Sure, it was one of those lightweight and predictable things an elected official does—appear at a summer festival, smile and remind voters that he understands their world and its problems. But still, Gov. Paul LePage’s visit to the Maine Lobster Festival on Aug. 1 earns him some points.
He posed for a photo with the newly crowned Sea Goddess. He laughed at wisecracks from King Neptune and a pirate character on stilts. He traded pleasantries—en Francais—with some tourists from Quebec. And, as his wont, he jumped on an opening in his brief press conference to bash Democratic legislators for, in his view, blocking his job-creating efforts (even as two local Democratic legislators stood behind him, one having graciously introduced the governor to the gathering).
Though LePage’s decidedly prickly nature rightly creates headlines when he unleashes it, he also has a charming side, exhibiting a boyish giggle (often at his own witticisms) and he seems to genuinely enjoy meeting people.
None of that has much meaning, except maybe to a campaign manager. What gave the visit some substance, however slight, lay in the context.
LePage has spent almost all of his life, personal and professional, away from the coast. From his childhood in Lewiston, college in Bangor and Orono, work at paper mills in Central Maine and Canada and at Marden’s in Waterville and the start of his political career also in Waterville, he has not witnessed what makes our coastal communities tick.
This is not to say he is fatally flawed for this lack of connection to salt water. The argument could be made that Angus King, who lives in Brunswick and famously declined to live in the Blaine House, was not plugged into the dynamics of Maine’s mill towns.
But our coast is different from those inland towns. Tourism, the arts, Main Street shopping (as opposed to chain stores), distinctive restaurants and pubs and—most relevant for places like Rockland—fishing are key components of the local economy.
In his press conference, the governor pledged to work to bring entrepreneurs to Maine who would open more lobster processing facilities, thereby creating another outlet for the catch. He said he might be able to “loosen up” some funds in the fall to offer tax credits for such endeavors (don’t hold your breath on that).
In answer to a reporter’s question, he said cooperating with the Canadian government and lobster fishery made sense, rather than seeing our neighbors to the east as enemies. LePage has two daughters living in Canada, he noted.
And in declaring August “Maine Lobster Month” and adding that he had sent every governor in the country a lobster, it seemed that LePage grasped the marketing challenges this key industry faces.
But what lent the most credibility to the governor’s visit was the presence of Marine Resources Commissioner Pat Keliher. Keliher has earned the respect of those in the lobster fishing industry. He has worked at the department long enough to know the issues. He doesn’t pander and he genuinely listens to fishermen.
In July, he hosted one of his listening sessions in Rockland, and urged fishermen to take more ownership of the policy discussions that shape their fate, stopping just short of calling them out for not being more involved in previous marketing work. Meetings of the newly minted Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative may not be great entertainment, but fishermen ought to attend and be heard, he said.
LePage’s views on issues outside his comfort zone seem to be shaped by encounters with people he trusts. As long as Keliher has his ear on lobster issues, we can be confident of smart policy coming from Augusta.