Featured News

Statement: Independent Eliot Cutler On Libby Mitchell’s Government “Reform” Plan

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

“It’s just more of the same. Libby Mitchell continues to defend the status quo. Her plan amounts to window dressing on a record deeply unfriendly to business and private sector jobs.

“Just a few months ago Libby Mitchell was working day and night to impose a mandatory paid sick leave requirement on Maine businesses that already have been brought to their knees by policies that she has promoted for more than 30 years. Libby’s sick leave proposal would have increased the already high costs of of doing business in Maine and would have made Maine even LESS competitive with other states.

“Now she comes up with a bunch of cosmetic and nearly frivolous suggestions that will do nothing to improve the cost environment for Maine businesses. Nothing to improve their ability to compete or survive a regulatory maze that has grown out of control. Nothing to make needed structural changes in Maine government. And nothing to make it more likely that private capital will invest in Maine to create jobs, incomes and opportunities for Maine workers.

“What a way to mark Labor Day.”

No Comments »

Small Businesses Hot Topic in Debate (Bangor Daily News)

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

The Bangor Daily News posts an article on a forum held in Brewer by the Maine Forest Products Council, Maine Pulp and Paper Association, Forest Resources Association, and the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine. Eliot Cutler was joined by Republican candidate Paul LePage. Cutler outlined plans to encourage economic development by lowering energy costs for small business.

[Cutler discussed plans for an] Energy Finance Authority that would negotiate low-cost deals with Canadian power producers and work with the private sector to expand Maine’s energy infrastructure. In particular, Cutler said the state needs to expand natural gas lines up the major river corridors.

“When we do that we are going to reawaken the mills all over the state of Maine and we can do that with an Energy Finance Authority,” Cutler said. “And that’s an awful lot more sensible public investment than plastering the state with Pine Tree Zones.”

You can read the full article here.

No Comments »

NEWSLETTER: The Barefoot Contessa and Buying Local

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

My long-time friend Ina Garten, the Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa, came to Portland this past week for a fundraising reception and luncheon. Almost 250 fans came to hear Ina, and I think that most – if not all – left as Cutler for Governor supporters, as well. I told Ina during our open mic question and answer session that one of the best aspects of her visit was that I got to have lunch with more than 200 Maine women and just a few of their spouses. Our guests asked questions, Ina signed their cookbooks, and we all enjoyed a wonderful lunch of locally grown food. The event was a huge success!

One of the key items that Ina and I talked about was the importance of buying local. Mainers today buy only about 4% of our $3 billion in annual food purchases from local sources. If we increased that to just 10%, we could create more than 20,000 new jobs and increase farm incomes in Maine by $180 million. Plus, we’d all be eating more local, fresh and healthy food!

Ina and I shared a number of laughs during the Q&A.

Later that weekend, Senator Elizabeth Schneider hosted a meet-and-greet for me in Orono. We talked at length about how to lower the cost of living and doing business in Maine so that we can attract investment and create jobs, incomes, and opportunities for Maine people.

Karen Turnstrup asked a number of excellent questions.

I also campaigned during the past week in Westbrook, Hallowell, and Old Town, and we’re looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at a meet ‘n greet fundraising reception at the Crocker House in Hancock.

P.S. Please help us spread the word of my Independent candidacy by forwarding this email to your friends and family!

More Media Coverage

The Ina Garten visit not only raised money, it also helped garner increased exposure for some of Eliot’s ideas.

The Portland Press Herald, in an article titled “’Barefoot Contessa’ Draws Crowd for Cutler,” covered some of Eliot’s ideas on agriculture and the economy:

“Cutler [used] the opportunity to pitch some of his policy ideas, including a couple linked to Garten’s expertise. He said that Mainers buy only 4 percent of their food from local sources and if that figure was increased to 10 percent, it would produce thousands of jobs and put millions of dollars in Maine farmers’ pockets.”

http://cutler2010.com/2010/08/barefoot-contessa-draws-a-crowd-for-cutler-portland-press-herald/

Former state controller and Cutler supporter Ed Karass penned a hard-hitting op-ed piece titled “Candidate Paul LePage: The Wizard of Waterville?” It appeared in Saturday’s Bangor Daily News, the largest circulation issue of any newspaper in Maine, and laid to rest the mistaken notion that LePage’s record as mayor makes him a good bet as governor.

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/150112.html

The Bangor State Fair: Join us on August 6th!

Eliot and the Cutler 2010 Team will be walking around the Bangor State Fair on Friday, August 6th. Eliot and supporters will be meeting at the Bucks St. entrance at 4:45 pm.

We need supporters (that’s you!) to walk in the parade. If you can participate, please email David@Cutler2010.com for additional details. We hope to see you there!

The Rockland Lobster Festival Parade: Join us on August 7th!

Eliot and the Cutler 2010 Team will be walking in the Rockland Lobster Festival Parade on Saturday, August 7th. Supporters will be lining up to walk with us around 9:00 am and the parade starts at 10:00 am.

We need supporters (that’s you!) to walk in the parade. If you can participate, please email Kaitlin@Cutler2010.com for additional details. We hope to see you there!

The Litchfield Country Festival: Join us on August 7th!

Eliot and the Cutler 2010 Team will be walking around the Litchfield Country Festival on Saturday, August 7th. We will have a booth from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, and Eliot will be walking around the festival from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm.

We need supporters (that’s you!) to walk in the parade. If you can participate, please email Matt@Cutler2010.com for additional details. We hope to see you there!

Winter Harbor Lobster Festival Parade: Join us on August 14th!

Cutler 2010 supporters will be walking in the Winter Harbor Lobster Festival Parade on Saturday, August 14th. Supporters will be lining up to walk with us around 4:30 pm and the parade starts at 5:30 pm.

We need supporters (that’s you!) to walk in the parade. If you can participate, please email David@Cutler2010.com for additional details. We hope to see you there!

Every Donation Counts

The response to Eliot’s 60-second TV ad, ”Independent. Just like Maine.” was so great we’re back up on TV today with a new 30-second version. Help us keep it on the air.

Please contribute online today or mail your check to Cutler 2010, P.O. Box 15277, Portland, ME 04112. The maximum contribution is $750 — per individual or business — but every contribution helps.

Our website allows you to make contributions automatically every month. Some of Eliot’s most loyal supporters have chosen this as the best way for them to support the campaign, with contributions of just $10 or $20 a month. That’s a great way to help the campaign!

Thank you.

Stay in Touch with the Campaign

You can follow Eliot’s campaign on our website, www.Cutler2010.com, and on our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.

If you want to get in touch with the campaign, please give us a call at 207-699-4401 (toll free, 877-213-5112) or email us at campaign@cutler2010.com.

Have a great week and I’ll see you on the campaign trail!

No Comments »

‘Barefoot Contessa’ Draws a Crowd for Cutler (Portland Press Herald)

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

The Portland Press Herald posts an article about the Barefoot Contessa’s successful fundraiser for Independent candidate for governor, Eliot Cutler. The event, which drew more than 250 people, touched on topics ranging from Ina’s favorite recipes to Cutler’s position on local agriculture. Here is an excerpt:

Cutler did use the opportunity to pitch some of his policy ideas, including a couple linked to Garten’s expertise. He said that Mainers buy only 4 percent of their food from local sources and if that figure was increased to 10 percent, it would produce thousands of jobs and put millions of dollars in Maine farmers’ pockets.

You can read the full article here.

No Comments »

Eliot Cutler Surges in Latest Poll!

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Watch Eliot’s latest TV ad “Independent. Just Like Maine.” Then become a fan on Facebook!

The Bangor Daily News reports that independent Eliot Cutler’s poll numbers are “jumping” at the expense of the party candidates.

The Portland Press Herald notes that polls show a “surge” for independent Eliot Cutler and declines for the two major-party candidates.

No Comments »

Independents Gain Favor in Governors’ Races (USA Today)

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

USA Today mentions Eliot’s campaign for governor in a new piece about the appeal of independents in the upcoming election cycle. Here is an excerpt:

“Gubernatorial candidates Cutler, Chafee and Tim Cahill of Massachusetts promise straight talk and tough love in a year when both parties are viewed unfavorably by most Americans. Sixty percent of those surveyed in the latest USA TODAY/Gallup Poll say they are very or somewhat likely to vote for an independent candidate this fall”

You can read the complete article here.

No Comments »

OP-ED: Talk Centers on Teachers, not Students (Bangor Daily News)

Monday, July 5th, 2010

The following op-ed appeared in the Bangor Daily News on July 1st, 2010.

Libby Mitchell got the endorsement of the teachers’ union last week, and she should have. The union that represents teachers in Maine — the Maine Education Association — recently interviewed four candidates for governor. Since the room was full of teachers, you would have thought that the questions would be about improving education, preparing young people for the future, growing Maine’s economy, rewarding good teachers, stretching our education dollars and so forth. But you would have been wrong.

Throughout four pages and eight long questions, the word “student” appeared twice in just one question, and even then only in asking whether teacher evaluations should be based upon measures of student performance (of course they should, but the teachers’ union says no.) There was not another mention of students or any reference to parents, taxpayers or creating jobs.

Here is what the MEA wanted to talk about: raising taxes, protecting the union’s first-class health plan, easing working conditions, higher teacher salaries (regardless of competence and performance) and a tax exemption for retired teachers.

There was one other question: Would I support or oppose the establishment of charter schools in Maine? I strongly support charter schools, but the teachers’ union has used its clout to block them in Maine. We are just one of a handful of states that don’t allow public charter schools, and it is one of the principal reasons Maine schools have been denied a share of the hundreds of millions of dollars in the federal “Race to the Top” education reform program.

At a time when we need to be focused on growing the economic pie in Maine so that our kids will have a future here, the MEA’s only concern is how to grab for themselves an even bigger slice of a pie that already is much too small.

Without Libby Mitchell at the helm in Augusta for much of the last 30 years, the MEA never could have succeeded in driving the costs of public education in Maine higher and higher, blocking public charter schools, preserving tenure and lock step salary increases for teachers and sidetracking other needed public education reforms — all while student enrollments and performance have been falling.

So take the MEA endorsement of Ms. Mitchell with a grain of salt and a heavy dose of caution. The endorsement was paid for upfront by years of steadfast support from Ms. Mitchell for higher taxes, more spending and opposition to reform. Unfortunately, it is our children who will foot the bill.

I am convinced that the leadership of the teachers’ union does not reflect the views of thousands of dedicated, hardworking Maine teachers. More than anyone, our teachers have been marginalized and their professional status compromised by the failure of their own union leadership.

Teachers should have a prominent role in setting educational policy. But they don’t, because the MEA is more concerned about propping up a political party in decline.

Good teachers should be paid more than mediocre ones, as in other professions, and student achievement should be somehow reflected in compensation. Teachers should help design the system that rewards excellence with compensation and advancement. But the MEA wants to make sure that every teacher, regardless of effectiveness, is treated the same.

Good teachers should be free to innovate, and we should make more clinical and professional training available to help them do that. But the MEA wants to keep every teacher in the same narrow box.

I had hoped to be able to talk with the MEA about important issues like education reform, ensuring that every child — wherever they live in Maine — has access to a quality education, improving student performance and operating our schools more efficiently as enrollments decline.

Instead, the meeting turned out to be one more example of the kind of special interest politics that we simply can’t afford any longer.

So, if you like things the way they are and want to continue paying more and getting less, cast your lot with Libby Mitchell and the MEA. If you want change and reform, I hope that you will join me in creating an education system in Maine that is innovative, affordable and focused on results — a system that truly respects our teachers as professionals and gives every Maine child an equal opportunity to succeed.

Eliot Cutler is an independent candidate for governor. Learn more at www.Cutler2010.com.

No Comments »

Independent Candidate Cutler could be One to Watch (Foster’s Daily Democrat)

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

Foster’s Daily Democrat features an article about Eliot, saying that “[he] is one to watch” in the upcoming general election. The article also praises his “impressive resume” and “plain-speaking, no-nonsense” approach to campaigning. Here is an excerpt:

That’s because Cutler boasts perhaps the most impressive resume of any candidate, Independent or not.

He has served, at various times, as a top White House adviser, business leader, lawyer, and education official.

After graduating from Harvard, he worked for former Maine Senator Edmund Muskie. He went on to serve in four presidential campaigns, and was a top energy official for former President Jimmy Carter.

Cutler had a hand in crafting both the Clean Energy Act and Clean Water Act. He then started a law firm focusing on environmental litigation while heading several businesses specializing in manufacturing and mortgages, among other fields.

“It’s incredible,” said University of New England political scientist Brian Duff. “He’s a charismatic, well-respected Independent who portrays himself being above partisan politics.”

You can read the full article here.

No Comments »

NEWSLETTER: Memorial Day, The Atrium, and Other News

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

I hope that everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend and that you took some time to honor those brave men and women who are defending our country today, and those who have given their lives so that we may live in freedom.

I have been spending a fair amount of time over the past week in meetings with staff, consultants and supporters, preparing for the post-Primary campaign. We enter a whole new phase of the campaign after next Tuesday and it will be good to know who my partisan opponents are going to be. I am ready to take them on and to offer Maine voters a strong alternative to politics as usual.

I was pleased to be profiled in the Portland Press Herald last Wednesday, and I had a great time participating in their live online chat. It was a great way for people all over the state to come together and ask me questions. You know that I never shy away from answering tough questions, so keep them coming! You can submit additional questions to our website here.

Yesterday, I spoke with a group of seniors at the Atrium, a retirement community in Portland. My mother lived there for a while, and loved every minute of it. Many of the folks I met remembered my mom — one even beat her at Bridge (which was rare) — and I was grateful for the opportunity to visit with them. The staff at the Atrium does a great job, and we would all be lucky to live in such a caring place when we get older.

I have another busy week coming up, with stops in Augusta, Hallowell, the Greater Portland area, and on up to Mount Desert Island for a ”meet and greet” on Saturday. Can’t wait!

See you out on the campaign trail.

P.S. Have you donated yet? You can do so online here .

Respected Columnist Praises Eliot’s “Combination of Insight, Political Savvy, and Intellectual Resilience”

Ron Bancroft, a highly respected business consultant and weekly columnist for the Portland Press Herald had some words about Eliot is his column this week, “With Election Day Looming, Some Views on Voting Preferences.”

“I should also note that my choice in November, based on what I have seen of the candidates so far, is Eliot Cutler, an independent, and therefore not subject to a public vote on June 8. I believe Cutler has that combination of insight, political savvy, and intellectual resilience to address the formidable challenges Maine faces.”

Continued National Press Coverage

Eliot once again received national press coverage this past week as the momentum for the independent movement continues to build. Noted Pollster, Doug Schoen, mentions Eliot in his NY Daily News commentary on the growing strength of independents:

The entire article, “The Center Can Hold — And Prevail, Even in the Empire State, Independents will Decide Elections” can be found here.

Every Donation Counts

As a privately funded campaign, we are depending on you to help us raise the funds we need to be successful. Please contribute online today or mail your check to Cutler 2010, P.O. Box 15277, Portland, ME 04112. The maximum contribution is $750, but every contribution helps.

Thank you.

Stay in Touch with the Campaign

You can follow Eliot’s campaign on our website, www.Cutler2010.com and on our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.

If you want to get in touch with the campaign, please give us a call at 207-699-4401 (toll free, 877-213-5112) or email us at campaign@cutler2010.com.

No Comments »

With Election Day Looming, Some Views on Voting Preferences (Portland Press Herald)

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

In advance of the upcoming party primaries, Ron Bancroft looks at the remaining party candidates and notes that unless something changes, he will be supporting Eliot in the November general election. Here is an excerpt:

I should also note that my choice in November, based on what I have seen of the candidates so far, is Eliot Cutler, an independent, and therefore not subject to a public vote on June 8. I believe Cutler has that combination of insight, political savvy, and intellectual resilience to address the formidable challenges Maine faces.

You can read the full article here.

No Comments »