Human psychology is an odd thing. Tell someone the glass you set before him is half-full, and he responds with feelings of optimism. Tell him it is half-empty, and he feels loss. That simple but profound psychological truth actually plays an important role in Maine’s fate. Repeat enough times that Mainers are overtaxed, that it’s a tough place to do business and that our young people leave for better jobs, and those who are listening — in and outside Maine — see it as a half-empty place.
A formula that considers personal income growth, population growth and employment growth produces a state “economic momentum list” that has Maine in ninth place in the U.S. and tops in New England. This should be welcomed — and trumpeted — as good news, though the dash of cynicism and pessimism that’s deep in the Maine DNA will likely produce a sardonic chuckle in many people.
Maine must take a long look in the mirror, and these next five months leading to the election of a new governor and Legislature is a good time to do so. The state’s flaws must be confronted, but in a way that allows for specific improvements. A woman who tells her stylist, “I hate my hair,” isn’t likely to be happy after leaving the salon. But if she points out that it often looks limp, the stylist might recommend a shorter cut.
The new state government should focus on specific “limp” parts of the economy. Private businesses, as represented through lobbying groups, must identify incentive programs that work, regulatory hurdles that are duplicative and unrealistic, and accept that some compromise short of their ideal is likely to be reality. Repeating the decades-old wail that Maine has an awful business climate is not the way forward.
Often, we learn the truth about ourselves through the eyes of others. Maine has had this opportunity through the Brookings Institution’s 2007 “Charting Maine’s Future” report. Among its recommendations are that Maine polish its quality of place; fund research and development of forest biopro-ducts, biotechnology and composite materials; and lower its property and income taxes.
Momentum, by definition, is not a snapshot in time. It measures movement and predicts future movement. Those who would take charge of building Maine’s momentum should focus on population growth, education as a means of increasing personal income, creating entrepreneurial opportunities and protecting quality of life.
As Maine began climbing out of the devastating 1991 recession, Gov. Angus King helped jump-start the state’s self-image with his “Maine Is On The Move” campaign. It didn’t solve all the state’s problems, but it helped restore pride and optimism. Building those qualities back into Maine’s self-image is important, because they make the state attractive. That attractiveness builds on itself and creates its own momentum.