New growth

will not come

from old soil

Many regions of Maine continue to struggle with not only the recession but the lingering need to transition from a purely industrial economy to something more diversified.

Reports from Rumford and Jay to Millinocket and Madawaska point to struggles to hold onto high-paying manufacturing jobs. And jobs in tourism and hospitality on the coast and in the mountains, though often touted as part of Maine’s largest industry, are often seasonal and cyclical. 

No wonder, if you listen to any of the talking points coming from the two dozen gubernatorial candidates, the first phrases out of their mouths are related to the economy and creating good jobs. 

Of course, to tout your priority to create jobs and follow that up with a substantive plan is easier said than done. 

There have been Maine leaders, like Gov. Angus King, who have offered plans that take the long view of strengthening the workforce through initiatives like the school laptop program. That effort, unlike looking at roads and railroads and use of land for economic development, focused on investing in the individual. 

To create jobs, in a world very different from the one Maine was originally built in, requires efforts more robust than strengthening the individual, though the importance of that cannot be understated. It requires strengthening communities and completely restructuring how we define them. 

During the 1800’s and early 1900’s, when a mill was built in Lewiston, people living in Lewiston or Auburn would work there. The idea of living in Turner or Minot wasn’t logical unless you enjoyed spending half a day on horseback trying to get here. When a mill or new business opened, people would relocate to that town to live and work there. 

Under this model, it was logical for the city of Lewiston, for example, to set out a plan for where to build mills within the city, where to allow housing to be built for the workers, and where to allow commercial businesses to support both the mills and the workers. From there, roads and rail and utilities were invested in to advance that growth. 

The world is very different place now. Open a new distribution facility at the Port of Auburn and the staff would likely come from a half-hour driving radius bringing in Lewiston, Poland, Minot and others to provide the housing opportunities and meet the commercial needs. 

So, in this new development pattern, what is the framework to create a plan for housing and business location and, in turn, the roads, rail and utilities to support that growth? 

The answer, of course, is that the same systems that governed the growth of the 1800’s linger today and control how our economy is developed. 

There is a great quote, from the writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne, that describes this scenario well. He wrote that “human nature will not flourish, any more than a potato, if it be planted and replanted, for too long a series of generations, in the same worn-out soil.”

How can Mainers, or those who may seek to relocate here to enjoy all that makes this place special, ever expect to build a vibrant economic future if we plant our seeds in the worn out soil of 19th century government structures? 

Town and county boundaries were set up by political interests based on the length of daily horse travel to regional councils of governments. While economies and jobs ebb and flow, we seek to influence it with government action set on rigid lines that we’ve refused to alter for generations. 

Even the newest economic development strategy for Maine, often touted as “quality of place,” is contemplating how to invest in our future by funneling dollars into the priorities set within those archaic systems. 

Sure, Maine’s unique status of pristine countryside and historic downtowns and villages may be our calling card in a global economy, but if the planning for rural agriculture is not directly tied to investment in urban in-fill and infrastructure, it’s all for not. 

As farmland is chopped up for large house lots in one town and countryside is leveled for strip malls in yet another, we leave the state chasing its tail trying to fund new schools, new roads and new services to support all of the unplanned growth with money it doesn’t have. 

A quote from Italian philosopher, Niccolo Machiavelli, on the concept of reform sums the challenge up well. He wrote that “nothing is more difficult than to introduce a new order. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new.” 

Mainers have some hard choices ahead if we hope to build a vibrant 21st century, and those choices start with shaking up old guard to make room for the new. If there is any silver lining to our current economic situation, it would be that many are struggling under these old conditions and the promise of reforming government may create new opportunities.

Jonathan LaBonte, of New Auburn, is a columnist for the Sun Journal and
an Androscoggin County Commissioner. E-mail: [email protected].