Congressman Mike Michaud

“Michaud bill provides vision for northern forests”
By Deb Perkins (10/21/07 - Sun Journal, Lewiston)

“A regional win”
By BDN Staff (10/11/07 - Bangor Daily News)

“Michaud backs bill to create regional economic group”
By Nick Sambides Jr. (10/6/07 - Bangor Daily News)

“New approach to economic development for region”
Op-ed by Mike Michaud (10/6/07 - Bangor Daily News)

House Passes Legislation to Create Northern Border Regional Commission; Distressed areas in Maine would benefit from new federal funding (Press Release - 10/4/07)

Additional Information
• One page summary
• Statement before the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Markup (8/1/07)
• Statement before the Economic Development Subcommittee Hearing (5/3/07)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LEGISLATION (PDF)

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We all have a stake in bringing prosperity to Maine. We all want to arrive at the same destination: a future with economic growth, with young people staying instead of moving away, and a future with the good paying jobs that Mainers deserve.

Three years ago, I joined an array of economic development experts and advocacy groups in writing legislation that would create the Northern Border Regional Commission. The Commission would invest $40 million per year — rising to $60 million per year by 2012 — in federal resources for economic development and job creation in the most economically distressed areas of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York.

The roots of this idea can be traced as far back as 1965, when Congress approved the creation of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for the economically distressed portions of 13 states in Appalachia.  Since its creation, the ARC has reduced the number of distressed counties in its region from 219 to 100. It has cut the poverty rate from 31% to 15%, and helped 1,400 businesses create 26,000 new jobs since 1977.

With a record like that, other regions began to realize that they needed the same kind of investment and revitalization in their own area, and that a commission directing federal resources to the region was a great approach. Over the past decade, this has led to Congressional authorization for three additional commissions and proposals for two more.

When I arrived in Congress and saw these proposals, it became clear that other regions were catching on to a good idea, but that Maine and the whole Northeast could be missing the boat. As a longtime mill worker, I understand the particular challenges that the industries of our region face.  We have seen a clear, persistent pattern of economic distress in Maine and across the Northern border, along with the loss of natural resource-based industries, departing young people, and aging, crumbling infrastructure.

If you look at the 36 counties that would become part of this commission, and that lie on the border or right next to the border between Maine and Cayuga County, New York, you find poverty above the national average, median household income that is more than $6500 below the national average, persistent unemployment fed by constant layoffs in traditional manufacturing industries, and population that grew by only 0.6% between 1990 and 2000 — while the U.S. population rose by 13.2% — showing significant outmigration and loss of young people.

These are challenges that we can overcome if we have clear, focused investment specifically tailored to our region, and aimed at rebuilding infrastructure and promoting new industries. Our commission would add to but not duplicate existing institutions, because no other agency is focused on our region and its specific needs, assets, and challenges. The commission would be able to provide regional planning and investment that focuses on common needs for the whole region.

Creating a regional commission would give us the chance to look at economic development in a whole new way: as a challenge that we can tackle together. Together we all face declining natural resource industries, aging infrastructure, and youth who are leaving to seek opportunity elsewhere. But together, we also still possess abundant resources, a good geographic location with opportunities to ship our products to the world, and a trained workforce that is ready to take on new challenges.

The Commission created in my legislation would utilize the successful ARC approach where local development districts and other non-profit organizations bring project ideas and priorities to the Commission from the local level.  At the same time, states would maintain control over decisions made within their borders. 

The bill has gained bipartisan support from Members of Congress in the Northern Border region.  Congressmen Paul Hodes (D-NH), Michael Arcuri (D-NY), John McHugh (R-NY), Tom Allen (D-ME), and Peter Welch (D-VT) are all original cosponsors of the bill.  A Senate companion has been introduced in the past by Senators Snowe and Collins, and is slated for reintroduction.

Whether the need is new irrigation systems for agriculture, land and forestry conservation to maintain productive traditional uses, investment in our fishing infrastructure, new roads, alternative fuels, or health care facilities, a federal commission can play a key role in investing in our region’s economy.  Maine needs this kind of investment.

We all know that no single approach can overcome every challenge we face — but by drawing on all of our strengths, and bringing in all of the resources we can muster, we have the capability to create a very bright future for Maine and the entire region. 

6/27/2005 1:35:15 PM