Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to [email protected]
I am a Saco resident and currently attend Harvard College, studying government and economics. I am also the policy director at Maine Youth Action, a nonprofit that aims to empower youth activists to be involved in state politics. I am writing both as a climate activist and a concerned student soon entering the workforce to bring attention to the issue of how low state employee and state legislator salaries are. As the state government struggles to fill critical positions, I fear the state will impair its response to the climate crisis and deter talented individuals from public service.
I have been involved in state politics for several years and am fortunate, especially at a young age, to get a diverse perspective on state politics. After getting a glimpse over the years into various roles, I have found an alarming issue, particularly at a time when Maine has numerous new (and transformative) climate policies urgently in need of implementation: the under-resourcing of state agencies. The 2020 State of Maine Market Study Report discovered that state workers, on average, were underpaid by 15 percent compared with their counterparts in other public and private sectors in the New England region and nearly 1 in 6 positions are unfulfilled. The state needs to start sufficiently funding our agencies in order to attract talented individuals who will effectively implement our climate objectives. Furthermore, if the governor’s administration wants to uphold its work of incentivizing young Mainers to stay here, then it must provide adequate jobs in government.
Cole Cochrane
Saco
