FARMINGTON – How do we build sustainable prosperity without changing Maine is the question addressed by the GrowSmart-Brookings Report.

Alan Caron, president and chief executive officer of GrowSmart Maine, presented an overview of the year-long study Tuesday to a group of community leaders during a regional town meeting at the University of Maine at Farmington.

The study was done, he said, because living in Maine presents challenges from the economy and environment, but the state is at a moment of opportunity. After raising $1 million to pay for the report, people across the state are joining the grassroots initiative because Maine people are hungry for this type of change, he said.

“If we can make tough choices, invest our limited resources more wisely and find new ways to work together, we’re poised for a new era of sustainable prosperity,” Caron said.

Half of the Brookings report contains findings about the state. The other half offers a plan of action, he said.

There is good news and bad news and some recommendations for change included in the report released last October.

The good news includes the fact that the state is growing especially from 2000-2004, he said, just about every county has grown. Caron believes the reason is the quality of place found in Maine, a quality that is diminishing in the rest of the country.

What has happened since 2000, he said, is a mobility revolution. People can work in Chicago or London yet choose to live wherever they want. The character, quality and safe environment of Maine appeals to a segment of more skilled and educated people in the 25- to 45-year-old bracket who come to Maine and bring jobs with them.

Another good aspect is the economy is diversifying. “We make more paper and cut more wood than ever before but with less people,” Caron said. “The percentage of manufacturing jobs is now at the national average rather than above. Instead of large mills, we have a variety of growing businesses with 50 to 500 employees.”

Maine also has a strong brand, he said. When the state is mentioned, a positive image comes to mind, a terrific asset but one that’s not always appreciated, he said.

Part of the bad news is Maine is cold, remote, expensive and disorganized. While it can’t change the coldness or remoteness, it can focus on the last two, he said.

“Maine also has a wicked attitude problem,” Caron said as he told how Brookings people saw an attitude of pessimism in Maine. Other states, they told him, would kill for what Maine has.

A third piece of bad news: Maine spends and taxes too much, a fundamental problem that needs to be fixed, he said. Compared to other large rural states, Maine spends more. The main area of spending being seen is in administration.

“We don’t need to change programs but streamline administration,” he said. “The Brookings Report estimates a $60 million to $100 million savings per year if we streamline administration. We’re a small state with limited resources and money spent on administration means no money for investing in a new economy and reducing taxes.”

His final point was that our economic development is a mess. “We launch ideas then abandon them and move on to another idea. The state is littered with ideas and agencies that can change often because of politics, he said.”