Maine’s state government is simply not working. It is the product of two centuries of partisan politics and centuries of band aids on a cancer. It needs to be rebuilt from the bottom up. Virtually all of the problems we face, from homelessness to hunger, lack of education, environmental degradation, economic uncertainties, etc. stem from inefficient, ineffective and undemocratic government at both the state and federal level.
The problems with Maine’s government are innumerable. Perhaps the most serious is the fact that Maine’s government is not democratic. Anyone outside Augusta’s political sphere who has tried to effect positive change knows that the state government is rigged to benefit those in government and the favored special interests. The system was established to give the appearance of democracy, when in fact, most outcomes have been predetermined by politicians, regardless of public input.
As someone who served the public in Maine’s executive branch for nearly thirty years, I have seen first hand how our government does and doesn’t work. As someone who has a college education in Public Administration, I know how government is supposed to work. Maine’s government has failed and continues to fail the people of Maine.
We need to make Maine’s government truly democratic. We need to make Maine’s government function as it should. We need to put in place true checks and balances between the three branches of government. We need a government that is proactive and that recognizes and solves problems before they become unsolvable.
As governor, one of my first acts will be to establish a program to rebuild Maine’s government. I will appoint a blue ribbon panel of apolitical government experts to examine every aspect of Maine’s government from the state constitution to all statutes, rules, programs and policies. This will be done with much citizen input. This program of continuous improvement will be in place for the entire length of my term. I have no illusions regarding the size and complexity of this task. Two centuries of problems will not be identified and solved overnight, but we must begin somewhere. Identifying problems and coming up with solutions must be followed up by actually implementing those solutions. As governor, I will do my best, but It will remain to be seen if Maine’s legislature and people are up to the task. I certainly hope so.
