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Bishop


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*Maine Gets an “F” for Infrastructure*

 

This is Representative Steve Bishop of Bucksport, with the Weekly Republican Address.

I am standing here in Bucksport with the Penobscot Narrow Bridge in the background. That marvel of engineering is a source of pride for many.

Sadly, it is not representative of Maine’s overall infrastructure.

A new national report has delivered a hard truth: Maine has the worst infrastructure in the entire country. According to CNBC’s annual survey of “Top States for Business [ [link removed] ],” Maine earned an “F” — ranking dead last out of all 50 states.

The survey evaluated roads, bridges, ports, airports, utilities, connectivity, and sustainability. In nearly every category, Maine fell short. The state scored just 119 out of a possible 405 points.

Eight percent of our roads are in unacceptable condition.

Over 15 percent of our bridges are rated “poor” — five times worse than Alaska, the second-worst state in the nation. And nearly one in five Mainers still lacks access to affordable broadband.

Instead of finding solutions to address this, the majority party creates more government programs that foster dependency.

Two years ago, Republicans helped pass a major funding fix for our roads and bridges — a rare moment of bipartisan cooperation. We secured a key amendment to dedicate 40% of the sales tax on vehicle purchases, and 40% of BMV sales and use taxes, to the Highway Fund. That was projected to provide $200 million every two years for infrastructure.

It was a smart first step — but it wasn’t enough. Infrastructure repair requires ongoing commitment.

The Maine DOT will only be able to fix the problems that we fund them to fix.

And they currently strategize using a 3-year work plan to best take care of our communities.

This past session, instead of investing in infrastructure, Democrats spent record-high revenues elsewhere. Rumors swirled that they might even raid the Highway Fund. They didn’t — but they did raise taxes on retirees’ pensions, tobacco, cannabis, gallons of paint, real estate transfers, and even online streaming services.

House Republicans believe life in Maine is already hard enough — without raising taxes and neglecting the basics like roads, bridges, and internet access.

We need to stop prioritizing unsustainable welfare programs for able-bodied, child-less adults who could be working, volunteering, or going to school — and start rebuilding Maine from the ground up.

At some point, our race to the bottom has to end.

This has been Representative Steve Bishop with the Weekly Republican Radio Address.

Thank you for listening. Please help us change Maine for the better — subscribe, share, and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

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B
Representative Steve Bishop

of Bucksport is serving his first term as the Representative for District 17.

Steven is a third generation owner of a small business that was established in 1961. He has a strong background in law enforcement, having retired from the Bucksport Police Department. Bishop is also actively involved in local governance, serving on the Bucksport Town Council and previously as Chair of the Town Planning Board.

A former firefighter, Steven holds a degree in Fire Science from Eastern Maine Community College and is a graduate of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.

Steven and his wife, Kittie, reside in Bucksport.



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*  Distributed by the House Republican Office *
*  2 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0002*
*  Office: (207) 287-1440*






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