AUGUSTA, Maine — In video interviews released Wednesday, two of the three candidates for governor in Maine answered questions about the state’s relationship with its cities and towns.
Both Democrat Mike Michaud and independent Eliot Cutler sat for the interviews with members of the Maine Municipal Association, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that represents 487 of the state’s 492 towns and cities. Each interview lasted more than an hour.
Incumbent Republican Gov. Paul LePage did not respond to an invitation to meet with the Maine Municipal Association, according to the association’s spokesman Eric Conrad.
In separate interviews, Cutler and Michaud answered questions from members of the Maine Municipal Association board of directors touching on everything from international trade to state revenue sharing with municipalities.
“What I’ve seen over the last three-and-a-half years with the current administration just tears me apart,” Michaud said answering a question on why he wants to be governor. “The divisiveness, the partisanship and the failed policy.”
During his interview, Cutler said one of the reasons he is running is “very, very personal.”
“I’m motivated to run because I owe the state of Maine a great, great deal,” Cutler said before explaining how his grandfather at age 12 fled Russia to escape conscription in the czar’s army. He took up roots in Bangor and built a business and a family.
Cutler said he wants to be governor because not all Mainers were being afforded the same opportunities he and his family had to acquire a good education and lift themselves up through hard work.
Both candidates also elaborated on what efforts they would take to improve the state’s relationship with its cities as well as how they would improve the relationship the governor’s office has with the Legislature.
Cutler called lawmakers, city councilors and anybody who is willing to run for public office “fundamentally good people who want to help.”
He criticized both LePage and his Democratic predecessor, former Gov. John Baldacci, for failing to provide good leadership.
“For the last 11 years there has been an absence, indeed a vacuum, of positive leadership. There’s been an absence of independent ideas, bold leadership that would stem and should stem not from someone making a campaign contribution … but ideas and leadership that stem from a commitment to the welfare of the people of the state of Maine to economic growth and opportunity in the state of Maine. That’s not there.”
Cutler said he intended to provide that type of leadership as governor.
Michaud also said he has a proven track record of working in bipartisan ways to solve problems.
He also said that LePage was wrong to suggest government should be run like a business. “Government is not a business. Government should be run efficiently and effectively, and as governor, I will be making sure that happens,” Michaud said.
The Democrat said he would restore respect to the legislative process and intended to have regular meetings with lawmakers from both parties.
Michaud said LePage’s leadership style “is a big part of the problem we are facing today, and I know that for a fact. Because I’ve had businesses in Maine and outside of the state of Maine that are not happy with the attitude this current administration has portrayed.”
He also tackled LePage’s stance against Norwegian energy giant Statoil’s efforts to bring a $120 million offshore wind power pilot project to Maine.
Cutler said his style of leadership and approach was different than the other politicians in the race.
“I come at this challenge with confidence, with a sense of the importance of collaboration, with an experience in reaching compromises that work and with a sense of humor that is as self-deprecating as it is anything else,” he said. “I think it’s important to educate, to cajole, to inspire and to lead, and I am reasonably good at those tasks.”
Cutler also said Maine was the greatest “turnaround opportunity in the country.” He said he was “a very good salesman.”
Alex Willette, a spokesman for LePage’s campaign, said in an email that he believes the governor was unable to participate in the meeting because of a scheduling conflict.
Conrad said the interviews took place in August. Cutler’s was recorded early in the month, while Michaud’s took place later in August. Conrad said both interviews had been scheduled for the same day, but Michaud had to reschedule because of a conflict with his congressional schedule.
Conrad said his staff had several correspondences with LePage’s campaign staff about the interview. However, after July 1, LePage’s campaign staff simply stopped responding, according to Conrad.
“They never said, ‘No, we’re not interested,’” Conrad said. “The contact just stopped.”
The association held similar interviews with the candidates for governor in 2010, and all the candidates, including LePage, participated, according to Conrad.
Municipal officials and representatives of the association have differed with LePage over issues such as state aid to municipalities, service consolidation and distribution of General Assistance benefits, but Conrad said he couldn’t comment on whether LePage declined to meet with the board because of any of those past conflicts. He suggested that was a question for the LePage campaign to answer.
“We invited the governor, and we wish he would have come,” Conrad said.
Last week, LePage also refused to participate in a forum on energy issues in Portland after complaining the format of the event featuring him, Cutler and Michaud had been changed at the last minute.
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