That's what I said!

I'm what Tim Sample would call a 'native Mainer'. That means I was born and raised here. Unless you're born in Maine, you're considered 'from away' no matter how long you've lived here. It makes for a humorous skit for Tim, but there is a ring of truth to it. Mainers are slow to accept people 'from away'. And even slower to accept new concepts, ideas and change. I've talked about Maines inablility to accept growth and thus dooming itself to a dismal economy that depends largely on the summer tourism trade. And when gas prices increase, tourism weakens, leaving Mainers asking what they can do to build a strong, stable economy. To people like me, who have lived in other, more open-minded areas of the country, it's plain to see. Maine needs to make itself more business friendly and embrace technology. It's government and citizens need to stop dragging their heels and actively pursue new business. And now I'm not the only one saying so. Richard Seline, who used to work for the first President Bush has said pretty much the same thing. Hmmm, it must be his Washington address that makes him more credible??