I take issue with Mr. Colgan’s economic projections in the Sun Journal article Jan. 16 with the headline “Colgan says state poised for rebound.”

Mr. Colgan is repeating only the national economic projections. Maine is largely an economic island but is connected to New England and the Boston market. Boston has been most negatively affected by the 2001 recession, therefore Boston, New England and especially Maine, will lag behind the nation in recovery.

Maine will continue to feel the loss of manufacturing jobs. Those lost manufacturing jobs will be replaced by lower wage service jobs, further reducing Maine’s income levels. We will see more lost jobs in forestry, fishing, mining and manufacturing for years to come. Job increases will come from the finance and services sectors. Hopefully, we will keep our over-inflated local and state governments in check.

Maine’s dismal demographic and economic trends will continue to hold the state back from prospering, along with the rest of the nation as a whole. Maine has a very slow population growth and has the oldest average age of population. Maine is aging faster than any other state with Maine’s young and educated migrating out of state. Maine lacks affordable housing. We have a high cost of living, crippling taxation and low wages. Augusta’s anti-business climate and fiscal problems alone will make it impossible for Maine to really prosper, grow economically or create many quality jobs in 2004.

For Maine, it’s more of the same for 2004: Economic stagnation.

Kirk Lodge, Alfred