Better Management for Maine Town Hall: Springvale

Watch the video highlights here

The tour to bring competent management to Augusta made a stop in Springvale last week where the crowd was early and ready to go.  It was another lively discussion about what Mainers expect from their next Governor.

I sensed similar frustrations, as in other parts of our state, about jobs, high taxes, our punitive business climate, and health care costs.  I asked what they thought the next Governor could do to improve Maine’s economy and the consensus answer was to reduce the cost and complexity of doing business here.  The good news is that streamlining regulations, enforcing rules consistently, and having a pro-job growth attitude don’t cost us anything – and we can make those reforms immediately.

I also received constructive feedback from one attendee who said that he was skeptical about those who have business experience promising to run government more effectively.  It is a legitimate concern. 

First, we know what doesn’t work: political experience.  For decades, politicians have been mismanaging our state finances because they either don’t know how or don’t have the courage to make the difficult decisions to preserve the long-term prosperity of our state.

Second, it’s not just enough to say you have private-sector experience.  Our state government needs the right kind of comprehensive private sector experience, managing large enterprises as well as handling the day-to-day decisions made by entrepreneurs and small businesspeople. 

I spent the first part of my professional life managing a large company that grew from $35 million in assets to more than $5 billion during my time there.  The three of us that ran the company oversaw 80 employees and safely invested more money than our state spends in a year. 

More recently, I have been managing a housing project in the Mid-Coast area.  I fill out the paper work, pay the taxes, and deal directly with state regulatory agencies.  I’ve invested my own capital in the project, hired hundreds of Mainers to do the work, and put millions of dollars into Maine’s economy. 

This is the kind of real world experience Maine’s next Governor needs to address our fiscal, economic, and job-related problems.  Political experience is what has gotten us into this mess.  We need someone who will bring a lifetime of professional accountability and competent management to Augusta.

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