I recently had the privilege of being invited to a college graduation party/barbeque held in honor of one of my youngest son’s oldest friends. They had completed grammar school and high school together and also were members of the local Boy Scout Troop, both attaining the rank of Eagle Scout.

They both attended college, my son graduating with a degree in Graphic Design and his friend graduating from Maine Maritime Academy with a third-class license in Engineering.

The future seems bright for these two young men; one has secured a position with a company providing tug service for coastal transport barges and the other has worked for a Boston-area software company for well over a year.

Significantly, neither of them made the decision to stay in Maine. Both reviewed the job opportunities available in our state and found that none came even close to matching salaries and benefits available elsewhere.

There are many proud parents who have watched their sons and daughters graduate from college during the past few weeks and I can’t help but wonder how many of these bright, talented young people will leave Maine for better opportunities.

When I graduated from high school many years ago, there were limited chances for advancement. One could continue one’s education (and many of my classmates did so, most leaving for out-of-state schools), go to work in a mill and at least make a salary that one could live on, or join the military (again, leaving Maine) which was my choice.

How unfortunate that despite the passage of so many years, so little has changed. Most opportunities for smart, hard-working young people from Maine still require leaving the state. Until those in state government are willing to change the business climate here in the Pine Tree State, we will continue to lose our most valuable resource – the productive good citizens we have so carefully raised.

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