Two candidates are vying for Maine State House of Representatives District 127 in Scarborough – incumbant John McDonough and challenger Sean Flaherty. The following are  surveys completed by each candidate.

Name: Sean Flaherty

Age: 23

Position seeking:  State Representative District 127 (Scarborough)

Address:  237A Pine Point Road (home) PO Box 6998 (mail)

Phone: 450-4188 (Day) 450-4188 (Night)

Occupation: Part-time youth swim coach for Coastal Maine Aquatics/  Pond Cove Millwork Staff Member

Marital Status: single Highest Level of education completed: BA history, BA political science from George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

Organizations and activities: Scarborough Community Scholarship Foundation – board member and 2008 selection committee; Scarborough 350^th Triathlon – vounteer coordinator; Maine Swimming Inc. – board member; Scarborough 350 Trees Project – founder; University of Maine System Advocacy Group – member; Gov. William King Lodge – member; New Leaders Council – board member.

Top three issues: 

1. Stability for Scarborough — our town has gone through explosive growth in recent years, we now need to stabilize things.  The Legislature can help and as State Representative, I would keep my ears open in Augusta and at Town Hall for what we need to do to help our urgent traffic situation; our growing school and town budgets; our police and fire needs; and our environmental challenges.  Whether it is sand erosion at Pine Point, red-tide pollution facing our clam diggers, or preserving our marshes and river water quality; it is critically important that Scarborough’s   representatives work hard to ensure that the growth doesn’t affect things we value most in town.

2. The Future for Maine and Scarborough — young people can help improve Scarborough and Maine.   I am tuned into issues that my grandparents are not as tuned into; How much paper does state government produce, and why? Is it to distribute information we could distribute over the internet or by e mail? Do Scarborough citizens and taxpayers only get documents from state government they want, or is our state government producing, in effect, “junk mail?”  Are they using l950’s methods? Is it just press releases, and snail-mail letters? We need to step it up. I have a strong interest in utilizing modern technology. I would be a zealous advocate for better and modern communication — and saving the taxpayers money on paper and junk mail!  

More importantly, we need to move Maine forward on modern Energy technology.  Maine’s natural resources provide us with an opportunity to create a new energy of the so called “Green Collar” jobs.  By utilizing these technologies we can help create jobs and grow the economy in Maine while also moving towards a cleaner and renewable source of energy to power our state.

3. Actively Soliciting Ideas from Scarborough Residents--people are busy, often, they are too busy to contact their State Representative. It is has become clear to me campaigning door to door that we have many smart people in Scarborough, and they have good ideas!  My goal in office would be to come up with a list of at least 350 Scarborough people--not necessarily people in the news or office holders or public officials; just reasonable, average, everyday citizens--and contact them from time to time and ask one question--Is their something your state government can do today to serve you better? I will be their link to Augusta.

Why are you seeking elected office? 

I am running to represent Scarborough in the State House because this was a fabulous town for me to grow up in and I think I have some ideas about how to make this century a great one for my home town and its citizens.

I am lucky. Scarborough gave me a great head start. I had a great nursery school at Pied Piper thanks to Betty Hart. I had great teachers in Pleasant Hill School.  I had great sports coaches like my long time swim coach Tim Kipp.  I had a great high school principal in Andrew Dolloff who always challenged me to try to achieve bigger and better things for my school and for our town.   And through those years, I’ve seen great progress in town.  I was pleased to see people such as Rick Shinay and Susan Auglis of the Planning Board and Laurene Swaney of the Scarborough Land Trust constantly monitoring our natural resources to make sure we remained an environmentally vibrant community as we grew.

We need an advocate in Augusta.   When I represented Scarborough in swimming competitions around the state and the nation, I always took pride in competing for our town.  It was never the individual awards that I was most proud of; it was our accomplishments as a team.   Whether it was the conference titles we won, the State Championship relay teams, or the team Sportsmanship awards we were honored with, when we accomplished something as a team, it was always more rewarding.  That’s the attitude that we need in Augusta.  

My pledge is this — that is the same effort you will see from me in Augusta. I am not interested in failure. I am not interested in half-hearted efforts. I am not interested in excuses, and laziness.  We need a tireless worker up there at the Statehouse who is willing to accomplish things not for individual recognition but for the sake of getting something done that helps move Maine forward.

There are l5l representatives in the Maine Legislature.  When my first two year term is done, I want to be known at the hardest working legislator up there. 

Name: John F McDonough

Age: 67

Position: Seeking House Seat – District 127

Address:  6 Old Blue Point Rd - Scarborough 

Phone: 883-7023(Day) 883-7023(Night)

Occupation: State Representative; Commercial lobsterman

Marital Status: Engaged to Helene Plourde

Children: Four adult children; 8 grandchildren

Highest Level of education completed: BS business administration Pacific Western University 

Organizations and activities: 

Scarborough 350th Committee

Scarborough Republican Town Committee

Hiram Masonic Lodge and KORA Shriners

Friends of Scarborough Marsh

Scarborough Fish and Game Assoc.

In my spare time, I enjoy reading, traveling, hunting, flyfishing and boating.

Top three issues: 

1. Lowering the Individual Tax Burden

2. Reducing the High Cost of Gasoline and Heating Fuels

3. Developing Affordable Healthcare 

Why are you seeking elected office? 

I am running for re-election to continue my efforts in Augusta to slow down the rate of spending. I would like to continue to serve on the Marine Resources and Natural Resources Committees to enhance/protect the local lobster and clamming industries. The well being of the Scarborough Marsh its rivers and beaches is very important to our community and must be protected at all cost. Serving on the Natural Resources Committee insures that we have a local voice at the table in Augusta. 

Finding revenue for heat assistance for our citizens who need help this year must be a top priority. Reducing the high cost of heating fuel by supporting alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power also will continue to be a priority. Close coordination between the state and federal government will be essential to accomplishing these goals.

Economic development is always a high priority. The Maine income tax code needs to be lowered from today’s top level of 8.5% to 5.0% in order to attract new business to the state. This all boils down to making our State more business friendly for existing as well as potential new business.  This will create more good paying jobs that will keep our young people here in Maine. 

I sponsored legislation to reduce the amount of excise tax we pay on new and used motor vehicles. We should only have to pay tax on the actual sales price of the vehicle and not on the sticker price. I appreciate your support.  Please vote for me on Nov. 4.