There is another independent candidate running for governor of Maine. Unlike like Kevin Scott who I covered recently http://bit.ly/98xbm1 in this column, Moody has a decent level of name recognition. He is owner of a chain of car repair shops, which more importantly sport his name.

Seeing the mess that the government of Maine is in at the moment, I suspect he believes his skill with repairs might fit the bill. And its not just once he gets in that he seeks to change things. He has already taken the unusual step of using a flying billboard to flog his site and his candidacy http://bit.ly/cYQD64. It remains to be seen how effective the effort was, but it gave the political sites an excuse to write about him.

His policies, while short on specifics, do sound enticing to fans of small government. His vision seems to make sense and he aims to fix the problems that plague the state and its residents with free market solutions. http://bit.ly/duD2eG

One big problem in Maine is the lack of competition for affordable health insurance. Here are his thoughts on the matter.

“One thing is certain. We must increase competition in health care to drive down costs and improve care. Our goal will be to have at least 8 choices (NH has 14) for health insurance providers by 2014. This will be a tough one. Governors don’t legislate, but I will work relentlessly to break the gridlock of bureaucracy preventing free market health care in Maine.:”

Pity he says nothing about calling for allowing competition <i>across state lines</i> which would greatly reduce the cost of health insurance. More competition is good, but why not open it up all the way and actually allow a proper free market?

In education he wants to add competition via merit pay. This will no doubt annoy the teaching unions and are a good sign he is not on the left.

“This is America, a free society built on free market competition and innovation. I’m going to prioritize the adaptation of a merit pay system in education. Across-the-board pay increases breed mediocrity. Top achievers leave; under achievers stagnate. It’s time to commit ourselves to a fair, comprehensive annual assessment and development process.”

Bangor Daily News had a feature on all the three independent candidates in Maine. Moody makes sense in this quote from the piece. http://bit.ly/awHjvZ

“Moody also advocates a more detailed system of delivering social services that gives people only the help they need and not “the whole smorgasbord” of assistance programs. “We need to start treating our taxpayers like customers,” he said. “I’ve learned the power of listening to people before you jump to conclusions about what they need.”

Moody is another example of the variety running for governor as an independent. Mocked by the main parties and ignored most often by the normal media, these people know what they are up against. Facing an uphill battle for recognition, fundraising and coverage they still toss their hats in the ring.