ISSUES OF IMPACT - 2012

An important part of fulfilling the Chamber’s mission “To promote and advance a vital, healthy business environment” involves advocating for public policy that will help our region prosper and grow. Rather than react to what policy makers propose, the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce seeks to define its agenda and bring it forward. “Issues of Impact” outlines the policies that the Chamber believes will most help its members. Drafted in the Chamber’s Governmental Affairs Committee, the document was endorsed by the Chamber’s Board of Directors.Special thanks are due to the Governmental Affairs Committee and its chair, Rod Black, for their stewardship in creating this document, as well as those members of the Committee who helped to draft its various provisions. Also, as our 2012 Issues of Impact sponsor, we are grateful to the Rudman Winchell Law Firm for its support

HEALTHCARE

The cost of health care remains at the top of the list of concerns to members of the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce. To that end, the Chamber supports:
Federal initiatives to aid small businesses and their employees in obtaining affordable comprehensive coverage; federal support for healthcare information technology infrastructure; and, federal policies that encourage providers to develop new healthcare delivery models that reduce costs and improve care.
Careful monitoring by state officials of Maine’s new health insurance law (LD 1333), documenting its positive impact and addressing unintended negative consequences with urgency.
Continued efforts by state officials to address unpaid MaineCare debt owed hospitals, which totals nearly $400 million dating back to 2009.
Caution with regards to limiting MaineCare eligibility, making sure that these changes do not push more people to seek charity care and ultimately cause cost shifting and higher rates for private insurance coverage.
Continued support of Healthy Maine Partnership public health initiatives and their further integration with institutions throughout Maine, including our schools, corporate wellness programs and government agencies.
Aligning Maine’s health planning function with the goals of better health for our workers and more affordable health care.
Undertaking the review of the Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Hospital with the goal of maintaining critical mental health services to the community and minimizing the impact  on our local economy.

ENERGY

The Chamber endorses an energy policy that makes paramount the goal of lowering the cost of power and fuel. With this as a priority, it also makes sense to pursue strategic investments in alternative energy. And policy makers should bear in mind that many, though not all, conservation initiatives can be the least expensive means for meeting our energy needs.  To that end, the Chamber supports:
Continued discussion of creating an energy corridor through Maine as well as exploring whether Canadian power can be a source of less-expensive energy for Maine.
Development of natural gas supplies in the Northeast United States and Eastern Canada.
Regulatory reforms that lower transmission and delivery costs for business.
Research and development of offshore wind generation, bio-fuel manufacturing technologies and geothermal systems as well as the application of alternative energy in transportation.
Development and deployment of energy conservation and efficiency techniques and strategies, including those of the Efficiency Maine Trust as well as policies that encourage business to upgrade old, inefficient boiler systems.

TAXES

The tax burden on Maine businesses is too high, and the tax structure here discourages growth. Despite this growing consensus, tax reform has been a difficult policy topic, mostly because structural changes always produce winners and losers and can therefore be intensely unpopular with some constituencies.  But Maine cannot continue with an outdated and anti-growth system of taxation. To that end, the Chamber supports:
No increase in, and ideally a reduction of, the overall tax burden for Maine people and businesses.
Tax policies that encourage regionalization.
A lower income tax.
Tax reform that will reduce the volatility of tax revenues.
Continued scrutiny of state spending and the efficiency of government.

EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Educational opportunity and achievement are essential to the region’s economic health and quality of life.  Without an educated workforce and diligent efforts to develop the pipeline of workers that businesses need to compete globally, the region cannot succeed.
To that end, the Chamber supports:
Better alignment of educational opportunities and private sector needs.
Improved access to higher education through financial aid and by expanding transfer agreements between the Maine Community College System and four-year institutions.
A detailed analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the University System, Community College System and Maine Maritime Academy, with the goal of finding structural efficiencies to ensure maximum value.
A detailed analysis of the cost-effectiveness of K-12 education systems in the state and an emphasis on “best practices” among Maine K-12 schools, particularly those identified as “high performing and efficient” by the state.
A detailed analysis of recent public school consolidation efforts and the development of next steps in that process.
Making expansion of early childhood education programs a funding priority.
Continued regional control of a fair share of state and federal workforce development funds so as to assure the ongoing success of workforce development programs in the Bangor Region.

R&D/COMMERCIALIZATION

The future of the Bangor Region’s economy is tied closely to investments in research, development and commercialization and should be advanced by productive public-private partnerships. To that end, the Chamber supports:Maintaining the recently passed liberalization and expansion of the Maine Seed Capital Tax Credit Program.Execution of the state’s 2010 Science & Technology Action Plan calling for “an environment where science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship stimulate Maine’s economy” as well as the goal of Research and Development (R & D) activity equaling 3 percent of gross state product by 2015.
Adoption of a $50 million 2012-2013 bond package that would further enhance Maine’s research & development / commercialization infrastructure.
Sustaining and expanding by 10 percent over two years the successful Maine Economic Improvement Fund (MEIF).
Private sector support of research & development / commercialization with fixed, short-term (4-16 weeks), paid, business learning experiences for qualified college and university students.

REGIONAL COLLABORATION

Regional collaboration offers the opportunity to use public, private and nonprofit resources more effectively, but Maine’s long tradition of local control places a high value on local-decision making. Still, the possibilities for regionalization remain tantalizing. To that end, the Chamber supports:A continued emphasis on regional, public-private economic development efforts, including the creation of a shared vision among those entities looking to grow the economy of the Bangor Region.Further collaboration among higher education institutions in our region.
Cooperative efforts among regional health care providers to reduce overhead and further community wellness.
Efforts by local governments to seek collaborations, affiliations, and where feasible, consolidation of services – even those services seen as the traditional province of municipalities.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation is a key component of economic growth, and as such the Chamber supports making investments in our transportation infrastructure a priority. To that end, the Chamber supports:The development of a major east-west transportation link through Maine.The development of the Searsport cargo facility and further development of the Port of Eastport.
The expansion of air service to and from Bangor International Airport.
The preservation and expansion of a commercial freight rail system in the region, including the system serving Aroostook County.
Approval of a transportation bond package of not less than $50 million in 2012 to fund the above-mentioned priorities.
Public transportation that serves the needs of the region’s population, young and old, enabling them to live, work and play in our downtowns and other centers of commerce.

BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT

Broadband capacity is now a critical component to economic development and is emerging as a strength within the region. This technology holds the promise of eliminating geography as a concern with respect to our economic growth. Further, the industry mix here – research labs, factories, educational institutions and biomedical firms – is such that strong broadband connections are a necessity for the Bangor Region to be successful. To that end, the Chamber supports:Efforts to leverage our assets to bring “data centers” to our region.Economic development strategies that target companies with a high demand for bandwidth.
Public policies and investments that will allow for greater penetration of high-speed broadband in our market, especially ultra-high-speed connections used by technology companies.

HOUSING

The Chamber regards housing as a critical social and economic issue directly affecting economic development. By encouraging the creation of affordable housing and by achieving higher home ownership rates, the community creates a more stable workforce and enhances quality of life.  The Chamber also recognizes the problem of chronic homelessness to be a multi-faceted one involving issues of mental health and substance abuse as well as economic dislocation. To that end, the Chamber supports:Affordable housing initiatives from the Legislature and Maine State Housing Authority that focus on assistance for low-income families and first-time homebuyers.Review of land-use and other policies at the local and state level that contribute to high development costs.
Banking regulations that support sound mortgage lending practices.
Strategies that allow seniors to stay in their homes longer.
A realistic and comprehensive strategy to combat chronic homelessness that addresses its many causes.