AUGUSTA – Governor LePage dedicated his weekly address to highlighting his efforts to improve employment opportunities in Maine.
LePage’s words add to a growing discussion about Maine’s economy, a discussion which seems destined to dominate the gubernatorial race.
The talk, titled “There is Good Economic News Worth Talking About,” outlines LePage’s recent work “nationally and within Maine to promote job creation.”
LePage draws his examples primarily from recent successes. During this past month, LePage attended the US Manufacturing Summit in Florida to court businesses. There, the governor met with business leaders to promote Maine as a place to conduct business and a source for quality products.
The governor’s address listed several notable victories, including 200 new customer-service jobs which Barclaycard plans to add in Wilton, and a new $30 million sawmill to be built by Irving Forest Products. Allagash International in South Portland has also begun to ship products internationally. Maine’s growing role in international shipping is facilitated by companies such as Eimskip, who are drawn to Maine’s natural harbors and the governor’s plans to expand rail access to the Portland International Marine Terminal.
These successes will pad the governor’s job creation portfolio at a critical time. Already there are signs that the economy will dominate the coming gubernatorial race. During an interview in April, The Working Waterfront asked Democratic hopeful Eliot Cutler what the theme of his gubernatorial campaign would be. It was clear the economy was on Cutler’s mind.
“Maine has been stuck in a frozen economy for ten years,” responded Cutler. “Nothing’s changed in the last couple of years in those respects, certainly . . . we can make Maine an economic powerhouse. It’s not that hard.”
The governor issues his weekly address every Friday. You can listen to an mp3 or read the full text on the Maine government website.
Samuel Sabasteanski
MaineWire Staff Writer
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="7141 http://www.themainewire.com/?p=7141">1 Comment
Why did MaineWire leave out this claim by Gov. LePage in his address?
“Most of these announcements I mentioned received not so much as a byline. But it’s not because our Administration isn’t sharing this information with reporters. It’s simply because the media has the power to pick and choose what is news. It’s a fast-moving digital age in which reporters would rather tweet than write an investigative report and where doom and gloom headlines are sensationalized.”
Perhaps because it’s a complete lie?
http://www.dirigoblue.com/2013/08/lepage-says-press-doesnt-cover-new-jobs-announcements-except-they-do/#comment-3309