YES ON QUESTION 4

“Do you favor a $20,000,000 bond issue to stimulate economic growth and job creation through investments in the Maine economy in anticipation of approximately $44,000,000 in federal and private funds for medical research and development …?”

The above is part of an overlong question for too little money, but it nevertheless deserves an enthusiastic Yes. Funding for biomedical science among a coalition of labs across the state and at the university system is a sure bet for Maine. That money leverages other dollars that in turn expands the capacity of labs to do research, providing vital advances in medicine and growing Maine’s economy.

In its most recent assessment, the Maine Biomedical Research Coalition reports not only that its number of jobs since 2000 have grown by 44 percent – twice the state average – but that the average pay and benefits at those jobs is $62,500, 40 percent above the average Maine job. At least as important economically, this added research work contributes millions of dollars to local businesses through construction, maintenance, supplies and other services.

Research and development, whether public or private, is the means for Maine’s economy to grow, by creating industries large enough in key areas to spin off new businesses with high-value products that rely on intellectual resources in addition to natural resources. Hundreds of jobs already have been created in just the last few years in Maine through previous investments; the state should be aiming to spur the creation of thousands more.

Doing that requires investment from the private sector and from the state. The Jackson Lab, for instance, would use $5 million to make improvements in information technology infrastructure, including network upgrades. The Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory would expand year-round lab space to make room for more work and more jobs.

For the University of Maine System, $4 million of the bond money would be spent on the Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology clean room, which will be used to develop microdevices and instruments to improve the practice of medicine on a nano scale.

Another $1 million would be spent on establishing the offices of the University of Maine Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, an essential step in expanding UMaine’s research scope. The graduate program is a partnership among UMaine, the Jackson Laboratory, the Maine Medical Center Research Institute, MDI Biological, St. Joseph Hospital, University of Southern Maine, and others, and reflects the kind projects sought by the National Institutes for Health.

Yet another $1 million would be spent on a different kind of infrastructure -capital funds for the New Century Community Program to fund libraries, museums, historical buildings and arts facilities. It is an odd fit for a R&D bond, but an important investment for Maine. These facilities not only provide knowledge and an appreciation of Maine, they improve the quality of life further encouraging development all over the state. Similarly, the $1 million for the development of the Sunrise Business and Career Center in Jonesboro promises more development in an area of the state too-often neglected.

Maine has rarely been consistent in funding this valuable collection of projects. A strong Yes vote Tuesday would tell lawmakers that the public wants to see more money sent their way.