For too long we have thought of ourselves as being at the end of the line. That is a shortsighted view. Instead of just looking south to the rest of the United States, we should look north to Canada, our largest trading partner, east to Europe, and over the North Pole to Asia.

In a world that is increasingly interconnected, Maine is strategically located to provide access to population centers in the Northeast and Midwest U.S. As Canada develops its energy resources and a major international deepwater port in Halifax, Maine can position itself as a critical link in moving energy and goods through our state. However, we need to invest in our seaports, rail lines, roads and airports. We need to support the responsible development of LNG terminals and energy corridors and to undertake a public-private partnership to build an East-West highway.

Great opportunities to create new jobs, increase incomes and develop new revenue sources lie before us if we take full advantage of our location and invest in the infrastructure that will put us in the center of the action, instead of at the end of the line or sitting on the sidelines.