AUGUSTA, Maine — U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud hopes that a change of address — namely, a move from Washington, D.C., to the Maine governor's mansion — won't lessen his impact on credit unions.
Michaud, who has represented Maine in Congress since 2003, is the Democratic candidate for governor in Maine, running to oust Republican Gov. Paul LePage. Prior to coming to Washington, Michaud was a member of Maine's state House and Senate, including serving as Senate president and presiding over a split body of 17 Republicans, 17 Democrats and one Independent.
A longtime member and honorary board member at $59 million Eastmill FCU in East Millinocket, Michaud told Credit Union Journal recently that he believes he can be just as effective for CUs as a chief executive as he was as a Congressman. The key, he said, is for CUs to keep serving their members and ensuring that lawmakers understand the good work they're doing.
"When you look at credit unions, they support their membership. When you look at the issues facing all credit unions here in Maine, the issue is making sure we have an economy that's working for Mainers," he said.
Part of Michaud's plan for that, he explained, is to work "to make Maine the food basket for New England. We have the youngest farmers in the country, per capita, and one of the areas as I go around Maine that I hear quite often is that it's hard for them to get the capital investments they need with a small farm."
CU Focused on Farming
One element of Michaud's solution for that is to help create a credit union specifically for the agricultural community in Maine.
"The reason we're establishing a credit union is we want a credit union to have the expertise in farming... and in that credit union they'll know the federal programs, state programs, whatever services the credit union can provide to help farmers," he said. "Maine is such a very rural, large state that there is farming throughout the whole state. And by having a credit union that focuses on farming, then they can partner with other credit unions, regardless of where they're located throughout the state of Maine."
And if he's elected, how soon could a CU for Maine farmers open for business? There's no timeline on that yet, he said.
"I've got to get elected first."
'Strong Friend' To Credit Unions
In addition to helping farmers, Michaud also stressed the importance of infrastructure in Maine "beyond just roads, bridges and rail," including increased broadband access to attract more businesses to the state.
The Maine CU League endorsed Michaud's candidacy last October, and in February league reps told CU Journal that the congressman "has a long history of supporting Maine credit unions during his nearly 20 years in the Maine Legislature and more than a decade in Congress, and, as governor, he would be a strong friend and advocate for credit unions and our issues."
While the governorship would take Michaud away from Congressional battles over credit union issues, as governor, he said, "I'll be in Maine more often and be able to work with credit unions here in the state not only on those issues, but also because of my relationship with credit unions I'll be able to reach out to them" to work on larger issues affecting their members.
"The fact that credit unions are membership driven is crucial in really finding out what people are really going through," he said. "That's why making sure that credit unions have a seat at the table when we're setting policy — whether it directly affects credit unions or indirectly affects credit union members — is crucial."
Keep Hiking the Hill
With several Congressional terms under his belt, Michaud said that CUs can ensure their voices are heard by continuing to do what they're already doing.
"Keep doing the visits to the Hill," he said. "Whether it's in Congress or at state capitols, one of the things I find that elected officials on both sides of the aisle really pay attention to is when their constituents come to visit them with concerns on legislation and other areas that may be on their minds. My advice is to continue to do the one-on-one contacts with elected officials both at the state and federal level, and keep the lines of communication open."
Should he win the governorship, Michaud said he plans to keep in contact with the Congressional delegation in order to make sure that credit unions' priorities aren't overlooked.
"We're very fortunate in Maine that the current delegation has been very supportive of credit unions," he said. "I don't think that will change with this election. I think members who may get elected to Congress to replace my seat will definitely be supportive."
