Maine Gov. Paul LePage: A Personal Comeback, A State’s Comeback

March 18, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Republican Governors Association today launched the next video of the American Comeback project, a national advertising effort designed to tell the success stories and accomplishments of Republican governors.

In this week’s featured video of the American Comeback project, Maine Governor Paul LePage tells the story of how he rose up from a life on the streets to a life dedicated to public service. His troubled childhood has empowered him to create an opportunity economy in Maine, helping others escape the grip of poverty and government dependence just as he did.

You can view Governor LePage’s video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTlhi9LFS0Y

“In 1960, my father gave me this fifty cent piece, and I’ve carried a fifty cent piece since 1960. He hospitalized me with some pretty severe beating, and gave me this fifty cent piece, asked me to tell the doctors I fell down the stairs,” said Governor LePage. “So I put my clothes on and I left the hospital and that’s how my life started on the streets.”

“When you run away from home, you can go right or left, and I went right.”

“I want to see Maine people be prosperous. I want to see Maine people being able to afford to own land on the ocean,” said Governor LePage. “Those are the things that drive me. It’s about Maine people being prosperous, not about being on welfare.”

“I think Washington is absolutely broken,” Governor LePage concluded. “It’s the states that get up every morning. We have to balance our budget. We have to pay our expenses. We have to pay our bills. We can change anything that needs to be changed. We just need to get up and do it. Republican governors are driving America’s comeback.”

The American Comeback project will grow to include more videos focused on individual Republican governors, their personal journeys and the progress they’ve made toward bringing prosperity to their states.

You can view previously released American Comeback videos featuring Republican governors here:  http://www.rga.org/americancomeback/the-american-comeback/.