ME-1: Energy, health care policies differentiate two candidates

AUGUSTA -- Differences in energy and health care policy will define the 1st Congressional District race between Chellie Pingree (D-North Haven) and Charlie Summers (R-Scarborough) this fall.

At a low-key forum at a Maine Development Foundation event Thursday, the two candidates touched on a number of issues, but energy policy and health care questions ignited the most passionate responses.

Summers supports domestic drilling for oil, along with investing in alternative energy resources. He has launched a radio ad highlighting this and is travelling the state working different jobs to highlight the effect high costs have on various occupations.

Pingree does not support drilling, and instead is proposing the state let oil out of the oil reserves and crack down on speculation. She is actively supporting alternative energy sources and bringing green power jobs to Maine, and recently visited the University of Maine at Orono to learn about ongoing research and development in the field.

Pingree said she'd support taking money from oil subsidies to support investment in alternative energy.

Summers said alternative energy technology is close but not here yet. "A wind mill is not going to drive your car or heat your home," he said at the forum.

He presented the energy crisis as an issue of national security - every time the country imports oil it is less secure, he said.

Pingree and Summers have polar opposite views on health care. Pingree supports a universal, single payer system. Summers supports more competition in the private market.

Pingree said more people need access to Medicaid and Medicare and the reimbursement system needs to be better for practitioners.

Summers said that the macro debate on universal health care won't accomplish anything, and instead government needs to focus on the micro-level - first the 70 million with no insurance whatsoever.

Then, focus on small business health care. Also, he would like to make the cost of health care 100 percent deductible, he said.

Summers said people should be able to re-import drugs from Canada, as long as they are of the same quality.

Pingree said the country should be able to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices, which allows the drugs to be sold for less in Canada.

The two candidates will square off again at a forum at 9:30 a.m. Sunday at Temple Beth El in Portland.