Pingrees address Portland business owners
Photo/Robert M. Cook
State Rep. Hannah Pingree, left, and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree at a Portland Regional Chamber event
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree says she is very proud of her daughter, Hannah Pingree, a North Vinalhaven state representative who also serves as Maine's Speaker of the House. But the congresswoman says her daughter also keeps her on her toes when she is working in Washington, D.C.
"I didn't fear my constituents," says Chellie Pingree. "I fear that call from Hannah, who would ask, ‘Mom, is there going to be any more transportation money?'"
The 1st District congresswoman and Maine House Speaker were the featured speakers at the Portland Regional Chambers of Commerce's Eggs and Issues last week at the Holiday Inn by the Bay. Chellie Pingree says she and her daughter served the people of Maine during two of the most difficult years in U.S. history.
Both mother and daughter backed federal and state spending geared toward keeping the country out of what Chellie Pingree says would have been the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. Hannah Pingree urged greater Portland region business people to call their state legislators and urge them to support a multimillion bond package that backers say would create jobs this summer if put to voters and approved in June.
After negotiations, the Legislature yesterday passed a $57.8 million bond that includes funds to allow the state to buy 240 miles of railroad tracks in Aroostook County, and $7 million for the city of Portland to build a deep water mega berth to accommodate larger cruise ships at the Ocean Gateway International Marine Terminal.
Before she left for Augusta to wrap up the business of the current legislative session, Hannah Pingree also urged business leaders to vote wisely when they elect lawmakers in the next election. She says Maine was blessed to address many of its most difficult challenges with constructive bipartisanship that has been absent in Washington between Democrats and Republicans. The younger Pingree, who will not seek re-election when her current term ends, says Maine could see its share of obstructionist candidates in the coming election that would ruin that spirit of cooperation needed to tackle difficult issues, such as plugging a $350 million state budget gap.
Chellie Pingree told business leaders she voted in favor of health reform that President Obama signed into law just recently and the economic stimulus, which resulted in millions of dollars coming to Maine that was used to shore up the state's bridges and highways, extend the Downeaster passenger rail line to Brunswick and extend broadband into northern and Down East Maine.
The health care reform law will generate more health care industry jobs in Maine once it is fully implemented in 2014, Chellie Pingree said. She added the health insurance exchanges and pools that will established in each state will help small businesses in Maine buy more affordable health insurance plans for their employees that they can purchase now.
When asked how she sees the escalating federal deficit that has ballooned after Congress approved billions of dollars in federal spending for the economic stimulus, health care reform and the bank and auto industry bailouts, Chellie Pingree replied, "It is a terrible dilemma to be in and I'm sorry I had to walk into the middle of it."
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