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Informed that the event was wrapping up, LePage said he had two more points to make. The first was just one word: “energy.” The second was, he said, in reference to “workforce development.”
“About 47% of able-bodied people in the state of Maine don’t work,” said LePage. On the recording you can hear a member of the audience ask “what?” LePage repeats himself: “About 47%. It’s really bad.”
The audio is online here. It’s quite clear, and unless the clip has been altered dramatically, it doesn’t seem as if there’s a forgiving context.
There are a few angles to keep in mind with a quote like this. First, LePage simply has no idea what he’s talking about. As the Bangor Daily News’ Mike Tipping explained, “Currently, around 65% of Mainers over the age of 15 are working or are unemployed and actively seeking work. Of the remaining 35%, almost all are retired, are caring for children or other family members, are pursuing education or training or have a disability that prevents them from working. Only a tiny fraction aren’t working for other reasons.”
