Valli Geiger

My belief in good government and its importance is rooted in my own childhood. My father was career Air Force, who died in an accident at age 32, when I was 6. It was an incredible loss of a smart, loving, funny man who braided my hair every morning, allowed me to help him in the wee hours before work for him and school for me, feeding the pigeons, chickens, ducks and a spoiled goose we so loved that we could not bear to sacrifice him for Christmas dinner as planned. That loss, while earth shattering emotionally, was not financially. The Air Force looks after its own and hired my mom once back in the states. It meant Social Security payments, VA pension payments and health care through out my childhood at the closest Air Force base. I went to school with VA help and a NY State regents scholarship. So I learned about safety nets early and I know they act as a hand up, a way to live with dignity and safety and then thrive. Universal Health Care, Pensions, scholarships/grants for education, all lift a people.

I believe in the urgency of Climate change, I am a nurse, with graduate work in Public Health and a Master's in Sustainable Design with a focus on Climate change and building community resiliency. I see what is and imagine what could be.

• Property Tax Relief - Fair School Funding - Returning to 5% of Municipal sales tax to Rockland as stated in law
• Increased Affordable, Energy Efficient housing for our workforce, young families and the elderly
• Living Wage/Access to affordable, quality Health care for all Maine citizens.

Healthcare - I am a nurse, with graduate work in Public Health and years working in health care policy. Climate change - I went back to school in my 50's and got a Master's in Sustainable Design with a focus on building resilient communities. Housing - Creating green, energy efficient and affordable workforce and elderly housing. Property tax relief through fairer education formula funding, increasing municipal revenue sharing back to 5% and increasing the Homestead Exemption for year round, local residents in communities with an increasingly seasonal population to maintain a thriving year round community.

Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Both are women of integrity, compassion, fiercely fiercely fighting for the rest of us. I admire their passion, their grit, their courage and their ability to get out their and speak without compromise on what is right, what is just. Their ability to stand up to the powerful, to big banks, corporations on our behalf awes me.

But the woman I admire most is Francis Perkins, longest serving Secretary of Labor in history and the person we can thank for Social Security, the 40 hour work week, workmen's comp, no child labor laws, and sick leave. Every working person owes their thanks to her determination to improve our lives.

I am currently reading Rob Hopkins' book "From What is To What If". I did not make it past the the 3rd page without breaking down in sobs. He presents a story of ....."what life could look like if we were able to find a way over the course of the next 20 years to be bold, brilliant and decisive, to act in proportion to the challenges we are facing and to aim for a future we actually feel good about."

He talks about the need for stories of "How Things Turned Out Ok - because if there is a consensus about anything in the world at this point, it seems to be that the future is going to be awful." He says we live in a time "bereft" of positive visions and stories of how things can be different.

He reminded me of how much I believe in community and how much I think we can do when we have a shared vision that is benevolent and kind and compassionate toward all. He reminded me that nothing can get better if we don't have stories, great and positive stories of what is being done, what can be done, if we join together to do it.

A final quote: "Given everything humanity has accomplished, all of it driven by leaps of the imagination, why is envisioning a safer, saner, happier, more peaceful path forward so consistently beyond our reach?" My answer is that it isn't and we must start together, now.

Integrity, the ability to lead collaboratively, serving others not oneself. The ability to advocate on others behalf. I believe it is important to be transparent, to explain why I am supporting a certain position, providing the context, the pros and cons, and where I ultimately fall on an issue. So often, politicians refuse to commit or explain, trying to avoid standing for anything in the hope of not offending anyone. By the end, what ever reason they came to serve it has come to be about the service of re-election.

When I was first elected to City Council, I formed a Women's Breakfast group. I had heard about a group of women who met for breakfast for no other purpose than how to help their small, struggling community thrive. I wanted to provide transparency and to encourage civic engagement among women. I believe society, community and government are best served if there is gender equity and diversity. I have met with a growing group of women for the last 5 1/2 years every other week. Since Covid-19, we continue to meet weekly on Zoom. They receive an education in municipal government, I receive the benefit of their wisdom, their varying opinions, their ability to flesh out the problem/issue in a way that broadens and deepens my understanding of both the problem and the potential solution. They have gone on to run for Council, join city and civic organizations and become better informed, passionate citizens.

That need to remain accountable, accessible, to have deep conversations about the issues of the day for our community, our state and our nation, grows more important daily. As I contemplate being a state representative, I have committed to continuing the Women's Breakfast, but to expand to regular neighborhood meetings, creating more pockets of community.

I am a passionate truth teller, I have the courage to stand up for values and integrity. I am collaborative but fierce in my defense of my community, of its people and of the environment. I am an excellent public speaker and have the ability to take complex material and translate it clearly. I am an educator and believe it is crucial for people to understand more than sound bites.

Show up....talk to everybody....do your homework....prepare to lead when needed, follow when a good leader emerges. Have a set of unwavering values that are the base from which to determine how to create legislation, when to fold, when to hold, when to vote no, when to accept compromise that moves things a littler further toward justice, equity, wellbeing than it was yesterday.

To be part of an enduring movement to create a resilient and thriving community, with well maintained infrastructure that moves us toward renewable energy, a Carbon neutral foot print, excellent education and preparation for life for our children, with critical thinking skills, civic engagement and a belief that their participation in this experiment of democracy is critical. A story of compassion, accountability, civility and fierce devotion to the purpose of repairing our society, helping it recover from resource exploitation, income inequality, injustice, and the threats of climate change.

At age 21, I moved to Maine for my first nursing job in the fall after my college graduation with a Bachelors in Nursing. I had worked my way through school as a receptionist at a big beauty salon. I was paid $5.99/hr. I was hired at the local hospital, full time, nights at $3.99/hr.

I was so strapped! It was all I could do to afford rent, heat and pay my school loan. In those days, you had to work full time, you could not ask for any days off and I would often work 6 weeks before I had a weekend off. Things are better now. Wages are still low, healthcare is dominated by just a few large organizations. But in the 80's Eastern Maine Medical Center unionized and several others followed. Suddenly, wages got better, work requirements more flexible. It taught me the power of organizing in groups to affect change. I have never forgotten that lesson.

The Young Unicorns by Madeline L'Engle.

I had a rough time growing up with the death of my father and 6 years of living with an alcoholic and abusive step father. This lovely book showed me what a happy, functional, inclusive and open family looked like. It showed a life lived with community, friends, conversations over the dinner table, music, art and books. it showed a life lived based on values and service. It provided a model for me of what I was looking for. I have it, I have a life filled with community, friends, gatherings and big holiday dinners and a family I am thankful for every day. My husband is egalitarian to his bones, he is a joy to live with. My son grew up in a Madeline L'Engle book and if I do nothing else, I have done that.

Leonard Cohen's "You Want it Darker".

We have 151 state representatives and 35 senators, both serve 2 year terms, both are termed out after 8 years. The Senate is the final body confirming bills passed before they are sent to the governor. The State Senate is empowered to confirm all gubernatorial nominations and try all impeachments.

Each senator serving on committees carries more weight than a state representative. Their districts are much larger, ideally requiring a less partisan viewpoint.

I do. The process of governing is quite different that that of the business world and requires collaboration, civility and compromise if legislation is to pass.

That said, previous experience can often lead to women and people of color, non-dominant groups historically to be left out. Maine can be proud of the diversity and near gender balance seen in our legislature. I believe firmly that when the people defining the problem represent the diversity of the community, the problem is defined more completely, the core of it better understood, leading to better solutions.

Climate Change: We are a state with a huge coast line. Our fishing industry is one of our major industries. Penobscot Bay is warming faster than any other body of water in the world. This has grave implications for seacoast erosion, the migration of lobsters to northern, colder waters and the loss of local fish species. 80% of our homes are heated with fossil fuels. We need to increase our commitment to abating climate change and adapting where we cannot abate.

Keeping a Young Workforce: Maine kids are leaving, unable to find good paying jobs and affordable housing here. This trend must be reversed. We must commit to an excellent education system with post secondary training or college and the jobs to keep Maine kids here and welcome others. We must increase housing availability.

The loss of our year round coastal communities: Maine coastal communities have been discovered, leading to increasing sales to out of state, seasonal, part-time residents. This is leading to higher property values and property taxes, pushing out long term locals and depleting available housing stock for year round residents. We can welcome the fresh air that new Mainers can bring, but we must protect those who have called their towns and cities home for decades.

One of civility, comity and collaboration for the benefits of the people of Maine. There needs to be mutual respect of the roles each body plays. We recently had a governor refuse to have Commissioners or Department Head share any information about their programs, budgets or priorities and refused to allow them to stand. This is fundamentally at odds with previous norms and prevents the legislature from doing its job.

So much of how the legislature and executive bodies function is dependent on civility, tradition and norms of behavior. This appears to be breaking down and we will need to embody in law, what was an understood way of conducting the people's business.

Relationships are the bedrock of collaborative, productive and successful legislation. Despite party differences, there should be shared values and a desire to improve conditions for all Mainers. The current Speaker of the House required legislators that had previously sat together by party, to be seated randomly. It leads to conversations, comity, and a willingness to listen based on relationship.

Maine has a long history of integrity and collaboration. The times and national politics are pushing us toward divisiveness and increasing polarization. We do not have to and should not follow this dead end road, but return to our own tradition and history. We are dependent on each other, we face serious issues that must be solved. We cannot waste time in isolated camps or working for the few instead of the many. The system is crying out for reform, whether it is healthcare, education, pension funding, income inequality, or loss of habitat, warming waters, extreme weather or the collapse of the fishing industry. We need innovation, reform and a call to everyone to participate in saving what we love and reforming what is harming us all.

This is not a big issue for Maine, but favor a bipartisan commission or a bipartisan court to set the boundaries. On its face it must be defensible, it cannot lump people of color or party into one strangely carved district to decrease their effect. Results should reflect overall voting preferences.

For example, Wisconsin has so gerrymandered their districts that Republicans win close to a supermajority of house seats even with a minority of the vote. They are a lock to win 60% of the statehouse seats with 48% of the vote. This is anti-democratic and blatantly unfair.

Energy, Utilities and Technology - Critical to decreasing fossil fuel use State and Local Government Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Marine Resources

I have a particular admiration for Seth Berry, bringing innovation and public interest to the energy sector. Hannah Pingree for her ability to work across the aisle. Pinny Beebe-Center for her quiet but tenacious work on difficult subjects like prisoner re-entry into the community.

No, this is my opportunity to work for the betterment of my community. I am not personally ambitious. But believe our lives are defined by stages: the first is student, the second is householder, the third is service and the forth is attending to one's spiritual life and preparation for death.

I am in the third phase of my life and have so much to be grateful for. It is important to give back in service to my community. I have acquired many skills in my life as a student and householder. I have spent 25+ years studying and mastering women's leadership. I have spent most of my professional career first as a nurse and then as a health policy analyst and reformer. Wanting to understand more about Climate Change, I returned to school in my 50's and obtained a Master's in Sustainable Design with a focus on understanding Climate Change and how to build a community's resiliency..

I recently spent time with a young man in his early 40's. His family had been in the fishing industry for generations. Over the last few decades they have lost their livelihood to the collapsing of the fisheries, lost their home on a island and were now in Rockland. He spoke of that grief, of the struggle to find what will sustain him and the frustration of coming up against housing rules that prevent him from sharing the homestead and helping his aging father, but living independently. We must allow innovation, we must recognize that cities and towns are living, breathing, changing systems and a city's housing and zoning rules must change to support its people, helping them to thrive. We are in a challenging time, jobs are being lost in the millions, families will need to take one another in, we must help them do so. Mainers are aging, many cannot afford, nor do they want to leave their home. As we see a return to multi-generational living, we must help it to work through thoughtful design and changing ordinances and zones.