Release: MHPC on Verso Paper Closure
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2014
PORTLAND, Maine – The Maine Heritage Policy Center, Maine’s preeminent free-market think tank, released the following statement on today’s announcement that Verso Paper of Bucksport will close.
“Once again, a paper mill in Maine is closing because it is impossible for them to succeed in today’s market,” said MHPC CEO Matt Gagnon.”For forty years, Maine has pursued policies that have created an expensive, hostile business environment, made worse by labor union bosses, who have helped make our mills noncompetitive.
“Now is the time to get serious about reforming Maine’s regulatory environment, addressing high energy costs and enacting reforms that take power from the hands of labor bosses and give it back where it belongs. To the workers,” he said. “More than 500 hard-working Mainers will now be out of work, and we owe it to them to make sure this does not continue to happen.”