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  • Affordability

  • Healthcare Coverage

  • Rural Economic Development

  • Education & Workforce Development

  • Democracy

Affordable and accesSible

Healthcare Coverage

Maine still has uninsured and underinsured residents. Rural hospital closures threaten access. Healthcare costs strain families and small businesses. Employer‑based coverage is unstable.

Move toward universal coverage that guarantees care regardless of job or income.

Expand MaineCare buy‑in, create a public option, implement all‑payer rate setting, stabilize rural providers, and invest in preventive care.

Bob's Plan

Action Plan for Rural Maine

Bold action is needed to build a bright future for Maine

  • Cap Property Tax Increases for Year-Round Residents. Create a homestead stabilization system so full-time Mainers aren't taxed out of their homes by luxury and seasonal property sales.

  • Make Second-Home and Absentee Owners Pay Their Fair Share. Reform the tax structure so seasonal ownership contributes proportionally to the pressure it places on local housing, infrastructure, and services.

  • Build Workforce Housing That Fits Rural Communities by fast-tracking small-scale projects: Main Street apartments, ADUs, and village infills.

  • Protect Rural Hospitals and Expand Access to Care by stabilizing funding for community health centers, strengthening EMS and emergency services, and expanding telehealth.

  • Invest in Broadband, Roads, and Infrastructure to unlock jobs, healthcare, and education for rural families.

  • Grow Year-Round Careers, Not Just Seasonal Jobs. Support forestry, manufacturing, agriculture, small business, and trades - an economy that lets people build viable lives.

  • Revitalize Downtowns and Village Centers. Encourage adaptive reuse of vacant buildings, historic district creation, and public-private partnerships that bring investment back to Main Street.

  • Protect Democracy and Local Control. Ensure transparent government, accessible elections, campaign finance rules that block big money influences, and state policies that reflect rural needs — not just urban priorities.

  • Lower energy and grocery costs. Increase utility pricing transparency, support local agriculture and regional food systems, and pursue energy policies that reduce the load on rural families.

  • Expand Career and Technical Education and Apprenticeships. Connect students directly to high-demand careers — electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, logging equipment operators, nurses, teachers, first responders — with affordable training pathways and workforce housing support.