Bravo to the July 28 Press Herald editorial calling out the urgent need for Maine to be a better place for business – so that it is a better place for our people.

Sadly, many of Maine’s leaders have fallen into a dangerous “us” and “them” mentality that pits business against people. But we are not in a zero-sum game where we must take from Maine business to help Mainers. The reality is helping our businesses thrive and compete is what creates more jobs, pays better wages, provides benefits, supports families and sustains our communities.

Maine could be so much more prosperous and successful with younger families, higher wages, and more and better jobs. But that’s not going to happen until our leaders prioritize creating a business environment that makes Maine attractive to innovative companies, investment and talent.

When the business community speaks up in Augusta, it is frequently dismissed as self-interest. Hopefully, with independent, objective rankings – like CNBC’s – showing just how poorly others rank Maine for business, we can agree that we have a lot of work to do.

Heidi LeBlanc
Hermon