PORTLAND, Maine — Maine Gov. Paul LePage has said repeatedly that businesses need cheaper energy in order to create jobs.
But a report Sunday by Maine Today Media says that while no business wants high energy bills, a deep labor pool and skilled work force are more important than energy prices for job creation.
The Maine Department of Labor says the state’s manufacturing sector has shrunk by 28,800 employees between 2000 and 2010. Most new jobs have been in service sectors. Looking to 2018, the department expects 80 percent of jobs to be created in education and health services, professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality.
While the governor says Maine’s electric rates are the 12th highest in the country, U.S. Energy Information Administration figures show Maine has the lowest commercial rates north of Pennsylvania.
Maine is full of hard working, skilled people. The problem is that the only ones hiring are big corporate America and their “public assistance” wages. They politely call them “service sector” jobs.
At one time those hard working, skilled people could start their own businesses, but Maine is so business unfriendly that you don’t see that happening here. Instead the educated, young people flee Maine to states where there is opportunity and they are not treated as walking wallets to finance the government/nonprofit class.
I have had a couple of moderately successful small businesses in Maine over the last 35 years. In fact, I just started another last summer. The opportunity is still there, it is the drive that is lacking for most people. It takes a lot of hard work and planning to succeed. Maine is not really that much different than any other state when you come right down to it. Sure it is a little harder to start a business in Maine, but by no means impossible.
Why does it have to be even a little harder to start a business in Maine? Shouldn’t we be trying to make it easier?
“U.S. Energy Information Administration figures show Maine has the lowest commercial rates north of Pennsylvania.”
The Penguin lies again.
yessah
“Manufactoring sector has shrunk by 28,800 between 2000 and 2010”. You conveniently forgot to quote that segment. yessah!
GOP Depression
Thank you Bush
yessah
Baldacci brain drain as all of the young, educated people fled Maine.
yessah.
He is trying to Sell Koch!
“The Penguin lies again.”
No one lied. The BDN just chose not the add to the AP story that the Governor’s claim was true. They simply chose to support the misleading statement, “U.S. Energy Information Administration figures show Maine has the lowest commercial rates north of Pennsylvania.”
So that means to you that because we have the lowest cost north of PA that we cannot possibly have the 12th highest rate in the country?
A quote is a lie??
Or are you the liar by taking this out of the national context which reveals how low the rates are in the midwest, west, and southeast?
Here’s the actual chart, and note which state is in RED! http://www.electricchoice.com/electricity-prices-by-state.php
It’s still 12th highest in the nation.
So.? That’s what he’s doing in the Dominican…..he’s recruiting.
Help bring back the Unions and you will get trained skilled labor through their apprenticeship programs.
But then with unions, Maine employers like Lepage at Mardens cant have state gov subsidize their dismal wages with
MaineCare and EBT. Corporate and business interests are the true recipients of state welfare.