By U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud(D-Maine)
On November 11th, the White House announced that President Obama had chosen Sandy Blitz, a resident of Hudson, Maine, to head up the new agency that is charged with investing in the economic development of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and parts of upstate New York. That new agency, the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), also recently received $1.5 million to begin operations. These are positive developments and represent a win for our region. In 2004, I joined an array of economic development experts in writing legislation that would create a commission that would invest federal resources for economic development and job creation in the most distressed areas of our region. The NBRC was the outcome, and it became law last summer.
The commission’s approach to regional economic development is based on the highly successful Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) model. This effective public-private partnership model has enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support because it works and because it has been a good investment for the American taxpayer. For example, in Fiscal Year 2005, each dollar of ARC funding leveraged $2.57 in other public funding and $8.46 in private funding.
This type of return on investment represents a tremendous opportunity for our region as the NBRC gets off the ground and begins its work. And it’s something our communities could use to help recover from the recession.
I applaud the President’s decision to appoint Sandy Blitz to be the Federal Co-Chairperson of the NBRC. But it’s important to note what the role of “Co-Chairperson” actually means. The NBRC is not a heavy handed federal agency. Instead, it is a partnership between the federal government and the four states it will be working with.
Sandy Blitz, as the nominated Federal Co-Chairperson of the NBRC, will work directly with the governors of the four states to move our region’s economy forward. They will do this by working collaboratively to establish economic development strategies, funding economic development projects, and encouraging private investment in the region. The commission will also work with state and local agencies to enhance local and regional development practices. It will be a collaborative approach that embraces local challenges and promotes solutions to address them, not a one size fits all approach.
Having worked in the private sector and in public service, Sandy Blitz is well suited for the job. He was Regional Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, overseeing state offices across our region. He also worked for 13 years at the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. These positions helped him gain a valuable understanding of the region and our shared challenges. His passion for helping Maine and his knowledge and expertise in economic development will serve our state and the entire region extremely well. I think he is an outstanding pick by the President.
If there was ever a time to get this commission off the ground it is now. Once up and running, it will help our most economically distressed areas by funding projects that will create jobs and promote business development. Having a Mainer at the helm of the commission is a win for our state and our region. I am hopeful that the Senate will confirm this important position soon.
