VOTE411 Voter Guide

One thing I have heard consistently across the state from so many Mainers is affordability. People are struggling to stay housed, to find housing, to afford groceries, gas and utilities. Workers struggle to afford to live in the city that they work in and often are having to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Graduates from high school and college struggle to find work that meets the demand of their living expenses. We continue to experience extreme weather in a time where fuel and utilities are incredibly expensive, adding a further burden to a household's expenses. Our communities are struggling not only to afford daily life, but resources are disappearing (healthcare, childcare, jobs) making it more and more difficult to live here.

Portland is an economic and social services hub for our state. It's not a bad thing, it uniquely positions Portland to need more resources and funding. We have emergency shelters, family shelters, adult and teen shelters. We have a public health department and substance use services. We also have a thriving tourism industry. We have the largest school district in the state with the most diverse population. All of these factors mean that Portland has unique needs when it comes to addressing people who are unsheltered, who suffer from substance misuse, who require mental health supports, schools that have more demands on services and supports. We also have opportunities to leverage tourism in creating revenue to help with funding.

I am first and foremost a mom. I grew up in Maine. I am an Indigenous woman. I believe that we are strong enough and smart enough to solve the problems facing our communities. This means we have to live and walk in balance. We have to have relationships with the land, with our relatives (those we agree with and those we don't) and that we're working to benefit the generations to come. I believe that there is a significant disparity in income and resources and that too much is held by too few. When our neighbors thrive we all thrive and that should consistently be our north star. I will work hard for my community and for all of Maine.