By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
“Let’s establish a new tone. Let’s get rid of the ‘I, me, my attitude’ because when we really start looking at the greater good, it gets real clear,” said Shawn Moody of Gorham, an Independent candidate for the Blaine House. Moody, 50, whose business Moody’s Collison Center has five locations throughout Maine with 75 employees, has been Independent since 1978 and said he has a plan for Maine over the next four years.
“What will Maine look like after four years of collaborative thinking, strategizing and policy implementation by the Moody administration? With four years of accountability and fiscal responsibility, we will meet or exceed the following goals.”
Moody said he is committed to dropping Maine’s unemployment rate to under 6 percent. “How will we do that? By focusing on Maine’s core competencies – agriculture, forestry, and fishing. Some people will argue we’re going backward. One thing we know for sure – people need to eat, drink and stay warm. We will also embrace emerging business models and alternative energy sources. In talking to business owners, I noticed a recurring theme that many have had great success in niche machine work and manufacturing markets. We consciously create job security when we support and attract businesses that aren’t easy to relocate. When the vast majority of our citizens have a 40 hour week paycheck, a lot of problems go away.”
He also has goal of merit pay in education. “We need to be clear. This is America, a free society built on free market competition and innovation. I’m going to prioritize the adaptation of a merit pay system in education. Across-the-board increases breed mediocrity. Top achievers leave; under achievers stagnate. It’s time to commit ourselves to a fair, comprehensive annual assesssment and development process. Charter schools in my mind are just like Dirigo Health. We give up on fixing the real problem and create a new one. I truly believe the educators are passionate about their profession. If we truly want to make a difference, we need to do something different.”
Another goal is to have more college graduates remain in the state. “It’s my goal to increase the number of college graduates who stay by 20 percent. We need to look in the mirror on this. Between parents, guidance counselors and educators, our young graduates are indoctrinated to believe they need to leave this one-horse state in order to succeed. Why do we divide our families? Let’s encourage our best and brightest to rise to the top right here. We have everything to gain.”
Moody said he will also work to have 30 percent fewer high school dropouts. “Let’s be honest with ourselves — not everyone is headed to college yet. Reducing the number of high school dropouts by 30 percent starts by keeping more doors open. We need to offer the most comprehensive vocational and co-op programs available. We will re-focus on our career-bound students and give them the skills and education they need to enter today’s work force. We also need to commit to college-transition programs for those students who consider attending college years after high school. An educator once told me, ‘Learning is a constant; time is a variable.’”
By changing welfare to workfare Moody said he is “committed to transitioning people out of welfare through workfare. Gov. Longley implemented a workfare plan to help restore dignity to those receiving assistance while awaiting an opportunity to return to the mainstream workforce. We will restore this program and redeploy some of our lean state work force to effectively manage it. Workfare will help us maintain our buildings and facilities and roadscape to ensure we have the most beautiful state in the nation. We’ll focus on providing a handup, not a handout.”
Another goal is increase competition in health care insurance. “One thing is certain. We must increase competition in healthcare to drive down costs and improve care. Our goal will be to have at least eight choices (New Hampshire has 14) for insurance providers by 2014. This will be a tough one. Governors don’t legislate, but I will work relentlessly to break the gridlock of bureaucracy preventing free market health care in Maine. We did it with workers’ compensation back in the 1980s. We need to do it with health care over the next four years. It took a crisis before; we’re in a crisis now.
“We will turn Maine around by 2014. My goal is to create a budget surplus for investment, pay down debt and be prepared for the next economic downturn. We will change the minds and hearts of our legislators. We will convince them we can’t afford to continue to run our state as a non-profit entity. There is no investment in our infrastructure, innovation or technology when you’re living from budget to budget.
“We will operate Maine with fiscal discipline and create a responsible surplus — that will be clear to everyone who works in the Moody administration. Will there be shared sacrifices? Yes. We will not be the first generation to leave behind a wake of debt, desolation and disrepair in the greatest state in the nation. You have my word. Within four years, we will inspire a renewed faith in state government through honesty, integrity and hard work,” he said.
For more information, visit www.moody.gov.com.
