Baldacci dominates debate seen on public TV

AUGUSTA – Democratic Gov. John E. Baldacci took control of a televised statewide debate Friday evening, defending his record and outlining his goals as he asked Maine voters for another four years in the Blaine House.

“I want to use cutting-edge research and development so that Maine is an innovation economy and a leader in providing opportunities around the world for individuals, businesses, and so we can live in the best place in the world: here in the state of Maine,” the Bangor native said. “That’s what you’re about as Mainers, and that’s what I’m about. I need your vote on June 13 to continue to work for you.”

Moderated by Fred Bever, the Maine Public Broadcasting Network debate aired during the opening night of the Maine Democratic State Convention and pitted Baldacci against his party’s primary opponent, Christopher Miller of Gray.

Miller seemed to miss his best opportunity to define his candidacy during a question-and-answer session. Bever pointed out that the computer Web site administrator’s campaign had not qualified for public funding and had listed about $500 in cash on hand in his last campaign finance report.

“Why should Democratic voters in this upcoming primary take you seriously as a candidate?” Bever asked.

“We’re running out of cheap fossil energy that drives our entire economy,” Miller responded. “The plankton in the ocean is going to be dissolving in 30 years. The icecaps over Greenland are falling into the ocean. Dirigo [health insurance] is important, yes, but if we spend all our time focused on that, we’re going to be running into this wall when the planet dissolves.”

Miller subsequently concluded that a major crisis faced Mainers, adding that he seemed to be the only one talking about it.

“So I think this is the very best thing I can be doing,” he said.

One of the more pivotal moments in the debate for Baldacci arrived in the first half of the program. Armed with a fresh poll from Critical Insights, Bever pointed out that 39 percent of those surveyed did not believe Baldacci should be re-elected and that the governor’s ratings, while stable, remained unimpressive.

Baldacci acknowledged his administration had faced a rough economic period and had further been forced to cope with devastating changes in the paper industry, beginning with his inauguration.

“We were coming out of a recession. We had over a billion-dollar shortfall,” he said. “We had no money in the Rainy Day Fund, and bankruptcies were being declared up and down the Penobscot River. A lot of tough choices and tough decisions were made. What people need to know is that they were made with an eye to the future. We protected our tobacco money, kept it out of the budget because I wanted to reduce tobacco smoking to bring down our health costs into the future. We’re making long-term decisions so that Maine doesn’t have to go back into those deep, dark valleys like we found ourselves in.”

Miller said Maine must try to own its paper mills, forests, banks and everything else in the state – including health care providers and energy sources. He said government in Augusta should be decentralized with those responsibilities allocated back to county structures. He advocated transforming Maine’s economy into a “no-growth, low-energy economy.”

“It’s going to take more people to do that, so there will be more jobs and more farm jobs because we’re going to have to feed ourselves,” he said. “It’s not going to be coming from California or Chile. … I think there will be a lot more work all around for us to do.”

Baldacci emphasized that his administration had invested in renewable energy sources and research and development programs that are blazing new ground in areas of natural resource composite industries.

“We need to rebuild our bridges and roads and have universal broadband Internet connections,” Baldacci said. “We need to have universal health care for all Maine citizens. … Our plan puts forward the goal of 25,000 more jobs over the next five years, investments in critical key strategic industries – like renewable energy and biocomposite programs – and also to make those investments in our infrastructure.”