• So, why is it that Department of Defense apparently cannot account for $8.7 Billion in Iraq reconstruction funds?
• Is it true that Obama's new income taxes will, as represented, only affect families making over $200,000 per year? What about high income families whose income is through an LLC? Seems like many more will pay higher income taxes than has been represented.
• I love not having to pay a charge when calling my local police dispatch center and having them send an animal control officer to remove a raccoon I had trapped instead of a gopher.. but why should my neighbors be paying for this through heir property taxes?
• Why is it better for high net worth individuals to die this year than next to avoid high estate taxes?
• How do I get a job with a small town in California that paid its manager over $800,000 per year?
• Did you also read that of the multi billion dollar bailout used to shore up our financial markets last year, Goldman Sach's billions went mostly to overseas foreign banks with funny names who apparently were their largest speculators and clients.

OK, so I was recently at a dinner party with same age friends and someone asked if everyone had become mellower with our advancing years. All but one other agreed, and I had to say that I haven't, because things like those above really do bother me and make me want to somehow get smarter and come up with ways that we can help businesspeople (including their employees). I should note that some of our dinner companions had made money the old fashioned way (they inherited or married it), and yet another old acquaintance had recently been in federal prison for a period of time, which altered his career path!

But what do you think of these points?

• With the economy still struggling, how is it possible to reduce government spending to compensate for falling revenues, without removing the underpinnings of many essential or highly valued services.
• Without much hope for public funding, how can business leaders plan ahead for exciting projects like a new Civic Center, regional economic development programs, and necessary infrastructure improvements?
• How will Maine's next Governor deal with the stark reality of huge budget deficits? Will he or she resort to a Casino as have many other states?
• Why are we ambivalent about tourists, who fuel one of our most important industries and provide good jobs, combined with huge sales tax collections?
• Energy costs and Power: is it really possible to reduce our dependency of foreign oil? If so, how do government initiatives mesh with private business and what reasonable incentives can government provide. Can wind or solar power actually reduce our costs, or are we hearing high growth assumptions of future oil prices that may not be true? What is the true return on investment?

What is the difference between taxes that sustain certain essential services, road maintenance, bridge repairs, state agencies social services, business incentives, vs. long tern investments that will create jobs and opportunity for all of us?  What investments and risks have grown our economy over the years? Don't you hate to read of governments that are wasteful, just as much as about huge spending cuts and layoffs?  

Sorry to make you think so hard in the summer- I had actually thought about writing that this page was "intentionally left blank", but had a sleepless night that reminded me that we can never cease to be vigilant about how our money is spent- in our own budgets just as at every level of government, and when appropriate, we always need to understand and question why certain "investments" are made. Remember it is not "federal funds" or government's money, it is yours and mine. Let's be part of the fixes, not of the problem. There is opportunity for the business community to lead others who will not pick up the ball. We'll try, and with your support and participation, together we can.  

Best regards,

Godfrey Wood, CEO