PUTTING MAINE ON THE MAP

What most of Maine needs more of, according to Richard Florida, Carnegie Mellon professor and author of “The Rise of the Creative Class,” is a rising creative class. It takes creativity to attract creativity, says Professor Florida, and just as he was being interviewed about his new book, state government was using its creativity to launch a new Web site about Maine.

The professor concludes that creative and talented people will do more to drive the 21st century economy than simply more tax breaks and business incentives. Both Gov. Angus King and Development Commissioner Steven Levesque agree partly, although both also said the tax breaks are essential, too. Whichever view is correct, Maine’s sparse population in much of the state means that it must work to attract creative types – artists and authors, scientists and software designers – in addition to growing some locally if it is to thrive in the changing economy.

“Portland is really kicking,” according to Professor Florida. “The rest of the state has to decide if it wants to join in doing what it takes to attract the creative people that bring with them economic growth.” Certainly it does, which is why the state’s new Maine.gov Web site linking viewers to Maine & Company’s “Why move to Maine” page is so important.

And what better reason for a creative business owner to move to Maine than the “Maine Lifestyle”? Click on that Web site and find that housing prices are lower in Portland than other cities regionally. The site has a helpful comparison between that city and five other New England cities. Scroll down and find that Maine has six public airports – the site highlights just one, the Portland Jetport, with a link to its Web site. Under cultural events, one can find something to do outside of Portland. The Bangor Symphony Orchestra is named along with the Portland Symphony Orchestra, the Portland Concert Association, the Portland Performing Arts Center, the Portland Stage Company and the Portland Opera Company.

Places such as Bangor and Presque Isle, however, shouldn’t feel ignored, at least compared with Machias and the rest of Washington County. On the Web site’s business-attraction map, Machias gets mentioned in the Sample Labor Market chart, but try to find it on the site’s map. The only thing breaking up the blank expanse that most people consider Washington County is an unmarked road, which turns out to be U.S. 1. All the Transportation Department’s work on Route 9 is ignored, not only by the mapmakers but also presumably by potential businesses wondering whether to come Down East to be creative.

Good for Portland for kicking; but if the state is going to choose a single area in Maine to highlight, shouldn’t it be one most in need of those eager creative people interested in Maine? Gov. King said last week that the new site “will increase our visibility on the Web. … ” It could, with some more work on describing that part of the state that is not Maine’s largest city.