We continue our look at the Second District Congressional Candidates.

We asked both Senator Kevin Raye and Congressman Mike Michaud this question.

Unemployment rates remain high in Maine and the nation. For some, it's a matter of being over-qualified for the job while others need more education which they can't afford. What will you do in Congress to help both of these groups?

Kevin Raye:
"Clearly, I think the biggest thing we can do, with respect to unemployment, is to enact the policies that are going to encourage job growth. We need to really unleash the private sector. We've worked to do that here in Maine. In fact, I offered a tax incentive proposal, which was adopted: the Maine New Market's Tax Credit, which is currently responsible for job development in Millinocket, with the torrified wood project. And we need to do that same sort of thing at the federal level, through tax incentives and through regulatory reform. The kinds of things that we can do to unleash the private sector: small business, farmers, fishermen, forestry, those important economic sectors across the second district. So that they can expand and grow jobs. We, unfortunately, have been going in wrong direction, as a country. We're suffering through an economy that has been the worst of our lifetimes and an economy where small businesses, which are the life blood of this state's economy, have been struggling as never before. And one of the big differences between my opponent and I, is that I have a record of 100 percent support for small business, with the NFIB. His record is zero. And to me, if you're not standing with small business, as a second district congressman, you're not doing your job. "

Congressman Michaud:
"Well, first of all, I think we've got to grow the economy, and one way to do that is, we pass legislation in the house, the Senate pass separate legislation, is to deal with China, manipulate their currency. It's estimated on the conservative side that that will create about a million jobs here in the United States. The administration can do it on their own, as well, which they have not done. The other issue of trying to create jobs here in Maine and across the country, is infrastructure for every billion dollar spent on how we infrastructure. It equates to about 34,000 jobs, so I think that that's very important if we're looking at how do we expand our economic base. As far as training, one of the things, actually when I was in the Maine legislature we're able to do , was create these training centers around the second district, which are in rural areas. 'Cause one of the issues that some employers have is trying to find an educated workforce, to be able to work for them. And once they find the employees, if they're not trained for the skill that they them need to be trained for, at least the ability to re-tool them. And that, that's very important. I'm very pleased that the President put forward money for community college systems, to help re-train our workers that are out there."

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