I
I ASKED
I ASKED WHAT SHE WOULD DO TO HELP INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES IN MAINE THAT ARE GOING TO BE
IN DIRE FINANCIAL TROUBLE WHEN
FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY STARTS
TO RUN OUT.4@
>> IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO
COMMUNICATION AND MAKING SURE
THAT THOSE LINES OF
COMMUNICATION ARE OPEN AND
PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS
AVAILABLE THROUGH 4@THE SBA AND
THE PPP PROGRAM.
THAT WAS OFFERED BY THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND PAST4@4@. ONE OF
OPPONENTS SAID HE WOULD NOT
HAVE SUPPORTED THE FIRST RELIEF
PACKAGE BY PRESIDENT TRUMP, AND
I WOULD HAVE SUPPORTED IT.
WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR
BUSINESSES DURING 4@THIS TIME.
THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN
OR THEIR EMPLOYEES THAT THEY
HAVE TO CLOSE.
WE DID THIS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
IT WAS MY BELIEF THAT WE SHOULD
HAVE HAD A REGIONALLY CONSCIOUS
APPROACH IN OUR REOPENING. 4@
THAT DID NOT HAPPEN AS QUICKLY
AS I THOUGHT IT COULD HAVE
HAPPENED.4@
BUT, AGAIN, IT COMES DOWN TO
COMMUNICATION AND MAKING SURE
THAT THOSE LINES ARE OPEN.4@
>> Reporter: THERE ARE A LOT OF
BUSINESSES THAT WOULD SAY WE
DON'T NEED COMMUNICATION, WE
NEED MONEY AND WE NEEDED FROM
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
WHAT WOULD YO4@U SAY TO THEM?
>> I THINK THE COMMUNITY BANKS
HAVE DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB AT
BRINGING IN THOSE LAWS AND
MAKING SURE THAT THE BUSINESSES
ARE GETTING THE MONEY.
NOW, CAN WE IMPROVE 4@ON THAT?
ABSOLUTELY.
THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED AND
CERTAI4@NLY UNUSUAL TIMES.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN PREPARE FOR
THE FUTURE IF SOMETHING SIMILAR
IS EVER TO HAPPEN AGAIN.4@ 4@
YES, OUR BUSINESSES DO NEED
THAT MONEY.
I THINK THERE WAS RELATIVELY
QUICK ACTION ON BEHALF OF
CONGRESS AND THE 4@SENATE TO
CHANGE SOME OF THOSE ISSUES
ADDRESSED IN THE PPP LEGISLATION
THAT WERE NOT WORKING FOR
BUSINESSES, SUCH AS THE MANDATE
ADDRESSED IN THE PPP LEGISLATION THAT WERE NOT WORKING FOR BUSINESSES, SUCH AS THE MANDATE@
ON 75% OF THAT MONEY GOING
TOWARDS THE SALARIES.4@
THAT WAS NOT EXACTLY SOMETHING
THAT WORKS FOR BUSINESSES.
>> Reporter: IN APRIL, YOU
CRITICIZED GOVERNOR MILLS.
YOU SAID THAT SHE AND THE STATE
NEEDED TO BE MOVING FASTER
TOWARDS REOPENING.4@
WE HAVE SEEN WHAT HAS HAPPENED
AND STATES THAT DID REOPEN
EARLY, AND ARIZONA, AND TEXAS,
AND PLACES LIKE THAT.
THE NUMBER OF CASES HAVE
SKYROCKETED.
WAS IT A MISTAKE FOR YOU IN
APRIL TO CALL FOR MAINE TO
REOPEN FASTER?
>> I THINK BY MAY 1st, WE
SHOULD OF HAD A 4@REGIONALLY
CONSCIOUS APPROACH.
WHAT I WAS LACKING TO SEE FROM
THE MILLS ADMINISTRATION WAS
THE TRANSP4@ARENCY IN THE PLAN.
WE WAITED AN AWFULLY LONG TIME
TO RECEIVE GUIDANCE FROM OUR
ADMINISTRATION4@. WITH PRESIDEN
TRUM4@P, WE KNEW THAT WE WANTED
OR HE WANTED US TO FOLLOW A 15
DAY GUIDELINE, AND TH4@AT IS
SOMETHING 4@THAT ALL THE STATES
TOOK INTO ACCOUNT.
I THINK DURING THAT TIME,
REALLY, GOVERNOR MILLS AND HER
ADMINISTRATION SHOULD'VE BEEN
OUTLINING THE PLAN AND BEING A
BIT MORE TRANSPARENT WITH WHAT
SHE WAS GOING TO DO MOVING
FORWARD.
>> Reporter: YOU ARE BEST KNOWN
FOR HAVING WORKED AS A PRESS
SECRETARY FOR GOVERNOR LEPAGE
FOR SEVEN YEARS.
THE GOVERNOR HAS NOT4@ ENDORSED
HER CANDIDACY.
HE HAS ENDORSED YOUR OPPONENTS,
DALE CRAFTS.
WHY HAS HE NOT SUPPORTED YOUR
RUN?
>> YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK HIM
DIRECTLY ABOUT THAT.
WE STILL MAINTAIN 4@A FRIENDSHI
YOU KNOW, IT IS ONE OF THOSE
THINGS WHERE4@4@ I, IN THIS
CAMPAIGN, CAN ONLY DO THE BEST
JOB THAT I CAN DO REPRESENTING
THE PEOPLE OF THE SECOND
DISTRICT.
I AM REALLY LOOKING FOR
ENDORSEMENTS OF THE VOTER. 4@
THOSE ARE THE FOLKS WHO MATTER
RIGHT NOW THE MOST.
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE
NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AS I 4@
TRAVELED THE SECOND DISTRICT
AND LOOK FORWARD TO
REPRESENTING THEM IN
WASHINGTON, D.C.
>> Reporter: AS WE ALL KNOW,
THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION IS
NOT GOING TO BE HELD IN
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, THIS
YEAR BECAUSE THEY HAD A LOT OF
CONCERNS ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS
AND MASS GATHERINGS.
YOU SAID IN EARLY JUNE THAT THE
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
SHOULD BE HELD IN BANGOR.
HE PUT OUT A CALL FOR 4@THEM TO
COME TO MAINE.
A MASS GATHERING, A CONVENTION
FOR THE REPUBLIC4@AN PARTY TO B
HELD THERE.
TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS A GOOD
IDEA?
>> I THINK AS OF RIGHT NOW WE
HAVE HAD ABOUT 105 CASES HERE
IN MAINE, AND WE HAVE DONE A
GOOD JOB AT FLATTENING THE
CURVE.
BUT WE DO HAVE TO GET BACK 4@TO
NORMAL.
I AM NOT BUYING INTO A NEW
NORMAL THAT WE MUST ADHERE TO.
WE DO NEED TO 4@TAKE PRECAUTION
FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY OF
EVERYBODY.
IT IS PARAMOUNT.
MY DAD HAS COPD.
I HAVE NOT VISITED WITH HIM FOR
A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
EVEN BEFORE THAT, I USED COMMON
SENSE.
I DID NOT GO IF I HAD A CIVIL
OR A COUGH.
WE NEED TO 4@BUILD UP OUR HERD
IMMUNITY,