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State's 'Red Tape' Rapped

Attorney Andrew Cashman serves on a panel examining "red tape" in government and is quoted by the Brunswick Times Record.

BRUNSWICK — Gov.-Elect Paul LePage's "Red Tape Removal Workshop" caravan pulled into Maine Street Station on Tuesday, providing local business owners and other Mid-coast residents a chance to sound off about their relationships with state government.

Tuesday's discussion focused largely on state regulatory processes that business owners identified as obstacles to their ability to succeed.

"Basically the whole reason that we're here — the reason why we're doing this tonight — is to make sure that we make the Mid-coast region a better place to live, play and work," Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber director Steven Wallace announced as he opened the workshop.

Dan Demeritt, communications director for LePage, said Tuesday's red tape target practice marked his fifth such workshop, which have occurred at various sites throughout Maine. "This is going to be a process the Legislature will be very much involved in, and we look forward to cooperating with members from both sides of the aisle about the issues that we're learning as part of this process."

House Speaker Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, and Senate President Kevin Raye, R-Perry, on Monday announced creation of the 15-member Committee on Regulation Fairness and Reform, which will study state regulations with a goal of recommending changes that will eliminate impediments to job creation and business growth. Sen. Seth Goodall, D-Richmond, is the only local legislator appointed to that panel.

Demeritt said LePage is trying to "generate specific ideas on things that can be improved," and to create awareness among Maine people "about what the specific problems are." He said LePage wants to create business advocates to act as project managers who walk projects through different departments within state government.

Panelists included Alisa Coffin, owner of The Great Impasta Restaurant; John Peters of Downeast Energy; Joel Allumbaugh, insurance broker for National Worksite Benefit Group in Hallowell; Kevin Clark of Sitelines; Andrew Cashman with Preti Flaherty; Ted Crooker of Harry C. Crooker and Sons in Topsham; Don Spann of REMax Riverside in Topsham; Jim Howard of Priority Group LLC in Topsham; Ted Lewis of Parkview Adventist Medical Center; and Dan Catlin of Commercial Properties Inc. in Portland.

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