By Bruce Poliquin, 10/28/14

Last week, this newspaper’s liberal editorial board endorsed my opponent, Emily Cain, to represent our 2nd Congressional District families in Washington.

This same editorial board endorsed Barack Obama, whose big government programs continue to overspend taxpayer dollars, pile on more debt, raise taxes and kill jobs. The BDN also supported Obamacare, which just caused another 3,300 Maine families to lose their health care plans.

The BDN cited Cain’s political preference to “engage — rather than attack — the opposing side.” The facts tell a different story.

During this congressional campaign, Cain and her agents have spent nearly $2 million on nasty TV ads and mailers personally attacking me. For weeks, they have attacked my successful professional career, which was earned with extremely hard work. They have even attacked my record of paying all property taxes in full (thousands of dollars), always.

Cain has also been untruthful about my unwavering support for our senior citizens.

I ask you, the voters, to consider my 35 years of job creation and, as state treasurer, my record of eliminating wasteful government spending and reducing debt that led to lower taxes and more jobs. Then, compare those achievements to Cain’s extreme big government liberal voting record that mirrors the job-killing policies of Obama and Nancy Pelosi.

The BDN editorial board said that Cain “feels no need to run away from or recast her decade-long record.” But, that’s exactly what she’s doing.

Cain says that she has worked to cut taxes. That’s simply not true. As the chief spokesperson and lead partisan for the liberal Democrats in the Maine House, Cain supported an extremely partisan agenda. She helped push through 102 new sales taxes. With little Republican support, she ushered through new taxes on car repairs, haircuts, movie tickets, and other goods and services. The next year, an outpouring of angry Mainers repealed Emily Cain’s 102 new taxes in a people’s referendum at the ballot box by the wide margin of 61 percent vs. 39 percent.

During the 2011 debate over Gov. Paul LePage’s first budget, Cain told the Portland Press Herald’s editorial board about her ability to water down the income tax cuts included in the budget. After the tax cuts passed, she told the editorial board how much she and her liberal allies “[hate] these tax cuts.” Now, running for Congress, Cain is trying to take credit for the tax cuts she “hated.” Voters are tired of this kind of political spin.

Last year, Cain helped ram through another sales tax increase on Maine’s working poor. Because of her misguided efforts, today, our families pay a 10 percent higher sales tax when buying a new winter coat for their kids. Moms and dads pay a 14 percent higher meals tax increase when they celebrate their son’s or daughter’s birthday with a restaurant pizza dinner. That’s just not fair.

The Bangor Daily News praised Cain for her “prudent use of state resources to promote economic growth.” The facts don’t bear that out.

During her ten years in the state Legislature, Cain voted repeatedly to expand welfare to able-bodied childless adults while thousands of disabled and elderly sick fellow Mainers were stuck on waiting lists to receive help. That misuse of limited resources resulted in nearly $500 million owed to our hospitals when Augusta simply decided not to pay them for the services provided to the expanded number of welfare beneficiaries.

Contrary to the BDN’s views, these imprudent fiscal votes by Cain have helped to kill Maine jobs and drive away our young families. Similar irresponsible behavior in Washington has resulted in our $17 trillion national debt. Maine can’t afford Cain’s voting record of reckless overspending in Congress.

The person who represents our 2nd District families in Congress should share their values. I was born and raised in a working class Franco-American family right here in central Maine, and so were my parents and grandparents. I scrubbed toilets to work my way through college. For 35 years, I helped grow the economy and create jobs.

I’ve been endorsed by LePage and Sen. Susan Collins. I’ve also been endorsed by the NRA.

Cain is from New Jersey. She has no experience creating jobs and has voted against Maine small businesses nearly 70 percent of the time. She would be a rubber stamp to continue Obama’s extreme liberal policies that don’t work.

And, Cain has a D+ rating from the NRA.

I ask for your vote on Nov. 4. I’ll work hard and do what’s right in Congress. I’ll fight for Maine’s families and small businesses. I won’t let you down.