Maine news, sports, weather | Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

HOUSE DISTRICT 56: Businessman, tech exec court GOP voters

By Ethan Wilensky-Lanford ewlanford@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

Republican voters in Augusta will nominate either David Alexander or Scott Milewski to run in the general election for House District 56.

'Facing tough times'

Alexander, 57, said the state is in trouble, and blamed Democratic control of the House for the problems. He is the former business manager for St. Michael's Parish.

"I don't think that mediocrity has served the people of Maine very well," he said. "In particular, I think the Legislature has a very poor sense of business."

He said the state is too heavily taxed, and that the government is run inefficiently.

One of the first areas he would look to save money, he said, was overtime payroll for government administration.

"In any kind of cutting or reduction, you look at yourself first," he said. "After you look internally, then you look at the public."

Alexander, a retired Marine who actively volunteers, said some government programs that might look good in more prosperous times should be cut now.

"I think the Maine Arts Commission is pork," he said. "The state is facing tough times, and you've got to make some tough calls during tough times."

He said he does not support public financing for campaigns.

"If you want to run for something badly enough, there are ways to find money for that," he said.

Alexander said that there were some areas where both the state government and local government had oversight responsibilities. Any duplicity of this kind should be eliminated, he said.

He was active in the campaign against gay marriage.

"I believe that marriage is of God, and has been around since long before government was created," he said.

Alexander is also against abortion, and said that he was a Democrat until he saw a photograph of an aborted fetus in 2000.

'Back to the basics'

Scott Charles Milewski, 37, said he is running because he does not feel well-represented. He is a network administrator for Kennebec Savings Bank.

"I've become increasingly frustrated with seeing how things are going, not just nationally, but locally," he said.

Although he said he was glad lawmakers balanced the budget, they missed an opportunity to do more.

"They didn't address any of the spending," he said. "It was all short-term, and nobody's looking long-term."

Milewski said he supports gubernatorial candidate Paul LePage's concept of a tiered welfare system, with tax credits for businesses who hired people off welfare. He also would like to see new welfare applicants meet a 90-day residency requirement before receiving benefits.

He believes the state has an obligation to meet its commitment to pay for 55 percent of the cost of education.

"My view is that the Department of Health and Human Services and welfare is getting a lot of money and that education is getting the short end of the stick," he said.

Politics had become too partisan, he said.

He said that although it would be easy to pledge not to raise taxes, "everything needs to be on the table."

He said the state government has overspent. "I'm not necessarily one for cutting services," he said, "but we need to go back to the basics."

Government was designed to protect people's rights, he said, create opportunities for small businesses and help people achieve everything they need -- within limitation.

"You are entitled to be able to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," he said. "That doesn't mean everybody is going to get happiness; that just means you're entitled to pursue it."

The winner of the June 8 primary will face Democrat Anna Blodgett in the general election.

Ethan Wilensky-Lanford -- 620-7016

ewlanford@mainetoday.com