I’m optimistic about Bangor’s future.
However, optimism is only justified if we face squarely our biggest challenge — jobs.
Maine has the oldest median age of any state. The median age is even higher in our region — Penobscot and the adjacent counties.
We must do all we can to make sure our seniors have the services they need — but that requires a vibrant population of working-age people with good-paying jobs.
Other states struggle with slow growth, or flat growth. Our region of Maine faces a net population loss.
Between 2012 and 2022, it is projected that Penobscot and adjacent counties will face a net loss of about 4,000 people.
Of the few new jobs projected for Maine by 2022, 87 percent will be in health care. The percentage for Penobscot and adjacent counties would be even higher.
We face a great need for geriatric care for seniors on fixed incomes while we have fewer working-age Mainers to pay for it.
And if we look to Washington, regardless of who wins in 2016, predictions are for more divided government. Augusta? The same is likely for some time.
I’m not painting a pretty picture because it is more like a photograph of what the world looks like — but I’m still optimistic exactly because it’s good to look a big problem in the eye and redouble our efforts.
For too long and too often there has been, in some quarters, a culture of drift: This mill will come back. That mill will hold on. The 1950s will rise again.
Don’t hold your breath — and don’t hold your breath for Washington or Augusta to send the cavalry, either.
So it’s up to us. Bangor is the leading city of our region, and it falls to us to lead. We can and we should.
Bangor is special.
What other city on the entire Eastern Seaboard serves as the financial, retail and cultural center for such an enormous region?
Bangor is a small city that, by necessity, rises up to meet big city challenges.
Our cultural amenities are far superior to other cities our size, our downtown dramatically better than 15 years ago.
However, our downtown can only remain vital if we serve a stable, regional population.
Our city staff already does a great job — but I challenge Bangor’s City Council and our entire community to do even more. I suggest the Bangor City Council invest even more time and effort into addressing the big picture question: Jobs for our Bangor region.
I’ve met with the city manager, and we’ve agreed to set up regular meetings for the full council to examine strategic issues of economic development — but that is only one step.
Let us challenge ourselves as a city. Let us challenge ourselves as a region — to foster a culture of innovation.
You’ve got an idea? Let’s hear it. Most intriguing ideas likely won’t work upon detailed examination (I saw that many times during my 10 years as a legislator), but that should only motivate us to process more ideas for jobs because some ideas do pan out.
Bangor’s leadership must be the spark.
I’m eager to learn from the already excellent efforts of city staff, the Eastern Maine Development Corporation and business leaders — but also professors, your cousin in Silicon Valley and the postal worker who read a great article about how some town out west drew jobs.
I don’t care if an innovative jobs idea comes from a Democrat or a Republican, from the Chamber of Commerce or the Peace and Justice Center.
I care only about it being a good, innovative idea for increasing jobs or decreasing the cost of living for the people of our region.
We owe this redoubled effort to the thousands — mostly young people — who have left our region and the thousands of others projected to leave in the coming years.
I don’t care if you live in Machias or Millinocket or Monroe — if it will bring jobs to our region, it will bring jobs to Bangor.
As council chair, I pledge to focus additional time in this upcoming year to studying every evidence-based idea that might help us reach our goal. We need your help.
Certain cities have built a culture of innovation. We are only truly strong if we care for the most vulnerable among us, but in order for that to happen, we must increase jobs in the Bangor region and lower our cost of living. I will focus my time as City Council chair on helping with that goal.
I’m optimistic because I’m confident that not only the City Council — but our entire region — will face our challenge and work together.
Sean Faircloth is Chair of the Bangor City Council. Faircloth had the idea for the Maine Discovery Museum and led the project to completion.