I am attending Candidate School, hosted by the National Republican Congressional Committee. In addition to learning a great deal, I am bolstered by the message that I am hearing. Time after time, one notable speaker after another seems to be borrowing a page from MY campaign manual. The message that we need a reformer, a political outsider, someone from the rank and file of the citizenry to get involved is being repeated at many of the educational sessions.
Yesterday I learned that more than 700,000 people in America are earning their living from E-Bay. These 700,000 folks are considered small business owners. As such, they do not qualify for some of the important tax breaks enjoyed by larger businesses. Most notably the ability to shop for health insurance discounts.
I also learned that this generation, unlike prior generations, MY generation will average ten jobs by the time they are forty years old. I have worked in a sales capacity for 12 different technology companies. These numbers would suggest a healthy business climate, one that provides choices for our young people. Some refer to this notion as clustering – multiple opportunities for each person who is looking for them.
This is illustrative of the Next Generation Economy jobs we need in Maine. I am reminded of a conversation I recently had with the Dean of the School of Business at USM. He said that Maine suffers from a lack of clustering. In fact, it is said that more people come to Maine for our social services than our jobs. My fifteen years of sales experience with small and large technology companies gives me firsthand knowledge of the many challenges facing small businesses. The same challenges that face our state, and our nation as we compete in a global economy.
This is a fundamental reason why we need to lower our taxes and improve our education system. Accomplish that and our young people can remain in Maine, our economy will prosper, and America's position as a leader in the global economy will be assured for generations to come.
Back to class...
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