JANE E. EBERLE (D)
AGE: 56 ADDRESS: 187 Pilgrim Road, South Portland PERSONAL: Married, three grown children EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in communication, University of New Hampshire OCCUPATION: Director of business partnerships, South Portland School Department POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Maine House of Representatives, 2004-present
PETER A. REYNOLDS (R)
AGE: 69 ADDRESS: 7 Spurwink Ave., South Portland PERSONAL: Married, four grown children EDUCATION: Associate degree in business, Westbrook College OCCUPATION: Semi-retired, heating and air conditioning service and sales, Avery Services POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: None
A Democratic incumbent with an inside view of state government and a Republican newcomer who stresses the value of "common sense" are seeking the support of South Portland and Cape Elizabeth voters in the House District 123 election Tuesday.
Democrat Jane E. Eberle said she is eager to represent the district again at a time when Maine will be wrestling with the impact of global economic forces.
"We're going to be doing things we've never done before," said Eberle, director of business partnerships for the South Portland School Department. "This is not a time I'd like to step back."
Republican Peter A. Reynolds, a semi-retired heating and air conditioning salesman and technician, said he wants to bring common sense and bipartisanship to the State House.
"We've got to have somebody who isn't a straight party-line voter," he said.
Both candidates point to the $500 million state budget shortfall as an overriding issue.
Reynolds said taxes are too high, and he would be reluctant to raise them to close the budget gap. He said he would prefer to look for ways to reduce state spending.
"I hate to see programs cut, but there's a lot of pork in there that I think shouldn't be there," he said. Reynolds said he would have to see more details before identifying a specific program to cut.
Eberle said the Legislature will need to look a a combination of steps to balance the budget, including possible cuts or consolidations as well as efforts to increase revenue.
"As far as I'm concerned, everything needs to be on the table to see where we spend money," she said.
She said the state should look at raising the tax on meals and lodgings, high-end vacation homes owned by out-of-state residents and other steps to shift the tax burden off the shoulders of Maine taxpayers.
Reynolds called for more investment in the state's roads, bridges and utility network, and for a reduction in the income tax paid by small businesses.
"They are being treated like big corporations, and I don't think that should happen," he said.
Political Correspondent Dieter Bradbury can be reached at 791-6329 or at:
dbradbury@pressherald.com
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