Incumbent Maine governor John Baldacci (D) is term-limited, meaning that candidates on both sides of the aisle are lining up to replace him (we'll call it "Clusterfuck to the Blaine House"). The primaries for both parties are on June 8. Baldacci is currently unpopular and a lame duck, meaning that every candidate on both sides is promising change.
On the Democrat side, these goals range from energy independence (most of our state uses heating oil and costs are sky-high), overhauling our education system (the Maine Learning Results simply promote "teaching to the test"), creating green jobs, and even offering tax credits to the movie industry if they want to come here, like Massachusetts did a few years ago.
On the Republican side, the promises are much more predictable: Less taxes, less government, and of course, making Maine a better place in which to do business. In other words, they have no new ideas whatsoever. Oh well, some things just never change. Here is a rundown on some of the candidates in the race.
There are four Democrat candidates running to succeed Baldacci: Senate President Libby Mitchell, former Attorney General Steve Rowe, former Commissioner of Conservation Pat McGowan, and businesswoman Rosa Scarcelli (I support Scarcelli).
Libby Mitchell is the current Senate President, and is notable for having been endorsed by Bill Clinton. She is a strong supporter of same-sex marriage, renewable energy, and of course, new jobs. She also believes that education should be at the top of the government's economic to-do list.
Former Attorney General Steve Rowe has an economic plan called Innovate Maine that is based on the following:
■People are our greatest asset. Their potential will be realized only if they are healthy, well-educated, valued and challenged.
■Innovation and creativity must be infused in all we do - education, economic development, community development - everything!
■Maine's quality of place, natural beauty and quality brand must be protected and we must build on our state's distinctive assets and strengths.
■Maine must be connected to the rest of the world by modern transportation and communications networks.
■Maine's health care and energy costs must be brought under control.
■Maine must convert to renewable energy generation and become energy independent.
Commissioner of Conservation Pat McGowan appeals to rural voters with his strong record of conservation while he was in the legislature. McGowan was the driving force behind the Land for Maine's Future law, which has helped to save 600,000 acres of land. His first TV ad can be seen here.
Finally, there is Rosa Scarcelli, the candidate who I endorse for governor. Her background is in business; in 1999, she founded DE Property Management LLC, a real estate company dedicated to providing affordable housing to the poor and the elderly (the elderly population seems to double by the day in this state). In 2005, her company would take over what is now Stanford Management, which is now the largest female-owned business in the state.
Rosa has a bold new idea to provide capital to our struggling businesses: Create a state bank. A similar bank is in place in North Dakota, which is similar to Maine in terms of demographics and that it is a rural state. North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate in the country (4.4%) and is currently running a $1.3 billion budget surplus. Obviously, such a bank should not be able to hand out money willy nilly like the Fed does, but I think this is a fantastic idea that must be considered.
She is a strong supporter of the new health care law and wants to scrap the current state health care plan (Dirigo) in favor of a state law requiring everyone under 18 to have health insurance. While I support single payer, this idea represents significant progress in my view and will hopefully lead the way to single payer sometime down the road. Northern Maine in particular would stand to benefit from single payer, as many logging jobs have been outsourced to Canada because of their universal health care system (this is also one of the main reasons why Michigan is in such trouble right now).
Like President Obama, Rosa believes that it's not about Big Government or Small Government, but rather, Government that Works. She promises to reform Augusta by bringing us out of what she calls a 19th century way of governing.
Most importantly of all, Rosa has a plan to keep our kids in Maine. For years now, our young people have been leaving this state in droves at the first opportunity because the jobs have disappeared, meaning that everyone in this state is either leaving or dying. We have the 6th highest number of senior citizens as a percentage of the population in the country. This stands to get worse as more and more Baby Boomers get set to retire and Brunswick Naval Air Station closes next year (a tragic mistake in my opinion). Her latest ad, which illuminates this situation, can be seen here.
To me, she represents an all-too-rare rare point of agreement between my brand of progressive politics and the economic jolt that the state of Maine desparately needs during these troubled times. Mainers pay the 6th highest taxes in the country. That we need broad tax reform is agreed upon across the political spectrum. Any Mainers who are reading this should thus give serious thought to voting for Rosa Scarcelli on June 8.
The Republican alternatives will not help. Thus far on the G0P side, all seven candidates (Peter Mills, Les Otten, Bruce Poliquin, Paul LePage, Steve Abbott, Matt Jacobson, and Bill Beardsley) seem to be trying to set the world record for number of times and ways in which one can say, "I'm going to cut your taxes!" This year's G0P platform has been written by the teabaggers, as it includes complete de-regulation of the health insurance industry and of course, the all-important fact that marriage is between a man and a woman.
Peter Mills is the textbook definition of the very "career politician" that Republicans claim they're against, having served 15 years in the Maine legislature (wouldn't it be funny if Mills were the nominee?). Les Otten touts his experience in the private sector and the fact that he created 1,200 jobs as CEO of American Skiing Company, as well as his tenure as a part-owner of the Boston Red Sox. Bruce Poliquin is a local businessman who projects a refreshingly upbeat attitude, but then turns around and attacks Otten. Paul LePage is the consummate teabagger, fervently supporting the potentially disastrous and twice-voted down TABOR, and displaying typical teabagger intellect in supporting the death penalty and tax cuts at the same time (which, if you think about the exorbitant costs of keeping inmates on death row as opposed to life without parole, is impossible).
These are the facts that people both inside and outside Maine need to know about our gubernatorial race this year. Again, both primaries are next Tuesday. The fact is, we can not afford "things the way dey wuz." We need Rosa Scarcelli, but that is just my opinion.
Please vote in the poll below, and then comment on who you support for Maine governor and why. To assist you, I have provided links to the campaign sites of all four Democrats running (I'd provide the G0P links too, but I'd have to place myself under arrest for intellectual homicide). Cheers!