AUGUSTA, Maine — Forbes Magazine has named Maine the worst state for business for the third year in a row. The magazine’s annual ranking puts Utah at the top.
“Maine’s problems run deep,” Forbes writes, citing high-energy costs, the highest median age in the nation and a corporate tax burden that Forbes says is the second highest in the country.
Between 2006 and 2011, according to Forbes, Maine’s economy contracted 0.6 percent annually, compared to an annual 0.5 percent growth rate nationally. The magazine notes that Maine has few big businesses and that per-employee productivity is low.
Rhode Island ranked 49 on the list, following Vermont (44), West Virginia (45), Mississippi (46), Michigan (47) and Hawaii (48). High scorers included Virginia (2), North Dakota (3) and North Carolina (4). Forbes said all but one of the top 10 states are so-called right-to-work states, where employees can’t be required to join a union and pay dues. Of the 10 worst states, Forbes notes, only Mississippi is a right-to-work state.
Forbes said its ranking is based on business costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, current economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life.
In a statement, Gov. Paul LePage said he was disappointed but not surprised by Maine’s place on the Forbes list.
“We will continue to be on the bottom of the barrel until we make structural changes,” he said. “During the past two years, I have advocated over and over again for changes that will improve Maine’s economy. We’ve got to get serious about lowering energy costs, improving education and paying our bills.
“Without enacting bold changes, if Puerto Rico becomes a state, next year Maine’s ranking will drop to 51st,” LePage said.
LePage highlighted the Forbes ranking in 2011 and drew attention for, according to a Forbes editor, mischaracterizing what the editor told a LePage adviser about the factors that contributed to Maine’s low ranking.
Democrats pointed to the ranking as a sign that Republican policies that have been passed over the past two years haven’t had their desired effect.
“The rankings underscore how important it is for state leaders to get to work on real policies that strengthen Maine’s economy and rebuild our middle class,” said House Speaker Mark Eves, D-North Berwick. “The policies of the past two years have not worked. We must prioritize short-term and long-term job creation to help create greater economic security for Maine people.”
Republicans, meanwhile, said their reforms are just beginning to have their effect.
“The Forbes report cited three primary factors — high taxes, energy costs, and median age,” said House Republican Leader Ken Fredette, R-Newport. “We have been working on taxes and energy costs in the face of opposition, and reforms we made last year and earlier this year are just beginning to take effect, but it is clear that we must do more. I hope that Democrats will prioritize the factors outlined in the Forbes Magazine ranking and that we can work together to make the changes Maine people need.”
No Way! We are Open for Business, just ask Rumford and Rockford, for example…
Yes, Rockford is a perfect example of this type of thing.
There are lots of files about it.
Now that we have the good old boys back in power, I expect no improvement and maybe we will widen our lead for last.
I was just thinking the same thing. The Dems have their “power” and so we’ll see a decided worsening. How do I know this? Because anytime King or a Dem was in power in the last couple of decades, they somehow manage to make things worse. This will be our short time summer home, the rest of the blessed year we’ll be where the koolaid isn’t mandatory.
I’m guessing you don’t live in Maine NOW— summertime or ANYTIME
Maine Names Forbes the Worst Magazine – Period.
Definitely the most biased.
Who reads it anyway?
Look at Steve Forbes’ disastrous run for President.Another entitled silver spoon whose daddy was rich.Oh wait…
Do you think they just might all belong to the same “club?”
There are plenty of businesses doing very well in Maine. Maybe we should be listening to them instead of Forbes.
For what it’s worth, Forbes would likely consider China a “great place for business,” but not many of us would want to live or work there.
Yeah, ain’t that a hoot. They pimp the multinationals who use the worlds slave labor market and then sell American out on the stock market.
With friends like Forbes who needs enemy’s.
Did Utah become the best becuase it’s over 50% Mormon?
really?then why is best buy heading for bankruptcy?which ones are doing well?
Lets hear your thoughts on why? (this should be good…)
Here’s some reading for ya about Maine business doing well:
http://www.necn.com/03/23/12/Business-booms-around-Portland-Maine/landing_business.html?blockID=675908
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/12/12/business/aircraft-repair-company-bursting-at-seams-prepared-for-expansion/
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/12/05/news/midcoast/belfast-shipyards-need-to-expand-is-a-great-problem-to-have-says-councilor/
Why doesn’t LaPage go to Texas? He would love it down there. Right to work, big business as far as the eye can see and oilmen everywhere. If Mainers wanted a state like that, we’d have one. Looks like Maine doesn’t want to look like Texas.
Trudeau has it right.Give TX and Rick Perry back to Mexico-give them all the problems we can’t get rid of in one fell swoop.There’s a pretty good reason the South lost the war and are still at the bottom of the barrel 150 years later.
Paul LePage came into office on Jan. 2011. He had strong majorities in both the Maine House and Senate. His administration was all about being open for business. Here two years later Maine is still ranked last in the Nation for business by Forbes. If he were a baseball manager he would be fired.
Do you actually believe that one man and a short lived Republican house can undo the ineptness, ignorance and fiscal mismanagment from thirty years of demorat rule in two years?
Only applying the same logic Tea Party Republicans did with Mr. Obama. What’s good for the goose is good for the lame duck isn’t it?
So, you agree, then, that expecting President Obama to reverse the fiscal nightmare set in motion by the 8 years of President Bush’s policies is also not realistic? Of course, the glaring difference here is that, under President Obama’s policies, despite the ardent opposition and blocking by Republicans, the economy is recovering nationally.
You are being too logical for that poster. Anyway, he won’t see the discrepancy in what he is saying.
Obama has had 4 years now. HE OWNS IT
You mean he owns four years of economic recovery, falling unemployment, rescued manufacturing sector, ending one unfunded foreign war, established the first health insurance system that will cut Federal spending and eliminate the uninsured, and cut Federal spending then you are right, he owns it.
Falling unemployment not because of more jobs but rather people hopelessly giving up looking for work. Show where Fed is going to cut spending on HC. You are delusional or a paid hack
First Health insurance system that will cut insurance…ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. I just read where some premiums will increase 100%. Are you really that gullible?
are you?
Rescued the manufacturing sector?? Reduced Federal spending?????? And a health care system that reduces federal spending?????. The most recent election is proof that America has a majority of people like you. UNINFORMED…Not A Clue!!
and the Obama care mess, the Federal Deficit mess, health insurance that is a laugh, look at the hidden cost that are appearing all of a sudden. Oh yes Mike Michaud read the whole thing.
This is for you and 4mermainer…
Rather than respond to what I said, you have to attempt to change the subject and go for the last ditch “blame Bush” rhetoric. Is that all you guys have? It’s old and nobody really cares.
And if you believe the economy is recovering, you’re delusional.
First off just to show you what delusional really is I DIDN’T reply to you. It was you who replied to me. Also show me where I said anything about BUSH. I didn’t. You just make stuff up when there is no basis of fact. That’s called lying. It appears you are the one who is either delusional or dishonest, maybe both. And all one has to do to know that the economy is in recovery is read the financial news. Stock market at or near a 5 year high, personal income at a 5 year high, business profits up from what they were when Obama took office, foreclosures down, housing starts up, unemployment down, bank profits up, consumer confidence at a 5 year high, auto sales up, property values rising, personal savings up, banks are lending again, hell Apple is even going to make computers in the USA again……the list goes on and on. Get your head out of the sand and look around.
As George used to say, “Jerry it ain’t lying if you really believe that it’s true.” Maybe you should cut this individual a break, I mean it’s gotta be tough to converse with real people when all you’ve got in your mental vault is talk radio scripts.
I suppose. What I get a kick out of is that they all claim to be “real Americans” proclaim they love their country, but yet instead of being happy that our economy is heading upward they still sing the same ol’ doom and gloom.
Well it may be hard for us members of the 47% to understand because unlike most of the top 5% or so we haven’t benefited at all from the horrible economy of the last 12 years. From an economic point of view (to hell with morals and patriotism) it makes perfect sense for them to want to continue down that same path. Of course the fearful gun folks, religion, antigay, abortion, etc. etc. “isolated issues” folks all have their own driving forces to vote against their own economic interest as well. We humans are an interesting lot. In the end though we usually get it right.
Yes we do get it right. November 6th is a perfect example.
Why cant you earn $100K annually?
Well, it’s certainly not because I “can’t” spell or type. Sorry it’s so ironic I couldn’t resist. Sure that’s possible, but why stop there? Lets go for a million!
Do you really believe everyone from any walk of life can easily step from the their current socioeconomic status into an annual salary of 100K+ ? If so, then I’d have to guess you’ve either been very-very lucky in life or been born into a life of privilege. Either way, you seem to be taking your own good fortune for granted.
This is where I suspect you will be thinking about telling me how hard you’ve worked for all you’ve got. That’s great. I’m sure it was a real struggle. Just remember that there are a lot of folks out here who have struggled just as hard or more just to keep making your tidy little world go round and round. We may not earn as much as you, but we are no less important, especially when it comes to our vote. Those who dump on us have and will continue to pay the price.
its not going upward.
Liberals are the real Americans who help out their neighbor without asking for credit.Conservatives wave a piece of fabric they never fought for(Cheney,GWB,Nugent,Romney and countless others)and think they’re doing something.
is that why health care premiums are climbing, the cost are finally coming out on Obama care , a lot fees, and increases. yea right Liberals are messing everything up. Obamacare is like communism at its worse
You did not reply? Liar.
Look below.
Where does it say Bush?
First off, take a look at the stock market, which generally is a pretty
good indicator of where the economy is headed. You may have noticed it
has been falling recently. And you probably remember that stocks crashed
back in 2008. But by early August, most of the damage of the 2008 stock
wrought had yet to be done. Back then, the S&P 500 stood at 1296.
That’s higher than it is today at a recent 1121. What’s more, the most
recent peak of the S&P 500 was in April. Since then it is off around
17%. Back in 2008, the market was also down 17% from its high by early
August, but that was off a peak that was set in October. So the market
drop off has been more swift this time around. And volatility, another
sign of market weakness, is much higher now than it was in early August
2008. Back then the volatility index, or VIX, was at 19. Today the VIX
is at 42. Generally a higher VIX means people are more nervous stocks
will fall.
Back in August 2008, we had an unemployment rate of 6.1%. Today the rate is 9.1%.
Thank you.
Did you notice the concern over the Fiscal Cliff? It’s been on all the news!
What you say may be true but you use Aug. 2008 as a starting point, as I remember Obama took office in Jan. 2009 and Since January 20, 2009, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 70 percent, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index is up 81 percent, and the NASDAQ composite index (heavy with tech stocks) is up 119 percent.
The stock market rises and falls like the tide, the so called fiscal cliff is what is causing the fall, it could be Europe, snow storms, hurricanes or God only knows so that VIX means diddly.
The unemployment rate was 7.8 when Obama took office and that is about what it is now after going as high as 10%, I am sure in your eyes that was Obama’s fault that it went to ten after all he had been in office for 8 or 9 months.
Why would you use Aug. 2008 for an unemployment rate and where did you get the rate of 9.1% as today’s rate?
I do suggest doing a little fact checking before posting.
Whoops it seems like everyone jumped on Jimmy! Jimmy where are yah! Come back!!! Defend your statements! Please!? Another hit and run rightie?
These rightie’s are so easy to jump on, they just throw crap at the wall and hope something sticks, they think everybody is as stupid as they are I am almost sorry to burst their bubble.
13,224 DJ today
Under G. Bush – lowest point 8,711
done! This stuff is easy to look up if you want to.
Do the math- it’s roughly up 70% from Bush- NOT BAD!!!! Almost up to it’s highest levels ever. It might even stay that way if the Republican ignoramuses don’t hold up the debt ceiling vote.So now what do you want to complain about?
This stock market you have asked me to take a look at…..is that the one that is near a 5 year high? It appears that you are using the same convoluted numbers that Mitt Romney used in his failed campaign for the Presidency. Tell you what you keep figuring out a way that America can fail and I will keep on singing her praises and do everything I can to help her succeed.
WHOA DUDE! That was some fine cherry pickin right there!
You’re picking cherries just before you boy took us into the dumpster. The market is over 13000, more than it ever was under a republican. And the market is unsteady moslty because of the problems in Europe, and their failing austerity programs.
2008, the good old days when the republicans failed to put two wars in the budget and tarp reform was kicked down the rd until a Dem took office and they could scream about deficits!
Come on man!
geeze talk about playing games with numbers and cherry picki8ng the numbers that you look at ..The stock market is UP almost 100%+ from 2008. It got very jittery and fell during the R created “debt crisis” and is getting jittery again, BECAUSE of R’s on- going obstructionism..Otherwise, it has been straight, back up.
Can’t handle the truth can ya?
You believe everything you read in the news? Do you believe there was such a thing as a magic bullet that killed JFK? Cause if you do, I really want to know how you shoot some in the throat from 6 floors straight up and I’m not being scarcastic I just want to know how people buy everything thats in the news.
Of course I do not believe everything I read in the news. That is why I gather my information from varied sources including Fox News. As far as JFK is concerned you are not only being sarcastic you are being totally disingenuous when you say you aren’t being sarcastic (it helps when you spell the word correcty by the way).
Ok so you need to win by being petty about me spelling a word wrong.
You don’t really believe everything on FOX News do you?
It’s all we need. bush screwed everyone but the rich. And Good for business doesn’t mean good for the worker.
Just replying in kind.
You just wait ’til Obama’s 8 years are up. As he stated he will fundamentally change America. You will not even recognize it.
And certainly not for the better!
If you think this a recovery your expectations are pretty low
I wouldn’t compare Obama to LePage. At least he is trying to get Maine headed in the right direction. If we follow what Obama wants to do we will be 52nd on the list. Obama has led us deeper into debt and wants to continue down that road. He needs to wake up and cut spending and revamp the tax code for starters. When i hear that we borrow .40 on every dollar we spend and nothing has been done to curtail this in the last four years i get nervous. Further Obama has not had a budget passed during his administration. How are all of you with that? Get ready to fall off the cliff.
All budgets are passed by Congress. How are you with that?
you need to learn info in context.
Is it your opinion that the economy is recovering? Do you have a source?
Ummm… Bush had a democrat controlled House and Senate for the first six of those years chumley!
pull info right out of thin air, do you?? PS you are wrong –again!! .You really need better “sources “.
8 years of Bush, 4 years of Nobama
35 years of Dem Control, 2 years of LePage. Put Republicans in for 15 years and then you have a fair comparison. There is an extremely limited recovery in the US. There are far less people working today than when Nobama started. His unemployment numbers go down not because of a recovery but more due to people dropping out of the workforce
well i’d say you blew that shot at “15 years”.
I think Obama’s policies, which seem to be constant campaigning have hindered an economy that would have grown a lot more a lot faster if he had just sat in the oval office and done nothing. How can you say an economy is improving when hundreds of thousands of people are no longer actively looking for jobs and when we have new record numbers of people on food stamps every month. It’s not improving. Stop drinking the kookaid.
yea and look at Obama Care and all the fees that are showing up now, 2014 63 fee for 3 years, just the start, some of the lowest in poverty are starting to feel the effects of Obama care.
BRAVO !!! Well Said……..
Yet the Republicans wanted Obama to clear up an unprecedented cratering of the economy. HA
This is not, in case you missed reading the article, about Ozero.
I wouldn’t want him managing my baseball team…would you?
I think he should manage the Yankees
Ha ha ha. As a Red Sox fan, I would say that sounds just about right!
True. They had a trifecta of power and they’re left with mush and splinters.
It takes longer than 2 years to undo 40 years of damage. Don’t worry the educated dems put the same old people back in charge – proven failures. I’m sure you will go on about the 2 years the Republicans were in control for the next two. Classic, just like the Pres. after 4 years.
I’m sure you will be wrong.
Obama said he would fix the economy and unemployment…still waiting. Or does it take longer to undo years of bad policies?
You seriously think that this is Lepage’s doing ? Some of you commenters never cease to amaze me.
That’s funny. Barack Obama was allowed to blame everything in his first term on the prior 8 years of Bush, but Lepage isn’t even allowed a year or two to turn around >8 years of democratic economic destruction in this state? Kind of seems like a double standard. Hypocrisy even..from a democrat? who would have thought….
Yes those damned democrats. That is probably why I have been a registered Republican since 1967. In fact I not only voted for LePage, but contributed to his campaign not only with cash but by working the phones on his behalf.
Why? Obama was re-elected and has a worse record FOR THE COUNTRY!
The funny part is that Forbes is a Republican Shill always Shilling on Fox News. One Tea Party Freak putting down another Tea Party run state.
Lol! Obama had four years and Old Bill Clinton told the nation that no man could have success in only four years. Maine is full of old people, young people are leaving. Until Maine attracts more corporations nothing will change. High energy costs are a huge disensentive for Companies to move here. Just a clue. Wind energy is not going to bring those cost down. I don’t think god could help this state.
well.we all may as well just give up then.
Yeah but,yeah but I just read a week or so ago that gay and lesbian marriages are going to mean an economic boom for Maine. Ya gotta have faith, man…………..
We can’t blame Paulie for every bad thing that has happened to Maine since he has been in office…but he has turned so many good people in our great State against himself…at this point, he couldn’t lead the majority of us Mainers in any direction…even if it were the right one! He has lost his credibility among the majority of honest, hard-working Maine voters!
You man we should of fired the last several Governors if that was the cass
Meanwhile, Paulie frets about being filmed, pulls down murals, makes snide comments about “bearded” women’ and so on ad infinitum. While spouting the meaningless “Open for Business” slogan the entire time. Can we begin the countdown to his exit yet?
Even if he spoke smoothly would you listen to anything he says? Energy and taxes have been two focus areas. Those are constraints on having a manufacturing base. If my employer didn’t already have a presence here they would not pick Maine again. Operating costs would be much less in the southwest
I agree that we need to drive down energy costs. Wind and tidal power anyone?
as of today, those drive up the cost of electricity. are you saying we can just wait another generation before getting return?
I think, but can’t prove, that we are starting to get some return from wind power. We will have to wait for a while on tidal. Do you have any ideas how we can get an immediate return on any energy investments? Usually big ticket items takes 10-30 years for a return.
wind power still costs over 15 cents per KwH. Which is still over what we currently pay for residential in Maine. Adding to our wind portfolio raises our rates even with subsidies, which we indirectly pay for through taxes. Wind costs double what industrial power consumers in maine pay (7.x cents) electricity in the southwest is around 1/2 the cost of what we have here. in Utah its about 8-9 cents for residential, 4-5 cents for industrial. That means millions of dollars a year to large manufacturers.
OK- so you don’t like wind now because it cost more than what* large industrial consumers* pay… I’m pretty sure I pay around 12 cents/KH. The SW is 20 years ahead of us in wind power production. Does that make Maine short sighted or just late to the game? I repeat my question for reducing rates in Maine now…” Do you have any ideas how we can get an immediate return on any energy investments?” It is easy to knock other people’s ideas. How much you suppose the value of the subsidies to the oil, gas and coal industries amount to? Billions?
I don’t suppose anyone in the SW thought the PV farms would pay off either.
its not the renewables that keep their costs down. its a balance of nuclear and gas. I am still a fan of nuclear and hydro. I choose not to put that in earlier as it just invites attacks that distract from the real issues. They both have issues that go along with them, I admit, but i don’t believe we will grow our tax base without using what is best today. Once we start to build that base we will generate money that can be invested into cost effective renewables. and as an FYI- there is not a single solar PV farm that will pay for itself at current rates. Washington state is doing alot of work with mini hydro power to mitigate its effects on migratory fish. last i saw that was looking great. they do it with series of dams on small streams that are around 3 feet tall they are generating at costs below large hydro projects, and could be clustered anyplace with steady elevation changes so they wouldn’t need to be on every river
Ok- I appreciate that it is hard for many people responding to BDN articles to not make short cut opposition statements and thus to be taken seriously. Energy is serious, it is one of the few issues I agree with our current governor on. Something has to be done. I respect that nuclear is a potential energy source. I am not going to have a knee-jerk reaction to it. I think it would be very difficult to site a nuclear plant in Maine. Sheesh, people don’t even want national parks here it seems. But let’s say that somehow someone wanted to locate a nuclear plant in Maine. It seems to me that you know that it would take a long time to get a permit, my guess a minimum of 10 years. I love natural gas. I used to work in the field. A very clean fuel, and the recent images of Breezy Point blowing up during Sandy and burning will soon fade from the public memory. But they couldn’t even get the mill town of Bucksport to expand their gas distribution network or Searsport to welcome an LNG terminal. Aaaarrrgggghhhh. So…what to do?
yes we are in a tough situation. do what you can to support good ideas when they are presented, Thats what i do, and I try to keep the facts ahead of personal feelings. I really hope we can solve this, long before its a complete failure. I’m ok with NG being relied on in the current time, it is affordable and its atleast cleaner then coal and oil, and its domestic. If we focused just on gas, we could get our energy costs half way down to what the rate is in the southwest, It might not attract business on its own, but it would no longer push out our current manufacturing, and would allow some companies that want to be here, to be atleast affordable enough that they could make it work.
conservation anyone?— reducing energy use?? Maine has reduced their reliance on oil by 50% in the last 5 years!!!That is phenomenal!!! It’s amazing what an incentive, $4.00 a gal oil, is ,
it’s worth giving hydro another look and see.
Nuclear is too costly to be “afforable”,which is why Maine Yankee ultimately closed . When Maine Yankee closed the cost per killowatt. dropped about 6 cents .It has now crept back up to the same cost it was when Maine Yankee closed ( 5 years ago?) 14 cent per killowatt.. Then there is the waste issue and chernobyl and three mile island. Only those who didn’t live thru those catastrophies think nuclear is a ‘” good idea”.
I don’t really want to discuss nuclear here. its much to emotional for some to have rational discussions. the reason the price has crept up is maine due to the forced renewables in our portfolio, and the steady decline of hydro. I support renewable completely, but jumping in before the cost is competitive is counter productive.
as a note, I also lived through those disasters, in the same way you did
the problem with wind currently is the turbines are at the end of their life when they get to break even. I understand anything is going to require investment. but we need to target that money now to reducing costs. at my house i invested heavily in insulation and heating efficiency it took two years to pay itself back, but now my cost of my house is down over 2000 a year. now i can invest in things with a longer payback. I ate alot of ramen noodles to be able to make the initial investment. if i had simply replaced my expensive to run boiler with one that was only slightly more efficient, i’d be stuck in the spiral of costs that the state is.
Understood-HVAC guy here-conserve the energy you make is always the first step.
ever hear of Hoover Dam and TVA ( totally buit and subsidized by “the big bad Government “( in the depression) —.explaining the lower price )
…and calls it all “leadership”
Worst state for business for the third year in a row! Wow! Who’d ever thunk we’d be missing the Bush Recession years? Clearly Forbes is not impressed by something we’re doing or not doing now in the state of Maine. We’re on the wrong track! Someone hit the CHANGE switch quick.
Impeach Steve Forbes??
I believe I read between 2006 and 2011. Your eyes see it, but your mouth can’t say it. Why?
Don’t get lost in blaming only the “Great Bush Recession” years and be thankful that we weren’t last back then. This story is about Forbes rankings for the LAST THREE years in a row. While most of the nation is showing foward progress, Maine seems to be in a battle to keep LAST place all our own. We need to first face the “problem” if we are to eventually resolve it.
“Maine worst state for business”
Exhibit A
The business Five Guys announces they want to open another store in Maine,hire people, and pay taxes.
FOUR BIPARTISAN JACKASSES, NAMED SNOW,COLLINS,MICHARD,PINGREE try to put political pressure on Five Guys on how they should their run the private business. Add the negative publicity the jackasses placed on the Five Guys business before the business even opens the doors.
All the congressional delegation did was request that 5 guys consider Maine Potatoes. It is called selling.You must have stayed up nights thinking that one up. No different then when Pingree asked cruise ships to buy Maine Lobster. Or did you have a problem with that as well?
I dont recall Snowe or Collins asking WALMART to sell Maine made shoes and Maine made shirts when those factories were still open in Maine as Walmart expanded in Maine. Do you?
I take it you are referring to Hathaway shirts when you say shirts. Wasn’t Sen Snowe’s husband part of the ownership group of Hathaway Shirts? But if you want to get your undies all in a knot because the congressional delegation asked 5 Guys to consider using Maine Potatos go for it.
I guess you dont believe in laisse faire
If Snowe,Collins,others, wanted to innocently request Five Guys to use Maine potatoes, all they had to do in go into the store,buy something, and offer advice as a customer. Or send a comment via that business’s website.
But noooooooooo. Snowe,Collins,the others,the politicians, issued a press release and/ or contacted the media outlets, to make an official pronouncement directed at Five Guys. So to add public pressure on Five Guys. Which turns into negative publicity on the new business Great.. Real great.
Read the title of what this news story is about again
You are truly a paranoid delusional.
don’t forget the 600 kestrel airplane jobs in brunswick we lost out to wisconsin
LLbean’s catalog is made in an out of state paper mill. Anyone hear the two state senators or ANY Maine legislator suggest to LLbean to use a Maine paper mill. before the last ones open closes.
They bought kestrel with a TIF that pays for all the employees it would have cost more then it returned
NOW you “get it “. They didn’t “build it.”… WE did
Swing and a miss. My opinion is they can have it. Bad deal for broke taxpayers.
they can have it. it will be decades before WI gets their TIF money back. I governments job to protect freedom, not to buy the hope for a few jobs
We build highway exits and roads for Walmarts nationwide using our tax dollars and then we give them tax breaks to boot.
And our Navy Ships patrol treacherous waters so private
oil companies can bring more product here to sell for a profit.
Correct. Making the true cost per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline to be $10.00.
On the other hand , the government has sought to stop the
underground market for drugs and all they have done is
strengthen drug cartels,increased the price and gotten people killed.
The war on drugs has failed
When will the failed wars for oil end ?
at $80 a barrel the “true” price is less then $2.00 a gal , so why are we paying $3.50 a gal?? Inquring minds want to know .
Huh?
Walmart gives political donations to the Maine senators thats why the two senators keep their mouths shut about what Walmart does to this state and Mainers.
They probably give more to politicians nationwide, and heavy on Rs
I don’t like to defend ChinaMart, but for a short while, they DID sell Hathaway Shirts under their private label. You remember that now defunct brand, I hope.
Buy Maine potatoes is bad policy? Anyway, it was just a recommendation, not a requirement.
The jackass,backwater,Maine state politicians deliberately tried to use political clout and public sentiment to ‘recommend’ the company use Maine potatoes.
WHAT BUSINESS wants to open up in Maine knowing the State Senators might blabber some unorthodox remarks at the company
That should help you understand this:
Maine worst state for business
oh pleeze —-twisted thinking —-So what ARE Congress people supposed to do??
yes because goodness knows another fast food franchise was the answer to Maine’s economic woes.
As was pointed out elsewhere Forbes overly favors “big business”. With lePage as a “cheerleader”, no wonder we’re regarded poorly. “Spose we’ll have to buy a copy of Forbes (waste of money) to see all the data and how it’s weighted. You’d think that if LePage and Steve were such good friends, that Forbes would find a way to spin the data to give credit to LePage and the Rs for all their ‘good work”.
I wonder what Forbes’ criteria are for quality of life. Skewed bleak urban, I’ll bet.
As for Fredette’s statement, he cites our high median age but has no solutions for it. With LePage as publicist, why should younger people stick around or move here?
I guess we just didn’t put up enough “Open For Business” signs.
Sounds like LePage should resign and move to Puerto Rico.
Has there ever been any governor anywhere who has bad-mouthed his own state so much?
He has been in office for two years and has yet to say one positive thing about The State of Maine or her citizens.
They are smart enough not to take him!
“Democrats pointed to the ranking as a sign that Republican policies that
have been passed over the past two years haven’t had their desired
effect.” Maybe the Dems. should point out the sixteen before the Rep. policies. Those years were just BOOMING, right? Now the Dems. have all the right answers. Couldn’t fix sixteen years of poor policies and bad decisions in two, wow. Now with the special interest groups and public unions back in charge we should shoot right to the top.
Knew the Dem blame on Reps would be said. They are always the first to place blame and forget that perhaps, they may be part of the reason . Yessuh……
We need to give more money to the rich! That’ll do it.
If we can figure out how to turn old people into energy, we’d be all set, right Paulie?
Step 1. Hide the Beano.
i know i shouldn’t laugh, but this was actually pretty funny.
Maybe the Guv should change the greeting signs from “Open for Business” to “Bad for Business.”
With a governor like Paul LaPage I wouldn’t want to move a business in Maine. He actions and his unwillingness to see other people’s points of view is what is keeping the great state of ours. He blames everyone but himself…(LaPage) grow up and take a little responsibility for the mess you make of this state…..we are tired of him blaming the democrats. MAN UP!!
The state is lucky to have any business at all. Liberal policies have made it into a welfare state. I don’t care what the level of education there is….If their degree is in any form of liberal education….better off to be “stupid certified”. (Nobody can tell the difference). And no business needs any of you.
Maine is open for business…now get out!
This is on LePage…….he hates the state and its people and has had nothing but bad things to say. What has HE done to make this state more business friendly except put that really dumb sign up in Kittery?
Our young people are fleeing, our energy is too expensive and we’re taxed too much. But the view is great!
How can this be? We have been “open for business” for over two years now! What a joke that is. And Mr. Lepage’s program to certify “business friendly” communities, another waste of time and money. I haven’t seen any great influx of business in those that have passed his test as business friendly. The first thing he did upon entering office was to rid DECD of anyone with any business development exprience and hire a bunch of cronies to fill the department. He is constantly ranting about the cost of energy in Maine, yet he doesn’t understand that electricity is a free market commodity. He can’t regulate the cost as it is produced by private business.
His war against the renewable standards policy is a joke. If they were completely abolished it would have little or no effect on the market price of electricity. He needs to go back to Husson U for a refresher course in marketing.
Yet again old people sucking the life out of things…
Maine – median age 42.7 – (look it up, oh wise one) Yeah, those old geezers in their early 40’s are really sucking the life….go back to Voltron with the other children.
They were also working on lowering the median age with some of the legislation that left seniors out in the cold.
When in Virginia last week in November gas was $3.19 per gallon, while in Maine the price was $3.57
Forbes magazine has no credibility with honest people since the owner Steve Forbes, is is also the chief editor.
Forbes has never shown the slightest interest in publishing factual information but has instead used his propaganda rag to promote his own personal power fantasy.
Forbes is so brain dead he’s telling everyone the gold standard is come back soon based on some minor regulatory changes in Germany.
Forbes magazine rated worst magazine in the nation. Who reads this crap? The only thing hurting the business climate is reports like this. Tomorrow we will be ranked in the top ten in another magazine for something else. So Rhode Island is second to last? Then let’s do business with Rhode Island !
the only thing the republicans have done to improve the Forbes’ assessment is remove funding for all birth control and thereby lower the median age of the state population.
Of course the same was being touted by the Republicans during the Presidential campaign, except that now the shoe is on the other foot. Tough work, this governing business, huh? Howzabout we try setting the BS back in the barn and start working as a group of adults to collectively put this State in a ranking that’s more representative of what it really is; a truly beautiful place to live AND work.
You can’t be at the top of every category. I think Forbes would give Maine a pretty high ranking as a place to live if your lifes’ choice is to be supported by the government, which is funded by the people who get up every day and go to work in order to support themselves and their families as best they can, and pay taxes.
WoW! Forbes, a business magazine with extreme right wing views, says Maine’s says corporate taxes are too high! lol. I’m shocked. I can’t believe they didn’t mention the wages being in the toilet for the working men and women in Maine. I guess that is okay, but those corporate taxes are killing us. I wonder which words our governor will put in their mouths this year?
Removing the Labor Mural has not helped? WOW. Running your big mouth and degrading and insulting any person who does not view life ‘ his way’ has not helped. LePage must be asking himself whats it going to take ?
I’m sure the Ds, who put Maine at the top of the list, will be doing something different to bring businesses to Maine…different than what the Rs did, and way different than what the Ds did before that.
When the top salesman of your state is Paul LePage, what would one expect? He pitches us as a bunch of lazy welfare cheats except for those who work for the government and they are corrupt. Who would want to bring their company here? Speaking of which, has the governor ever said anything positive about the state?
the majority of people are lazy welfare cheats, check the statistics provided by DHHS
And you probably know a few except those your know deserve it but everyone else is a cheat.
Why don’t you provide a link.
The majority of people? Highly doubtful.
starting with Paul LePage, his family members and cronies…you are right. They ARE the cheats, taking from the people – giving nothing back!
ok i’ll take the bait—- what statistics?? ssshhhh there aren’t any he is LYING
Maine: “The way life should be.”
The problems with the Maine economy have little, if anything, to do with who is in the Blaine House or which party controls the legislature. The problems stem from the state’s isolated geographical location, high energy costs, lack of any natural resources other than lumber with a manufacturing based primaily on forestry products (the price of paper and lumber go down, the local economy takes a real hit) with no diversification in the manufacturing sector, a largely uneducated work force with few skills, and a lousy climate. Educated, skilled people in Maine have a very hard time finding jobs that pay a reasonal wage within the state–most travel away to find work. So far, I haven’t seen any proposals from either party that would do much to rectify these problems.
“The policies of the past two years have not worked”
So he gets 2 years to fix 30 years worth of damage done by Liberals in this State? I say give it all back to them and let them finish killing the place.
Put Maine out of the country’s misery.
Forbes is incredibly biased. LePage hasn’t done a thing for Maine or the people in it.
Is any Mainer surprised by this? When you have an Obese Buffoon for a Governor, businesses will stay away. Lepage has lost more jobs during his incompetent reign then any other Governor.
OMG! I’d broadcast the news that Forbes doesn’t like us! It is a sign that Maine is living without all those crappy businesses he goes on about. It is exactly what I like about Maine. If I wanted to live in a polluted, car crazy, ugly mess…I’d go to one of those right to work states like Texas. They are eyeing Maine’s water, woods, oceans and minerals…just dying to get their grubby hands on them. They can’t stand it, that there might be a state that they don’t control.
Forbes must be wrong. Haven’t they talked to our governor?
Nice job Paulie-making sure nobody else in ME has jobs except your relatives and cronies!2014 can’t come soon enough to get this clown off to FL.
Would Forbes rate Maine Number One, if we built a 500,000 gallon gas tank on the tip of the dock at Northeast Harbor, where he moors his luxurious yacht, replete with helicopter, each summer?
Forbes, and many like him. would be distraught and extremely angry if they lost the chance to annually bask in and relish the beauties of an unpolluted Maine coast.
Dangling on the bottom rung of the Forbian economic ladder is much easier than sucking in polluted air, fender to fender freeways, high crime, and smog – filled cities.
Naturally, the man in the Blaine House immediately jumps when Forbes drops one of its rusty and boring listings.Maine business expansions, exciting entrepreneurial quests, and amazing development of energy resources, mean nothing. Does he ever pop up before a camera -oops – to welcome such advancements?
A high speed, limited access Canadian freeway, gutting the mid-section of Maine intrigues him, though. Something that will abandon Maine towns and villages, destroy property and is designed strictly to aid Canadian commerce, is his only “Open For Business” gambit..
If we need to make Maine into everywhere else to “get ahead” it’s just not worth ruining what can’t be brought back. I’ll do the best I can here to make a living without supporting the destruction of our beautiful state. Gambling Casinos, fireworks stores, wind turbines, unneeded highways etc are not the answer to Maine’s problems…education is the answer….
It is all Susan Collin’s fault.
Mainecare and welfare sucking the money right out of the state!…
We win! Winning! But all is not perfect, we are only ranked second in percentage of people on foods stamps and also second in percentage of State budget spent on welfare expenditures. We’ve been dawdling around at number 2 for many years.
With a little more effort we could be right at the top! Go on strike, don’t let evil management cut your cupcake factory pay! Get on assistance of some sort, nobody can make it on their own! Lets all pull together and join in doing, well… absolutely nothing for the big win!
The indoctorination centers are working well in Maine.
yeah democrat….yeah republican, to bad we didn’t have more independent thinkers out there. A lot of people choose a party and cheer for a party like its a sports team or something. They believe everything that party tells them, and they think the other party tells all lies. It’s no surprise we are in the shape we are in.
Well deserved accolade from Forbes and its about to get worse with the lefties in charge of the senate and house. Paul hasn’t much of a chance, let alone trying to shift to a right to work state.
yet the tax foundation has us at #30 on “business friendly ‘–neither the best nor the worst .
This is awesome we are the worst and all anybody wants to do is blame the other guy [both d and r].It will not get better until we demand better ,but go ahead lets just keep blaming the other side hasn’t worked yet but lets keep it up.
LOL, just partisan hackery. Pay your workers slave wages and hoard all the rewards — that’s what good for business means now? What a joke.
When Forbes considers business, what sort of business do they consider? Would the folks at Forbes recognize a bed and breakfast as a business? A boat builder? a machine shop? A restaurant? A sporting goods shop? A ski area? A car dealership? A grocery store? Would they consider LL bean a business? Raye’s mustard? Tom’s of Maine? Would they recognize the myriad successful shops and personal service businesses all across Maine, businesses that seem to be doing the job for their owners and workers?
Or are they really thinking about what big corporations expect states to have ready for them?
Finally, a question : is it true that when it comes to location of the big dogs (if we truly want them among us), to a great extent geography is destiny?
Since this survey considers Maine’s median age of 42 a major liability, and Paul LePage was born in 1948, it seems the best thing he could do for Maine’s business climate is to move out.
Seriously, this survey was a joke 3 years ago, and it’s still a joke.
Throw out the wind industry. Energy will then become affordable to new industry.