plan research communicate Planning Decisions, Inc. Maine Needs MRRA to Think Big

Thinking Big “Anyone working on a problem that can be solved in his lifetime isn’t thinking big enough.” Wes Jackson farmer and plant scientist

Maine has been the industrial frontier Cheap Power, Cheap Labor and a Strong Work Ethic produced a string of successes: Textiles Lumber Food Paper Metals Electronics Call Centers Health Care & Hospitals

That Era is Over

Jobs

Shifting Demand for Resource Industries

Slow Job Growth

Labor Force Participation Rate 75% 84% 66% 14% People

Counter Cyclical Migration People don’t leave when times are bad. They do when times are good.

If we do nothing… let current trends continue: Loss of traditional jobs Even slower employment growth Continued emigration loss of rural life Rising value of waterfront and mountaintop property Continued loss of open space and deterioration of downtowns; Rising tax burden & social conflict.

Job “Growth,”

An Alternative Future: Where MRRA leads The keys to the “creative” era are the opposite of the keys to the “industrial” era: Industrial Era Assembly Isolation Inward Orientation Creative Era Imagination Synergy Outward Orientation

An Alternative Future The keys to the “creative” era are the opposite of the keys to the “industrial” era: Assembly--the manipulation of things to produce commodities--becomes, Imagination--the manipulation of information to produce meaning.

An Alternative Future The keys to the “creative” era are the opposite of the keys to the “industrial” era: Isolation--the hard-working, independent loner-- becomes, Synergy--the hard-working, inter-dependent, collaborative, network.

An Alternative Future The keys to the “creative” era are the opposite of the keys to the “industrial” era: Inward Orientation--”Tell me what you want, & I’ll make it for you; but don’t expect me to be interested in whatever ‘it’ may be.” becomes Outward Orientation--”I know that to live ‘in here’ I need to be connected to ’out there.’ I need to understand, even anticipate, the ‘why?’ of whatever I do even before my customer does.”

An Alternative Future 1. The key to future prosperity is people--bright, energetic, learning oriented entrepreneurial people. 2. The key to people is place--beautiful, lively, safe, relationship rich, learning promoting, close to nature communities. 3. The key to place is land use regulation, business development and redefinition of community.

No Better Place to Start than MRRA 1. Its own community, a defined physical place 2. An established business-education relationship 3. A mandate to start over.

Two Modest Proposals 1. Separate yourself from the dog fight that is higher education…and try to take some bones with you. 2. Separate yourself from the dog fight that is energy development…and try to take some bones with you.

Modest Proposal #1 The Legislature should allocate some percentage of total state higher education spending to a competitive fund (like technology bond fund) to be allocated to proposals submitted by industry association-education collaboratives. MRRA should be at the center or organizing such collaboratives.

Modest Proposal #2 MRRA should set itself up at a public utility and become the test site for all energy feasibility research. Generate both electricity and information. test sites materials research grid interconnection research storage research impact on Maine ratepayers research.

Questions & Discussion