South Portland mayor wants Maine divided

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- The mayor of South Portland, Maine, said during his recent inaugural address he believes the Pine Tree state should be split in two.

The Boston Globe reported Sunday that Mayor James Soule said southern Maine should separate from the rest of the state and become the 51st state.

"Now, before I'm labeled a wacko or crazed lunatic, I have already been in contact with officials from Freeport, Portland, Westbrook, Cape Elizabeth, and Scarborough, and no one has called 911 to have me examined," Soule said during his inaugural address.

Soule said the current school funding method used by Maine has proven ineffective for the southern half of the state and that secession could be a potential answer for such a problem.

Currently, only 10 percent of South Portland's $40 million school budget comes from the state, despite the fact the city generates $45 million in taxes.

Meanwhile, at least one northern Maine official has backed Soule's proposal regarding the widening gap between the state's two regions.

"I would encourage (Soule's) endeavor, as long as it's a bit tongue-in-cheek and more about recognizing the differences between regions," Caribou City Manager Steven Buck told the Globe.