We tend to cringe when we hear politicians tell the general public to buy something. When elected officials endorse a certain product it can create the perception they are paying special favors.
But we would have a hard time criticizing the Maine Republicans and Democrats who are urging anyone listening to buy lobster. That’s because their intentions are good, and they are elevating an issue of significant importance to the entire state.
Let’s be clear, though. Asking people to buy more lobster is a short-term response. If politicians are serious about generating more demand to meet Maine’s potentially record-breaking supply, they must work with local fishermen and dealers to find long-term solutions through much more marketing, developing more specialty products or possibly opening or expanding more processing facilities in the state.
Still, keeping the lobster glut issue a high-profile one may only help spark people’s interest in purchasing the crustaceans. The New York Times outlined the problem in an article on July 28, and American Public Media spotlighted it on Aug. 10. Many news organizations covered the story of Canadian lobstermen blocking truckloads of Maine lobster from being delivered to processing plants in Canada that make products such as frozen lobster meat.
Adding to the national coverage, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, sent a letter to the head of every large cruise ship company visiting Portland this year and asked them to buy Maine lobster for their thousands of passengers while they’re in port (even though the cruise ships may have already arranged their food contracts). And at the end of his weekly radio address on Saturday, Republican Gov. Paul LePage said, “Enjoy your weekend, and go buy some lobster.”
Rep. Walter Kumiega, of Deer Isle, gave the Democratic weekly radio address and, though he didn’t tell people to buy the crustaceans, made it clear that supply is outpacing demand. On top of the address, Democrats are holding lobster bakes this Saturday on the Damariscotta River and Sunday in Freeport.
Usually the radio addresses from each party are duel-like, but this week they were rather similar. Kumiega said Maine should be working to facilitate more lobster processing plants, possibly through tax incentives. He called for increasing marketing worldwide, in addition to research and development bonds to help find smarter ways to ship and process lobster.
LePage agreed that Maine, not Canada, should be processing its lobster. To improve the situation, he called for a well-educated workforce, infrastructure able to support commerce, reduction in red tape and incentives to attract businesses such as lobster processors.
We hope Maine’s political leaders realize there are more similarities than differences in their ideas and that they move beyond party ideologies — and publicly asking people to purchase more lobster — and get to work setting up a plan for future lobster harvests.
The state is facing a good problem: The large number of landings presents a possibility for economic development. It’s just not a problem Mainers alone can eat their way through. The state’s delicious protein needs to find more mouths in an expanded market.
I’ll take the Democrat Lobster roll, It’s probably free to most.
And you probably have to show photo ID to get a Republican one.
My taxes will be paying for your roll.
I’ll go Democrat this year for I don’t like what the Republican’s are doing in the Senate etc. and it will go for me in the next governor too. I rather take my chances with a Democrat then Republican’s for they are not for us but for their own and their rich party and companies who give a lot money just to get what they want. Had enough of these Republican that can come to terms for us or anything as well as it goes for our Maine governor Le Page and his so call people who try to tell us what we can’t have and wont even tell us where is the money he claims he is saving Maine. So no I wont vote for any Republican who don’t want us to have what they have like good jobs, health insurance and education for our children like Head start etc. So when Nov. come’s I am voting Democrat. So anyone who wants to vote Republican and believe what they say just remember you voted for them and fell for their own tricks and lies.
Neither. Both are corrupt.
Either one will make you sick.
Over the years Mainers have gotten conditioned to the Democrat roll. The Maine Democratic technique in lobster roll Cuisine is like all its other end results, absolutely dreadful and frustratingly useless with no alternatives.
How a Democrat makes a lobster roll:
1. Put in place so many regulations and taxes that encumber people doing the hard work of catching, storing, processing, serving, and selling the lobsters that the price of lobster remains high despite a huge glut on the market.
2. Insist that is it the fault of the businesses doing this work because they “overcharge” for their products and services.
3. Buy frozen, govt subsidized Canadian lobster meat, because after all, it is cheaper.
And with that mentality we Democrats, in order to save jobs for Mainers and regulate the lobster industry correctly along the Democratic Party lines will pass a new regulation requiring every Mainer to buy one lobster per person per week; if you don’t buy your lobster as required by the state than each indiviual will be fined $100 per week a lobster is not purchased. Chellie – please also introduce this in the House of Represenatives so every American can share in the burden of Maine lobsterman….hear that Angus? Goes for you too! !
did you say weed?
There really is no Republican Lobster Roll available to you. But if you ask nicely, some rich dude will hold a roll 10 feet over your head and if you’re lucky, some of the mayonnaise will trickle down onto your face.
I suppose it is easier to make such excuses – “the rich have all the control; I have none” – than it is to recognise that with initiative, responsibility, and yes, here is that word again, morality, you too could be a success.
Wow. What a pile of self-righteous garbage. Be careful about what you assume about people on anonymous message boards. I do better than just fine, I just recognize the reality of the world around me and don’t make up fantasies about morality and capital having anything but a very tenuous relationship.
Why does the government have to promote an industry? Why are tax dollars used for PR efforts? The industry should get together with an association to do their own promos just like all other industries have to do.
A Republican lobster roll has my vote. But when it comes to fast, fatty junk food, with ingredients one cannot describe, I would tend to go Demo.
On another note, 17bucks for a lobster roll is ridiculous.
It had better be one BIG roll, loaded with lobster for that price.
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The roll is only $1.00, but you have to pay for the benefits of the executives.
Hmm, would you like authoritarian, or authoritarian? No thanks, I’ll have mine extra libertarian please.