Sean Flaherty and Amy Volk will compte for the District 127 seat in the House of Representatives on Nov. 2.

Name: Sean Flaherty  

Age: 25
  Position seeking: Re-election to Maine House of          Representatives District 127
  Address: PO Box 6998 Scarborough
  Phone: 450-4188
  Occupation: Swim coach for Coastal Maine Aquatics, Companion for Aging Excellence
  Marital status: single
  Highest level of education completed: B.A. in history, B.A. in political science
  Name and location of school or university last attended: George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
  Organizations and activities: Legislature’s Utilities and Energy Committee (first term); Scarborough Energy Committee (second term) House Moderate and Small Business Caucus,
founding member of National Caucus of Coastal Legislators; member of the Agriculture and Energy Committee for the National Conference of State Legislators; Board of Directors for Maine Swimming Inc.; Board of Directors for Project G.R.A.C.E.

Top three issues in order of priority:
1. Energy – I’ve spent the last two years fighting for smart and forward-thinking energy policies.  We’ve made tremendous strides in helping to create new jobs and opportunities in the green economy. I strongly believe that if Maine is to continue to move forward, we must reduce our consumption of expensive and foreign oil. We have the oldest housing stock in the nation, which means our dollars are literally slipping out through our windows and doors.  

2.) Education – I am fortunate to have received a great education, both in Scarborough and when I went away to college. I worked hard in school, but it was amazing teachers and coaches who helped me learn. I’ve fought hard for Scarborough’s fair share of state education funding and I will continue to reform education policies in Maine. For instance, we need to stop dragging our feet on school consolidation, because we can save millions of taxpayers’ money. 

3.) Small business – Nearly 90 percent of all workers in Maine are employed by a small business. When I supported tax reform, it was to enable small business owners to save 20 percent on their income taxes and encourage them to reinvest in their companies, hire new workers and increase wages. 

Although the tax reform package was defeated, the need to overhaul our outdated tax code is still there. More importantly, we need to do more to help entrepreneurs start new businesses and help current owners expand..

Why are you seeking elected office?

I spent five years in Washington, seeing the two parties bicker constantly and accomplish little.  Over the last two years I’ve had a different approach in Augusta. Serving on the Utilities and Energy Committee, we were able to work legislation on a bipartisan basis. As a result, all 36 bills our committee considered were approved or defeated unanimously. Of the five bills I authored this year, all five were passed into law unanimously as well. 

I think I’ve proven to be a very effective legislator by being nonpartisan, thoughtful and hardworking. I will continue to build on my relationships with constituents, businesses and industry to become an even more effective representative for Scarborough.

With a diverse background from both the private and nonprofit sectors, which includes work building the National Maritime Heritage Foundation to my successful management of a consumer advocacy network, I think I have a lot to offer Scarborough. 

Growing up here, attending Scarborough schools and working in our community have presented me with countless opportunities to better understand the challenges we face. More importantly, it’s enabled me to bring people together – from all sides of an issue – to work toward common good. 

I’ve worked hard, been responsive and helpful and done a lot of good for Scarborough, I hope. No matter the results of this election, I will continue to try to make Scarborough a better place to live, work and raise a family. When you look at my actual record of votes and accomplishments, I hope you’ll consider sending me back to Augusta to keep fighting for Scarborough.

Name: Amy F. Volk 

Age: 41

Position seeking: State representative, Scarborough District 127

Address: 4 Elbridge Oliver Way

Phone: 883-1963 (day) 229-5091 (night)

Occupation: Homemaker, owner of Personally Yours

Marital status: Married

Spouse’s name: Derek Volk

Children: Dylan (19), Mariah (16), Lilly (12), Serena (6)

Highest level of education completed: B.S. human development

Name and location of school or university last attended: University of Maine

Organizations and activities: Board secretary of The Root Cellar, Portland; founding member of Young Life Scarborough Advisory Board; Church of the Holy Spirit Parish Council; Church of the Holy Spirit Worship Band; Scarborough Little League coach; volunteer in Scarborough schools and Scarborough Primary PTO.

Top three issues in order of priority:

1. Improve Maine’s business environment through decreased taxes and regulations, lower energy and health insurance costs

2. Bring state spending in line with rural state averages

3. Create a tiered welfare system with the goal of helping government dependents become taxpayers

Why are you seeking elected office? 

Maine’s slogan is “The way life should be,” and we live up to it in so many ways. Our beautiful state with its variety of recreational activities, safe and friendly communities and small, accessible schools, and provides a wonderful place to raise a family or even to retire. I know countless people from other states who have chosen Maine as their home for these reasons and more. Many of these same people, however, earn their incomes out of state, often traveling during the week and returning home on weekends. 

The crux of the problem is that our business environment is not the way life should be. In fact, Maine is hostile to business.  Our taxes are too high, our regulations too burdensome, our health insurance too expensive and our electricity too costly. On top of that, decades of Democratic control in Augusta have given us a welfare system that cruelly traps families in poverty. 

In fact, between 2003 and 2010 welfare in Maine has increased 70 percent. Maine spends 50 times more on welfare than it does on economic development or investments that would put people to work in the private sector. 

Spending on welfare also outstrips state spending on K-12 education. These statistics are simply unacceptable and unnecessary. Bringing our spending in line with averages for other rural states would drop over a billion dollars to our bottom line, enabling us to cut taxes and expand the opportunity of prosperity, “the way life should be,” to all of Maine’s citizens.