AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage unveiled Maine’s first officially designated “business-friendly” communities Wednesday morning, giving the title to nine towns and cities around the state.
Nineteen communities had been nominated for the new program but only Augusta, Bath, Biddeford, Brewer, Bucksport, Guilford, Lincoln, Saco and Sanford made the cut. Two of the state’s largest cities, Portland and Bangor, didn’t apply to the program.
“These are cities and towns that are committed to being open for business,” said George Gervais, commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, echoing an oft-heard sentiment from the governor.
The communities that were nominated into the program, which was launched March 6, were evaluated on customer service, business involvement and collaboration, public opinion, and licensing and permitting. The evaluations were done by a panel including Gervais; Amy Downing of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce; John Butera, LePage’s senior economic adviser; Chris Steele, CWS Consulting Group; Chuck Graceffa, Pierce Atwood; Peter DelGreco, president of Maine & Co.; and Andrea Smith of the Department of Economic and Community Development.
The program grew out of sessions LePage held around the state last fall with business leaders. As the state has attempted to make the regulatory process less burdensome to businesses, this program attempts to recognize communities that similarly have tried to be open to enterprise, LePage suggested.
“We have made some modest improvements in regulatory reform. I believe there’s a lot more that can be done. Here in Maine, we have some major obstacles. Some we create ourselves. Some are created for us,” he said, noting federal regulations.
LePage said in addition to regulatory reform, his administration is pursuing economic development by trying to lower energy costs.
“In my mind, these are baby steps because there’s a lot in the state of Maine that needs to be done to make us competitive in the marketplace,” LePage said.
Communities in the program can use the “Business Friendly” designation in their marketing efforts, will be recognized on the state Department of Economic and Community Development website, will get an “Open for Business” road sign and will be a “key part of Maine’s business attraction strategy,” the Department of Economic and Community Development has said. Certification is for two years. Gervais said the state will work with communities that want to improve their processes and achieve the designation.
“Several of the nominees who did not qualify are now working diligently to enhance their practices to meet business-friendly standards so that they may be certified in the future,” said Gervais.
Those that applied but didn’t get the designation are: Cumberland, Falmouth, Gorham, Houlton, Kennebunk, Pittsfield, Presque Isle, Rumford, South Portland and Waterboro.
While the communities were evaluated on a set of metrics, the state also noted key points where each of the successful towns and cities held an edge: Augusta (population 19,136 in the 2010 U.S. Census) for use of tax-increment financing; Bath (8,514) for publishing a “Guide to Business”; Saco (18,482) for streamlining its permitting process and exploring marketing with Biddeford; Biddeford (21,277) for use of TIFs and marketing with Saco; Lincoln (5,085) for a shop-local program, small-business Saturdays and low business fees; Brewer (9,482) for its “can-do” attitude and use of TIFs; Bucksport (4,924) for a forgivable loan program; Guilford (1,521), for rapid processing of permits; and Sanford (20,798) for a breakfast business club.
Brewer Economic Development Director D’arcy Main-Boyington said a key point in the city’s business development efforts came through Cianbro’s modular construction facility.
“The Cianbro project really showed a lot of people how we could pull together a project and get it done,” she said.
Since the Cianbro project, Main-Boyington added, Brewer has successfully attracted a Machias Savings Bank branch and a Lowe’s home improvement store to the city.
Ruth Birtz, assessor and economic development assistant in Lincoln, said the town’s use of TIFs eventually will help the town construct an industrial park to attract businesses.
“To do that, we have to the develop the infrastructure,” she said.
Regulation NEVER “adds costs” — it simply shifts them. Businesses are externalizing machines, socializing costs wherever allowed, then privatizing profits. Communities most amenable to this are designated “business friendly”.
How about “human friendly”? What communities insist on livable wages? …on pristine natural capital? …who demand social and environmental costs remain with the businesses themselves, and not foisted onto the public? Those communities are likely considered, “business unfriendly”?
Human friendly, I like that. lets unionize all small family sized businesses, isn’t living wage a code name for union run..
Next time you hire a contractor to put a new roof on your house or paint it, hire a union contractor to do it at 3 1/2 times the cost. It’ll make you feel good inside.
Union Zombie Cultist are looking for instant gradifacation, never looking out for the long run of a business…
Look at the mill in Bucksport, they closed down a paper machine and put hundreds out of work.. Why can’t the union negotiate mill investment into there contracts instead of big raises. Since they closed one paper machine you would think the employeed would be caring enough to get the machine up and running again through contracts, like taking a pay cut to modernize the mill. but no they don’t even realize they might be next. The mill and the union could help each other but the Zombie in them does what they are told by the leaders… The employees should be telling the unions what needs to be done to survive for the long run. Sad, following someone over the cliff is cult like.
Collective bargaining is simply a basic human right. Organized Capital ALWAYS negotiates in this way.
Barring working people from the table altogether is a fascist “zombie cult”. (No one hates unions more than fascists….). Cheap, exploitable and disposable labor has become one of our most costly “entitlements”. It’s time to end it. Employers are not ENTITLED to the wages/working conditions etc. they could extract from working people in the absence of the right to collective bargaining. I grew up in a mill town in Northern Maine, AND worked in Economic Development. It isn’t “organized labor” that seeks to liquidate the means of production for short-term gain — it’s capital like Bain, buying, selling and stripping out all value for shareholders. Predatory, ruthless and UP TO THEIR EARS in government subsidies. Workers were told by “zombie capitalists” that pay cuts were
what needs to be done to survive for the long run , and, as you well know, they gave. …and gave, and gave. Now they work for $10/hour and guess who subsidizes them via the social safety net? WE do!Following the Ayn Rand touting, welfare queens; proteges of Stalin (Koch brothers — look it up) over a cliff is “cult like”.
That machine was built in the thirties, even Machines grow old and retire you know.
God, man, It’s not the Unions Fault!
They can still ask for modernizations in the contracts instead of all money and benifits. Jesus protect youselves….
Ask, is all they can do. Ultimately the decision rests with the almighty shareholder — liquidate, take the money and run to the Cayman Islands….
Of course it isn’t the unions’ fault! Honestly, can we hold capital; incomprehensively self-described “job creators” responsible for anything anymore? It’s time we started doing just that.
exactly.wonder how those laid off workers like that liveable wage. Old town was the same issue.Every company that tried to make it the union sucked them dry.
To SpruceDweller……my whole family on both sides are french canadians. the taxes in canada are through the roof. it will catch up to them someday
sorry it posted on wrong comment…
Livable wages don’t “suck towns dry”; EVER. Tax incentives (corporate welfare), subsistence wages… Now, THAT destroys communities.
“union zombie cultists” — that’s all I need to read to realize there’s no reasoning with you.
But just for fun: there are countries with strong unions that are doing much better than us, such as Canada. Are you calling Canadians zombies?
How about Germany? They still make things, at decent wages. ..and are doing much better than we are.
Unions are very important (I belonged to one for several years in my youth). There is an entire list of benefits that workers around the world have as a result of collective bargaining. The problem is, like anything, that a good thing got taken a bit too far. As a result many states and municipalities are facing obligations to union workers that were created over the years that are simply unsustainable from a fiscal perspective. What were once fiscally sustainable defined benefit plans got expanded, via pure, simple greed into unsustainable fiscal pyramid schemes that are exploding all over the country. No amount of sloganeering and quaint Union rhetoric or Leftist delusion can escape sheer, fiscal facts.
“…a good thing got taken a bit too far.”??? Have you looked at worker productivity numbers (they’ve soared), and asked, “Why are more of our family members working harder and harder for less? As we are more productive shouldn’t we be able to retire sooner, work fewer hours, let Mum stay home with the children etc….” ???
In the absence of the ability to bargain collectively, shareholders have taken all of that productivity for themselves. In fact, since our latest financial crash, 93% of all gains have gone to the top — NOT people working for a living. Politicians tout, “Growth, growth growth (by which they mean “shovel OUR money at self-described ‘job creators’)… What is the point of growth if those creating the wealth cannot enjoy the fruits of their labor?
Those are going to be designated entitlement zones AKA(Living rooms) thank you Wisconsin change is a comin.
Hey did you hear Scott Walker won.
Oh, yes, “thank you Wisconsin”… …for ushering in a modern day “Golden Age” of welfare-queen robber barons, and authoritarian corporate rule (a.k.a. “fascism”). Doesn’t sound like America to me, or the Founders, surely.
I suppose you think YOU’LL be comfortably settled into the middle class? There IS no “middle class” in your vision for the world!
Mmm, all about Southern Maine again
Brewer, Guilford and Lincoln are now in Southern Maine? Oh, wait, maybe if you live in the County, they are.
That damn Aroostook County!
Geeze, people live up here too you know.
Better the County than North Mass…
You can’t win no matter where you live in this state apparently! Haha
Please, us folk’s up here in The County take no credit for Brewer or Guilford. Lincoln, maybe as a ‘cousin’.
By the way, I have nothing against The County. My roots are from up that way: Martin family lineage (St. Agatha/New Sweden), though that name vanishes in my family tree 3 generations back.
Huh? The only applicants north of Lincoln & Guilford were Presque Isle and Houlton. Most of the unsuccessful applications were from southern Maine. (The complete list is at https://www.facebook.com/mainesgov/posts/426600277355873 )
Presque Isle is one of the LEAST business-friendly cities in Maine. City Hall won’t even consider giving their local businesses a chance to service their own needs.
I thought Republicans did not believe in the government picking winners and losers.
Looks like a divide and conquer strategy.
You must be thinking about Obama’s class warfare.
You must be thinking about how Republicans have done everything they can to block any progress in Washington, including extortion by threatening to allow default on what was purchased (by not raising the debt ceiling).
You must be thinking about the elderly people in the nursing home in Calais, which is being shut down by a DHHS decision, and now those old people, many of whom worked hard all their lives, have nowhere to go. Also, 92 jobs are being lost, 92 in Calais, a community that is already suffering.
The Obama and the Democrats had a rare opportunity with a filibuster-proof Senate and House majority to get their agenda through in Obama’s first two years as President. The economy doesn’t appear to be getting better in spite of the assurances they gave us. The massive debt their social programs heaped on the government has impeded its ability to continue its spending trend. You can’t justifiably blame the opposing party for that situation.
As to the closing of the nursing home in Calais, I don’t know why it did. If the closing is due to increasing costs of health care in the past several years, you need to focus on the reasons for this. One thing is certain: the policies of restricting the types of health care coverage insurance companies can offer caused 4 out of 5 health insurance companies to flee the state, leaving Anthem Blue Cross as the only insurer in Maine. This governor we have now has permitted greater flexibility of coverage. We are now seeing the benefits of his move as we learned the latest one-year increase in premiums was just over 1 percent. And that’s just a beginning. Watch if we don’t see other insurance companies enter the Maine market to create much needed competition to lower premium costs.
Both the Democrats and Republicans alike are equally screwed up. But your first point doesn’t really work. Republicans are (currently) voting against most things that the Democrats are supporting, alternatively the Democrats are voting against everything the Republicans support. Neither party is allowing the opposite party to progress with it’s agenda.
Since you support the Democrats and their agenda you see it as the Republicans not allowing the Democrats to progress their agenda in which you both agree with, and feel is “the best” for our country.
The three branches of government are actually working properly by not allowing any particular party the ability to fully control the government. In contrast to Obamas first two years in which the Democrats passed several bills, despite several being opposed by the majority of Americans.
Both parties support one thing; the preservation, nay, strengthening of corporate power in our society.
Our votes won’t get rid of that.
They need to cut spending not raise the debt ceiling.
That governments rely on debt is a travesty. …a means for bankers/shareholders to control governments. (Very undemocratic.) There are limits to how much we, as a people can cut spending, though, as even if we leave in place ONLY the priorities of the most rabid tea partier — you will find those items cost plenty!
Revenue must be part of the equation.
Revenue is not just printing money, which is what is being done when they raise the debt ceiling. It devalues the dollar and does nothing more than make the poor poorer. Spending needs to be cut. We need to reduce the size of the government a lot.
“Revenue” is neither “just printing money” NOR “raising the debt ceiling”. It’s acting like a sovereign nation of grown-ups, and levying taxes commensurate with wealth; ending capital flight… It’s about our Constitutional responsibility to pay our taxes. All we ever hear about from the tin-foil hat crowd, is “rights,rights,rights” to be exempt from our Constitutional responsibilities to the common good. Frankly I’m sick to death of it.
You cannot have a nation built on debt; nor on selfish individualism
i have to wonder how “raising the debt ceiling” or just printing money out of thin air, and therefore causing across-the-board inflation and devaluation of every dollar that is currently in existance, is “progress”
maybe lowering spending is a good thing?
do you just use new credit cards every month without paying off the old ones?
do you think your finances are really any different than the a government’s finances?
Funny how Republicans give so much lip service to spending discipline, yet, SPEND MORE AND PLUNGE US MORE DEEPLY INTO DEBT THAN DEMOCRATS!!!! …then use our “indebtedness” as an excuse to “make tough choices” like give corporations whatever they want out of our environment and the hides of working people. (from which all wealth is generated, by the way.)
The issue, though, is that the US had ALREADY made the purchases, and promised to pay. Then, when it came time to pay, the Republicans said things like “Let’s default on our promise,” or “we’re going to force the US to default on its promise unless you accept our agenda.”
This is extortion. It is extremism. It is wrong.
…pit one community against another for the amount of worker destitution and public squalor it is willing to tolerate in the name of “job creation”. When those jobs don’t pay a living wage, and cost taxpayers thousands (in some cases millions) per job?
What is the point? How are we supposed to build businesses that pay their taxes AND all their costs?
Unfortunatley liberals cannot understand rewarding people’s, or in this case, a town’s achievements , for liberals that would be unfair and everyone wouldn’t be equal.
Maybe we’re just tired of seeing hard working people suffering or even dying because they can’t afford health insurance, and we want a system like in Canada, where people are treated decently, not as disposable garbage–
For instance, the closing of the nursing home in Calais is destroying 92 jobs in the poorest county in Maine, and sending our elders out into an uncertain future.
So you really think we treat our citizens like disposable garbage? I think your rhetoric is immature and certainly it demonstrates how you look at America and success; us and them.
I know people who have worked hard all their lives, and now they are sick and they can’t afford a doctor–because we don’t have a Canadian system.
Republicans don’t seem to care, and they block all attempts to get affordable health care for all.
My cousin’s husband was found dead, with his heart stopped in Canada. They were able to resuscitate him. He had to wait 6 weeks for the life saving operation on his heart and was unable to leave the hospital or he would loose his place. They told her more serious operations would be done before his. I didn’t know there was more serious than dead. No thanks, I’ll take insurance competition across state lines lowering the price and making insurance companies compete for our business any day over a government deciding if I can live or die.
Canadians don’t want to switch an American system and I know 50 million Americans who would switch right now to Canadian, because those 50 million people can’t afford a doctor at all. Americans used to go in bus-loads to Canada to buy prescription drugs, but the Republicans led the charge to disallow it–and so we don’t even have that little bene.
Oh, guess how many arthritis doctors there are in Maine (rheumatologists)? Guess how long the waiting period is to see them?
The facts are that 65% of Americans do not want Obamacare. It will raise taxes so high on every American there will be no savings and fines for those who can’t afford insurance. If the government then says “sorry Grandma, no operation, just take a pill,” who can we go to instead? There will be no other choice, it’s die Grandma die.” I want to decide when my time is up, not Barack Hussein Obama http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-dQfb8WQvo
Here’s Forbes Magazine telling us to ignore the polls, especially the false inflated number you give:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnmcquaid/2012/03/27/ignore-the-obamacare-polls/
Now here’s the fact: Obamacare started as a Heritage Foundation idea, which was implemented by Romney in Massachusetts.
Now here’s the pain: 50 million Americans are suffering from lack of being able to afford a doctor. 50 million. They get cancer. They get seriously ill. Whatever. They suffer. They sell their house. These are hard working people.
50 million. Canada and EVERY other country with democracy and industrialization has affordable healthcare for ALL its citizens.
50 million. 50,000 a year die from lack of insurance:
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2009/09/new-study-finds-45000-deaths-annually-linked-to-lack-of-health-coverage/
People are dying, man. The elderly nursing home patients in Calais are being thrown out to go who knows where. And 92 jobs are being lost, because DHHS won’t pay.
It’s criminal. It’s cruel. People are sick. People are dying.
So when you hear from Obama’s own mouth that Grandma will just have to take a pill instead of get the operation she needs, you still think he’s got the answer. It won’t be free and it won’t be cheap. Estimates are every bit as high as what people pay now and if you can’t afford it, you will be fined over a thousand dollars. Watch the video. COMMENT ON THE VIDEO I want to decide what treatment I should get. Not a bureaucrat.
You don’t decide now. Some nurse working for the insurance company decides whether or not your doctor or specialist is correct in determining the best path for your healthcare. The insurance and pharmaceutical companies are getting disgustingly rich, because many of our elected officials are obligated to them. We have a good example of that here in Maine. One of our Senators most ardent supporters was the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Their website shows their most powerful members to be Health insurance and Pharmaceutical companies. Why should a blood pressure pill cost us $5 and a Canadian $2? So what if our taxes go up. I bet it won’t be as costly as healthcare is now.
Who do you think is “deciding” what treatment patients should get? Doctors? Oh, please… No. BEAUROCRATS with a profit motive to deny care, to YOUR loved one — not just the poor, the “other” and yes, it CAN “happen to you”.
Healthcare is not a “market”; there are no capital holders lining up to pay the medical bills of sick people. They want to squeeze profits out of the healthy and leave the sick for taxpayers already saddled with high insurance premiums….
Health care MUST be a public good; you cannot have “savings” by leaving people out; only by including EVERYONE can you have an efficient system.
Sacrifice a human life; let someone die to preserve our material wealth? The costs are immeasureable, financially as well as morally. Have you thought about what our current corporate death panels with their obscene profits are “costing” us?
And if DHHS won’t pay now, what happens when millions more are on govt paid health care? They’ll be told to go take a pill.
There is NO such thing as free health care. Someone pays the bill. In our current system, those with insurance are paying inflated rates to cover the costs for those who have none or totally inadiquet inusrance coverage.
Obama has put a plan in that IMO doesn’t go far enough. It still has the insurance industry raking in an inordinate amount of the health care buck. We need a single payer system where everyone contributes. Wether we fund this through a sales tax like Canada or another way will that makes it fair and equitable for everyone.
I strongly support obamacare or something stronger like single payer. Repeal your own healthcare and leave mine alone. The polls iv’e seen said people don’t want obamacare overturned. How smart are these american people if they voted for george bush twice and buy cheap crap made in china and complain about jobs at the same time. If we had smarter voters who ignored attack ads and propaganda from fox news we might have healthcare for all. republicans in congress complain about picking winners and losers when we want cleaner energy and now lepage is picking winners and losers.
Willard Mitt Romney askes that you stop using peoples full names, please.
Boy is that a lame chopped up video. If that is the best you can do for propaganda you should find something else
50 million Americans? Americans? American Citizens? Just how many in that number you call Americans are illegals? Undocumented? Here with anchor babies? What about the number of Americans who are young, can afford it but chose not to buy of their own free will? Take out that number and the real number shrinks to a very, very low percentage.
Got any numbers to back that up?
I noticed that not all of your comments have footnotes or citations. But if you go back to the debates about Obamacare, you’ll see the breakdown of illegals to be estimated at 12 to 20 million.
why is it that so many people FROM canada come here for our hospitals?
why are you swallowing that kool aid?
and who ever said that we all have a right to all the free care in the world
once it is all free, than all of the doctors will simply be our slaves… is that ok with you?
Actually WE “said”, that “healthcare is a right” (that whole doctor/slave thing? ….just you, as far as I know). We said it as a nation, when we signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
We decided to require hospitals to treat patients in the ER regardless of ability to pay. A rather expensive way to uphold our obligation, and Progressives have better ideas than either that, or Obama care (which was written by insurance lobbyists.)
Republicans “reward” the wrong people of the 1%.
Liberals understand that we are “rewarding” the parasites of the financial sector, and predatory so-called “job creators” who are up to their ears in the corporate nanny state.
It is terribly unfair, and, as we are a sovereign people last I checked, we don’t have to let corporations rule the world! They are supposed to serve the public good for heaven’s sake!
We want businesses that are self-sustaining members of communities; that pay living wages, and are taxed commensurate with their wealth (including that in the Cayman Islands). Your vision is the opposite.
Guess you missed the part about this being a voluntary program.
“Nineteen communities had been nominated for the new program but only Augusta, Bath, Biddeford, Brewer, Bucksport, Guilford, Lincoln, Saco and Sanford made the cut. Two of the state’s largest cities, Portland and Bangor, didn’t apply to the program.“
I guess you missed the part about governor’s office picking winners and losers from the applicants.
“While the communities were evaluated on a set of metrics,”
Why, the panel used actual criteria in their decision making. Or do you think that the mere process of applying means an automatic designation? These communities voluntarily chose to qualify. And the panel offered to assist any communities who wished to qualify. I’ll bet a lot of them will avail themselves of the assistance offered.
Think of it as applying for a driver’s license. As far as I know, merely applying doesn’t mean you get the license; you have to pass a test first.
Offer an elephant some food, it bites.
Offer a donkey a job, it brays.
The people in Calais are crying out because their nursing home is being shut, causing 92 jobs to be lost and the elderly patients to be thrown out with nowhere to go.
Thanks, Republicans. It’s already the poorest county in Maine. Now it’s poorer.
And just what precisely does the closing of the nursing home have to do with Republicans?
The owners are closing it because it’s too costly to run. It’s a business decision by First Atlantic Healthcare because they’ve been hemorraghing money. How do you suppose a business can provide adequate care when its expenses far outweigh its revenues?
In fact, Kevin Raye has worked with city officials to try to explore options to closing, including having the city run the facility.
It’s a tragic situation, I agree, but unavoidable.
“…a business decision by First Atlantic Healthcare.”??? That we cannot care for our elderly in comfort and dignity is, indeed, “tragic”. Unavoidable? No way.
You like “market forces”? Fine. the market can be helpful in determining who delivers quality care at fair prices. The market must NEVER determine who gets care and who does not.
So you think that private enterprise should be forced to provide goods and services as mandated by the government, and at their own expense?
Good grief.
Absolutely not. The “market” is used quite successfully in parts of Europe where their healthcare system is more “privatized” than our own! Funded by taxation, (and costing less than our system) care is delivered by private companies, VOLUNTARILY on favorable terms.
Companies MUST cover all basic services, and MUST take all-customers. The healthy subsidize the sick, instead of the healthy subsidize the private profits and taxpayers subsidize the sick….
Given the greater choice of companies; they actually fall all over themselves to participate. …must be worth their while.
…an example of “market forces” serving rather than pillaging the common good.
The donkey has bitten many more people than the elephant.
In 2008, Wall Street, a Republican stronghold, destroyed the American economy through reckless trading and deceit. All 50 states tanked, including Texas and all the other red States. See the Oscar-winning documentary, Inside Job.
The housing/ bank crisis occurred because of Harry Reid and Barney Frank insisting mortgages be given to people who could not afford them. They were getting sweetheart mortgages instead of monitoring Fanny and Freddie. The out of control spending of Dems running congress did this. Besides Obama has spent more in 3 years than Bush in 8. No closing of Gitmo, and entrance into every fight in the world. No real job creation accept hiring IRS agents to effectively fine our college grads who can’t afford insurance, thousands of dollars.
Absolutely wrong. If the American people don’t think that the banks on Wall Street are greedy and ready to take more and more and more, they are going to get fleeced. Anyone who thinks Democrats did this when a Republican GWBush was running the country is seriously in denial.
Please, everyone, see the Oscar-winning documentary Inside Job and don’t listen to Fox News. I mean seriously, Fanny and Freddie, all by themselves? C’mon! Here are three links showing major Wall Street culpability (just for starters):
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/a-stunning-fall-from-grace-for-a-star-executive/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2048914/Raj-Rajaratnam-convicted-Wall-Streets-biggest-insider-trading-scandal-jailed.html
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/05/lawsuit-claims-banks-cheated-veterans-on-mortgage-loan-fees/
I wish that I could say that I am surprised to see Penguin engage in divisive politics, but I’m not. It seems to be the only trick in his bag.
You liberals take things to literally. The phrase “picking winners and losers” applies to business investment strategies. Incidentally, Wisconsinites wisely picked a winner over a loser in the race for governor yesterday. In doing so they chose liberty-at-any price over addiction to handouts, the TEA Party over Obama ‘s socialistic tendencies.
Nah man, I get it. Being against judicial activism, compasionate conservatism, hating Massachussettes flip-floppers, celebrating victories in the war on terror…very little of what hard right wingers say is worth paying attention to if the person involved is not wearing the right teams jersey.
“Liberty at any price”….? Why is it that “liberty” to you people always seems to mean “enslavement to corporations”?
Corporate power is a real threat to freedom, but all you want to do is give over more and more…
“Advocates of capitalism are very apt to appeal to the sacred principles of liberty, which are embodied in one maxim: The fortunate must not be restrained in the exercise of tyranny over the unfortunate.”~Bertrand Russell
If I’m not mistaken Bernard Russel was a socialist. He believed in spreading the wealth. Socialism is a failed economic system where everyone is rewarded equally for their work or lack thereof.
The U.S. gained unparalleled economic power by resisting socialism. This country like no other country is responsible for raising the living standards of all its economic classes like no county in the world has on account of capitalism. It has also been a model for other countries on how to become prosperous. Yes, corporate power is a threat to freedom. But so is the tendency of depriving people of their just earnings and investments through taxation.
What makes a town certifiable? Contributions to LaPudgies campaign war chest!
how did he “Pick”
he simply pointed out who were doing things that were friendly toward businesses… in order to get other towns to do things like host breakfasts and speed permitting along.
is that really picking a winner?
or were you just looking for something to complain about… he asks him knowingly
Why would a Governor of a State with 457 communities, 22 cities and 435 towns, establish a divide and separation via a categorization of business friendly versus what, business unfriendly? The death spiral continues with a self-defeating rush to the most pro anti-worker – lowest paid – least benefits – non living standard in Maine.
It’s like Henry Ford saying: “If I pay my workers less I’ll be richer – someone else will buy my cars.”
The program is entirely voluntary. The designation provides a tool to attract business for communities who wish to participate.
So, how would job creation be considered “anti-worker?” Unless you don’t consider anyone not a union member to be a worker.
My question was why would the Governor establish a municipal “business friendly” label? I could see him setting a State business model, but establishing a town by town, or in this case a town verses town, not all can be accepted -(9 out of 19)-, it just doesn’t sound positive, leaving too many communities needing to explain their “not recognized” as business friendly.
So, are communities who do not volunteer unfriendly to business? The ten communities that applied but were not selected by the Governor are they unfriendly to business? What defines business friendly? Are living wages, health insurance, retirement packages for rank and file workers too onus and costly for not being a target of whom the Governor would seek to establish a business in Maine. I don’t know.Do we want a business like Decoster that has has hundreds of health and safety violations, let alone a history of almost sub-human treatment of workers, or do we want businesses that are willing to pay a livable wage and even better that – that is Maine-friendly, Maine being the people of Maine. I am pro Maine (as defined above) pro business and pro worker – willing to see the Governor, through an open public policy process to the people of Maine, advocate for a better business climate for the people of Maine, and would hope we would train workers to attract the best businesses to Maine. I did that in the 1980’s when we got ZF Limforder to come to Brewer with good jobs, good wages, that lifted a community and the surrounding towns.
The Maine DEP currently offers an Environmental Leader program in which various business are encouraged to implement selected improvement initiatives from those offered in a department-developed workbook to achieve points towards certification as “Green.” Businesses submit their completed workbook to DEP for review and certification approval, and must increase their point total to be recertified after two years. Businesses are also incentivized to participate by recognition with in-store signage and marketing materials. The claim is that environmental designations are attractive to customers and presumably increase business.
How is this any different than Governor LePage’s program? Both aim to enhance success rates, the only difference being that the DEP program addresses individual businesses and the Governor’s program addresses entire communities that desire to attract businesses.
Both programs are voluntary, though the criteria vary for each program. I don’t hear any public outcry that the DEP’s program is tantamount to initiating a civil war, yet the Governor’s program is being attacked as unfair.
The purpose of a business is to create profit for its owners, and successful business create jobs. It is not the government’s role to dictate pay scales, since an individual is free to to choose whether or not to seek employment in any particular business.
Tell me, when ZF Limforder came to Brewer, did the state dictate to them how much they must pay their employees and what benefits they must offer them?
I don’t see how DeCoster is germane to this discussion.
It sounds like the Governor, and the people of Maine want different things.
“It isn’t about jobs; slaves had jobs. The issue is wages.” ~Jim Hightower
What is the point of “job creation” if the wages require taxpayer subsidies via the social safety net, and taxpayer-funded “incentives” that are many times more than the worker is paid? ….and we can’t even collect taxes from the wealth created by that labor to fund this corporate nanny state?
In short, yes. “Job creation” CAN be not only anti-worker, but anti-community, and anti-democracy.
Unions, to some degree uplift all workers. Though they have such little power these days.
You forgot to reference “the proletariat.”
I “forgot” nothing. I stand by what I said.
In your world, capital is “entitled” to everything. I say, “only if we, as a self-governing people allow it.”
It’s called “self-governance”. …not “market tyranny and corporate nanny state”
Some towns kissed the penguin’s tushie and received a marvelous new title. Sorta like kissing the toad and getting the prince. You know, a fairy tale. Now nine town’s have a magic sign they can be proud of.
Condolences to the citizens who actually believe the tales told by politicians and the money that owns them. All of us need to take off the red (or blue) glasses and begin to think critically before parroting our preferred propaganda. Peace.
The Governor’s staff did the work and the “Mouth” gets credit for it.
Bill what did Baldacci ever do except have photo ops with the girl scouts…
Flew to Fort Kent one day to look at the flooded river. LOL Hey, they are all alike in that regard. Our Congressmen even take trips/paid vacations around the world to use their “mouth.”
Augusta needs Portland, Portland does need Augusta
I bet most, if not all, of those towns vote for Teapublicans and LeWeenie is rewarding them.
I live in Augusta, and it is definitely not a Tea Party Republican city overall–it’s more Democratic than Republican, in fact. As to a point above, nobody in Augusta considers it “southern Maine” . Usually we say “central Maine”; Waterville tends to say “mid-Maine” about itself.
Who won Augusta in the last governor’s race?
Great question, and I actually had to look it up to be sure. Augusta cast a pretty split vote last time. Paul LePage (R) carried Augusta with 36% but Libby Mitchell was also well above her statewide average (Eliot Cutler did quite a bit worse in Augusta than he did statewide). On the other hand, Chellie Pingree (D) got 58% of the Congressional vote there in 2010. Democrats Barack Obama in 2008 and John Baldacci in 2006 won Augusta by large margins as well. But like the rest of Maine, Augusta has a lot of people willing to split their tickets.
lol…looks like my guess wasn’t off base afterall…at least not where Augusta is concerned. :)
I notice that the article mentioned that each of these extra special communities will get a free “Open for Business” sign from the Governor (I wonder who will pay for those? Remember we are BROKE) . However it failed to mention the free magic decoder ring that will allow officials from the extra special communities to decode secret messages that come directly from Mr. LePage. What happened did they all forget to send in the required two box tops?
There is ALWAYS money for businesses…
“The Rich Will Work Harder If We Give Them More And The Poor Will Work Harder If We Give Them Less…”
Looking Good Governor Paul LePage… Looking forward to voting for you again as long as you stop Peter from building a privatized highway through Maine that is… The State should own the Highway not “Corporate Peter”
So happy I don’t live in any of those towns! I shudder to think what this designation will do for residential property values in the neighborhood.
Ooh, me too! I’d hate to think that I might live in a community that valued business or that desired a thriving or, God help us, even a growing economy!
Lets role out the list of Maine’s rejected communities, places business should avoid and the Govenor as well.
Divide communities? I applaud the gov for
acknowledging those communities who are
engaging in bringing business to their area.
Why not recognize towns who are being competitive
and encouraging those who bring in business. Those
towns recognized…good job.
All talk, but no substance.
Millinocket didn’t make the list? One of the criteria must have been the willingness to bow down to the great LePage and kiss his ring (or something).
How much more can Millinocket give? Huge corporate welfare packages paid for by working stiffs struggling on $10 per hour ???
Typical BDN comments most of the attacks and insults are from people to ashamed to use their names. If the new attitude in state government is so misguided why don’t you offer help to fix it. Keep in mind Maine has the natural resources, tourism, and small business leadership to be a leader so why is it more like a third world country? There has been 1 party rule in this state longer than Iraq, Egypt, Cuba and California. Policies made to grab headlines and rile up the fringe elements have been the norm for Maine Politics far to long. Let’s try something new, how about we read the entire story, get the facts and make decisions. This is a feel good piece rewarding a few cities fir their work. Believe it or not you can reward one and it is not an insult to those who were not rewarded, enough with the participation trophies for all.
Very well written. Thank you!
Well said, not that it will stop the knee-jerking…:-)
Well, I see that the high-horse industry in Maine is doing just fine!
Weird, I figured that he would have hand picked Millinocket for this.
No. Millinocket’s people are too poor to pay for lavish corporate welfare packages, top-notch schools and well-maintained infrastructure upon which “business” depends. All because of “business-friendly” tax incentives, and “business-friendly” wages.
We used to collect $3 from corporations in taxes for every $1 collected from workers; today it’s 22 cents — and they have more of the income and wealth than ever!
We further spend more of our money on business, and upper-middle income earners than on the poor. You cannot sustain that, in a community built on the sandy foundation of low wages.
Big thumbs up for bringing us into the 21st century. Looking at this from a non-partisan point of view, it is necessary for Lepage to challenge other communties to open their doors and use their entrepreneurial and innovative skills to make Maine livable. To the organizations and other entities that rely upon industrial skill-sets: The United States has been changing from industrialization to specialization for a long time, it was a failure of previous administrations to anticipate and address this. Overall, we’re making baby steps in giving hope to young graduates everywhere that they may have opportunity in Maine afterall.
And for those that left Maine for greener passages, hope that we can one day return home!
As a New Business Owner in Guilford in the past year. I can say the Town Manager Mr. Goulette and the Town Office Ladies are Great. We have had several meetings in which we have to go before the Board of Selectman. And in defending this Town they are Business Friendly for sure. I can’t speak for other towns. I can say they have worked with us 100 percent.
CITIZEN NAMES CURRENT MAINE GOVERNORS WHO ARE BUSINESS FRIENDLY:
_____________________________________________.
Oops. I guess there is no one on this list this year.
LePage did, however, make the list of “Governors who are friendly to to the rich.”
Does teh BDN not have a good photograph of the Gov. Everytime his picture is posted it is a goofy looking picture.
You can’t fix stupid.
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How long till the new little signs come tumbling down?
Too bad the signs are made out of state.
How did Biddifrog make the list, talk about a disgusting business area?
Immaturity, anger, and lack of a broad perspective. It’s going to cripple our country for a long time.
Life is a bee-a-ch and then you die.
Hi Governor LePage. I moved to Maine in November, 2011, and applied several places up here in Madawaska, and I now live in St.David, and up to now, I have not received one offer to work, I am 65, and need a supplemental income, and am not lazy. I have an electrical/electronics background. Can you help me?
Hey buddy you are beyond help. You moved to the wrong state, wrong county and have a Buffoon for a Governor. By the way, age discrimination is rampant here in Maine too. Move back when you become 20 years old again. The you will be able to flip hamburgers for a career.
Typical nanny state attitude….You move to St. David and blame the government because there are no electronics jobs there? How about moving to a place with a bigger population that might have more electronics jobs? I am pissed at the government because I moved to St. Francis and I can not find a job as a deep sea fisherman…..geeeezzzzz!
Joe isn’t blaming anyone. Read his post again. It reads like a resume. Joe is smart enough to use the “comments” section to broadcast his availability to work, and his skill set. Are your comments that “smart” ?
Yeah, it was smart of “Joe” to use the comments section to broadcast his availability to work.
Any idea how a potential employer would contact Joe? Do you think employers routinely search the Comments section looking for job applicants with no last name and vague references to a background in the “electrical/electronics” field?
I’m sure Joe’s phone is ringing off the hook with lucrative job offers from electrical/electronics employers in the St. David area trying to set up job interviews due to this unique and “smart” approach to seek employment thru the BDN comments section.
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Why in hell did you move to St. David at the age of 65???? Did you retire? Maybe you should have picked a place that offered employment opportunities.
Unless you are his daughter or brother-in-law you are out of luck.
What about Van Buren, Madawaska, Allagash, Wytopitlock, Pig Town, aren’t they friendly too?
Perhaps they should have applied. The Governor’s office did not just randomly hand these out. ALL communities were invited to apply; only 19 chose to do so. None of the above-named communities applied. Its hard to win when you don’t enter the race.
Waterville did not apply, I am surprised they still didn’t get recognized anyways. So that just tells me LePage really didn’t do much for Waterville and as we can see he will ruin Maine into being business friendly overall
Interesting that use of TIF’s was one of the important criteria of being “business friendly”.
In almost all cases TIFs only benefit a very small number of businesses, if any, and raise the cost of taxes to all other businesses and the citizens of the towns. They hardly make a town business friendly.
Additionally TIFs generally result in increase in the infrastructure of a town government resulting in ongoing expenses long after the TIF has expired.
The Bangor TIF has been spoken for, at least for the next 30 years. (Arena).. The city of Bangor needs to raise the fees on Bangors businesses in order to attract other businesses to Bangor to pay the higher fees. Bright business plan, ya think..
Do you know that TIFs are not always used to give money back to businesses? In the case of the community that won the award (in part) for their use of TIF, the award had nothing to do with providing money to a business, but rather it was because they use TIF revenue to fund economic development activities in the municipality at a significantly discounted rate, something a number or innovative communities around the state have done. This is like giving the community 50% more bang for the buck.
Where is this “significant discount” is coming from?
That is the whole reason for doing a TIF; all new incremental value placed in TIF districts is sheltered from other taxes – county taxes, state revenue sharing formulas, and the state education formula. In the absence of a TIF most communities will lose between 50% and 80% of all new taxes generated from new development to these “taxes” (ie. new valuation causes your town’s county tax to go up, your allotment of state revenue sharing to go down, and your educational money from the state to go down). Smaller towns get hit harder than larger, service-center type communities and end up retaining even smaller amounts from all new development. When a town creates a TIF district they are sheltering themselves from these taxes and they get to keep 100% of these funds rather than only 20% to 50% of them. To the funding and taxing formulas the town appears to have a smaller total valuation because of these sheltered TIF districts.
The rub is that these funds can ONLY be used for economic development purposes, and every project to be funded by TIF dollars MUST get state approval. This was created by the legislature to specifically encourage towns in Maine to invest in economic development by allowing them to fund their projects with dollars that effectively “cost” them only a small fraction of the total amount. Sometimes communities decide to share some of this revenue back to a business to encourage them to expand or locate there. This is the part of TIFs that get all of the attention, but it is not the only way that TIFs are used. And by the way, the same discounted dollars apply to any money shared back to the business so the “cost” to the community of spending that money is far less than the actual dollar amount.
I don’t think it is a perfect system since it causes tax shifts, but in the absence of other available funding sources this one performs pretty well when used responsibly.
It is a tax “shift”. Each town that gets a benefit will be shifting its burden to other towns. And assuming the money that gets shifted from one town can actually buy economic development, the other towns are being penalized on their economic development. Or if two large towns in the same county both set up TIFs, they are shifting the taxes to each other yet claiming revenue is being generated.
It’s a zero sum game. Unfortunately towns treat the TIF money as free money, have no clue as to what economic development is, and end up spending it on superficial items such as new sidewalks or signage.
I agree with you that it is a tax shift, as I said in my earlier email. I don’t think it is a perfect system, in fact, I think we are far from it. But, unlike you, I think there are some really good things that happened from some of these TIFs that are really benefitting communities. You claim that “towns treat TIF money as free money” and that they “have no clue as to what economic development is”. This is a blanket statement about ALL towns in the state, and every single thing they have tried regarding economic development. I respectfully disagree with you here. There is lots that is wrong in our state, and plenty of examples of how to do economic development incorrectly but if you look around you will see that some towns get it and are spending money frugally but wisely and are having some success – even in this terrible economy. Why wouldn’t we want to trumpet these successes and encourage others to emulate them? I don’t know specifics about all of the towns that got this award – but I am quite familiar with 6 or 7 of them and their ED programs and I think they are doing a lot of things right. I think the point of this award was to highlight those towns that are doing a good job and encourage others to learn from some of these programs. I am not a LePage fan, but I really can’t fault his administration for this.
Its very easy to sit on the sidelines and slam everyone who tries anything and spout off about all that they are doing wrong. Are you actively involved in economic development and trying to improve your region? There are lots of groups around the state who would welcome more participation and I encourage you to get involved. You might learn that there are some very positive things happening around this state that are making a difference. You might learn that blanket statements like yours above regarding towns not having a clue as to what economic development are neither helpful nor accurate. And you might offer some advice or assistance that makes a very real contribution to the success of your community.
I’d love to see people put as much attention into becoming part of the solution as they put into slamming everybody else for their efforts.
Every town has the same right to TIFs, so if one or two communities are using TIF and other communities aren’t, you are right that the cost falls on the other communities. BUT, the point of this legislation was to encourage towns to focus on economic development. Every community has the same right to limited use of TIFs. Whose fault is it if one community chooses to maximize their benefits while another community chooses not to? If all towns were using TIF equally the tax shifts would become completely irrelevant – but they are not. All a town has to do if they feel they are missing out is to establish a TIF district. I can’t begin to understand why any community would choose not to do so since it is so clearly in their self-interest. My only explanation for it is that they do not understand the program well enough to see its potential.
Lincoln ???? Everybody I know who lives in Lincoln works in Old Town.
Are you sure?
OK, so you don’t know many people living n Lincoln. That’s OK.
Lowering the energy costs should be a goal for consumers and businesses alike, but that as a key strategy and posting an “Open for Business” sign? Really? That’s the plan for economic development and only in 9 areas?
Would like to see some representation from the County (Houlton, Presque Isle, etc), or at the very least some recognition from our politicians that we exist.
What a load. Ever try getting a building permit in Brewer or try working with the CEO. Not fun. Really, Machias Savings moved in? Care to guess how many years that has been in the works.
How many years has that been in the works? Do you really think the bank’s directors have been sitting around for years wondering “how in HELL can we get to Brewer??”.
What, Millinocket didn’t make the list? Say it isn’t so.
Brewer is a great place todo business. CBro however may not deserve the credit they are getting. Those modular units are shipped off to the Arctic and may be delivered to the Russian company drilling for oil. So one can assume Maine congratulates Brewer, Brewer congratulates CBro, CBro gets paid in rusky us funds. Therefore Maine likes the Ruskys all for the sake of us funds. Kinda like congratulating CBro for doing business with a country who suppresses human rights and stands strong ready to annilate anyone that stands in their way.
I don’t really understand what you are saying. Cianbro’s first contract in Brewer was to build part of a refinery in Port Arthur, Texas and the second (and current) contract is to build a nickel refinery in Newfoundland, Canada. Maybe my geography is bad but I don’t recall either Texas or Newfoundland being part of Russia.
I noticed Waterville didn’t apply either. I guess they had enough of him as Mayor.
Open for business usually means low wages for employees.
Closed for business always means zero wages for the unemployed.
Corporations would have us believe that tripe; that we have only two choices — low-wage employment, or no employment at all.
We want decent wages, safe working conditions, decent retirement and family-friendly working schedules. Why can’t we have those things? Why is it that even as productivity rises, we STILL must work harder/longer for less and less….? (HINT: a greater and greater share of that “productivity” is going to shareholders, not workers.)
Capital controls more of the wealth, pays less in taxes and has more power than ever, and your answer to our troubles? Give them more more more of all…
The anti-corporation schtick grows old quickly. If you want to control what you earn, start your own business. Stop telling me how much I am going to pay you for your services. I’ll pay what the market determines based on supply and demand for those services.
Wrong. Employers are simply not entitled to the wages they can extract with their market power. Inadequate though it may be, we have minimum wage and labor standards for good reason. Now, stop telling me that I must subsidize the low wages YOU command via our social safety net.
According to who? If you do not like what I would pay you, were I ever to hire you, you are free to pursue other opportunities as you see fit. Secondly, you are not subsidizing anything. It is the very employers and higher income people that are already paying for everything you enjoy now. If anything at all it is the top 10% that are subsidizing 70% of everybody. When you begin to start paying your fair share, let me know.
Thirdly, if you are going to force wage extractions above supply and demand parameters, then I should be allowed to force you to work for a specified period of time restricting your ability to move around freely in the market depriving me of MY paid resources. Your notion of “market” power is perverse. I have to compete with other businesses that want the people talent I have or want to have.
Finally, I pay a staff of professional men and women considerably above prevailing average salaries for the area.
Business-friendly? I used to work in Economic Development, and can say, unequivicolly, that “business” doesn’t want to pay for ANYTHING. “Business friendly”=taxpayers will foot the bill for YOUR profits!
That is nonsense. As the article notes, there were several positive programs and activities that these communities have taken to foster business growth in these locales.
I would be only fair, if business was willing to pay for these “programs and activities”, but no…
Businesses do ultimately pay for these programs through property taxes, sales taxes and employer paid payroll taxes.
What a joke. LePage names a few towns as “business friendly,” provides a road sign saying they’re “0pen for business” (we know how well that works), and the towns “will be a key part of Maine’s business attraction strategy” (whatever that means). Except that the state has no business attraction strategy and no resources to pursue one if they did. The state’s economic development department is regarded everywhere as a total non-player, and this is just more window dressing to make it appear that they are actually doing something (besides helping Bruce Poliquin with his witch hunt against former Maine Housing director Dale McCormick). Portland, Bangor, Lewiston and Auburn, Maine’s largest cities, are wise to not sacrifice their credibility to something so amateurish and transparently bogus.
Note to the City of Brewer: “Attracting” a bank branch and Lowe’s big box store is not successful economic development. They made their decisions based upon the local customer base, and if anything, you only helped them find the site. I just hope you didn’t let them to rip you off for any tax breaks or other public money.
How many people are employed at that bank and retail store?
About the same number as those who lose their jobs at the businesses that Lowe’s and Machias Savings take customers away from. New retail businesses do not put additional money into the local economy, they only moves it from one store to another. You’re not going to buy more building supplies just because Lowe’s opened a store in your neighborhood; you buy them because you can afford to build or improve a house. Absent Lowe’s you’d go to Home Depot or the local building supply. Likewise you’re not going to take out a loan simply because Machias Savings opened a branch in your neighborhood; absent Machias you’d borrow it from another local bank if you needed it. New retail business do not make the economic pie any larger, they only fight amongst themselves for larger slices.
Really, what are those businesses that have been forced out by these two new additions?
“New retail businesses do not put additional money into the local economy”
HMMM. So when a Lowes opens and employs, let’s say 50 people (good portion on unemployment paid for by your tax dollars) it doesnt contribute to the local economy? it doesnt contribute when they are making money at a new job and can afford other retail items, when they can pay for gas to drive over to home depo if lowes is all out of a certain product? It doesn’t contribute when “Habitat for Humanity and Lowe’s team up for National Women Build Week” in freeport to provide women with $5000 and in store training so they can live in affordable homes? It doesnt contribute when “Lowe’s Toolbox for Education®, has donated nearly $5 million in grants to K-12 public schools every year since its inception in 2006”. It’s all about that “economic pie”, YUM!
Nahhhh…. You’re right, retailers do NOTHING for the local economy….
Maine’s business attraction strategy, to answer your questions, is to have a strategy to attract business. Just because you may not know what it is, doesn’t mean that it isn’t real.
http://www.kvbizjournal.com/release.html?id=11149 <– Thats the link from where the quotes were taken.
http://www.investopedia.com (click this link to learn about economics before you detract further from the intention of this article)
“New retail businesses do not put additional money into the local economy”
HMMM. So when a Lowes opens and employs, let’s say 50 people (good portion on unemployment paid for by your tax dollars) it doesnt contribute to the local economy? it doesnt contribute when they are making money at a new job and can afford other retail items, when they can pay for gas to drive over to home depo if lowes is all out of a certain product? It doesn’t contribute when “Habitat for Humanity and Lowe’s team up for National Women Build Week” in freeport to provide women with $5000 and in store training so they can live in affordable homes? It doesnt contribute when “Lowe’s Toolbox for Education®, has donated nearly $5 million in grants to K-12 public schools every year since its inception in 2006”. It’s all about that “economic pie”, YUM!
Nahhhh…. You’re right, retailers do NOTHING for the local economy….
Maine’s business attraction strategy, to answer your questions, is to have a strategy to attract business. Just because you may not know what it is, doesn’t mean that it isn’t real.
http://www.kvbizjournal.com/release.html?id=11149 <– Thats the link from where the quotes were taken.
http://www.investopedia.com (click this link to learn about economics before you detract further from the intention of this article)
Brewer’s award was not for “attracting” Machias Savings bank, or even Lowe’s. It was for being business-friendly, assisting businesses with a streamlined, and efficient permitting process, and providing free business training opportunities to strengthen and grow businesses. Isn’t this exactly the type of thing we’d like our communities to be paying attention to?
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I expected to see only towns with a Mardens, was I correct?
No.