Claim OwnershipMaine For Keeps
Subscribed: 1Played: 0
Subscribe
© Jonathan Bush
Description
Welcome to Maine For Keeps, hosted by Jonathan Bush. Each week, we're sitting down with real Mainers - from small business owners fighting to survive, to industry leaders and innovators, to working folks trying to make ends meet - for raw, unfiltered conversations about:
→ The real stories of what's killing Maine jobs (like the 174 we just lost at the cement plant)
→ How Maine's smartest businesses are finding ways to win despite the obstacles
→ Why "environmental protection" often hurts both business AND the environment
→ The real stories of what's killing Maine jobs (like the 174 we just lost at the cement plant)
→ How Maine's smartest businesses are finding ways to win despite the obstacles
→ Why "environmental protection" often hurts both business AND the environment
22 Episodes
Reverse
Alec Porteous has run the numbers. He’s been the CFO of Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services. He’s been the Commissioner of Administrative & Financial Services, the state’s top budget job. He’s been the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Business Officer at the University of Southern Maine.And now? He’s sounding the alarm.In this episode, we dig into Maine’s budget explosion and what Alec sees as the most under-discussed risk to our future.We cover:- Why Maine’s Medicaid budget is growing 21% a year and no one knows why- How state spending ballooned 25% while population grew just 5%- Why working Mainers are getting squeezed while newcomers think Maine is a steal- The paradox of rising revenue and rising property taxes- How to put real teeth into revenue sharing and municipal accountability- What Alec would do with our $1.5 billion rainy day fund- Why now might be the moment to experiment with bold tax cuts- The truth behind Maine’s economic outlook and what’s needed to fix itThis isn’t about cutting for cutting’s sake. It’s about building a Maine that’s affordable, competitive, and resilient for the people who already live here and the ones who are trying to stay.🎧 Available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.📍 Subscribe to Maine For Keeps for weekly conversations about how we build a stronger future for Maine.
Lt. Nick Goodman has been a cop in Portland for over 20 years.He’s run narcotics stings. Solved cold cases. Led Portland’s SWAT team through high-risk raids and manhunts. He’s watched the city change, from a place where gunfire made headlines to a place where “another shooting” barely raises eyebrows.This episode is a raw, unfiltered look at what public safety in Maine actually looks like today (and what it will take to turn things around).We cover:Why Portland went from 1–2 shootings a year to 60–70The real reason police recruitment is collapsingWhat happens when jails stop taking violent offendersWhy COVID still haunts Maine’s courts, streets, and police departmentsHow “well-meaning” laws backfire in ways few people understandWhat a Vegas man did to get a heart transplant in PortlandWhy tech silos make Maine a playground for repeat offendersAnd what Lt. Goodman believes Maine’s next governor must do right nowWe also explore a bigger question: what happens when systems stop working and the people inside them still try to show up?This is not a pro-police or anti-police episode. It’s a pro-reality episode.And it’s one of the most urgent conversations we’ve had on Maine For Keeps.🎧 Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.📍 Subscribe for weekly episodes on the future of our state.
Stephen Bowen has seen the future of education, and he’s seen what happens when we ignore it.As Maine’s former Commissioner of Education and now Executive Director of the Hoover Education Success Initiative at Stanford, Stephen brings a rare perspective: deep local roots combined with a national, bird’s-eye view of what actually works.In this episode, he lays out a bold, actionable vision for how Maine can rescue its schools, support its students, and rebuild its economy.We cover:- Why Maine’s education rankings have collapsed in the last decade- The one metric that determines a student’s future (and a state’s future)- What Mississippi and Louisiana got right and how Maine can follow- The school choice model already working in parts of rural Maine- How local districts are blocking students from accessing better programs- The untapped potential of micro-schools, magnet academies, and virtual learning- Why ignoring top-performing kids is a dangerous mistake for small towns- What Maine’s next governor should do on day one to start the turnaroundThis is one of the clearest, most strategic conversations we’ve had on Maine For Keeps about education.Listen now on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to Maine For Keeps for weekly conversations on how we build a stronger future for Maine.
Charlie Baker has a reputation for making big, complex institutions actually work. As governor of Massachusetts, he was consistently ranked the most popular governor in America, running one of the bluest states as a Republican without getting bogged down in partisanship. Today, he’s the president of the NCAA, steering college sports through its most turbulent era.In this conversation, Baker shares the same pragmatic playbook that guided him through both roles: results matter more than rhetoric, and time is money. If it takes five years to permit housing or six years to approve energy, you’re paying for it in higher rents, higher power bills, and lost opportunities.We talk about what states like Maine can learn from Massachusetts’ turnaround under Baker’s watch: fixing the relationship with cities and towns, treating time as a cost driver, and giving communities the flexibility to actually move. We also touch on his leadership philosophy: building coalitions, keeping public trust, and staying focused on outcomes.In this episode, you’ll learn:- Why time is the hidden driver of housing and energy costs- How to lower the cost of living by fixing state–local processes instead of just writing checks- Why ownership opportunities matter more than subsidies in housing policy- How Baker used a simple “menu” approach to let cities bundle grants and revitalize downtowns- What bipartisan leadership looks like when the goal is results, not headlines- The leadership lessons Baker carries from Massachusetts into his role as president of the NCAAIf you care about building more, paying less, and leading with results, this conversation with Charlie Baker is a masterclass in pragmatic statecraft. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Mitch Daniels has worn a lot of hats: Governor of Indiana, President of Purdue University, and before that, business executive and federal budget director. But through it all, he’s carried a reputation for doing the hard, unglamorous work of making institutions perform better.In Indiana, Daniels balanced the budget after years of deficits, capped runaway property taxes, and launched one of the boldest infrastructure programs in America without raising taxes. At Purdue, he froze tuition for 11 years straight while expanding access and research, proving that higher education doesn’t have to keep getting more expensive.In this conversation, Jonathan Bush digs into the lessons behind Daniels’ results — and what states like Maine can learn from them.Some highlights from the episode:Why Daniels insisted “simple beats smart” when designing reformsHow he kept the focus on raising disposable income for citizens as the North Star of governmentThe story behind Indiana’s property tax caps and why they’ve enduredHis philosophy on balancing local control with statewide reformWhat Purdue’s tuition freeze reveals about tackling higher ed affordabilityWhy trust in government is just as important as budgets or programsThis is a playbook for leaders, policymakers, and anyone who cares about making government simpler, smarter, and more accountable.👉 Listen now to Maine For Keeps with Mitch Daniels on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
This week on Maine For Keeps, Jonathan goes solo from North Haven Island to share why he’s still a raging Maine optimist and why it’s time for our state to stop dividing a shrinking pie and start making more pie.Part personal story, part blueprint for Maine’s future, this episode digs into what makes Maine unique, and what’s possible if we unleash our natural strengths.Highlights from the episode:- Why Maine’s workforce is perfectly suited for the AI-driven economy ahead.- The idea of Maine as America’s national strategic housing reserve — building homes with our 6 million acres of forest and exporting cross-laminated timber.- How Maine could become a green protein export powerhouse by growing bottom fish instead of just catching them.- Why tourism and our parks are still an underdeveloped superpower for the state.- What Jonathan learned about resilience, community, and optimism from his own story in Belfast and North Haven.- The problem with dividing handouts vs. building ownership and why that system poisons belief in fairness.- How reminders of Maine’s past dominance, from shipbuilding to farming, are signals of what we can become again.This is a wide-ranging, candid reflection on what’s broken, what’s possible, and why Maine’s best days can still be ahead.
Maine’s rural communities have a healthcare problem — too few providers, too much distance, and too many people falling through the cracks. But what if the solution was already parked in your town, sirens off, waiting for the next call?In this episode, Jonathan Bush sits down with Dr. Jonathan Busko (emergency physician and EMS innovator), Dr. Charles Burger (primary care pioneer), and Jeff Brown (systems safety consultant turned healthcare reformer) to talk about a game-changing idea: community paramedicine.It’s a model that trains EMTs and paramedics to do more than respond to emergencies — from checking meds and following up after hospital visits to spotting home hazards and facilitating telehealth. The result?Lower costs per patient visitEarlier intervention for high-risk patientsNew career pathways that keep healthcare talent in rural townsThey dig into how Maine is making community paramedicine legal, what it will take to make it normal, and why the collapse of primary care might be our chance to build something better.This isn’t just about saving rural hospitals — it’s about designing a system that keeps people healthier, closer to home, and out of the ER. And if Maine gets it right, the rest of the country will be watching.Listen to the full conversation now on Maine For Keeps, available wherever you get your podcasts.
What does it really take to bring a city back to life?In the latest episode of Maine For Keeps, I sit down with Mayor Tom Koch, the longest-serving mayor in Quincy, Massachusetts — and the man behind one of the most impressive downtown transformations in New England.When Mayor Koch took office in 2008, Quincy’s downtown was full of empty storefronts and faded promise. The shipyard was long gone. The malls had pulled shoppers away. The local institutions were thinking about leaving.So what did he do?He fired the master planner. Rewrote the zoning code. Took bold, early bets on infrastructure. And started lining up capital and community support before he was even sworn in.Eighteen years later, Quincy has:Over $250M in new public infrastructureA booming, livable downtown with housing, parks, and cultureA reputation as one of the best cities in the country to live and do businessWe talk about the whole journey, from firing the first developer to convincing the state to stop holding up a seawall repair for 10 months. We also dig into lessons for other towns: how to move faster, build smarter, and make space for new growth without losing local character.Whether you’re a mayor, developer, planner, or just someone who loves watching cities come back to life — this one’s for you.🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.
Ohad Maiman is one of the most visionary figures in modern aquaculture. After successfully launching The Kingfish Company in the Netherlands (one of the world’s most sustainable land-based aquaculture operations) he set his sights on the U.S. market. His goal: bring clean, tech-enabled fish farming to rural Maine. His promise: a $200M investment, 80+ jobs, local hiring, low emissions, and zero impact on wild fisheries.He had the permits. He had the support of the community in Jonesport. He had capital ready to deploy.And then, the appeals began.In this episode, Ohad joins Jonathan Bush to tell the full story: how a green project with local backing and global relevance was delayed, discredited, and ultimately derailed not by policy, but by process.You’ll learn:Why land-based aquaculture could transform Maine’s rural economyWhy land-based aquaculture could transform Maine’s rural economyWho really stood to lose from Kingfish USA—and who worked to block itWhat other states and countries are doing right that Maine is getting wrongWhat policy reforms could help Maine compete in the futureIt’s a cautionary tale (and a roadmap for future Maine entrepreneurs).Ohad has since launched new ventures, as the Founder and Managing Partner at AquaFounders Capital, aimed at solving the aquaculture bottleneck globally. But his story in Maine still holds powerful lessons for what’s possible (and what’s holding us back).Because if we want Maine to lead, we need to make “yes” mean something again.Listen now on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
What started in the basement of a YMCA is now one of the most innovative community centers in the country.In this episode, Jonathan Bush sits down with Barrett Takesian, founder and executive director of Portland Community Squash, a one-of-a-kind community hub that blends sports, youth development, immigrant integration, and economic mobility under one roof.Barrett shares how he turned a few squash courts into a multigenerational, multicultural home for over 1,000 families in greater Portland — and why it works.We cover:Why programs that try to “pick a lane” fail — and what happens when you build for everyoneHow squash became the vehicle for something much biggerThe business strategy behind belonging, and why it’s twice as effective as traditional modelsWhy he runs tournaments by skill, not age or gender — and how that creates connection across class and cultureWhat Barrett sees as Maine’s greatest untapped advantageThis is an episode about sports, yes — but more than that, it’s about community, entrepreneurship, and a radically hopeful vision for Maine’s future.Listen anywhere you get your podcasts.
How do you fix a government system that punishes truth-tellers, hides behind confidentiality laws, and fails the very people it’s supposed to protect?In this episode, former Maine Secretary of State and longtime legislator Bill Diamond joins Jonathan Bush for a sobering look at what’s really happening inside Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) — the agency responsible for child protection.Bill shares the heartbreaking case that changed the course of his life, the culture of fear that’s silencing frontline workers, and why so many foster parents are walking away from a system that’s supposed to support them.This episode covers:How 148 children have died under DHHS involvement in just 5 yearsWhy foster families are quitting—and what it’s costing MaineThe massive failures of OCFS, Maine’s Office of Child and Family ServicesWhat Bill learned from attending child homicide trials across the stateCommon-sense reforms that every future Maine governor must act onWhy Walk a Mile in Their Shoes is fighting to bring transparency to DHHSThe broken technology system (Katahdin) wasting time and jeopardizing safetyAnd why simply admitting there’s a problem could be the first step toward fixing itIt’s one of the most important and revealing conversations we’ve had on Maine For Keeps.Listen now on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Sarah Lemonick is a U.S. Navy veteran and now a product manager at Atomic Canyon, where she’s helping shape the future of nuclear energy with AI. In this episode, she joins Jonathan Bush to talk about what Maine — and the country — can learn from her experience operating nuclear reactors aboard U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.Together, they explore:– What small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) actually are– How nuclear stacks up against solar, wind, coal, and natural gas– The safety lessons we’ve learned since Three Mile Island and Fukushima– Why nuclear waste is more compact (and less terrifying) than people think– How AI can help cut costs and regulatory bloat across the nuclear sector– The surprising role tech giants like Microsoft and Google are playing in nuclear’s comeback– What it would really take to bring small-scale nuclear to Maine—and why it’s worth consideringSarah also shares how a background in literature led to a career in nuclear ops, how the Navy shaped her leadership style, and why she believes the biggest energy opportunity for Maine isn’t wind or solar — but fission.This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about energy independence, climate policy, and the real future of clean power.
When athenahealth opened a small office in Belfast, Maine, no one expected it to become one of the state’s largest private employers. But under the leadership of Jonathan McDevitt, that office grew from a couple hundred people to nearly 1,000—creating real career paths in a rural community that had long been overlooked.In this episode, Jonathan Bush sits down with Jonathan McDevitt, former Senior VP at athenahealth, to talk about:What it really takes to scale a high-growth company in small-town MaineWhy word-of-mouth—not headhunters—was their most powerful recruiting toolHow Maine’s “hidden talent” could become its greatest economic assetThe workforce challenge no one can solve: 9% of young men not working, not in school, not even lookingWhy the next economic boom may come from the people already here—if we know how to activate themIf you care about innovation, rural revitalization, or building companies in Maine that actually last, this is one you don’t want to miss.Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations about Maine’s future.
What happens when a seasoned CPG operator and Liquid Death investor comes home to launch her own brand in Maine?Jen Millard is no stranger to growth. She helped take Bed Bath & Beyond public. She sold startups to Mastercard and DoorDash. And after decades of success, she returned to her home state to launch mainelove — a fast-growing canned water company that taps into Maine’s most undervalued natural asset: its water.In this episode, Jen joins Jonathan Bush to talk about:What makes Maine’s water the best in the countryWhy our 20-year economic plan doesn’t mention water onceWhat it’s like to scale a consumer brand in a state with no startup infrastructureHow we can build a real entrepreneurial ecosystem in MaineWhy most of our natural resources still leave the state unprocessedThis is a conversation about optimism, frustration, and the untapped economic potential right under our feet.Listen in, and then ask yourself: why hasn’t Maine built the water economy yet?
What happens when the boats disappear, the buyers retire, and the next generation doesn’t come back?In this raw and revealing conversation, Jonathan Bush sits down with Martin Molloy—a Navy vet turned legendary lobster buyer—to unpack what’s really happening to Maine’s working waterfront.They talk about the hard truths behind the decline in young lobstermen, the quiet collapse of Matinicus and North Haven’s fleets, and why labor shortages, pricing pressure from Canadian seasons, and outdated state policies are making survival harder than ever.But they also spotlight what’s still working—and what might save the fishery.Key themes include:How Matinicus went from 20 boats to 10—and what that says about the futureWhy Maine lobstermen are struggling to find crew (and how “Probation Point” became a labor pool)The market dynamics driving lobster prices from $9.50 to $5 in weeksThe cultural tension between stewardship, competition, and survivalWhat aquaculture and bait diversification are teaching us about adaptationThis isn’t just a story about lobster.It’s a story about rural economies, generational handoffs, and whether Maine can hold onto the soul of its coastal identity.⏱️ Chapters:00:00 – Matinicus memories and how they met04:00 – What a lobster buyer really does06:00 – The Navy, the transition, and family legacy13:00 – The decline of the island fleets16:00 – The labor shortage no one’s solving22:00 – Why Canadian supply crushes Maine’s lobster price27:00 – The lost opportunity in processing and exports32:00 – The case for diversification (bait, mussels, aquaculture)35:00 – Reflections on stewardship, policy, and the fight to stay in businessSubscribe for weekly conversations on the real challenges and future of Maine’s economy.🎧 Search Maine For Keeps wherever you get your podcasts.
Melissa LaCasse left public radio in New York to build Tanbark, a Maine-based startup replacing single-use plastic with sustainable molded fiber. The catch? She’s doing it in a state with almost no growth capital, aging manufacturing infrastructure, and endless red tape.In this episode, Jonathan Bush sits down with Melissa to talk about:Why Maine’s forests are our best climate assetWhat it actually takes to build a manufacturing startup in this stateWhy “stewardship” doesn’t mean “don’t touch anything”And the frustrating lack of funding that keeps Maine businesses smallMelissa doesn’t just talk sustainability—she lives it. And this episode is a masterclass in what’s possible when a big idea meets the right place… and still has to fight like hell to survive.📍 Timestamps:00:00 – Intro + how Jonathan and Melissa met01:15 – What is Tanbark and why does it matter?05:30 – Why Melissa built this company in Maine07:00 – How molded fiber is made (and why it’s so hard)12:30 – What makes Maine a great place to start—but a tough place to grow16:00 – The “valley of death” no one talks about23:00 – What Maine’s environmentalists get wrong27:00 – Melissa’s big vision: a new molded fiber mill in Maine35:00 – Final thoughts on stewardship, stagnation, and economic hope📢 Subscribe for more conversations about building a stronger, freer Maine.Full episodes drop weekly.
Maine is a state built on small businesses—so why did Forbes rank us 45th out of 50 for small business friendliness?In this episode of Maine For Keeps, Jonathan Bush sits down with Nate Cloutier, government affairs director for Hospitality Maine, to unpack the absurd barriers holding back Maine’s restaurant, hotel, and tourism industries—from soda fountain laws still on the books, to family leave mandates that punish seasonal businesses.They discuss:⛔ Why running a coffee shop in Maine could get you fined for not having a soda fountain💸 How well-intentioned policies push employers underground🍽️ The surprising apprenticeship programs fueling Maine’s food scene🏠 Why lack of workforce housing is Maine tourism’s #2 bottleneck📉 And how regulatory red tape is stifling growth in one of Maine’s most essential sectorsThis episode is a must-watch for anyone who wants to see Maine actually support the small businesses it claims to champion.🔔 Subscribe to Maine For Keeps and never miss an episode: www.maineforkeepspodcast.com📌 Timestamps:00:00 – Nate’s backstory: from French teacher to policy advocate03:20 – The economic footprint of tourism in Maine06:30 – How Maine became a food destination08:30 – Why young people aren’t staying in Maine11:00 – Family leave and seasonal work don’t mix14:00 – Maine’s “whiteboard of shame” for small business laws21:00 – Can we make it easier to start a restaurant?27:00 – Why workforce housing is the key to Maine’s future33:00 – The mindset shift Maine desperately needs
Andrew Bonarrigo isn’t a venture-backed CEO. He didn’t get a grant. He didn’t inherit a business. He started out cleaning antique bricks from the Rockland Jail, selling them for 35 cents apiece—and used the proceeds to build his own masonry company from scratch.Today, he runs one of the most respected construction crews on the coast of Maine. Year-round work. Eight full-time employees. On time. On budget. Every time.In this episode, we go deep on what it really takes to run a small business in Maine:⛏️ How he bootstrapped from a salvage yard to a 401K-equipped team📈 Why going legit almost bankrupted him💸 His take on Maine’s new paid family leave policy🏡 The hidden pitfalls of “affordable” housing initiatives🏗️ And why closing Dragon Cement might be the most backwards policy decision in decadesThis isn’t just a story about bricks and mortar. It’s a story about grit, pride, and what it means to bet on yourself—especially in a state that makes it harder than it should be.Timestamps:0:00 – From bootlegging bricks to building a business5:00 – Going legit: The moment he formed a corporation11:00 – The impact of Maine’s paid family leave law19:00 – Building his own home after work, in the dark23:00 – North Haven housing and the fairness dilemma25:00 – The Dragon Cement shutdown27:30 – What needs to change for Maine buildersSubscribe for more conversations with the real Mainers building the future of this state.
Everyone agrees Maine needs more housing. So why isn’t it getting built?In this episode of Maine For Keeps, Jonathan Bush sits down with Matt Marks, a lifelong Mainer and construction industry veteran, to pull back the curtain on the real reasons development in Maine is so painfully slow—and what we can do to change it.They cover:🛠️ Why developers are walking away from projects before they start🌲 When environmental policy turns into performance art (Christmas tree seawalls?)📈 The bright spot: trade school apprenticeships and a booming construction workforce📉 The dark spot: permit backlogs, regulatory death-by-a-thousand-cuts, and “not in my backyard” politics🚧 How to fix the system without sacrificing Maine’s environmental valuesIf you care about Maine’s housing crisis, workforce future, or economic development, this episode will both frustrate you and fire you up.Subscribe for honest conversations with the people who are fighting to make Maine a place we can all build and belong.
Maine isn’t just losing opportunities. We’re driving them away—with energy policies, regulatory gridlock, and a learned helplessness that’s sinking our economy.In this episode of Maine For Keeps, Jonathan Bush sits down with Matt Jacobson, Director of Sales & Marketing at Summit Natural Gas of Maine (and former CEO of Maine & Company), to have a brutally honest conversation about:How Maine’s energy costs got so out of controlWhy we’re importing natural gas from Trinidad instead of PennsylvaniaThe real math behind solar and wind (and why it’s not adding up)How rigid ideology crushed projects like Dragon Cement — and what it’s costing all of usWhat “learned helplessness” looks like at the state level—and how we break freeWhy nuclear and pragmatic energy investments could be Maine’s ticket to a real futureAnd how the American dream shouldn’t require leaving Maine to achieve itIf you’re tired of seeing Maine fall behind while politicians pat themselves on the back, this is the episode you don’t want to miss.We’re not here to complain—we’re here to rebuild.🔔 Subscribe and join the conversation about Maine’s economic future.
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States