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Paul LePage on Free Trade
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Make Maine more competitive vs. fierce global competition
We must keep our young people in Maine. Recently, I asked some Bowdoin College students, "What can we do to keep you here?" One of them was Gregoire Faucher. Comment ca va, Gregoire? Ca me fait plasir de vous avoir ici ce soir. Unfortunately,
Gregoire hears more about job prospects in Boston or New York or even New Hampshire than right here in Maine. He wants to stay in Maine. But he may have to leave to find higher-paying jobs and better opportunities.
Recruiting job creators to come to Maine is not easy. The global competition is fierce. Investment capital goes where it is welcomed and stays where it is appreciated. Since we took office, we have made Maine more competitive.
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We reduced bureaucratic red tape.
- We cut the automatic increase to the gas tax.
- We eliminated almost $2 billion in pension debt.
- We right-sized government.
- We found efficiencies within state agencies.
Source: 2014 State of the State speech to Me. legislature
, Feb 4, 2014
Reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank.
LePage signed Letter on Ex-Im Bank
Press release on Letter from 31 Governors to House Republican leaders:
We urge you to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) before its charter expires this year. In its role as the official export credit agency, Ex-Im is a vital export finance tool for exporters in our states, at no cost to American taxpayers.
Ex-Im allows our companies and workers to compete on a level playing field against our competitors. Without Ex-Im financing, US firms would have lost many sales campaigns to their overseas competitors.
Reauthorizing Ex-Im is the right thing to do for our economy, companies and workers. 41 GOP lawmakers and 865 business organizations have called for the charter's immediate renewal. And, House Democrats have already introduced legislation to reauthorize the bank. Speaker Boehner, it's time to act; quit jeopardizing the nation's economy and American jobs.
Argument in opposition from FreedomWorks:
Top Ten Reasons to Let the
Export-Import Bank Expire- It Has Outlived Its Purpose: In the 2010s, US exports have been setting record highs--they don't need government help.
- It Lets Government Pick Winners and Losers
- Its Risky Loans Put it in Danger of Needing Taxpayer Bailouts
- It Costs Taxpayers Money Annually, thanks to government accounting gimmicks
- Most of Its Funding Goes to Big Corporations Who Don't Need the Money
- It Lets Foreign Corporations Undercut US Competitors
- It Only Benefits a Few States, but Every State Bears the Costs
- It Is Prone to Corruption (like whenever you involve the government in handing out money)
- There Are Better Ways to Help US. Manufacturers: the government should lower and simplify the tax and regulatory burden US companies face.
- It Is Unnecessary. The Ex-Im Bank cannot justify its continued existence. It's also one of the easiest programs to retire, as its authorization expires in September 2014 if Congress simply does nothing.
Source: Letter from 31 Governors 14_Lt_ExIm on Jul 15, 2014
Page last updated: Nov 25, 2017