Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

Builders back LePage

By Rebekah Metzler rmetzler@mainetoday.com
MaineToday Media State House Writer

PORTLAND -- The Associated Builders and Contractors of Maine endorsed Republican gubernatorial nominee and Waterville mayor Paul LePage during a press conference in Portland on Thursday.

Doug Newman, president of Newman Concrete Services in Richmond and ABC chairman, said after evaluating the records of the candidates and conducting interviews, the group thought LePage the best to lead Maine.

"We did meet with the independent candidates as well, but we believe, and I think recent polls bear out, that this is probably going to come down to a race between the two major candidates," he said. "We took a look at Libby Mitchell -- she's amassed a pretty impressive record of expanding government and increasing taxes."

Newman said LePage, in contrast, would ease the state's red tape and make it easier for economic development to move forward.

LePage said construction cranes line I-95 from the Northeast down to Florida, but he'd like to see more in Maine.

"My goal in is to get a lot of cranes like these working all over the state," he said to applause from the dozen or so construction workers gathered on the work site of the old Jordan's Meat Plant on Fore Street in Portland.

LePage said he stood by comments made last Sunday about opposing additional bonding, including infrastructure borrowing, at this time.

"Why go further into debt? We already have $8 billion worth of debt, if you include all the bills the state has to pay," he said.

Kathleen Newman, president and CEO of the Maine ABC chapter, said the group has not taken positions on bonding in the past and supports LePage's stance.

"I mean for some of our members that's their bread and butter, others just feel like Maine isn't in a position to be borrowing when we are in such perilous financial straits," she said. "It's a mixed bag for our membership, but we don't disagree with him that we've got to prioritize and we think he's on the right track."

LePage is leading the five-person field -- Mitchell, plus independents Eliot Cutler, Shawn Moody and Kevin Scott -- for Maine's Blaine House, according to recent polls.

Rebekah Metzler -- 620-7016

rmetzler@mainetoday.com