Matt Dunlap in 2012 Maine Senate Debates
On Social Security:
Remove cap on earnings to sustain system
Believes the Social Security trust fund should be off limits to funding other things, such as the war in Iraq. Believes the system should be sustained, and supports removing the cap on earnings subject to social security taxes.
Has reservations about raising the retirement age because it would penalize those who are unable to work beyond the age of 66.
Source: Public Broadcasting "Your Vote 2012" Maine Senate debate
Sep 1, 2012
On War & Peace:
Iraq war was poorly thought out and enormously expensive
Thinks Iraq war was "poorly thought out" and "enormously expensive," and believes we went there on a false premise. Thinks the
Taliban's support for al Qaeda justified our response in Afghanistan, but believes the war is unsustainable at this point.
Source: Public Broadcasting "Your Vote 2012" Maine Senate debate
Sep 1, 2012
On Budget & Economy:
Shore up availability of credit to stimulate job creation
The Democratic candidates agreed that the federal government can do more to stimulate job creation, such as weatherizing homes and businesses, and free up investment capital that has been sitting on the sidelines since the Wall Street meltdown in 2008.
"The federal government can do an awful lot more to shore up the availability of that credit," Dunlap said.
Pollard said he would reform the tax code."I do think the wealthiest Americans benefited the most from the prosperity of recent decades. Those individuals and corporations should be responsible for reducing the deficit."
Families are facing financial disaster with high unemployment--while Washington fails to take the steps needed to fix these problems. I believe there are plenty of people looking out for the big corporations. Maine families [need] a senator for them.
Source: KJ Online coverage of 2012 Maine Senate debate
Apr 1, 2012
On Energy & Oil:
Invest in weatherization programs and maintain LIHEAP
On foreign policy, the candidates generally agreed that the United States should move cautiously regarding military intervention in Syria, but they expressed a range a views about U.S. military use."I really don't believe that war is the answer,
really hardly ever. I think we should do everything we can to support diplomacy at every opportunity," Dill said.
"I believe we have to proceed with great care in making military commitments, but we cannot stand by and let citizens be indiscriminately
Source: KJ Online coverage of 2012 Maine Senate debate
Apr 1, 2012
On War & Peace:
We cannot stand by while Syria slaughters its citizens
slaughtered by their governments," Dunlap said.Hinck said he also would be reluctant to commit troops abroad. "I think we've overextended. We've hurt our economy and we are not achieving the objectives" of
current military operations.
Pollard said he would support providing arms to Syrian rebels, and also would consider airstrikes.
"I do believe we have a respond as the world only superpower to keep the peace in the world," he said.
All four said they would work to reduce the nation's debt.
Dill said she would focus on military spending and regulation of Wall Street financial firms that helped cause the recession. "We had, basically, people looting our economy who haven't been
held responsible," she said.
Dunlap said he would look at the Bush tax cuts, adding, "The deficit problems we have today are rooted in the growing inequality in the tax code."
Hinck said it will take both spending cuts and tax increases, but debt
Source: KJ Online coverage of 2012 Maine Senate debate
Apr 1, 2012
On Budget & Economy:
Shore up availability of credit to stimulate job creation
The Democratic candidates agreed that the federal government can do more to stimulate job creation, such as weatherizing homes and businesses, and free up investment capital that has been sitting on the sidelines since the Wall Street meltdown in 2008.
"The federal government can do an awful lot more to shore up the availability of that credit," Dunlap said.
Source: KJ Online coverage of 2012 Maine Senate debate
Mar 31, 2012
On Health Care:
ObamaCare individual mandate is constitutional
On energy, the candidates agreed that Maine's next U.S. senator should work hard to maintain federal low-income heating assistance because of the large number of Maine families that can't afford to fill their oil tanks and heat leaky homes.
They also agreed that the government should invest in weatherization programs to reduce the need for heating oil over the long term.
Source: KJ Online coverage of 2012 Maine Senate debate
Mar 31, 2012
Page last updated: Dec 04, 2018