As a population, residents of our state collectively gnash their teeth and beat their collective breasts about the number of young people who leave the State of Maine, taking with them the knowledge, training and skills needed to sustain and enhance our economy. A lot of those students have to leave because they carry the burden of substantial educational loans and need well-paying jobs in order to handle that indebtedness. Further, many Maine employers feel newly college-educated employees arrive on the job with the equivalent of a mortgage on their backs without even owning a home.

Opportunity Maine is advancing a sound and innovative initiative for the November 2007 ballot that which addresses this serious problem.

They are collecting signatures this fall, especially at the polls on Election Day, to make sure this happens. The initiative will allow any Maine resident who earns an associate’s or bachelor’s degree here to claim a state income tax credit to help them pay down their student debt, provided they live and work in Maine after graduation. This benefit would also be available to Maine businesses that make student loan payments for employees, allowing substantial benefit to current and future workers and providing strong incentive for the development and attraction of new businesses. This proposal is both prudent fiscally responsible public policy.

The brain drain? That’s what we’re talking about here. Aroostook County knows this better (or worse) than any other region of the state. But there are good jobs in Maine already.

According to John Fitzsimmons, president of the Maine Community College System, last year alone there were 4,200 high skilled, high wage jobs that went unfilled or were filled with out of state recruits. Why were many assumed by non-Maine residents? All too often, college-educated residents pack up and leave before even casting around the state, under the impression that Maine is for training purposes only. 4,200 is hardly enough to go around but it is a startling figure nonetheless and demonstrates that Maine is structurally viable and conducive to economic vitality.

Opportunity Maine’s initiative provides an alternative for everyone. Whether a kid just out of high school or a laid-off worker struggling with “what’s next?”, a shot at higher education becomes a reasonable alternative to forgoing the opportunity or undertaking the current costs and heading south for wages that help cover educational debt. With Opportunity Maine’s legislation, Maine gets a supremely educated and responsive workforce attractive to outside investment and Mainers get an economic boost and a host of options, one of which, I’m glad to say, is to stay in Maine. Sound policy all around.

A final thought. The people behind Opportunity Maine are a dedicated group of students and young community leaders — the organization president is from Caribou and is a University of Southern Maine student and the Student Body President there.

When this legislation passes — with your help — it will not benefit them personally, as it is not retroactive. This initiative comes from a profound appreciation of Maine’s difficulties and a willingness to do something about it.

Opportunity Maine’s passage will, however, influence whether others stay in Maine, including our next generation of leaders. Every one of us is encouraged to take a few hours to help collect signatures this fall, particularly on Election Day, to make this vision of educational and economic opportunity a reality. But, please, at the very least, sign the proposed referendum initiative to assure that Opportunity Maine is on the November 2007 ballot. You can volunteer now at www.opportunitymaine.org or call 567-3074.