MS Collins, Please stop spending my childrens, and my grandchildrens money on goverment programs that do little to create jobs. From the news articles I have read the cost per job created/saved in the first stimulus was $160,000 per job. Is this a good return on investment ? How many of these jobs created/saved were goverment workers, teachers, and census takers ? Pass tax breaks to get the economy working or please turn in your Republican credentials and join the DNC.

Want to create jobs? Lower taxes, cut gummint spending, and reduce the deficit.

It ain't rocket science...

yeah unless you address the industrial castration of the united states through the free trade agreements of the last 17 years then what's the sense in having a jobs bill? Problem with putting tariffs back into effect is that we borrow the money to run our country from our biggest importer, China. They aren't gonna go for that without calling our debt. Obviously the only answer is a preemptive nuclear strike against China, immediately followed by reenactment of tariffs!! And we better do it soon before China builds up their military anymore (which they are rapidly doing as we speak) with all those Walmart dollars we have exported to them over the last 25 years!!! Oil should flow freely after we wipe out most of Asia, as the Arabs will see we're crazy enough to use the bomb to fix our economy. We'll be enjoying $1.10/gallon gas again, and then maybe we could pass a 10k tax credit for anyone that buys an American, union built, SUV getting under 10 miles per gallon, that should stimulate the economy. Anyone have any better ideas??

These people cannot help themselves. so please vote and help them to be removed from office. the govt CANNOT create jobs. we need to STOP borrowing and spending. if $787 BILLION dollars could not stimulate the economy WHAT IN HEAVENS NAME IS GOING TO!!!!!????? ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.

No matter how many jobs bills or tax breaks they pass it won't change the NANNY NIMBY anti business attitude that exists here in Maine...A Large employer could announce tommorrow they were interested in moving to Maine and the NIMBY's and Moonbats would be forming groups to oppose it with names like "friends of (insert name here) and the screeching and screaming would start..The Bald one would announce "those aren't the right jobs for Maine"...Nothing will ever change here...

Don't you find it "rich" that a bunch of Liberal, trust fund bureaucrats who have NEVER even held a job let alone created one (not including "special assistants") are all clattering about creating jobs????

They've all been in politics, forever. What the hell have they done thus far?!?!

If anything let all of the babyboomers retire early and give anybody over 60 a decent severance pay. Offer medicare to them and let the younger generation start work! Many of these babyboomers wont retire because the cost of living is too high and they cannot afford health insurance. In fact if a health insurance plan was offered where eveybody in the country paid 10% of their income whether on welfare or if you make $20,000.000 then that would creat jobs as well. It would also get rid of the slimey insurance companies! Now there's an idea!!!

Hasn't Congress spent enough money yet? Good Lord. Nothing has worked so far apparently. Good grief, STOP SPENDING. When are we going to start understanding that politicians are scumbags (generalizing) and only care about themselves? Look at the news. $50 Million for a Caribbean coastline. Anyone remember Osama Bi Laden? Perhaps $50 Million might be useful in his capture. More useful than a beach most of us cannot ever afford to travel to. Our elected government apparently can't see beyond their own need and greed for power. And they are idiots.

Have you people changed your medication again? We need jobs to feed families! The money is left-over TARP funds that were used to bail out big banks. I just don' t understand why you people think the way you do. Maine is the laughing-stock of New England. Poor and Stupid.

Tarp money was forced upon many banks who didn't even want it. This money is being repaid! It was a loan per se. The taxpayer is making money on the interest. The stimulus was supposed to be for shovel ready jobs and to help with unemployment and medicaid payments. So far about 30% of this money has been doled out. If the need is there to throw money away, why don't they redistribute what is left in a manner that is more in line with doing what they say they want to do. A lot of this money is just being wasted and given to special interests and projects that have nothing to do with creating jobs. Giving a lousy tax break for every employee hired does no good if a business doesn't have customers. No business is going to hire anyone to get a 5K tax incentive when it will cost them 50K to keep that person with no income coming in to cover that expense. As usual, a bone is thrown and covered up like it is a magnificent idea to shell money out for other frivolous payoffs. As long as we allow these pigs to step up to the trough, very little will be done by the government. Although they are hiring more and more, of which we are paying for,and for what? This last stimulus was to keep unemployment at 8% and what is it today? If we allow them to have another stimulus of billions, maybe we can get it up to 15%?

We never had all these problems until we had free trade agreements ,and until we elect polititians that do not support free trade , these problems will only get worse everything cost as much now as it did before free trade and most things cost more now. Lets not wait until our standard of living is below that of a third world country which is where we are headed, our only hope is to get rid of the current polititians before this country is completely destroyed.The only reason free trade exist is because the current polititians are only concerned with high profits for big business,wall street and themselves.Obviously if they were concerned about the majority of Americans they would'nt have guided us to the point we are at now

“Even better, these investments are fully paid for by redirecting TARP funds from Wall Street to Main Street,” Pingree said.

What is she smoking? The government borrowed money to bail out the banks, money which is being repaid. The bank portion of it will net out to zero. The feds will lose money on the portion of the TARP used to bail out AIG, GM, and Chrysler.

How in the heck can a pool of borrowed money in a program operating at a loss pay for this jobs bill?

Only in Washington.

What is awesome to read in following the posts is that people are finally seeming to get it. It's obvious to see there is a common thread in the way of thinking. We seem to know what this country needs to do to fix this country. All we need to do now is find people to elect into office who think along those same lines. Hopefully in the November elections we will have people qualified enough and do have our best interests and that of our children in mind. That's what I pray for. Give us good honest people to vote for.

Enought thowing away money. The stimulus did not create jobs last time so why do it again.

If the money was handed out by the Federal Government rather than the States, you may have seen jobs created. With the useless idiots in our current administration the only small businesses that would even benefit will be whatever they want to see expanded, not what the residents want to see.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2010/02/10/maine_house_endorses_bringing_uss_jfk_to_portland/

(AP) AUGUSTA, Maine - A plan to bring the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy to Portland Harbor as a tourist attraction and museum got support from the Maine House yesterday.

Representatives passed a nonbinding resolution backing the idea, which supporters say will generate tourism and jobs and will not cost taxpayers anything. The resolution awaits a Senate vote.

Most of the state’s gubernatorial candidates and the Portland City Council also back the plan.

When covering some Medical issue, the BDN's usually pretty good at seeking comments from Medical People. When coverning some agriculture event, they usually quote farming people. Then why is nearly impossible, when writing about "jobs", they can't interview someone who's actually created a job or two in their life? Goodness, every interview for this article was from a Democrat Politician, two Pingree's in fact were tracked down, or the MCEP; the most left-wing, anti-business, and pro-Government "think tank" in our State!

I'm sorry to read that no one with actual experience in creatng jobs was available for an interview.

I'm sorry that all of the true, pro-business groups had apparently closed their offices when calls were being made. I suspect if given an opportunity, something useful could have been quoted from the State Chamber of Commerce, the Maine office of the National Federation of Small Businesses, Maine Economic Research Institute, or my favorite; The Maine Heritage Policy Center!

They snooze, we all lose.

Gee, eighty business folks meeting with our Governor, and none were available for a direct quote... they are certainly all cowards with nothing useful to add to the discussion. They're probably home packing their bags to move their operations out of state, just like Bert's Bees and so many have done in recent years. COWARDS ALL.

However, I'm confident the two Pingree's and Democratic candidates for Governor are available for even more "useful" quotes.

Jobs in small businesses are not a solution to the job crunch. These jobs pay poorly and don't come with benefits. Real people have real famillies to support and real bills to pay. They need real jobs.

I agree with 66, unless everyone in the state owns his/her own small business, employing 2 high school kids from the neighborhood as their employees, then it's not gonna generate some mass jobs salvation from above......

Free money!! YAAAYYYY! :)

Better take a peek at what is being proposed.

I hope data is available on how many jobs were created (or saved, also very important) by previous stimulus money sent to Maine. Also, on how many could be created/saved with more money.

Small businesses are important and their biggest problem currently is getting necessary loans from the schizo (and over-rewarded with bonuses) lending organizations.

Gopher...go to recovery.gov and click on Maine. It lists grants,contracts and loans. I have not bothered to see where all this money has gone but the totals...if I read it right....Maine received almost 890M and it created 2,181 jobs. Most of these were shown to be under grants...1965 of them. As I said, i didn't follow the money and see what it was actually used for but 890M for 2181 jobs...if I read it correctly...is a lot of money per job. There again, I am not sure what grants mean either, If one cares to delve into it, this is the fed's website and maybe someone can make heads or tails to the numbers.

when this government money is gone so are those jobs. you need a business that fosters long term solid jobs not make work throw away jobs. maine government at the public feeding trough. somethings never change.