An organization called Opportunity Maine has collected enough signatures to put a referendum question on the ballot that would ask voters to offer income-tax credits to graduates of Maine colleges who choose to stay in the state.

Maine voters might not even need to approve such a program, however, because legislators seem to be tripping over one another to pass bills that would do the same thing.

“I sincerely applaud their efforts, but I am optimistic that their measure will not be necessary,” said Sen. Dennis Damon, D-Hancock County. “Last summer I submitted legislation that will accomplish the exact same goals as their measure.”

All of these efforts are to address the so-called “brain drain” politicians seem to be fond of talking about. This is to address the accurate perception that many native Mainers leave the state after they graduate from college.

Under the program proposed in the referendum question, students who chose to stay in the state after college would get a tax credit that would be capped at the cost of tuition and fees for the University of Maine System or Maine Community College System.

While the desire to hang on to the state’s best and brightest to ensure they will make their contributions here is understandable, it’s also important to recognize that many of these students can benefit from leaving the state for a while. While there’s nothing wrong with living in Maine for your entire life, many people benefit from the perspective and experience they get elsewhere.

There are opportunities to learn and earn outside of this state, and many young people who leave will return someday. They will be drawn back by family, the state’s beautiful scenery, or by the nagging feeling that this place is, ultimately, their home.

There are opportunities outside Maine that can enrich the lives of people who take advantage of them. Many other places around the country are more ethnically and culturally diverse than Maine. Cities larger than Maine’s largest, Portland, offer intellectual opportunities and career training that isn’t available here.

Those who return will come back with the experience and perspective they’ve gained from living in different places. They might come to understand their home better – its potential and its limitations. They might return with an idea that can lead to new innovation in the state. They might earn some money that they decide to bring back and reinvest in a new business here. There are plenty of possibilities that would benefit both the people who leave and the state they return to.

It’s fine to create incentives to keep people in Maine. The future of this state will ultimately hinge upon the hard work and talent of those who live here.

However, it’s also important for the state’s leaders to offer some incentives to those who choose to leave and come back. The state will ultimately benefit from that.

Brendan Moran, editor