Candidate Responses to 2014 Election

Season Questionnaire

 

We were disappointed that only three candidates answered the MCSE questionnaire or chose to engage in dialog witht us. That said, here are the three responses.

 

 

First up, Eliot Cutler's response:

 

Mid-Coast Sustainability Questionnaire

 

1) With the coming likelihood of federal cuts in defense spending, along with the impacts of climate change and the job opportunities that would help address it, what plan do you have for sustaining current jobs and creating new ones? What sector would you concentrate on for job growth?

 

Maine certainly should be prepared for cuts in defense spending and planning for diversification. Even though there are several ships in line at Bath Iron Works, we cannot afford to assume that federal money for military production in the mid-coast area will be sustained forever at its current level.

 

As we are sadly learning with the paper industry, our failure to see the handwriting on the wall in terms of declining paper usage, high energy costs and more intense foreign competition, has led to tragic job losses and devastating impacts on Maine communities from Millinocket to Bucksport.

 

Maine has incredible assets – natural resources, skilled workers, renewable power sources, and an unsurpassed quality of life. Our economic plan for the future should not necessarily be built around the present day uses of existing facilities, but around the assets we have and can further develop, who will need them and our products in the future, and how we can best leverage those assets.

 

I trust that shipbuilding and marine trades will always be part of Maine’s economy, just I believe that the forest products industry, including pulp and paper, will always be part of Maine’s economy. But I also believe that we can and must diversify into other areas that use the Mainer’s skills and Maine resources that those industries depend on today, whether that’s building wind turbines, making bio fuels, growing our precision machine sector or innovation and applied research and development.

 

Technology, some of it developed right here in Maine by our outstanding research facilities like the Bigelow lab, will play an important role in Maine’s 21st Century economy.

 

We need to look out 10, 20, 40 years and try to anticipate where the world economy is headed, where technology is taking us, and then be ready to match our state’s resources and assets, like BIW, with what the world is going to need.

 

PO BOX 17766 PORTLAND, MAINE 04112 207.358.7000 AUTHORIZED BY THE CANDIDATE AND PAID FOR BY CUTLER FOR MAINE

 

2) Are you familiar with UMASS-Amherst study that reports military spending is the least effective way to create jobs? What are your thoughts?

 

http://www.peri.umass.edu/fileadmin/pdf/published_study/PERI_military_spen

 

ding_2011.pdf

 

The UMASS-Amherst study confirms that there is a great deal at stake as policymakers and voters establish public policy spending priorities. It also certainly confirms that so long as the federal government is spending money to procure ships, Maine and BIW needs to be ready to build them. And the study should be a warning that we should be thinking at the same time about the importance of diversification.

 

But the lessons we should draw from this study – and others – are much broader. I have repeated often on the campaign trail that one of the first steps to building a stronger, forward-looking Maine economy is the adoption of a capital budgeting process. Well-run businesses, towns and cities and other states that value economic development have capital budgeting processes and are investing in ongoing capital improvements (including investments in human capital and spending on clean energy, health care and education)

 

based on an explicit, rigorous and disciplined process. If I am elected governor, we will put in place a capital budget in Maine.

 

A capital budget process – together with express standards for state borrowing – will make it likely that capital investment decisions will be more strategic and less political, and that the capital projects in which Maine invests will be the ones that will yield the most return – the highest financial rewards for Maine people over time.

 

3) Congress has put off an audit of the DOD numerous times. What are your thoughts on a DOD audit, and why it does not appear to be a priority in Washington?

 

I agree with Senator King that we need to be more forceful in calling for an earlier audit of the Pentagon and to work harder to cut waste, fraud, and abuse inside the military industrial complex. The audit is now set for 2017 but ought to be done sooner.

 

4) Would you support legislation, along the lines of the Connecticut effort, to create a similar commission in Maine? (Other states are now in process of creating similar commissions.)

 

If I am elected governor, I would strongly support legislation in Maine that includes crafting an economic development plan and strategy for economic diversification that anticipates possible defense contract cutbacks and identifies opportunities to convert our assets to non-defense work. 5) Would you be willing to meet with members of MCSE to discuss these issues?

 

Yes. I would be delighted to meet with members of MCSE.

 

 

 

Next, Susan Collins' response:

 

While the Collins' campaign did not return the questionnaire, she did have a rep, Rich Houghton, meet with MCSE members via Skype. Here is our brief overview of the meeting:

 

MCSE met with Rich Houghton, Senator Collins’ defense and security analyst. “The Senator is vigorous in her review of military spending and will follow through on audits," according to Mr. Houghton. He did not express a need to move the audit of DOD closer than the 2017 deadline, currently agreed to in D.C. The Senator is also concerned about the potential of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard being on the next Brac list cuts, and according to Mr. Houghton, fully supports diversification for that workforce, who are federal employees.

 

 

 

Next, Chellie Pingree's response:

 

1)   With the coming likelihood of federal cuts in defense spending, along with the impacts of climate change and the job opportunities that would help address it, what plan do you have for sustaining current jobs and creating new ones? What sector would you concentrate on for job growth?

 

One of the best industries for us to invest in here in Maine is clean energy.  Not only do we have the natural resources—wind and tidal power—but we also have the skilled women and men who can work in this industry.  We can create a homegrown solution to our energy problems by building these new sources of clean energy, and create good paying jobs that can't be exported in the process.

 

We also have a non-military marine industry that is centuries old--an industry that we should support and expand.  We have some of the best boat builders in the world, and we should think about new ways to put that tradition and those skills to work.  From aquaculture to commercial and recreational boat building, I believe there are great opportunities for the Maine economy.

 

2)   Are you familiar with UMASS-Amherst study that reports military spending is the least effective way to create jobs? What are your thoughts?

 

I agree with the conclusions of that study—that some of the smartest investments we can make—the kind of investments that will pay the biggest dividends over the long-term—are in education and clean energy.

 

 

3)   Congress has put off an audit of the DOD numerous times. What are your thoughts on a DOD audit, and why it does not appear to be a priority in Washington?

 

For decades there has been a push for the Department of Defense to move closer to a clean and comprehensive audit.  Unfortunately the progress has been slow. As you know, the Marine Corps is leading the way, but there is an overall goal for all of DOD to be fully audit ready in 2017.

 

Although Secretary Hagel has repeatedly stated that an audit is a priority for him, there needs to be congressional support and oversight of this progress so that we can be sure that the full DOD will be auditable financial statements ready in 3 years. As a Member of the House Appropriations Committee this has been a priority for the my colleagues on the Defense Subcommittee and has been raised by them in hearings with the Secretary. I anticipate that as we get closer to the 2017 target and as audit ready budget statements are announced it will increase even further as a priority for the Congress.

 

4)   Would you support legislation, along the lines of the Connecticut effort, to create a similar commission in Maine? (Other states are now in process of creating similar commissions.)

 

The legislation to create such a commission would need to happen at the state level, but I do think such a commission would be an excellent idea.

 

5)   Would you be willing to meet with members of MCSE to discuss these issues?

 

Yes