Governor LePage has asked to meet with me and I am certainly prepared to do so, and I will bring with me some of the people in Maine who strongly believe that a clean environment is essential for a healthy Maine economy.
In January 2011, we invited the governor to attend a roundtable on the environment and Maine’s economy, which he attended along with more than 500 people from throughout the state. He came, he listened, he delivered a confrontational statement in response to the presentations, and then three days later released a radical 63-point environmental rollback agenda that would have weakened or eliminated nearly every one of Maine’s most important environmental laws. Fortunately, the governor’s proposals were roundly defeated through bipartisan votes at the State House.
I just received the governor’s letter. I was pleased to hear him say in this week’s radio address that “Maine’s scenic beauty, including our pristine lakes, rivers, forest and ocean, is the best in the nation.” We are not aware that he has ever said that before. Over the past five years we have disagreed with the governor’s false notion that Maine needs to dismantle its environmental laws in order to enhance our economy. It’s just not true. A strong economy, clean environment, and healthy people go hand-in-hand – and Maine people know that. I’ll be glad to discuss with the governor why this is true.
Lisa Pohlmann, NRCM Executive Director
