Reflections on Gov. Brennan
I had the great privilege of serving in three cabinet-level positions in Joseph E. Brennan’s first term as governor. In my view, he was one of Maine’s best governors, though his personal style may have obscured his impact on the state.
He was highly intelligent with a strong understanding of economics. On the basis of his early life on Portland’s Munjoy Hill, he supported average people who faced real challenges in making ends meet.
Right after I was sworn in as Commissioner of Business Regulation, he asked me to publish competitive information on financial services that would stimulate competition and benefit consumers. I quickly began a public survey of bank interest rates, though the banks were not overly pleased.
He assigned me the development of state energy policy, and he kept a close eye on it. He worried about the power of the utilities and created the position of Public Advocate. He understood that nuclear power offered an alternative to generating electricity using oil and coal. He chaired the National Governors Association energy committee.
Intending to bring state government spending under control, by tradition he would have suspended hiring and out-of-state travel. Instead, he gave department heads spending cut targets and allowed each to achieve the goal in the best way for their agency. This was possible because he had appointed an excellent team to work with him.
He selflessly appointed George Mitchell to Ed Muskie’s former U.S. Senate seat, when he might have appointed a placeholder and then run for it himself two years later.
Above all, he was a decent person. Though he was a strong Democrat, I never heard him engage in the character assassination of a Republican.
Joe Brennan deserves to be remembered as one of the state’s best governors and a dedicated public servant. I’ll never forget him.
Gordon L. Weil,
Harpswell
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