WORKERS APPLAUD MAINE SENATE DEFEAT OF GOVERNOR’S ELECTION YEAR “BUSINESS ZONES” BILL Legislation is nothing more than an effort to whitewash the failed economic development record of the LePage Administration The Maine Senate voted today 22-13 to defeat LD 1835, Governor LePages proposal for business incentive zones that included language that would have weakened workers rights inside the zones. Statement from Don Berry, President of the Maine AFL-CIO: We applaud the Maine Senate for rejecting Governor LePages latest re-election campaign legislation. This bill is reelection campaign gimmick instead of a serious proposal to strengthen Maine’s economy. LD 1835 is not a real economic development strategy or plan. This is “lottery ticket” economic development from the LePage Administration – wishing and hoping that if we give away enough tax dollars some big company will magically come. It doesn’t work. We should be building our economy from the bottom up and the middle out. That means supporting Maine businesses and workers who are here. This bill gives away the store to big business from away but does nothing for the small businesses and workers who are here. The LePage Administration has left thousands of jobs on the table by vetoing Medicaid extension and a minimum wage increase and holding bonds hostage. This bill is nothing more than an effort to whitewash the failed economic development record of the LePage Administration. The anti-worker provisions of the bill are illegal. They are an ideologically motivated effort to lower worker’s wages and eliminate unions as an important check and balance on corporate power in our economy. Workers in so called right to work state earn $1500 less per year. That’s the wrong direction for Maine.” Multiple studies have documented that 95% of all new jobs in Maine are created by existing businesses expanding and new businesses starting up. A review of the top 50 employers in Maine, shows that all of them are homegrown companies, with the exception of the national retailers or chains, which are in every state.
Posted on: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 18:09:47 +0000
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