DEMOCRATIC LEADERS ON STATE’S POOR BUSINESS RATING

AUGUSTA—Top Democratic leaders, Senate President Justin Alfond of Portland and House Speaker Mark Eves of North Berwick, released the following statement in reaction to Forbes ranking Maine as the worst place in the nation to do business. The Forbes ranking is a subjective assessment.

“The truth is Maine is a great place to start or build a company in Maine. I’ve heard from entrepreneurs and business owners across our state touting their successes. Yet at the same time, I’m not surprised by this ranking. For three years, the Governor has been telling the world what a terrible place Maine is. That has an effect,” said President Alfond. “Just like a CEO signals confidence or anxiety about the strength and direction of a company, the Governor signals to the rest of the country whether or not Maine is a good place to live, work, invest, and play.”

According to the Forbes report, Maine’s poor rating is partially based on the state’s “lousy job and economic growth forecast.” The Forbes rating is consistent with other reports indicating Governor LePage’s poor job creation record and its impact on Maine’s economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Maine ranks dead last for job creation since LePage became governor. And in May, a business journal ranked Governor LePage as the second worst governor in the nation for his jobs record.

“It’s no surprise to see Forbes confirm what every Mainer already knows: Governor LePage has been bad for Maine’s economy, bad for our middle class, and bad for our small businesses,” said Speaker Eves. “Maine families are struggling to make ends meet, while he puts up road blocks to health care, energy and investment to move our state forward.”

With more than 145,000 small business employers, small businesses account for more than 95% of all businesses in Maine.

Alfond added, “The national economy is recovering but Maine is lagging behind. The Governor has done little to help grow our economy and put people back to work. Instead, Governor LePage has been one of the most distracting and unproductive governors Maine has had. We can do better.”

At the start of the legislative session, Democratic leaders created the Joint Select Committee onMaine’s Workforce and Economic future to address the state’s skills gap, grow small businesses, and strengthen the economic engines of our state like Maine’s downtowns and Main Streets.

“The people of Maine care more about making ends meet than the opinion of corporate representatives and editors at Forbes magazine,” said Eves. “That’s why it is so important that we build an economy that works for our middle class and small businesses, one that invests in education, health care, and our workforce.”

Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a $149.5 million comprehensive bond package making critical investments to create jobs and strengthen Maine’s economy. Democrats have indicated support for a Research and Development bond investment in January 2014.

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