By the time you read this, you are either getting ready to get to the polls or you have already voted. Yet this Election Day proved once again that Mainers will not sit idle: political placards are on every corner, campaign ads have filled the airwaves and issues remained central to coffee shop debates.What business […]
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By the time you read this, you are either getting ready to get to the polls or you have already voted. Yet this Election Day proved once again that Mainers will not sit idle: political placards are on every corner, campaign ads have filled the airwaves and issues remained central to coffee shop debates.
What business wants from the next governor
Regardless of the election's outcome, business tends to come back to the same issues.
Workforce development, energy costs, infrastructure, taxes. All are on the minds of not just voters, but business owners, says Dana F. Connors, president of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce.
“There are two things that unite all Mainers … even if you're divided on politics,” Connors says. “We look at the economy and jobs.”
“With the workforce, we're talking about [increasing] the supply side and skill level. We need education and skill development. That will definitely be a priority for the business community and whoever sits in the governor's chair the next four years,” he adds.
Energy costs, he added, are an ongoing concern for business owners in Maine, even with forces like weather and supply out of the control of Augusta. Connors says the state needs a long-term strategy to lower costs — for example, as it has with the addition of natural gas lines.
Infrastructure plays a key role in Maine, in part because of the state's three-port strategy, which requires a healthy network of highways and roads to connect Portland, Searsport and Eastport. In addition, businesses would like to see continued development of broadband, he says.
Taxes are always a factor for businesses. But any governor will have a “delicate balancing act” between addressing obvious needs while monitoring dollars that are available.
And here's where life in the Blaine House might get tricky for anyone. Connors says there will be continued pressure on the governor to reduce or at least maintain the current level of government spending. He argues that it sends a strong message to businesses considering Maine that it's a good place to do business.
“We're going to be looking to our leader for positive policy drivers,” Connors says. “It sends a good message to businesses, so someone will say, 'I like the direction things are going. I'm going to invest here.'”
If social media followers equaled votes
This will mean absolutely nothing on Election Day, but may be one indicator of the three gubernatorial candidates' backing. On Twitter, the leader appears to be:
• Democrat U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud (@RepMikeMichaud) has 9,191 followers, while his campaign handle (@Michaud2014) has another 2,501 followers.
• Incumbent Republican Gov. Paul LePage (@Governor_LePage) has 3,352 followers, while his campaign Twitter handle (@LePage2014) has another 2,119 followers.
• Independent Eliot Cutler (@EliotCutler) has 1,775 followers.
