Group: Too much bureaucracy inhibits state's economic growth
By JOEL ELLIOTT, Staff Writer
Morning Sentinel, Friday, March 16, 2007
WATERVILLE -- Maine must cut costs, lower taxes and concentrate on revitalizing communities in order to enter a "new era of sustainable prosperity," the head of a statewide grassroots network said Thursday evening.
A ponderous state government and top-heavy school structure are two of the largest barriers to economic growth, GrowSmart Maine president Alan Caron told a group of business and community leaders gathered at Waterville Opera House.
"We simply spend too much on the administrative side, not in the classroom," Caron said. "It's soaking up money that we desperately need to invest in the revitalization of our local communities."
GrowSmart Maine is a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote prosperity in the state. It bases its recommendations on the findings of a study conducted by the Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, D.C.
GrowSmart can be found on the Internet at www.growsmartmaine.org, and The Brookings Institute at www.brookings.edu.
Caron said an independent commission must be hired to analyze Maine's state government for ways to trim expensive bureaucracy.
"Don't ask government to tell you where to cut itself," he said.
GrowSmart's agenda is no single-minded drive to reduce the size of government, however. Caron said the state must provide funds for towns and cities to shape growth within their borders and also give incentives for communities to cooperate regionally.
Efficient cooperation will require a new mindset for many Mainers, Caron said.
"We like to pride ourselves as 'We are a small community -- 490 towns,' but that's not the way the rest of the world is organized," he said.
Caron said the digital revolution is making it possible for more people to live in rural areas and do business elsewhere, which means that changes will be more dramatic here than in more metropolitan states. Grassroots innovation, not the presence of natural resources or leadership from Augusta, will drive this new economy, Caron said.
"Don't wait for the mills to come back," he said. "And don't wait for state government to take the lead."
Joel Elliott -- 861-9252
jelliott@centralmaine.com
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