Former Gov. John Baldacci once promised that economic development zones would create new jobs.

Professor and economist Charlie Colgan, in an article in the newspaper in January 2010, reported that between the fall of 1999 and fall 2009, Maine gained 44,000 people and only 56 jobs.

Now Gov. Paul LePage promises to create new jobs through tax cuts.

It is not much of a stretch to assume that we can expect similar results.

A famous rider once shouted, “The British are coming.”

Now the hue and cry of these modern-day Paul Reveres is, “The jobs are coming! The jobs are coming!”

The glaring difference is that the British really were coming. Likely the jobs are not. Only time will tell.

Thomas Ouellette

Smithfield