For years Maine has been at or near last place on Forbes “business friendly” list. We have been successful in claiming the top of the “oldest population list”. The two go hand in hand. It is not that we are ageing faster than the rest of the country it’s because our young people must leave the state to find good jobs and then raise our grandchildren there. We take this for granted but in other states families can choose both – having good jobs and being close to family.

Our young people are economic refugees much like the refugees fleeing their failed socialistic systems (see Venezuela) to find jobs. Fortunately, we still have states with good jobs and they can pick a “good state” and be successful. Recently we came very close to retaking the title of “highest taxed state” due to the proposed 3% tax on high income earners. We now have reinstated Medicaid for young healthy adults, a program that failed and was terminated it cost over a billion dollars, cost jobs, and was not successful at reducing Maine’s uninsured. We have spent years undoing the damage it did and restoring the States business reputation.

Joe Grant, Wiscasset