trails statewide, to be matched by at least $3,000,000 in private and public contributions?”
What it means: This question primarily affects Northern Maine, where tourists come to utilize our trails in the winter. The bond will support the investment and maintenance of Maine state trails. If approved it will implement the development of the Maine Trails Program over several years. Some trails will be for walking and hiking, others for motorized vehicles like ATVs and snowmobiles, and half the trails will be multi-use. The bond would also help repair damages to currently existing trails.
Voting yes means you are for the bond; voting no means you do not wish to implement the bond.
Question Five: Do you favor making the former state flag, replaced as the official flag of the State in 1909 and commonly known as the Pine Tree Flag, the official flag of the State?
What it means: Question five is pretty straightforward. Do you support replacing the current Maine state flag, which features the Maine state coat of arms with a blue background, with the old Maine state flag, often referred to as the Pine Tree Flag?
Voting yes means you wish to revert the flag to the historic Maine flag, voting no means you wish to keep the flag as it is.
In the past few months leading up to the election, there have been an abundance of campaign signs popping up in the Greater Portland area. These candidates are running in town municipal elections for different positions like school boards, committees, and town councils.
To find out who these candidates are, you can view your town’s sample ballot. Sample ballots are copies of what will be on the ballot this Nov. 5. A town’s sample ballot can be found by searching, for example, “Portland sample ballot” or “Gorham sample ballot.” It’s important to view sample ballots before elections to familiarize yourself with the candidates and solidify your voting plan.
Similar to the synopsis of the presidential debate in issue two, here is a synopsis of the topics discussed by moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan and the answers given by Trump’s running mate Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, and Harris’s running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The debate, which aired Oct. 1, was hosted by CBS.
Conflicts in the Middle East
The first topic of concern for voters was the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East between Israel, Palestine, and Iran. Moderators asked Walz if he would support or oppose a preemptive strike from Israel to Iran if he were the final voice in the situation room. Walz responded by saying the United States will support Israel’s right to defend itself. Vance, in his response to the question, claimed that Iran has grown in strength because of the “Harris administration.” He also said that the decision should be up to Israel and that the United States will support their decisions.
The next question asked concerning the Middle East was if Trump had made a mistake pulling out of diplomatic relations with Iran, the question was asked to Vance. Vance responded that Trump had established successful diplomatic relations with them once, and he’ll be able to do it again.
Climate Change
Moderators asked Vance what responsibility the Trump administration would have in fighting climate change. In his response, Vance agreed it’s a very important issue. He also claimed that the “Harris administration” has allowed “dirtier” climate work by doing energy deals with China instead of supporting American energy. The solution, according to Vance, is increasing manufacturing and energy in the U.S. Walz, in his response when questioned about climate change said, “There’s no doubt this thing roared onto the scene faster and stronger than anything we’ve seen.” Walz highlighted the importance of helping particularly vulnerable communities prepare for the changing and increasingly destructive weather patterns. He also highlighted the jobs created by bringing electric vehicle technologies and solar panel factories to the states.
Immigration
Moderators asked if either administration plans to separate illegal immigrant parents from U.S. citizen children. Neither candidate answered the question directly. Walz claimed that there was a bipartisan bill that was going to mitigate the border crisis but that Trump told politicians not to vote for it so he could run on the platform of immigration. Walz also claimed that politicians have been demonizing the issue instead of solving it. Moderators discussed that according to CBS polling, more than 50% of Americans support mass deportations. Vance stated he supports Trump’s claim that the issue will be solved through executive action and that many border issues will be solved by empowering local law enforcement to do their jobs. Vance additionally claimed that illegal immigrants are contributing to the housing crisis, Walz countered with the fact that Wall Street speculators continue to buy up housing for profit, treating the necessity as a commodity.
The Economy
Walz discussed the Harris administration’s proposed plan to build 3 million houses and implement down payment assistance programs. He also discussed the importance of everyday goods like prescription drugs being priced fairly, tax cuts for the middle class, and tax credits for small businesses. Vance stated that the Trump administration’s economic policies worked well in his last administration and that they will work again, calling Trump’s economic plan “common sense wisdom.” Both Trump’s and Harris’s proposed economic plans will increase the nation’s deficit by trillions of dollars. Vance also mentioned that he believes America needs to be more self-reliant in manufacturing and energy; moderators mentioned that a CBS report revealed that voters trust Trump more when it comes to the economy.
Reproductive Rights
Walz, citing real-life examples of the life-altering damage done to women’s health that has occurred since the overturn of Roe v. Wade and the shift of reproductive rights to individual states, said the Harris administration wants to “put women in charge of their healthcare.” Vance said he wants the Republican Party to be pro-family and that he supports fertility treatments. He also stated he wanted to expand public policy to give women more options (not referring to the right previously protected by Roe v. Wade). Vance explained that the United States is a big and diverse country, what works for California won’t work for Texas, and what works for Texas won’t work for Washington. Walz disagreed with this point.
Gun Violence
Vance agreed that we must do better to combat gun violence and pointed out how much of it is committed with illegally obtained firearms. He connected this problem to the “open border.” Vance suggested increasing security in schools with stronger doors and windows and increased resources for school resource officers. Additionally, Vance cited that the United States has high levels of mental health substance abuse, depression, and anxiety, concluding that the mental health crisis contributes to gun violence. Walz suggested enhancing red flag laws, enhancing background checks, and increasing research on gun violence to better understand its causes. Walz also rebutted that mental health is not a scapegoat for the gun violence issue and that we must find a way to protect the Second Amendment and protect our kids.
Housing Costs
Moderators discussed that the top contributors to inflation are high rent and housing costs. Walz again discussed the Harris administration’s proposed plans for a $25,000 down payment assistance program for first-time home buyers as well as a $10,000 tax credit and 3 million new homes built, comparing the proposed plans to veteran housing programs. Walz again stated that big investors must stop buying houses as a commodity. Vance stated that we need to lower energy costs and that opening American energy will provide immediate relief. Vance also proposed using federal lands to build more housing, something Vance and Walz agreed would be a part of the solution; however, Walz disagrees with the use of federal lands. Walz did not answer directly when moderators asked where the Harris administration plans to build the proposed 3 million new houses.
Healthcare and Childcare
Moderators asked about the future of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. If the Affordable Care Act is removed under the Trump administration, Vance vowed to keep protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions while making “the health insurance marketplace function a bit better.” Vance also discussed the importance of price transparency. Walz vowed that Kamala Harris will protect the Affordable Care Act.
Moderators discussed how the United States is one of the only developed countries without a national paid leave program for parents. Walz referred to the program implemented in Minnesota that he claims is supported by Kamala Harris. Vance explained that he supports a family care model that makes choice possible for parents and that childcare is so expensive because we have too few people providing the essential services. Vance proposed finding a way to entice people to work in childcare.
Democracy
Moderators discussed the importance of democracy to voters and the threats perceived in this upcoming election. Vance stated that the biggest threat to our democracy is censorship, referring to Facebook allegedly banning profiles during the COVID-19 pandemic for criticizing the government’s handling of the situation. In the United States, however, private social media platforms are free to censor how they please. Walz countered Vance’s point of censorship with the continuous book banning in states like Florida and Texas, stating it was a much higher threat to democracy.
Conclusion
There were many issues discussed in the vice presidential debate that were not discussed in the presidential debate including gun control and the housing crisis. Additionally, it was refreshing to see the two candidates participate in a respectful and civil debate. It was honestly boring– the way politics should be.