Governor cites youth issues: jobs, drug abuse prevention

AUGUSTA – Recalling his father’s service as a delegate when John F. Kennedy was nominated for the presidency in 1960, Gov. John Baldacci said he and his seven brothers and sisters were involved in politics from a tender age.

“It reminds me that my responsibility is to clear a path for all of you,” Maine’s new governor told delegates to the Legislative Youth Council on Tuesday.

Reiterating a theme from his inauguration less than a week earlier, Baldacci told the 15- to 21-year-olds that he is committed to keeping young Mainers from having to vacate Vacationland because of a lack of quality jobs in their home state.

The governor cited census figures in his inaugural speech last Wednesday showing that between 1990 and 2000, Maine’s population of 20- to 34-year-olds declined by 22 percent. The figure is even larger in some towns, he said.

If the trend continues over the next two decades, Baldacci said, Maine could have more people over age 65 than under 20.

Senate President Beverly Daggett, D-Augusta, underscored Baldacci’s point in remarks to the youths, saying that the number of young Mainers leaving has risen “exponentially.”

Baldacci said he wants to convene a youth summit to look into why young Mainers are streaming out of the state and what can be done to bring them back.

Among the possible strategies are a career ladder and deferral of educational loans to students who intend to stay in Maine, he said Tuesday.

Nearly 20 young delegates and lawmakers were among those attending the meeting of the Youth Advisory Council, which was created by the Legislature and has held several meetings and hearings since it started up last July.

The council already has identified as its No. 1 priority alcohol and drug abuse prevention, which Baldacci also named Tuesday as his top concern among youth issues.

He said he wants to see more emphasis on addressing the problem through education and treatment than through the criminal justice system.

Treatment of youths with mental disorders is also a major concern, said Baldacci.

He referred to reports that hundreds of troubled youths have been sent out-of-state for residential treatment, but found a lack of services when they returned to Maine.

“I want more primary and preventive care for youth services” in Maine, said the governor, who enters office facing a potential two-year budget shortfall of $1 billion.