OWLS HEAD — In political contests, multi-term incumbents are often derided as “career politicians,” but U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud doesn’t shy away from his long tenure in government. If anything, he’s made it central in his campaign. Speaking to donors at a home on a picturesque peninsula, he touted his experience, contrasting it with what he saw as the shortcomings of his opponents.

In particular, he compared his quiet work on bipartisan legislation to the often polarizing approach of Republican incumbent Gov. Paul LePage. He also contrasted his years as a representative in both state and federal government with the inexperience of independent challenger Eliot Cutler, who has not held elected office.

“I’m the only candidate who has a proven track record of getting things done across the aisle,” he said. “I respect the legislature. I know that legislators have a very difficult job that they have to do. As governor, I certainly will be working with the legislature. It’s easy to say, ‘I’m an independent; I can work across the aisle,’” he said, shaking his head. “No, it’s not that easy.”

While donors ate lobster on the lawn of the host’s home on an August afternoon, Michaud met with reporters from Penobscot Bay Pilot, Boothbay Register and the Wiscasset Newspaper, nominally leaving a large group that wanted to give him money to meet with the few people at the event who might leave unsatisfied if they didn’t give him some grief.

The 50-minute discussion started with marijuana and ended with sneakers for U.S. military.

Should Maine legalize marijuana?

Michaud said he “has concerns” about the drug but would talk with Maine organizations invested in the issue and also governors in states that have legalized it, “to see how it’s working.”

Asked if the legislature could turn down the estimated $25 to 30 million in revenue that would come from legalization, Michaud demurred. 

“Budgets are a set of priorities and as governor,” he said. “I’ll be looking at, first of all, what state government should be doing, and then looking at what revenues would be needed to deal with the state budget.”

Had he smoked it? His answer was an immediate and unequivocal, “No.”

A changed position on abortion rights

Michaud said his views here have “evolved” over time, largely as a result of hearing women’s stories. 

“You’ve got to remember, when I started in the legislature, I was 24 years old. I grew up in a large Franco-American, Catholic family in Northern Maine,” he said. In the state legislature, he said, women’s health bills mostly went through without debate. 

“We voted on them, but no one really took the time to talk about it,” he said.

Today he sees abortion rates as being linked to unplanned pregnancies. 

“If you look at history, the more money you can put into family planning, you have fewer abortions.”

Asked if he’s had any blowback from church for changing his stance, he said: “Some people probably don’t like it. Some do. When I make a decision, it’s based upon what I think is best for the people in the state of Maine.”

Would a Wiscasset bypass — shelved after federal authorities ruled that an eagle’s nest found in the proposed route could not be moved — be back on the table?

Michaud said he wasn’t familiar with this issue but would involve the transportation commissioner and community in that discussion. In general, he said, the state and federal government haven’t invested enough in infrastructure. He pointed to his time in the state legislature when he said, “we maxed out general fund dollars to transportation.”

Does he have plans to help towns that have taken a financial hit by withdrawing from a school district created during the 2008 consolidation?

Michaud linked school budget hardships to the “fiscal irresponsibility” of LePage’s 2011 tax cut package, which was enacted without compensating for the $200 million in annual lost revenue. 

“When the bill came due, he eliminated municipal revenue sharing, shifted the cost of the unfunded liability the retirement system back on the municipalities, changed the veterans’ program, did a lot of other things that actually just shifted the burden [to the local level.”

On funding education in general, Michaud said he would be “looking at” how the state could meet the 55-percent funding requirement for General Purpose Aid to schools. 

“It’s not going to happen overnight,” he said. I’ll have to look and see what financial mess is going on.”

To square the state’s obligations, Michaud said he would seek help from state employees and expressed confidence that, knowing the situation and programs, they would help. He would also look to outside funding sources, he said, including federal money and philanthropy. 

“We’ve got to start investing in education. Not only in K-12, to make it more affordable, but also in pre-K,” he said, then added, “Actually, from birth on.”

Michaud took the conversation to healthcare, promising that “on Day 1,” he would submit legislation to reinstate MaineCare for the 70,000 residents who were denied coverage when eligibility requirements were changed under LePage, “not only because it’s the morally right thing to do, but also because Maine will save over $600 million” over 10 years by doing that.” In Michaud’s Maine Made plan, that figure is attributed to a 2012 Kaiser foundation report.

How would seniors benefit with Michaud in the Blaine House?

Maine’s oldest-in-the-union population is sometimes viewed as a liability, but Michaud said Maine’s older residents should be seen as an asset, noting that many retirees in the state could mentor small business owners and help in the tourism industry after students return to school. He mentioned several existing programs that tap into the strengths of seniors.

“There definitely is an opportunity,” he said.

On fisheries, the Department of Marine Resources, and whether he would keep current Commissioner Patrick Keliher, Michaud said that “unlike the governor” he believes in climate change. “It’s real; the science is there.” He pointed to the problem of invasive green crabs, but also noted that the state has numerous opportunities, particularly in taking over some of the processing functions currently done outside the U.S. (elvers in China and Japan, and lobsters in Canada). “There’s no reason we can’t add value here with partnerships and help from the state.”

Michaud said he hadn’t made any decisions on who to keep or not keep at DMR or any state agencies. 

“I do want the best and the brightest,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we’re going to clean house, because some people might be good.” 

Is there any hope for the paper mills in Maine?

The former millworker was quick to say there is. As governor, he said he would “reach out” to CEOs in paper industry “to let them know that Maine is a good place for the paper industry to try to continue to survive and grow.”

Michaud traced some of the woes of the paper industry to a LePage administration change to the Business Investment Tax Reimbursement (BITR) program. He gave the example of Verso Paper in Bucksport, which he said spent millions on upgrades based on BITR provisions only to have the program change unfavorably.

“The instability that this governor brought forward is terrible,” Michaud said.

With a more hospitable business climate, Michaud said, there’s “room to grow” in Maine and global opportunities coming down the pike. With the “European trade deal” (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) currently being negotiated, he said, Maine is “perfectly situated” to take advantage of new markets, particularly Eastport, though he said the infrastructure doesn’t yet exist to get from Eastport to California by rail. To this end, Michaud said he would propose to build “what’s needed in Washington County,” potentially using Army National Guard labor.

What about Searsport’s commercial port?

Michaud acknowledged the controversy about the proposed dredging of the shipping channel at Mack Point and said he thinks “there definitely has to be more work done” to make sure the lobster fishery is not contaminated with mercury. From here, he quickly returned to talk of Eastport’s potential as a conduit for trade with the European Union. 

Should Maine do more to market the state, in terms of tourism?

Michaud said he believes Maine does a “great job” marketing itself as Vacationland, but comes up short in promoting itself as a place for business. 

But isn’t Maine “Open for Business?”

“It’s supposed to be,” Michaud said. “This governor, unfortunately, hasn’t been good for business.” Michaud gave the example of Statoil, the Norway-based multinational that withdrew its proposal for an offshore wind energy contract based on regulatory uncertainties introduced by LePage.

“Here’s a Fortune 500 company that he drove out of the state of Maine,” Michaud said.

Working well within the legislature is different than leading in the executive role of governor. What is your vision?

Building upon Maine’s strengths,” Michaud said, particularly small businesses, which make up 95-percent of businesses in Maine. “If we can get them to grow at the national average, that’s 31,000 jobs in Maine.” To help them grow, he would establish a Maine Domestic Trade Center and seek to making good use of the federal “Buy America” provision, which requires the federal government to buy American made goods. “There’s stuff they can’t get,” Michaud said, and he has asked U.S. Department of Transportation for list of all these waiver.

“If they can make it in China, they can make it in Maine.”

[Michaud’s vision is detailed in his Maine Made plan] 

“That spells it out and it spells out the cost of each proposal,” he said. “Unlike the independent candidate’s which just gives this broad view but really doesn’t have specific about how to get it done.”

So why isn’t New Balance building all the sneakers for the American military?

Michaud pointed to a recent breakthrough on getting the federal government to comply with the 1941 Berry Amendment, which requires soldiers to be clothed entirely in American made equipment.

“Somewhere along the line they got around that by having an allowance for athletic footwear.” The Department of Defense is now looking to American companies. “If New Balance got that contract, that would be 200 new jobs here in Maine,” he said.

The executive can’t always make everyone happy, how do you do that? 

“By making those tough decisions and being able to move forward,” Michaud said. He gave the example of having to calling former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, a personal friend and ally in getting veterans’ services in Maine, to suggest he step down in the wake of a systemwide cover-up of wait times for veterans’ medical services.

As chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the Maine legislature, he recalled working on the terms of the Forest Practices Act. At the time, he said, he agree to sponsor a bill backed by industry groups and later did the same with the lead environmental advocacy organization. He then brought the groups together and asked them to come up with a bill that suited both. 

“It took us two days to define what a ‘clear cut’ was,” but a bill was eventually passed and the act has seen few changes in the three decades since. “That’s something as governor that I’ll be doing on a lot of these complicated issues, bringing people together and trying to solve them.”

So do you just miss Maine? Is that why you want to come back and be governor?

Michaud said he’s concerned with where LePage has led the state over the last three years. It was a hard decision, he said, because he likes the work he’s done in DC, particularly on veterans’ affairs, transportation and economic development. 

“But I love the state of Maine more. I was born and raised here. I plan on retiring here.” 

As governor, he said he would work hard to make the state a place where other can do the same.

Ethan Andrews can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com