6/28/2005 - The London-based Foreign Direct Investment magazine, a Financial Times publication, has ranked Maine's quality of life as the best in the nation in its June 2005 "U.S. Cities and States of the Future" issue. In the issue's state information technology and telecoms category, Maine tied for third place with Texas and Maryland.Maine's educational performance, with high school graduation rates leading the nation at 95.4 percent and a quality of education ranking in the top 10 percent, was a major factor in the selection. The state's health care, which includes 39 acute care and specialty hospitals, also played an important role.Maine's school laptop computer program, which provides all seventh- and eighth-graders with laptops, was recognized as the only one of its kind in the world. The editors also acknowledged Maine as the first state in the nation to equip all schools and libraries with Internet access.In January, the magazine invited North American economic development agencies to nominate their city or state as a competitive location for foreign investment. The Maine International Trade Center, Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, and the state's business attraction firm, Maine and Company, nominated Maine. Judges for the issue included corporate and location consulting representatives.

(Click on link above to read story as it appeared in the "Portland Press Herald" on 6/28/05.)