Look beyond doom and gloom

My years of public service have taught me that it doesn’t take “somebody important” to say something before it’s heard, but it does take someone with correct information. Anybody can spout off numbers, accurate or not. With cleverness and cunning they can work the numbers to whatever end result they want.

But Maine people deserve better than that – I have faith that we are smarter than that. We don’t buy into the sound bite, to the glib response that is meant to make us think no further, and take everything at face value. Nonetheless, there are those who choose to feed us half-truths and spun numbers thinking we buy into it all. I don’t and I trust you don’t either.

When individuals lament about the terrible one-party system in Augusta that has increased the size of state government by a whopping 400 jobs, not only are they failing to give us the whole story, but they are also making those numbers twist and dance to their pleasure – hoping to lead us down an incorrect and distorted path to an erroneous conclusion.

The Federal Reserve numbers released recently indicated that government jobs within Maine increased by 400 between 2004 and 2005. Not state government jobs – simply government jobs. The sound bite is much better if you say, “Maine state government” jobs increased, but we should know better. There is a difference. So, all kidding aside, what do these numbers actually mean?

The Federal Reserve numbers include all government jobs in Maine – federal, state, and local. State leaders have no control over local and federal job increases, nor should they. These numbers indicate that government jobs increased by 400 from 2004 to 2005. Their total “government jobs” includes the Maine state higher education system.

State leaders generally support growth in our higher education system recognizing it is one of the key ingredients to our economic growth and development. Enrollment in our newly created community college system has doubled during this same time period.

Most people applaud an employment increase in this sector – these are good paying jobs for bright people, and generally attract young people with college degrees. I know in my area, we love to see hiring advertisements for the Maine Maritime Academy. These are good jobs with very little impact to the Maine taxpayer that provide immediate and long term economic benefit to Maine.

The real truth is state government has actually decreased in size. The number of employees in state government has decreased – 313 positions in the last year to be exact, and a whopping 647 positions total since Gov. Baldacci took office in 2002. These are not spun numbers that I’m using to my benefit; they are honest to goodness state workers who are no longer on the state payroll.

At the urging of Gov. Baldacci and the legislative committees of jurisdiction, state departments and agencies have reviewed their procedures, developed more efficient means of serving the public and conducting business, and come up with these positions cuts.

Another little-known, unreported and conveniently omitted factor that distorts our “government” jobs growth is that of the Maine Military Authority located at the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone. For the record, as of mid-2005, the federal government now requires that the Authority’s roughly 475 employees be classified as both state and private employees. The income and benefits paid to these employees does not in any way come out of the state coffers.

I for one would love to see the number of employees at the facility double, triple or even quadruple in size. These are excellent jobs with good pay and superior benefits, and this facility is vitally important to the economy of Aroostook County. Yet these jobs are now included in the report that claims, “Maine government continues to grow out of control.”

Can you see more clearly now how distorted the truth can be?

Chicken Little claimed the sky was falling and told her friends. Most turned theirs eyes to the ground, hunched their shoulders and prepared for the reported doom. One in the group had the courage, wisdom and optimism to look up and see the truth. Not only was the alarm false but actually the sky was blue and the sun was shining!

Question the prevaricators of doom and gloom and have the good sense and courage to look up.

Sen. Dennis Damon (D) represents Senate District 28, comprised mostly of coastal Hancock County. He is the Senate chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation, and the Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources. He resides in Trenton.