Radio Address: Maine Cannot Afford to Say ?NO? to Jobs

March 18, 2014

(MP3 Audio)

More Mainers are finding jobs today than they were three years ago. We found out this week, our State?s unemployment rate has dropped to nearly 6 percent. This is good news for Mainers.

Hello, this is Governor Paul LePage.

As much as I would like to take credit for the drop in unemployment, I cannot. Politicians cannot create jobs. However, what my Administration has been able to do is improve the business climate by becoming an advocate to business s rather than an adversary.

The Department of Economic and Community Development works every day to help attract companies to our State. Today, Maine has nearly 15,000 more private sector jobs than there were three years ago.

We have had success working with many businesses ? big and small ?

? Tempus Jets in Brunswick;
? Barclaycards in Wilton;
? Riverview Homes in Fort Kent;
? Front Street Shipyard in Belfast; and
? Eimskip in Portland

Companies like these are providing thousands of good paying careers for Mainers.

My Administration has a ?Can Do? attitude and illustrates that Maine is open for business.

However, there are some people working against us. They would rather see Mainers struggling to make ends meet than provide them an opportunity to find a good job.

Senate President Justin Alfond has made a shocking statement. If my Administration can help attract companies to Maine that do not force its employees to join a union, President Alfond says he does not want those jobs. President Alfond?s statement is unconceivable. I had to hear it for myself: (PLAY CLIP) Ric Tyler: "Wouldn't it be better to have Right to Work jobs than to have no jobs at all?" Sen. Alfond: ?No, it wouldn't."

Did he really just say that?

Senator Alfond argues that these careers offer lower wages. Simply not true.

After adjusting for the huge differences in cost of living among states, workers in Right to Work states actually earn 4.1 percent more than those in states with forced unions. Even the federal government tells us private sector payrolls in Right to Work states grew three times faster than those of forced unionism states from 1990 to 2010.

I have given Democrats an opportunity to work with me to strengthen Maine?s economy. My ?Open for Business Zones? bill creates zones in Maine that offer tax relief, regulatory reform, energy incentives, AND Right to Work in order to encourage job creation and economic development.
It?s clear that Maine is not ready for Right to Work Across the board so I have offered a compromise. It is a compromise that will allow us to discover how giving companies and employees the choice can benefit Maine.

Let?s give companies the incentive to move to Maine and create more opportunities for Mainers.

I encourage you to call President Alfond and tell him Maine cannot afford to say ?NO? to jobs.

Thank you for listening.