[metesky]

Biggest employer in Maine: Bath Iron Works (BIW), builds Aegis class destroyers on government contracts.

Second biggest employer in Maine: Eastern Maine Medical Center, thriving on Medicare and Medicaide.

Largest private industry in Maine, the paper industry: leaving in droves.

Champion Paper in Bucksport is moving its largest machine to New York to get away from Maine's taxes (Maine taxes capital equipment at one of the highest rates in the nation).

James River mill in Old Town laying off half its crew.

Millinocket closing down completely.

East Millinocket laying off half its crew.

Large companies in Maine that do not do business with the government are screwed.

[Number_Cruncher]

Don't forget that all the shoe factories in Franklin County have shut down too. I don't how people will survive.

I considered moving to the Houlton area a couple of years ago. Lucky I didn't. The high state income taxes were a negative factor.

[bigfootbob]

"Largest private industry in Maine, the paper industry: leaving in droves."

Same here. Timber indusrty has been in a funk sine the spotted owl listing, hasn't recovered one iota. Boeing gone, Alcoa & Reynolds Aluminum gone, Non-tribal fishing bad, and Microsoft hires only from the HI-B pool locally because our schools produce dummies.

Military spending strong. Not enough, however. We are still #2 on the unemployment list nationwide.