AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage sees an improving Maine economy as the summer tourism season begins.
In his weekly radio address, LePage says traffic into Maine during the Memorial Day weekend was up, and campgrounds say reservations for the summer season are up by 10 percent or more. This means more money is being spent at restaurants, stores and local attractions.
But LePage says more must be done to improve the state’s economy. He’s holding another round of job workshops next week that focus on the tourism and marine resources industries. Future sessions will address forestry, farming, information technology and manufacturing industries.
In the Democratic response, Sen. Justin Alfond of Portland discusses another seasonal topic: graduation. Alfond says Maine students’ futures are challenged as they enter an economy that offers them little.
-_-
Which is better $7.50 per hour or $0.00 per hour?
$o dollars an hour. What do I win? Welfare pays better than working for $7.50 an hour, 35 hours a week these days. We have two options. Cut back on the government cheese and force more people to grovel for chump change wages, or raise the minimum wage to a point where it is a living wage. Let me guess which approach you advocate.
How did I know actually earning money would be the worst choice. Personally I would much rather take the welfare checks from the lazy people that look at welfare like you do and give it to the person working 35 hours a week for minimal wage. Here is a crazy idea for ya, how about we do both options.
add on: The only problem I could see of raising minimal wage is that the price of living would rise equally or close to it. Which would put us in the same argument just with different figures.
The cost of living rises about 3% a year, even if the wages are stuck in the early 90’s. Everyone’s pay check is shrinking because of it. If your pay is not going up 3% a year, it is the same as taking a pay cut. Everyone complains about the cost of gas and groceries going up, but no one complains about the wages being stuck. When adjusted for inflation, gas and milk are about where they should be, it is the failure of the wages to keep pace with inflation that makes them seem more expensive.
Fine lets cut welfare completely and put the wage up
What about the ones who can’t work? You want to be the one to put them out of their misery? Look around! You don’t have to be a genious to see people who will never be able to support themselves.
You are so right Cost of living goes up 3%, governments take more than 3% to pay wages and the best benefits taxpayer money can buy while the rest of us work for less and less and give more and more to the government to give to the lazy idiots unwilling to work for minimum wage. And then blame me for the problem. You logic is twisted.
What about all the people who go to work everyday and still have to get government cheese to supplement their “public assistance” wages? Should we cut the cheese off to them too? You do not need a degree in economics to realize that you can’t burn $4 a gallon gas to get to a $7.50 an hour job without a lot of help from government programs. Do you really believe that the Waltons could have hoarded $93 billion without you and I and the rest of the tax payers carrying their employees for them?
I agree…I know some people who choose not to work rather than work for $7.50 an hour because that doesn’t even pay someone to babysit their kid. If you have to pay someone as much or more than you make to watch your child, you might as well stay at home with him/or her. I am not saying that we should cut welfare, because there is a real need for it, but some of these people that say there are plenty of jobs out there, why aren’t the lazy people taking them don’t realize that some of these jobs cost more to have than to pass up…
Based on your entry, I am assuming that it is the fault of government workers and municipal employees who are causing the economic hard times…Do you even have a clue how big the economic issues are in this country? The Koch brothers have you bought and paid for, if you can’t see the GLOBAL crisis we are in, and you continue to blame those who are on the same socioeconomic level as you. THIS is what they are trying to do, and you are playing right into their plan. Divide and conquer works wonders for protecting the wealth of the 1%.
They should get two minimum wage service jobs. Then go back to school and take out a bunch of student loan debt. Then when they get out, they can get a third service sector job to pay off the student loans. I know what you are thinking, but I have crunched the numbers and a 4th service sector job would be out of the question. Not enough hours in the day.
…
I didn’t see LePage cutting his retirement or benefits
The governor was of course addressing the good people of Falmouth, not Monmouth.
The only place in Maine I’ve seen the economy grow is the Blaine House.
People go to campgrounds so they do not have to spend what little money they have at restaurants, stores and local attractions.
The economy is doing great, that is why the Unemployment rate has gone up
He mentions focusing on tourism, again, focus on the out of state but not the folks in the state
I saw several signs today “Congratulations Class of 2012”, I hope they realize if they want a good paying job and a good career, they already have tickets out of this state to go find them.
Unemployment is up because there are extension after extension for benefits. When they stop giving out handouts, people will go back to work, There should be a max. Of thirteen weeks, PERIOD..
And don’t say there aren’t any jobs. If you are worth hiring and have any skills then there is work for you. Why are we sending people over 60 yrs old to go college (unemployment PLUS education) ?? Why are people who are collecting social security collecting unemployment?? I could go on and on, but why bother? I am going to get blasted that you can’t raise a family on $11.00/ hr., etc.
You’ve obviously never had to go through a “restructuring”, whereby older employees, (who make more than newbies) are let go to improve the bottom line.
Bill, maybe it’s time to figure out what you are good at and go to work for yourself. I know a gentleman who lost a job in a shoe shop after many many years and he started a “cleaning business” and worked nights cleaning banks, doctor’s offices, etc. He has way more work than he needs and makes more than he ever did. Yes, he’s at retirement age but working hard everyday.. GOOD FOR HIM !!! Do something like that. JUST DO IT..
You can raise a family on $11.00 an hour, if you are willing to live off Noodles.
Extending unemployment is not the cause for the unemployment rate, the unemployment rate is due to more people getting laid off from their jobs or businesses getting closed down. Have you seen the news this year? Have you seen the unemployment rate go up since that “Open for business” sign go up?
The only jobs out there is those that there are not many skilled people for, an employer never wants to train anymore, no instead our tax dollars have to pay for the unemployed to get trained for them jobs because the employer can’t bother to it themselves. They want someone to walk in the door with years of education and work before they will even read your resume!
Unemployment should be determined by what you have paid in and how long you worked for and what the unemployment rate is in the state is.
There is nothing wrong with extending benefits when employers are too lazy to train and a Governor posts a sign thinking that will magically cure everything
I’m afraid you don’t have a clue about how unemployment works !!! Number one, the EMPLOYEE doesn’t pay ANYTHING into the fund!! EMPLOYERS pay on the wages!! When you go on unemployment, the former employer’s rates go up until all the money the employee collects is paid back.. So you see when people who have been living off unemployment go to apply for a job, that will be a big factor in you getting hired. They will just build up some more time and find a reason to get fired or laid odd again.. No thanks!!
Nobody should have to pay someone more than $11.00/hr. if he’s not worth it. I promise you, there are many people who just “put in their time” and don’t accomplish a thing. In addition to the $440 wages, you have to match the social security & Medicare withholdings, pay unemployment taxes (both state & federal), pay worker’s compensation insurance, holidays, vacations, etc. I wonder how much YOU would pay someone to work for you!!
I didn’t even say how unemployment is paid in to begin with, my comment makes a suggestion that would elaborate employers are not just responsible for paying in the fund, I am afraid you don’t know how to read a comment
How long you have lived on unemployment is not a factor in getting another job. I seen SEVERAL people attempt to get a job as soon as they become unemployed and the majority don’t get hired because the employers want some miracle worker who has 7 years vs 5 years of experience in doing something.
Jobs lack in this state, the unemployment stats prove that
Jobs are hard to get, read a help wanted ad and you will be surprised at how many want “a ton of experience” for crappy wages even.
With the attitude you have, it’s no wonder you are ‘t employed!! I’m the one who can’t read but you the one who is unemployed!! Figure that one out…Just a suggestion but if you really want to work, turn off the Internet, leave the cell phone home, take out the facial piercings, clean up and start passing out resumes. You are not going to get a job over the Internet.
By the way, would you give the kid next door a job mowing your lawn if he had never run a lawn mower ? What would happen to you if he stuck his hand inside the mower to get a branch that got caught without shutting it off?? Just because an employer trains someone, doesn’t guarantee they will stay!!
Good luck on finding a job. You might have to offer a free week of service to someone to prove you are worth hiring. Do what you have to do..
There are jobs out there, yes. However, as soon as they figure out that an employee has discovered the notion of fair wages and decent benefits, they terminate them, because they are afraid that they will spread the notion of employer ethics throughout their company… Having ethics is expensive…
Employers are going to have to be made to turn their high profits into jobs. The real question is…how? From the goodness of their hearts, or the imposition of Socialism?
Gosh, it sounds like you have it all figured out. Good luck with running your own business. Once you find out the total cost of your overhead, plus operating capital, you just MIGHT think that you had it made when you were only working 40 hrs. for someone else. Be prepared to work 60-70 hrs a week just to keep your employees and bills paid, no vacations, sick pay, insurance, etc.. Your credit had better be excellent because insurance companies won’t insure your business at a fair rate if it’s not. Banks won’t lend you money if you don’t have a impeccable record. And I can’t wait until you hire someone who wants to inform all your employees that they aren’t being treated fairly.
However, you are so right about one person causing a lot of unrest among other workers. It’s hard enough to run a business without having to deal with that B.S. Is there any question why the genius isn’t working for himself ? Getting rid of the troublemaker is the only way to go.
thanks for the update govna.
just think where we would be if Baldy was still in the Blain house. It is refreshing to see the economy improving in a state that is among the worst in the nation for business climate.
Its Maine we Fish, Farm and cut wood any else is a bonus unless you live in the other Maine that is basically northeastern Boston.
Only in the simple, mindless, dream world of LePage is Maine’s economy getting better. In reality, Maine has been losing thousands of jobs each month under LePage’s fool hardy incompetence.
….
Thanks to you Mr. Gov. Maine is on its way back. After years of Maine government led by the Democraps hurtling Maines economy down a bottonless pit of spending and debt Mainers are finally seeing that it takes a RePublican Gov., Senate and House to put Maine back on its feet, the way life should be!!!
/////
Governor LaPage is the Governor of all Mainers. Sounds like your from away!
…
Are you better off now then you were 2 years ago before lepage went into office?
Way Better!!!
Great, another Obama success story admitted by a republican.
OMG and he smokes bullcrap too???
Thank you, President Obama. The national economy is finally pulling Maine’s up a bit. We’ll probably have extra taxes to put another LePage on the payroll.
LePage it’s the tourist season. If you were a real governor you would know this. Now my question for you is. if you believe this what’s going to happen when the tourist season is over? Why arn’t you doing something. to get the economy going getting companies to move to me. so we can improve our economy 12 months a year instead of 4?
I just hope Paul LePage is not thinking these supposed [seasonal] improvements are enough. Give it a few weeks, when those in Camden and OOB realize the tourists are spent -and- they are not coming AGAIN this year.
In Maine, WE HAVE TO CUT the amount of government spending, taxation and all the incessant bureaucratic run-a-round in Maine. Don’t get complacent, Paul LePage.
The obvious problems are staring everyone in the face. Government has over-stepped its bounds, and has been overstepping its bounds for a generation.
COME-ON, DARN-IT, PAUL!
There is so much fat in our state government, you have not even come close to meeting the expectations of those who elected you.
Cut! Cut! And cut some more. Because if you do not cut now, later on, -when after the election and the cutting is required by the federal government- it is only going to hurt that much more.
Get ahead of the curve. Recovery is not at hand. That idea is the wrong message to send. Do not get complacent. There is work to do, still.
Building an economy in Maine is not going to occur based on more free-money being printed-up.
Gasoline is still $3.67 in Limestone, Maine. And we cannot afford that. That is what the
Paul Krugman philosophy of stimulus and the bank bailouts did for Maine.
The stimulus philosophy has priced Maine right out of its tourist season again this year.
`There is so much fat in our state government`
Very fitting… seeing how LePage looks like he could use a good run around the block.
So… All the Obama policies have run this country into the ground, but Maine is doing better because LePage hung an “Open for business” sign? If it weren’t so sad, and so many people believing it, it would be funny.
So because reservations are up at campgrounds Mr. LePage is claiming that the Maine economy is growing? Did he happen to mention anything about full time jobs?
In the Democratic response, Sen. Justin Alfond of Portland discusses another seasonal topic: graduation. Alfond says Maine students’ futures are challenged as they enter an economy that offers them little. Wow, this is the democrat response. You have to be kidding.