BALDACCI FOR GOVERNOR

Any voter still undecided about who should be Maine’s next governor, still looking for that one quality that elevates one candidate above the others, may want to consider the composure factor. On that character trait – the ability to remain calm, focused and civil while under unwarranted attack – U.S. Rep. John Baldacci stands alone.

Early in the campaign, it was inevitable and understandable that the Democratic nominee, by virtue of his superior experience and front-runner status, would be the target of close scrutiny by his three rivals, Republican Peter Cianchette, Green Independent Jonathan Carter and independent John Michael. In recent weeks, particularly at the gubernatorial debates, this close scrutiny has devolved into a gang mugging, in which the three rivals don’t even pretend to examine each other’s positions on issues lest it interfere with their Baldacci bashing. This includes Mr. Carter’s shameful Italian-American stereotyping and the equally shameful refusal of the other two to denounce it.

Through it all, Rep. Baldacci has shown admirable restraint. He also has shown a keen interest in getting back to issues that matter to the people of Maine once the bashing subsides.

That – the issues that matter – also is where Rep. Baldacci stands alone.

His proposals on health care, economic development, fiscal policy and education all demonstrate a depth of knowledge and understanding earned through his service on the Bangor City Council and in the Legislature and Congress, and make him the best choice to be Maine’s next governor.

His health care proposal illustrates his ability to balance what is needed with what is doable. Based on the workers’ compensation insurance model, he would establish a nonprofit health insurer in Maine that would create affordable insurance choices – that is, competition – by using the government’s purchasing power to negotiate with the public and private insurers. The result will be universal access, which reduces cost shifting and covers everyone by combining the essential principles of compassionate coverage with an eye on the bottom line.

Rep. Baldacci’s plan goes beyond insurance, however, by addressing work force shortages, quality of care and accountability and comprehensive coverage, including mental health and dental. It moves the debate beyond the question of whether the states or the federal government should act first in providing universal access. It recognizes that the cost of health care is an enormous burden on employers ($5 billion a year in Maine and some of the highest premiums anywhere) and that the state that eases this burden in the most intelligent way will gain a huge advantage over other states. Rather than treat health care as a point of departure for a debate on political philosophy, Rep. Baldacci treats it as a problem to be solved and his plan is an excellent start toward that end.

From the economic disparity that threatens to turn one of the Two Maines into a depopulated vacant lot and the other into a sprawl-choked suburb to the lack of higher-education attainment that so clearly stunts Maine’s future to the state budget shortfall and its underlying causes of poor planning and inefficiency, Rep Baldacci has proposals that have the singular benefit of being possible. He knows how government works at all levels. He knows what resources are available. Perhaps most importantly, he knows that real progress is preferable to the pursuit of some imagined perfection.

Mr. Cianchette, a former state legislator, knows the issues. He has been particularly strong on economic development, supporting (as does Rep. Baldacci) an east-west highway and targeted measures such as enterprise zones. His weakness are a tendency to either promise too much – eliminating the budget gap, expanding support for education and R&D while cutting taxes by 20 percent – or not promising anything – his health care proposal is little more than health care industry boilerplate. Perhaps most disappointing is his failure to denounce the Carter campaign’s “mafioso” ad – the opportunity to demonstrate true statesmanship is rare in a political campaign and should not have been passed up.

Jonathan Carter has, as promised, grown from the one-issue environmentalist of his past campaigns. There is breadth, but little depth. His health plan promises everything, but because it ignores well-established realities, will deliver nothing. His economic-development plan recycles worn-out assertions about Maine’s quality of life and, in so doing, dooms northern Maine to further decline and southern Maine to growth it does not want. On fiscal matters, his numbers simply do not add up; his tax reform proposal would, in fact, make Maine more of a tax-burden pariah than it already is. His divisive approach to politics has earned him rebukes by several key constituencies – the Sierra Club, the Maine People’s Alliance and the Dirigo Alliance – that instead endorsed Rep. Baldacci. If nothing else, Mr. Carter has proven that publicly funded campaigns are not necessarily better campaigns. The less said about the insulting, inflammatory Mr. Michael, the better.

John Baldacci has grown substantially, even remarkably, from his days at City Hall and the State House, even from his early days on Capitol Hill. He knows the issues, he knows how government works, he even knows how to keep his cool. With the serious problems this state faces, Maine will be well served by a governor with those qualities.