Justin Chenette
Special to the Journal Tribune
What do a mural, a sign, and a port city all have in common? The 74th governor of the State of Maine.
No matter who you voted for in the 2010 gubernatorial elections, no matter what political party you ascribe to, the one thing all of us can probably agree on is controversy isn’t always a good thing. That can be especially true in this already volatile economic and partisan political climate.
While the mantra of job creation combined with his Main Street persona and allure won him the governorship, Paul LePage’s tenure in the Blaine House so far has been clouded with political gaffes and hullabaloos.
Let us not forget the beloved “pro-union” mural debacle earlier this year. Within about six months of his administration, a mural in the Labor Department seemed insignificant to the priority list of everyone except the chief executive in charge. Gov. LePage hid behind ideological rhetoric to cover up the fact he never even saw the mural prior to the push for its removal. Now there is a federal lawsuit due in part to federal dollars being spent on the mural, so naturally they want their money back unless it stays put. The funds for that fight is money we really shouldn’t be shelling out.
The rationale for removal stemmed from the “creating jobs” talking point that continued to other avenues such as the “Maine is Open for Business” sign, which was originally stolen and later replaced.
As is the case for the labor mural, small business owners looking to relocate or start a new establishment here in Vacationland don’t care about a sign welcoming them or a mural depicting workers. At the end of the day, what creates growth in the business sector is economic incentives such as tax breaks, lowered healthcare costs, a well-educated local workforce, a streamlined regulatory process, and the like. Signs and murals are just that, tangible rhetoric of a failed attempts at marketing.
This leads to the most recent political situation at hand: The resignation of Norman Olsen as commissioner of Marine Resources. The actual resignation isn’t the story here. Both sides have cited a breakdown in finding common ground when it came to areas in marine resources, such as the ever-important fishing industry. Egos could have played a role in the communication and political collapse as two very strong-willed individuals probably had their own visions or ways of doing things.
The real story, however, came in the form of a scathing letter released to the public from Olsen after announcing his resignation. In the letter, Olsen claimed Gov. LePage made statements to him regarding the City of Portland being “against him,” and as a result will essentially ignore Maine’s largest city and “build a new port somewhere.” Gov. LePage has, of course, denied the allegations, so alas, it is a game of “he said/he said.”
We may never know exactly what the governor said or didn’t say or the real intensions of Olsen, but it is within the realm of possibility that Gov. LePage would make an off-the-cuff statement like that behind closed doors based upon his previous record of a failed PR strategy, not to mention the likelihood of the potential truth in the statements.
A politician showing favoritism to areas he or she won during an election? Never heard that one before. That favoritism could be the north of Portland districts that many politicians have tended to ignore, but which were a stronghold for then-candidate LePage. The northern areas of Maine do need more attention, don’t get me wrong, but statements, or at least alleged statements, like that are not good for Gov. LePage’s job creation model.
Portland Mayor Nick Mavadones even met with the governor to reassure a continued partnership with what has historically been a great, if not the greatest, economic engine for Maine. What is needed are actual policies to boost economic growth and development ”“ not adding or removing signs, murals, or continuing to speak without thinking.
Instead of leaks of alleged negative statements, it would be nice if there were leaks about a new business coming to the state based upon a strategy our governor developed. Good news is welcomed more than continued political missteps.
— Justin Chenette is a host of Youth in Politics, airing on WPME Sundays at 2 p.m. and WPXT at 8:30 a.m. He is a former member of the Maine State Board of Education, a graduate of Thornton Academy and is currently attending Lyndon State College, majoring in broadcast news. Follow him on Twitter @justinchenette, like him on Facebook.com/JustinChenetteOfficial, or visit his website at justinchenette.com.
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