John Glow (image credit: ballotpedia)

Former democratic gubernatorial candidate and longtime environmentalist and wildlife advocate John M. Glowa Sr., of South China, is considering mounting an independent campaign for governor. “Americans are fed up with politics in general and mutually destructive partisan politics in particular. Maine doesn’t need a politician in the Blaine House. Maine needs a true leader, and I believe I have the education, experience, and skill set to be that leader,” said Glowa.

Glowa, 71, has a B.S. degree in economics from what is now Southern Connecticut State University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Maine. He worked for the State of Maine for nearly thirty years, retiring in 2016. With the state, he worked primarily in water enforcement at the Department of Environmental Protection. During his years in government and his decades of wildlife advocacy outside government, he learned how Maine’s government works and doesn’t work. His education taught him how government is supposed to work. According to Glowa, “Maine’s government is not a democracy. Any citizen who has tried and failed to get the government to effect positive change has learned that Maine’s government is rigged to benefit those in government and the favored special interests. Regardless of how good or how popular an idea is, if the government doesn’t want it to happen, it won’t happen. The reverse is also true.”

Since state employees are forbidden from running for state elective office, Glowa ran for the Maine House immediately upon retirement in 2016, and subsequently ran for the Senate and governor, all as a democrat. In 2022, he challenged Janet Mills to a primary because he believes in democracy and that people, not parties, should choose who is on the ballot. His bid was unsuccessful after the democratic party machine endorsed Mills eight months before the scheduled primary, violating its own charter by doing so.

“My experience both inside and outside government has taught me that change will not come from the inside. Those who benefit from a rigged system will never act to reform it. Change must only come from the outside. As an independent, I will answer only to the people, and I will always put the public interest before the special interests” said Glowa. He considers himself a social progressive and a fiscal conservative. “In my opinion, the government has no business telling anyone what they can or cannot do with their reproductive system” he said. He supports a progressive tax structure, eliminating tax loopholes and exemptions, decreasing taxes for those of lower or moderate incomes and, if necessary, increasing taxes for those who can best afford it. He supports maximizing government effectiveness and efficiency to minimize tax burdens while still meeting the needs of Maine people.

“Maine’s government is failing its people miserably. Why are we spending public money to build windmills when children are dying of abuse and neglect, homeless people are sleeping in tents, those with mental health issues are going untreated, and the addicted are dying for lack of help? This is disgraceful. Why, after two centuries, does Maine’s government still have no effective apolitical internal program auditing function? Why are there effectively no checks and balances between the three branches of government? As governor, one of my first tasks will be to appoint a blue-ribbon panel of apolitical government experts to examine every word in Maine’s constitution, all laws, all rules and all programs and recommend much needed changes. This continuous improvement process will be conducted with much public input and complete transparency. Until we reform this dysfunctional government, our problems, most of which government has created, will only continue to worsen”, said Glowa.

by Mary Grow

China voters have a two-sided local ballot on Nov. 5, local elections on one side and five referendum questions on the other.

For elections, there is one contest on the ballot: five men are running for three seats on the select board, incumbents Blane Casey and Brent Chesley and Edwin Bailey, Tod Detre and Thomas Rumpf. For more information, see the recording of the Oct. 9 candidates’ forum, available on Youtube; or the summary in the Oct. 17 issue of The Town Line, p. 2.

There is one other name on the ballot, Timothy Basham for re-election to the budget committee, unopposed.

There are three declared write-in candidates for China local offices, as of Oct. 21. Melissa Cowing and John Soifer are write ins for the Regional School Unit #18 board of directors, and Jo Orlando is a write-in candidate for one of three budget committee vacancies.

The referendum questions are as follows:

The first question asks if voters want to amend the town’s TIF (Tax Increment Financing District) Ordinance. Proposed changes would eliminate some originally-listed uses for TIF money that have been appropriated once or never; add funding for an extension of the causeway work at the head of China Lake’s east basin, the first local TIF project to be finished; and rearrange other allocations.

The second question proposes amendments to China’s Budget Committee Ordinance. The main substantive change would eliminate the districts from which four of the seven committee members are now elected, and eliminate elections in favor of appointment by the select board.

The third question asks voters to add a Development District map to the land use map. Wording describing the district is in Appendix A of the Land Development Code; if voters approve, the map will be added.

The fourth question asks approval of amendments to sections of the Land Development Code prepared primarily by planning board members. A copy of the ordinance, with changes in red, is on the town website, chinamaine.org, under Planning Board, under Officials, Boards and Committees.

Board chairman Toni Wall and codes officer Nicholas French have described almost all the changes as non-substantive, aimed at updating and clarifying the ordinance language, including incorporating revised state requirements.

One change shortens the ordinance, by eliminating a section on regulating timber harvesting in shoreland, resource protection and stream protection districts. With voter approval, regulatory authority will be transferred from town officials to the Maine Forest Service.

The final question, presented by citizens’ petition, asks approval of a 180-day moratorium on any new power lines through China. A response to the proposed north-south line to bring power from Aroostook County windmills to this area, the moratorium is intended to give local officials time to develop appropriate ordinances to regulate such development.

China’s Nov. 5 voting will be in the former portable building behind the town office, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Vehicle access will be from Alder Park Road, south of the town office complex; the driveway off Lakeview Drive will be closed for the day.

The China town office will be closed all day Nov. 5.