Official lauds northern Maine economic development effortsOfficial lauds northern Maine economic dev

    PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Maine leaders have brought forward many bold and far-reaching ideas to make the state stronger but they have often failed to follow through with sustained funding and adequate support.
This was the message Friday from keynote speaker Laurie LaChance of the Maine Development Foundation during the annual meeting for Aroostook Partnership for Progress held at Northern Maine Community College’s Edmunds Conference Center.
In her PowerPoint presentation entitled “In Search of Silver Buckshot: 30 Years of Economic Development in Maine,” LaChance, an economist with the Augusta-based MDF, showed how despite efforts by Maine’s governors over the past three decades, the Pine Tree State has failed to reverse trends that position it as tough place to do business and make a living. Sustained attention with both financial and human resources, she said, can put Maine on track to prosper and grow.
“Maine has a tendency to search for a ‘silver bullet’ — that one law, that one governor, that one legislator or that one program that is going to completely change our future … what I suggest to you is that we need to broaden our thinking. There is no one silver bullet. There are a number of things that if we work on a concerted front, that will move us forward … more like silver buckshot,” she said.
LaChance’s presentation, compiled from interviews with Maine’s living governors and other top policymakers from the late 1960s to present, was originally developed for the Brookings Institute. Also included were data on per capita income, unemployment, health care costs, and spending on higher education and research/development.
While Maine leaders have advanced bold ideas like a community college system, laptop computers in the classroom and tax reform, the state has failed to follow through in executing the plan, both with proper and sustained funding and manpower. As a result, much of the state suffers from a high degree of discontent and pessimism.
“Failure to develop a long-term, broad economic development framework with consistent, sustained strategies has limited our ability to get where we want to be,” she added.
Deeply held values by Maine residents including self-reliance, independence, frugality and fairness, have actually muted investment and growth in the state, she said. Despite this somewhat gloomy view of the state’s economic health, LaChance suggests Maine has reached a new plateau.
LaChance ended her remarks with a bit of optimism. “If we know where it is we want to go, and we set the necessary priorities, there’s every reason to know that we can move forward at a much faster pace,” she said.
LaChance cited the coordinated and ongoing efforts of APP and other northern Maine economic development entities like Northern Maine Development Commission, LEAD, and Southern Aroostook Development Corporation as a positive example of “moving forward.”
In other business, APP Executive Director Walt Elish reviewed the highlights of the past year. “APP’s team efforts in 2006-07 resulted in the attraction of approximately 500 jobs and $3 million in new investment to northern Maine. Several key projects demonstrate the effectiveness of the Partnership and our ability to bring together a number of entities to produce success for the region,” he said.
Listed among highlights for the year were: Connect North America in Presque Isle, Synergy Solutions in Fort Kent, I Care Pharmacy in Fort Fairfield, LP in New Limerick and positive media coverage of efforts to develop a major resort in Aroostook County.
Directors approved a new slate of officers for 2007-08 with Larry Shaw, president/CEO of MMG as chairman. He replaces outgoing chair Kris Doody of Cary Medical Center. Also elected as officers were Robert Clark of Northern Maine Development Commission, vice chairman; Alan Landeen, Dead River Company, treasurer; and David Peterson, TAMC, secretary.
Serving on the APP board of directors are Chris Anderson, F.A. Peabody Co.; Steve Gagnon, KeyBank; Richard Daigle, Daigle Oil Co.; Virginia Joles, Maine Public Service Co.; Mike Fogarty, LEAD; Jon Prescott, Katahdin Trust Co.; James Thibodeau, United Insurance Group; and Roger Tremblay, Aroostook Newspapers.