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The economy of the state of Maine is at a unique disadvantage due to its expansive rural regions, Maine State Representative Stavros Mendros argued at a meeting of the University of Maine College Republicans in Memorial Union Thursday.
“What I want to do is recruit high technology industries [to Maine],” Mendros said, “I want to work to have high-speed Internet access. We need this access all through rural areas in order to compete in the global market.”
Mendros, a Republican from Lewiston, is currently running for John Baldacci’s seat in the U.S. Congress, and was invited by the College Republicans to speak to students before the race intensifies.
Mendros, an admittedly conservative candidate, is an alumni of the University of Maine and a former president of the General Student Senate.
“But I became disillusioned,” Mendros said of his term as president, “I noticed Student Government became something else, a place for students to push a letter or a special interest. It wasn’t for student issues.”
After graduation, Mendros gave up his dreams of literary success as a popular novelist and pursued politics in his hometown of Lewiston. But it wasn’t easy.
“The few people in Lewiston that aren’t French are Irish,” Mendros laughed, referring to his Greek heritage. “But I thought to myself, in theory we have the greatest government, but in practice we’ve got some problems. So I decided to run for office, and I [got elected].”
Now Mendros, who works as an Internet developer, is running for a higher office, on a platform of internal improvements including endorsements of the proposed East-West highway, an extension of Interstate 95 into Fort Kent, general road improvements, improved high-speed Internet access for all rural areas of Maine and a lowering of prescription drug prices.
“In Lewiston the [roads] are bad.” Mendros said. “But up north they’re terrible. Maine is 48th in the nation for money being spent on roads.”
Mendros also touched on subjects of national security related to the Sept. 11 attacks, calling Maine’s large borders “the largest undefended border” in the country.
“We need to ramp up security,” Mendros said, “we need to strengthen the guard on the border and stop illegal transportation of drugs.”
Mendros wrapped up his appearance with a question session, where he addressed concerns of rail use in Eastport, allocation of state education funds and the increasing danger of Internet sex predators.
“One in fivekids are sexually solicited on the internet,” Mendros said. “It happened to my nephew. There is no money for Internet police stings to stop these predators, we need to make this money available.”
