By Steve Kolowich

AUGUSTA—Two-term Maine Gov. John Baldacci is no stranger to the Bowdoin campus. In October, Baldacci spoke at the re-opening of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, and on Monday the governor stopped by a government class to talk Maine politics with students. The Orient caught up with Baldacci this week in his State House office to discuss issues of concern to the College and its students. [Editor's note: Portions of this interview have been edited for length.]

The Bowdoin Orient: Some Bowdoin environmentalists have banded together to protest the development of land around Moosehead Lake by the Seattle-based Plum Creek Real Estate Investment Trust. What are your feelings on this issue and the larger tension inherent in preserving Maine’s natural resources while encouraging outside investment and economic development in the state?

Gov. John Baldacci: That’s a very good question, and I think it goes to the very heart about what is Maine and what’s Maine’s future. I’ve often said to people that I think the two most important resources in Maine are our children and our natural resources, and the more we can do to enhance and protect those two resources, then I think Maine’s future is going to be bright. So when it comes to development, I think development has to work with the state of Maine and the citizens of the state of Maine. So I think you protect your quality of places and your sustainability and your viability, but also look at an opportunity to provide for good job opportunities—jobs that pay…[Natural resources and quality of life is] what’s attractive to people—that’s why Maine is such an attractive place. So you don’t want to kind of degradate your environment, because it’s really your calling card. Why would people want to come here if that’s what we did? I mean, we have a wonderful trail-and-hut program and a hundred-mile wilderness trail next to it, which is a real drawing card. We have the growth in western Maine that’s happening because of the wonderful hiking and outdoor recreation that we have. So I think you’ve got to be able to work with it. I think with Plum Creek, its development as proposed is too expansive. It’s too sprawling. It is going to create a situation where you are going to be not able to keep up with the development that’s there on a sustainable basis. But we need development. We need Plum Creek’s development to be refined and amended, but we need to have development in Piscataquis County in a responsible way…They have an opportunity to go to existing communities in Greenville and Rockwood, where there already is development there, to work and support and build up those regions without sprawling out into the wilderness. I noticed in the paper [Tuesday] that Bangor International Airport lost a flight from Delta, and I remember what the business consultants told me: ‘You don’t have enough money, governor, to subsidize an airline- running service into Bangor. What you need to do is to create destinations so that people will come to visit.’ We’ve got…wonderful opportunities to draw in people and make it a real destination, so that the [airlines] will want to be here because it’s economically viable. So I think we need to work together in a way that protects the natural resources but allows for the development, and I think you do that with keeping the development more around the organized communities that already exist, and to try to rebuild the existing infrastructure that’s aged and with population loss of out-migration…We need to be willing to accept a modified proposal that works in that direction. But we do need to, and we can, accomplish both.

Orient: In July, you signed a law establishing Opportunity Maine, an initiative designed to persuade Maine college students to live and work in Maine after they graduate by creating debt-relief incentives. However, I’ve talked to some graduates who have had difficulty finding jobs with competitive pay and opportunity for advancement. Why is Opportunity Maine a good investment, and are there other steps that Maine must take to retain college graduates?

Baldacci: Opportunity Maine is a really good and significant step to addressing the issue… [that] because in Maine we’re not able to offer above the national pay average, and because [student] debt is enormous, with the incomes that Maine can provide in general, we end up losing, sometimes, our best and brightest, because they’re looking for opportunities that can help to help pay off their student loans and their debts. And I think what Opportunity Maine does is it gives you tax credits to offset your student debt and bring [up] the incomes, which are hopefully rising also as time goes on, so [there is] a better debt-load balance there, and you can stay in Maine, and you want to stay in Maine, and [you're] finding those opportunities in Maine.

We’re also making critical investments in research and development. Maine was last in the nation, and that’s one of the reasons we were kind of behind the curve with new development and jobs around those developments. But we’re now catching up with everyone else…We’re taking an old industry, that was older than the State of Maine, and giving it cutting-edge technology…There are more opportunities now with this cutting-edge technology. I talked to a company that bought five patents from University of Maine research, and they’re going to spin businesses off from that…We now have the seed-corn to develop and grow. You’re going to find better opportunities in Maine. And hopefully, in some cases, where the jobs weren’t paying as much, you won’t have as much student debt.

Orient: With the Brunswick Naval Air Station set to close in 2011, the region around Bowdoin College is expected to lose a substantial number of jobs and residents. Members of the Bowdoin community, like many Brunswick residents, are concerned about how the base closing will affect the town commercially and aesthetically. Are these concerns well-founded? What is the nature and degree of fallout that Bowdoin should expect from the base closing?

Baldacci: That is my No. 1 economic development issue and zone… We have to be focused on this. This is a huge part of Maine’s economy. There is going to be a tremendous, negative ripple effect when they all leave, in our school systems, in our recreation programs, in our communities. Economically, socially, and culturally, it’s going to be a big loss. We’ve got to be prepared for that…We cannot allow us to be fragmented, for division to occur. We need to unify, and we need to focus on strategies that are going to work in a good, sustainable way—a long-term way…I think we’ve got to take every opportunity to keep the people here that are here with the base, so we’ve worked hard to make sure that the workers get dual training and certification—not just from DoD [the Department of Defense], but also civilian. You’ve got a lot of people who can get jobs in heating and air-conditioning, and technical skill sets that need to be certified domestically, not just through DoD. I think there’s an opportunity to work with the military retirees. I’ve told them I’d like to work on the Military Economic Development Zone…[which is] going to be an economic development incentive—it’s very aggressive in terms of the incentives it gives companies to locate in that military redevelopment zone, which is the greater Brunswick area… Another thing is that Bowdoin College is an economic engine…it is a partner in the redevelopment, along with [Mid-Coast] Hospital.

Orient: But in the context of a Bowdoin student or faculty member’s experience with the town…Should we be worried about losing Maine Street, local businesses, the small, family-owned businesses?

Baldacci: Well, I think that it’s not going to be dramatic, and something you’ll see right in front of you one day, but it will happen where you’ll notice it gradually over time. And it’s going to be an impact, and people need to know that there’s going to be an impact. And in the meantime, let’s use this time, between now and then, as much as possible to get our plans in order, get our approvals in order, and hit the ground running… And you have an advantage in the Mid-Coast region because when we investigated the education level and the skill-sets level, they were higher in [that] region than they were anywhere else in the state. So you have some really good skill sets. So you go in there with broadband internet connections—you’re able to connect to this financial, this healthcare, this global economy that we’re living in… You’ve got the best and brightest people in that area.

Orient: Government and Legal Studies is among Bowdoin’s most popular majors, and Bowdoin has a long history of producing future jurists and statesmen. You managed to be elected to the Bangor City Council at age 23, and won a State Senate seat at age 27. What advice would you give Bowdoin students who aspire to political careers?

Baldacci: Your family is very, very important. And the best advice I can give you is the advice that Ed Muskie and my father gave me, which is: be yourself. Don’t try to act phony and be someone you’renot, but be yourself, be comfortable being yourself. Tell the truth. It sounds corny, but it works…Be yourself, tell the truth, and work hard—those are the three basics…If I saw a young person today who wanted to get involved in government, I would be so pleased. I want them involved in our government. Hey, we’re going to get old people here, OK, I want young people here. I want young people to see there are young people running our government… Young people are important, and they need to be part of [governance]. Don’t undersell yourself as just being a young person with no experience, because as an older person, I would look at that as an advantage. Your advantage is ‘Hey, I’m young, I couldgo anywhere in the world, but I love Maine, I want to work to making Mainebetter and brighter in not only your future but my future and my children’s future.’

Orient: So you wouldn’t agree with somebody who said that if you’re young and you haven’t been out in the world, you can’t do governance?

Baldacci: No, I wouldn’t, because I think it has to do more with an individual, and whether the individual has what it takes to do the job.

Orient: You were at Bowdoin recently helping cut the ribbon on the new art museum, and you gave President Barry Mills golf balls. I know that you’ve recently played with him. Who is a better golfer?

Baldacci: Well, let me tell you something…I’d have to say we’re both about even.

Orient: Oh, that’s a cop-out.

Baldacci: But it’s not, because I have to tell you, the round that we played golf, we were even. But what really irritated me about President Mills was that he didn’t play golf before, and I’ve been playing it my whole life…and he, unbeknownst to me until I found out through reconnaissance later is that he had been taking lessons in anticipation of the match—that he was really a tennis player… And I said to myself ‘OK John—you’re a [UMaine] Black Bear, he’s a Polar Bear, you can’t let him beat you.’ So it was the battle of the bears… There’s a re-match in our future, God willing.

Orient: You’ll have to doctor the next set of golf balls you give him.

Baldacci: Oh, don’t worry—I’ll use security. We’re going to make sure the woods are covered, the water’s ready… At least while I’m in office, the governor never loses.

Orient: Snipers taking out his tee shots?

Baldacci: That’s right. We’ll be shooting more than birdies.

By Ellen London

Two years ago, Andrew Bossie, student-body president of the University of Southern Maine, came up with what seemed like an illusory goal, a holy grail of student initiatives: a referendum to offer debt relief for college students upon graduation. Fueled by the growing problem of college tuition expenses and the dismay of the students he represented on campus, Bossie sat down with some peers to brainstorm a way of alleviating post-graduation debt relief-especially to Maine students. His idea quickly gained popularity, and it wasn’t long before he was meeting with community leaders and organizations all over the state, including the League of Young Voters. “The program was dreamt up by people all under the age of forty,” recalled Alec Maybarduk, field director for the initiative. Early advocates dispersed over the state to talk to students of all ages at universities, colleges and community colleges who were saddled with student loans. And they had one central question always in mind: “How can we address the issue of student debt in a way that isn’t just a handout?” These were the makings of Opportunity Maine.

After gathering the necessary information and support, Bossie and his greatly broadened group of peers decided to form a citizen’s initiative to be proposed on the Maine State Referendum Ballot, and drafted the formal legislation themselves. In the State of Maine, a referendum may be placed directly on a ballot if the party is able to gather the signatures of 55,000 registered Maine voters.

“It’s a huge, rather daunting process,” Maybarduk admitted.

With their work cut out for them, Bossie and his fellow advocates set out in October of last year to gather signatures from the people of Maine.

“We had single moms who worked all day and took classes at a community college, who on top of that were out in snowstorms collecting signatures [for the program]. I’ve worked on a lot of campaigns, and I’ve never seen such an inspiring level of dedication as I saw then,” Maybarduk said.

The level of dedication from advocates and willingness of voters to sign on to the initiative was a testament to its applicability. Regardless of academic status, everyone felt that student debt was a huge problem, and one particularly acute in Maine. The state is one-third behind the rest of New England in terms of degree-holding citizens, and one-third below the median income of other New England states-two statistics that Maybarduk said are “directly correlated.”

Maine’s chronically lagging economy could use a boost of degree-holding citizens to “put more money back into the economy and raise that median income,” he said. Needless to say, after only four months-a record time-the movement had all of the signatures it needed.

The student-debt relief initiative received ballot approval in February of last year, and found its way into another unique legislative position. In Maine, the state legislature can pass a citizen’s referendum before even sending it out to voters. However, the act is rare, as citizen’s referendums usually contain controversial measures that the state would rather put to the people directly. It was a remarkable occasion indeed, then, when the legislature passed the student-debt initiative overnight. Even more noteworthy was the support it received from both Democrats and Republicans. Both parties agreed it was a sound investment for the state’s future, intellectually and economically. Discussions grew temporarily tense when one Republican accused the program of being discriminative. Everyone held their breath, until he explained, “It’s a great program. Why not make it even bigger and broader in scope?” And Opportunity Maine was formally established.

Opportunity Maine will go into effect in January 2008. Students filling out their forms for second semester financial aid and student loans can also ask for an additional form from the State, on which they will assert their residency and desire to receive debt-relief upon graduating. The program is quite simple and is designed to reward students who stay and work in Maine after graduation. Students, or businesses on a student’s behalf, file for tax credit in varying amounts depending on how long the student remains in the state. For example, if a student paid $2,000 dollars per year in financial aid at his academic institution, and he remains in the state for one year afterwards, the state writes him a tax credit for the same amount: $2,000. The same applies for student loan expenses. One important caveat, especially for private institutions like Colby, is that tax reimbursement is capped at the tuition cost of the University of Maine, roughly $30,000.

The program is available to students at state universities, private colleges and community colleges, and aids students who enroll directly after high school and adults who take a few classes or go back to school full time. The program is also inclusive in its definition of Maine residency-one needn’t be a native Mainer to receive Opportunity Maine benefits. Therefore, a student from Connecticut who attends Colby is as eligible to partake in the program as one from Maine.

“All you need is a valid mailing address within the state, and you’re a resident,” Maybarduk said.

The contract students sign with the state upon filling out financial aid and student loan forms is not binding, Maybarduk eagerly pointed out, and there is no penalty if a student decides to leave the state upon graduating, regardless of his initial intent. But he suggested that “even students with the smallest inkling of staying to work [in Maine] post-graduation should sign up,” because the potential benefits are enormous. Mass participation will also signal state legislators in Augusta that the initiative is indeed popularly-supported and worth considerable funding.

“This is an important measure,” Maybarduk said, adding that “we really want Augusta to see the impact and effect it has on Maine students and the Maine economy alike.”

Until it takes effect in January, Opportunity Maine will continue to undergo the formal rule-making process that all recent legislation is subject to. “We’re continuing to work out the kinks, really hammer them out” before the program is implemented, Maybarduk said. He and many other Opportunity Maine staff and volunteers are hitting college campuses all over the state to promote the program and get students involved. One promotional method reaches campuses this week in the form of credit cards bearing the Opportunity Maine logo and a brief description of what the program is, which will be deposited in students’ mailboxes. The cards are meant to be a physical reminder of looming student debt, and this innovative new option for alleviating that pressure. The cards will also offer discounts at local coffeehouses, theaters and other student hot-spots.

As for the much-needed boost to Maine’s economy that Opportunity Maine promotes, the program is expected not only to pay for itself but also to generate substantial returns within the next ten years. The theory is that the state gains by keeping well-educated minds in the area, and flooding the workforce with better-qualified citizens. As Maybarduk said of the founding principle of the program, “It’s a great way to tackle student debt [and] stimulate economic development.” As is evident by its popularity before and after becoming a formal referendum, the people of Maine clearly agree.