Economists will tell you that most economic growth comes from innovation, from new ideas. Think about the changes that have occurred in your lifetime in how we live, work and play, from computers and the Internet to modern medicine to entertainment. In order to change the trajectory of Maine's economy, we need to harness our innovation and creativity. Yes, this means more new industries like information technology and biotechnology, but it also means new products and processes in our traditional industrial sectors like forestry and paper, boatbuilding, manufacturing, agriculture and fishing.
The truth about education in Maine is that better-than-average schools aren't good enough. By and large, our parents, students and teachers do a good job. Our students out-perform their counterparts in all but a few states. Our graduation rate is higher than in many parts of the country.
This good news is overshadowed, however, by the fact that the global economy will demand more of our students than we're currently providing them.
Our society has an obligation to offer quality, affordable health care to all citizens, and we have a plan to live up to that promise for Maine people. But it is also true that with any right comes responsibility. Citizens, businesses and government all have to come together and do their part to fix our health care system.
Right now, our leaders in Washington are trying again to address this problem. It is not a certainty that they'll succeed. The effort may fail entirely, or it may fall short of addressing the needs of Mainers.
Maine is blessed with abundant forests - nearly 90 percent of Maine - and the vast resources of a 3,500 mile-long coast line, 4,613 islands and the Gulf of Maine. These resources have been the backbone of Maine’s economy for many, many years. Today, there is a new opportunity, to use these resources for existing purposes such as the paper industry and fishing and lobstering, and for recreation, but also to generate renewable energy.
Nearly 98% of Mainers work for one of the 39,000 small businesses in Maine; only 2% of us work for one of the 53 Maine businesses with more than 500 employees.
As I traveled around the state for the past three years, I met business owners who told me how hard it is to run a business in Maine -- how corporate taxes are too high; how the regulatory environment is arbitrary and overwhelming, how healthcare and energy costs make it difficult to compete; how the lack of universal broadband and cell services cuts us off from global markets.
Maine people want more from their government, and they want to pay less for it. This isn't lost on the politicians competing for your votes, and they're busy filling the air with promises of more services and lower taxes. Promises won't get the job done, however.
Maine government has to take a good, hard look at how it does business and find ways to do more with less. Sure, there's some wasteful spending that can and should be eliminated, but we need to step away from the tired liberal vs. conservative, spend vs. tax arguments. We need to look at how we're delivering services and ask if we can find a better way.
The robust economy that we desperately need depends on investing in transportation. The environment and way of life that we all cherish depend on making those investments wisely. There are lots of examples across the country of how not to move goods and people from one place to another. Mindless spending of transportation resources fuels suburban sprawl, adds to pollution and creates traffic jams.
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