John Richardson for Maine

William K. McKinley

In his Dec. 1 column ("A pack - or is it a herd? - of candidates for governor crowd the stage"), Ron Bancroft made some sweeping statements about the gubernatorial field in general and about the leading Democratic candidate, John Richardson, in particular.

While the column made some good observations about the need to put jobs and economic growth at the forefront of the campaign, Bancroft got it wrong when it came to Richardson's efforts to bring about change.

He referred to the 2006 report on Maine's economic prospects written by the Brookings Institution and lamented that many of its recommendations weren't adopted.

Bancroft then suggested that Richardson didn't do enough as speaker of the Maine House of Representatives to carry out the report's recommendations.

The fatal flaw in that observation is that the report was issued in late 2006 and, within weeks of its release, Richardson left the Legislature to become commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development.

It appears Bancroft mistakenly thought Richardson presided over the House when the report was debated. That's simply wrong.

Moreover, when Richardson went to DECD, he took the report seriously and supported implementation of some of its better ideas. These included a bigger investment in research and development, enhanced financial support for the Maine Technology Institute, a model building code for Maine communities, a historic preservation tax credit and the formation of a Quality of Place Council.

Richardson didn't take these steps alone, but he did his part to support them as he battled to create jobs in the worst economy Maine has seen since the Great Depression.

Bancroft also observed that the candidate who was willing to be bold and act as a change agent in support of more jobs and a stronger economy would break from the pack and be worth supporting.

In fact, that candidate has already stepped forward, and it's John Richardson.

Richardson has experience in economic development and in the private sector, but that doesn't mean he is tied to old ideas. He worked within the confines of the current administration and got real results. As governor, Richardson will be bolder and able to put his real-world experience to work carrying out an agenda for change.

He knows well that it can't be business as usual if Maine is to succeed. His plan includes reforming Maine government as the Brookings report suggested. But John appreciates that reform has to start at the top. Rather than forcing restructuring on other levels of government, John will lead by example by looking for ways to save money within state departments first.

This kind of reform is necessary so that Maine can invest in its vast potential in the areas of natural resources and alternative energy.

John knows as well the critical role that technology will play in developing new industry in Maine.

Combine this insight and experience with John's sensible positions on taxes, health care, education and other issues, and you have exactly the candidate that Bancroft says he would like to see in the race.

Maine's tax burden is already too high, and the state can't afford an increase in broad-based taxes. Yet it has to make critical investments. That means Maine needs a governor ready to make change a reality.

This is no time for amateurs. Getting this job done will take real-world experience, both within and outside of government. Richardson is the only candidate in the race who has a clear vision for change and the experience to carry it out.

If Mr. Bancroft takes the time to learn about Richardson's record and about his vision for Maine, he'll learn that the breakout candidate in this race is already running, ready to take Maine in a new direction.