10/18/98
I haven't worked for around (12) years, but due to an unusual
turn of events that I'd rather not get into, I'm back working
again-for the US Census Department. If nothing else, the
experience has taught me just how good retirement is - there is
no longer any question in my mind that retirement beats the hell
out of working for a living, and anyone who thinks otherwise
doesn't have enough interest outside of work to keep them
occupied.
The job involves going door to door checking on addresses, and
after two weeks, I can tell you that Americans do two things with
their time, and only two-they either work (there is nobody at
home) or they are watching TV, and that is true in well over 90%
of the homes I visit.
All four of our children live and work outside of the State of
Maine, a condition that I share with a very high percentage of
Maine's residents. The reason for this phenomenon is that there
are very few jobs in the state that offer what I call
"career path employment," which I define as jobs
offering a living wage, opportunity for advancement (and that
includes educational advancement), full medical and dental
benefits, a company paid retirement plan, and a company matched
savings plan.
And why do you suppose there are so few jobs in Maine that offer
the kind of career path employment I have described? I think it
is because the cost of doing business in Maine is so high, that's
why! Maine firms simply can't compete on an equal footing. Tax
rates are among the highest in the nation, and Maine levies taxes
on just about everything that moves, electricity costs, and
energy costs in general, are higher only in the New York City
area and Hawaii, shipping costs, Maine being at the end of the
line, are prohibitive, and on, and on, and on. Besides, it's cold
here in Maine! If you were going to build a large factory, would
you put it in Maine or So. Carolina?
Worst of all, there is no concerted effort, at least as far as I
can see, to change any of the above-so our children are going to
continue to be forced to leave the state for the foreseeable
future. And Angus King, who has an overwhelming lead in the race
for governor, is perfectly content to leave things the way they
are. I say throw him out and let's try something new for a
change.
Last night I attended the annual convention of the Christian
Civic League. When the League's embattled Director Michael Heath
approached the podium for the first time, there was an instant
and spontaneous burst of applause from the packed house. One by
one, the throng began to stand until all were on their feet while
the applause thundered on, and on, and on.
This morning, the PPH reports that the League's membership voted
overwhelmingly yesterday to purge itself of the three dissident
board members who had done so much to damage both Heath and the
League, and for reasons unknown at least to this writer. The
three forced the League into an extremely expensive, meticulous
and lengthy audit by a hand picked independent outside auditing
firm. When the results of the audit were published, the media
unfortunately did as much harm as they could with it -"18
Discrepancies Found" or similar headlines were the order of
the day.
But I ask you to read the details. Checks numbered out of
sequence? Insufficient documentation of contributions? Travel
expenses not sufficiently documented? Who among us, private or
public, would not fall prey to such nit-picking? My household
can't even keep the checkbook balanced-checks missing altogether
are the order of the day around here, let alone the numeric
sequence they are in. Moreover, that sort of thing is generally
the responsibility of staff, is it not? I would hope we would
expect more of a CEO than keeping track of the sequence in which
checks are issued? Surely such things as the People's Veto (of
the mandated homosexual rights bill) and fighting the grisly
practice of Partial Birth Abortion should be the League
Director's priority, am I right or am I right?
Heath's attackers, and the media, conveniently overlooked the
most important thing the auditors had to say following their
intense audit-that they had found no evidence of missing funds or
intentional wrongdoing in the conduct of League's affairs by
Heath, or anybody else for that matter. But it's too late now,
Heath is gone, and so are the baying dogs at his heels.
And that's what's on my mind this beautiful Sunday morning.