Group studying state economy visits Colby
By CHRISTINA SOBRAN, Staff Writer, Waterville Morning Sentinel.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Staff photo by David Leaming |
Alan Caron, left, of the GrowSmart Maine organization and Mark Muro, director of policy for the Brookings Institution, speak during a public discussion on the economy, taxes and quality of life issues in Maine on Wednesday at Colby College in Waterville. |
WATERVILLE -- It's an unusual Maine road trip by most standards.
By tonight, a small bus load of scholars will have visited nine cities, from Caribou to Alfred, within three days to hear what Maine residents think about the state's economy.
The excursions are part of a $675,000 Brookings Institution study commissioned by the Yarmouth-based non-profit GrowSmart Maine. The purpose of the study is to learn "how to achieve prosperity without destroying the place," according to GrowSmart Maine's president, Alan Caron.
About 40 people attended the group's Wednesday afternoon visit to Colby College, including economists, local business and civic leaders as well as self-described concerned citizens.
Caron said his group is concerned with the effects of sprawl, defined as haphazard, unplanned growth, on the state's economy and quality of life.
Instead of sprawl, Caron said, GrowSmart Maine seeks to use the study to encourage authentic, sustainable economic growth that contributes to the quality of local jobs, neighborhoods and landscapes.
"You can have lots of growth but have no sprawl," Caron explained. "We've had slow growth but lots of sprawl, and that's the worst combination."
Mark Muro, director of policy for the Brookings Institution, is leading a team of 10 economists and researchers, including seven in Maine, three of whom are state economists. Since last year, the group has been scrutinizing the strengths and weaknesses of the state's economy.
The Brookings Institution plans to release the study, as well as a five-year plan for change, in September.
Muro said from what he has learned so far, Maine's economic situation is "not quite as dire as many people think," noting the state's natural resources and tradition of entrepreneurship.
He said that despite the fact that the economy has taken some "very tough blows," many people are migrating here from out of state.
Audience members at the Colby session expressed concerns about everything from attracting young people to Maine to ending what they perceive as wasteful government spending.
Kenneth C. Young, Jr. said economic solutions should not translate into more public spending.
"People in Maine have a strong penchant for expecting the government to bail us out," according to Young, executive director of the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments.
Caron said the study will consider the effectiveness of state spending and government policies, as well as their consequences.
"We have a tendency to throw a dollar in every direction and then to change our minds every three or four years," he said.
Caron said the study intentionally will be completed in September, amid state election season.
"We want the candidates to respond to it," he said.
Maili Bailey of Skowhegan said she believes the state's entrepreneurs should work to develop alternative energy technology, including solar energy systems.
"Let's be a place that innovates," Bailey said. "Let's get moving."
Phyllis Von Herrlich of Augusta said she is concerned about the state's rural sector.
"It's almost impossible to support oneself as a farmer in Maine," said Von Herrlich, adding she grew up on a farm in Harmony.
The session at Colby was the midway stop on the group's tour. They headed from Waterville to Camden, after visiting Farmington earlier in the day. On Tuesday, they held sessions Tuesday in Caribou, Eastport, and Dover-Foxcroft, and they planned to visit Scarborough, Brunswick and Alfred today.
Christina Sobran -- 861-9253
csobran@centralmaine.com
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