Things like this are what give Mainers a bad reputation (Bath: fit in, home)

[Northern Maine Land Man]

"What did they say about that poor fellow in the "Bert and I" recordings...seems he was born in New Hampshire and came here when he was one month old...he was "from away"! "

It goes something like this:

My neighbor is sensitive about not being a native. He never arrived in Maine until he was six months old. I know it and he knows I know. It gets to him. One day he came over and said, "Well I have four sons and they were all born here. You'd call them natives wouldn't ya?

I replied, Well, if my cat had kittens in the oven I wouldn't call them biscuits."

[woxyroxme]

This is not exclusive to Maine, people down south don't like carpet baggers, and a lot of other people don't like outsiders coming in and making changes to turn places into what they just left.

When I first came to Ohio the town I was in was bearable despite the culture shock and not fitting in, but in the last 15 years has been ruined by sprawl and suburbanites that I can't get back to Eastport fast enough, I am going to check into clam digging on my next trip back, I used to pick wrinkles with my great uncle as a kid so that is an option too.

[harlowvart]

I only vote for people born in the state. If none of the candidates are from here, my cat gets my vote.

[maineguy8888]

I can see both sides. I have known great people who were not born in Maine but act like they were.

On the other hand, people from out of state have been coming in here with money and power trying to change the state, for several decades. And it also seems that many of our "top positions" get filled by people from away. For example: many University of Maine chancellors, judges, state agency heads, etc. It's a "closed loop": the people doing the hiring/selecting are often also from away. And yes, I am a bit tired of politicians who moved here from away: Libby Mitchell, Emily Cain, Angus King, Chellie Pingree, etc.etc. Can't we raise up our own crop of liberals without importing them from away??

[beltrams]

I once heard the story of a young girl, born to her family in New Hampshire in a town on the Connecticut River. When she was six months old she moved with her family across the river to another small town, but in Vermont, where she eventually married and lived the rest of her 86 years. Said the minister at her funeral, "We loved her as we love our own, even though she wasn't one of us."

[IHeartMaine]

Isn't LePage from Canada?.......or did he just go there to avoid the draft?

[wordsmith680]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

she is a liberal fruit-loop

she - then why cant a music major be elected??

My daughter graduated magna *** laude from a good university in performance music against my better judgment? She has a big time job that who could imagined? She is very qualified for public office if she were so inclined. We all use these tired stereotypes, but to dismiss someone from higher education because of a preconceived notion is quite short sighted. Smart people bloom were they are planted. Most of us are immigrants. No dog in this fight tho....

[Maine Writer]

If you blame a handful of people for the reputation of the entire state you are missing the real problem.

[maineguy8888]

Originally Posted by IHeartMaine

Isn't LePage from Canada?.......or did he just go there to avoid the draft?

No. He's from Maine.
And he didn't go to Canada to avoid the draft.
Nice try, though.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Paul has an MBA and is bilingual. He did work in Canada for a while as I did. He has brought several companies back from the brink of closing and has created many jobs in Maine.

Around 20 years ago I was having dinner with some of my customers in Newfoundland. A newly elected minister to Parliament came to our table and I was introduced as an American businessman.

The minister said, "Well, it's always good to do business with the US. Tell me, What do you think of our recent election?"

I paused. How could I answer this man truthfully? He was a Liberal.

I said, "In my experience, Canadians and Americans both are good, honest and hard working people. They don't so much need to be governed as they need to be served." My guest looked stunned. The minister stepped back and said, "That's a great thought. I'm going to use that in my next speech."

My guest breathed a sigh of relief. I did too. Hey, it was the truth.