In this case, 5 is equal to 1...

You may read the title of this post and think to yourself, wait, what?! Fair enough, I expect that. In fact, I figure it is odd enough to get you to start reading down through to figure out how someone who counts beans for a living can say 5 is equal to 1. Hear me out, it will all come together soon enough...

We are six short weeks away from determining who the next Governor of our great state will be. There will be 5 names showing up on every ballot this year, Paul LePage (R), Elizabeth "Libby" Mitchell (D), Eliot Cutler (I), Kevin Scott (I) and Shawn Moody (I). All five of these individuals have been traversing the state in an effort to get their face and name in front of everyone in hopes of being elected in November. In a normal election year, things would be heating up right about now, as we have election day within our sites. This isn't a normal year though. There is a lot at stake in Maine. We are facing record budget deficits, continued high unemployment and high tax levels. We are having a difficult time encouraging new business and our education system needs attention. Our roads are some of the worst in the country, and there is a major disconnect between southern and northern Maine. Let's be honest, the next Governor has his/her hands full, to say the least.

I'm a registered Democrat, and typically follow party lines. I say typically because there are times when I think another candidate makes more sense, other than one in my own party. Libby Mitchell, the Democrat in the race for the Blaine House is a life long politician. She has a ton of political experience to draw from, and surely has the skills necessary to do the job. However, she has been in a position of power for a long time, and during that time we have seen too much go wrong in Augusta. I fear a vote for Mitchell is a vote for four more years of the same thing we have already seen. On the other side of the aisle is Paul LePage. His story is nice, having come from nothing and turned things around. That's pretty much where the story ends for me. I think LePage would be like going from one extreme to the other, and I'm not sure his temperament or his radical Tea Party desires are a good thing for Maine either. Shawn Moody is a hard working businessman. However, running the state of Maine is much different than owning and operating auto body shops. I think this would be way too much of a pill for him to swallow. Kevin Scott might be a great option, but he doesn't stand a chance, so it's really a wasted vote.

That brings us to Eliot Cutler. I've been intrigued by Mr. Cutler from early on. He has a great mix of political and professional experience. His core values are very much in line with mine, and he has put forth a great plan for getting Maine back on track. He takes a hard stance on some tough issues, like education and welfare reform, but they are a couple of big ticket items that need to be worked on. I've been fortunate enough to meet Eliot and many of the great people that are working behind the scenes for him. Nichole and I have even done some volunteering for his campaign, hoping to spread the word about who we believe is the best person in the race. I urge you, regardless of what party you are a part of, to check out Eliot's website. It is a great way to find out more about his vision and plans.

The next 10 years are critical to the state of Maine, and making the right choice for governor is a vitally important first step. I urge everyone to do their homework, get out and meet the candidates, ask questions and get involved. Let's work together to make Maine the way life should be. I'm just saying...