When I hear things like a certain area has no prospects for jobs or industry aka an “anemic” job market, I often think “well go back to doing what people did when people first decided to live there.” I mean at one point there must have been a way to make a living or everyone would have died there or moved on.
In Maine’s case wouldn’t that be fishing or timber? I know the fed has made laws that in some cases make this prohibitive, and in those cases I suppose you have to move to where there is work. But, if not, I would just start fishing again and selling my fish to people. /shrug.
In the great lakes I would get a boat and open up a boat shipping company across the great lakes or something like folks used to do.
I could be off base here, maybe the gov rules are so regulatory in nature you can’t do these things competitively anymore, but if that is the case then more power to the argument for deregulation!!
Maine’s rivers provided power and transportation
Every town has a mill
paper, shoes, lumber, clothing, etc.
Every town now has an empty mill.
LL Bean is a Maine institution. If they were more loyal to their heritage and their state, a lot of manufacturing could be brought back. It's not like they're charging less for the chinese and other foreign crap they sell.
FWIW, the only items I'll by from LL Bean anymore are made in the USA, the exception being when they're the only place I can get 100% cotton jeans. And whenever I place an order, I express my disgust. I think consumers doing that has had na effect. They seem to have a little more "made in the USA" and tout it when they do.
You can still start them, but then they will take everything you have through fines, fees, and seizures. Hell, the EPAs doing it with people’s houses why would they stop with someone’s business?