RELEASE: Poliquin Calls for Better Management at First Televised Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 24, 2010
CONTACT: BRIAN PHILLPS
207-272-0363
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Westbrook – Tonight, Bruce Poliquin, candidate for Maine Governor, took the opportunity to outline how he would better manage Maine’s fiscal and economic challenges during the first televised Republican primary gubernatorial forum of the year.  Poliquin, a business manager with extensive experience in finance and economics, said he would work in early days of his administration to evaluate government programs, eliminate waste, and hold agency and department heads accountable for how taxpayer dollars are spent.

“Augusta has a serious problem managing resources,” said Poliquin in opening remarks. “Thirty years of mismanagement by our elected officials has lead to one of the worst business climates in the country.  Our young people are fleeing because they can’t find good jobs, and our retirees are changing their residencies to avoid the stifling taxes.  What’s left is a state getting older, poorer, and more dependent on state services.”

“That’s the bad news,” Poliquin said.  “The good news is that we can bring competent management and successful financial experience to Augusta.  Our next Governor must be someone from the private-sector, who knows how tough it is to start and run a business in this state. It must be someone with the background and financial experience to address the root causes of why we can’t compete for good jobs.  And it must be someone who is hard-working and not concerned about the next election.”

Poliquin spent time during the Question & Answer session defining his solutions to Maine’s major challenges that lay ahead.  He referenced his experience in the private sector - running, managing, and investing in businesses – as important qualifications for the next Governor of Maine.

“We can no longer afford business-as-usual in Augusta,” Poliquin remarked following the event. “The economic policy we pursue will be critical to the success or failure of Maine’s economy in the next four years.  We need to have someone with the right qualifications and experience to address the fiscal mess we face.”

The forum was broadcast live on WLOB radio and WPME-TV, and simulcast on the web at wlobradio.com.  The forum was hosted by WLOB’s morning show hosts Ray Richardson and Ted Talnot and took place at Westbrook Middle School’s Auditorium.

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