Author: Paul LePage

Question 5 on the November ballot is asking Mainers to replace traditional elections with a voting scheme that would give losing candidates a second chance at winning—and maybe even a third chance. The proposal for ranked-choice voting would throw out the traditional voting system we have been using for 200 years. It would create a complicated system of multiple rounds of voting in which last-place candidates are eliminated until a candidate wins by majority. Some ballots would be discarded and America’s time-honored tradition of “one person, one vote” would no longer apply. This bizarre and cumbersome system would mean that…

We all agree more money should go directly into the classroom to benefit students and teachers. But Question 2 on the November ballot won’t do that. Question 2 is the latest in a line of ballot questions claiming to solve education funding in Maine. First they told us legalizing the lottery would be the silver bullet to fund education. Then it was the casinos, then it was making the state pay 55% of education costs. Now, they’re asking us to increase taxes on Maine families and small businesses to get more money for education. The National Teachers’ Association is funneling…

Bad decision-making in energy policy is expensive. These bad decisions show up on your electric bill, and they’ve been holding Maine back for 30 years. In the 1970s, environmentalists, like NRCM, blocked the expansion of hydropower, which had been vital to Maine’s economy and manufacturing base. Meanwhile, the Province of Quebec decided to pursue hydro development. Quebec is now ready to be a huge exporter of electric power to New England. We could benefit from their low rates. The 1980s were really bad. The Legislature gave contracts to independent generators at the equivalent of the future price of oil. They…

Dear State Employees, Recently, the print media and the union bosses at the Maine State Employees Association would have you believe that in the next biennial budget I will be sending pink slips to thousands of state employees, all in an effort to lower the income tax rate to 5.75 percent. They are simply wrong. I want to be perfectly clear: the overall goal of our next budget is to create a more affordable and efficient government that is accountable to the taxpayer and controls spending and reduces taxes. Here are the facts: the Maine Legislature authorized money for more…

The Maine Education Association has a tremendous influence on legislators in Augusta. But make no mistake: the MEA’s mission has nothing to do with improving education for our children. I have never kowtowed to special interest groups—and I will not now. That’s why we must expose the MEA’s tactics to the Maine people. The MEA is nothing more than a lobbying group trying to get more money from taxpayers for an education system that is not improving. The MEA wants legislators to support a 10 percent income tax on successful Mainers. They claim the state has never fulfilled its obligation…

Being an engaged citizen is more important today than ever. As the general election in November approaches, we as Americans have choices to make. This presidential race will mark a pivotal point in our nation’s history and it is up to the people to vote for a leader who will protect our country and our people. I believe voting is a responsibility each one of us shares. I am not one to tell you how to vote, but it is important that voters know what they are voting for. Mainers tend to turnout in large numbers to the polls during…

Democrats cannot break their bad spending habits.  This week I had to sign an Executive Order authorizing the Executive Branch to identify funding for several bills. I was forced to do this because the Legislature failed to pay for these bills prior to its adjournment. Unfortunately, the Legislature’s lack of fiscal management is going to place unnecessary strain on various programs and salary negotiating processes within the Executive Branch. However, we are going to do our best to mitigate the impacts of this unfunded legislation with available resources. The Legislature abdicated its responsibility by not funding four pieces of legislation.…

The proposal for Universal Background Checks on the November ballot seems simple, but it’s not. First of all, according to Constitutions of the United States and Maine, it is likely unconstitutional.  Gun control is a very emotional issue, especially after unstable people use firearms to kill innocent Americans. The media and liberal politicians use these horrific tragedies to demand the government take firearms away from law-abiding citizens. New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg is backing this anti-gun effort to require background checks on the private transfers or sale of all firearms. Article I, Section 16 of the State of Maine Constitution clearly…

Last week the executive director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine was outraged about a letter I wrote to their donors. But instead of responding directly to me, she decided to grandstand. I sent a letter to Lisa Pohlmann, who is the face of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and a couple hundred of its donors. I explained that while everyone supports a healthy environment, NRCM is doing it at the expense of good-paying jobs for rural Mainers who are desperate for employment. The job-crushing, anti-business policies of NRCM are preventing Mainers in rural towns across our state…

I’m writing to make donors to Natural Resources Council of Maine aware of this organization’s true intent. While everyone supports a healthy environment, NRCM is doing it at the expense of good-paying jobs for rural Mainers who are desperate for employment. It is easy for out-of-state visitors, residents of wealthy coastal towns and those living in Southern Maine to support the perceived policies of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Since this group of donors enjoy low rates of unemployment, nice homes and neighborhoods and thriving and successful businesses, they may be unfamiliar with the harsh crisis facing rural Maine,…

We have made progress to lower the income tax, fight the drug epidemic, create jobs and get Mainers more involved in their local elections. But activists are working hard to reverse this progress. They want to take Maine backwards. These activists have put questions on the November ballot to increase taxes, legalize drugs, destroy entry-level jobs and determine the outcome of elections in an unconstitutional manner. We have fought for five years to reduce the income tax from 8.5 to 7.15%. We want to gradually phase it out until it is gone. It would be the biggest wage increase we…

One of the great privileges of my time as Governor has been the many opportunities I’ve had to meet our military families and to pay tribute to their courageous dedication. In a state with one of the highest percentages of veterans of any state in the country, honoring Maine’s proud tradition of military service has been critically important to my administration. That’s why I am pleased to announce a bold new initiative for the state of Maine, a first-of-its kind website, which will connect veterans to the many programs and benefits they have earned because of their service to our…

The Natural Resources Council of Maine is at it again. First, they denied high-paying mining jobs to rural Mainers. Then they tried to raise electricity costs by giving above-market-rate contracts to the solar industry. Now they are ignoring the will of Mainers by asking President Obama to unilaterally create a national park in the Katahdin region. The Natural Resources Council of Maine knows the people of rural Maine do not want a national park on Roxanne Quimby’s land in the Katahdin region.  Town after town has voted against it. The Legislature approved a bill I proposed to block creation of…

The Maine Education Association is putting a dishonest initiative on the November ballot. They call it “Stand Up for Students,” but it is just another attempt to extort more taxes from Maine families and businesses without improving education. It is difficult to explain to Mainers that the K-through-12 education system has more than enough funding to give our students a proper education. Whenever the MEA wants more money, they just tug on parents’ heartstrings and say, “It’s for the children.” Everyone supports children, and everyone supports funding for education. The problem is not money. The problem is the union bosses…

As a shameless shill for liberal causes, it’s no surprise that Cynthia Dill points the finger elsewhere for the state of the Maine economy. Her April 17 column, “Maine’s report card will make you see red,” castigates me for our state’s poor economic performance, but she neglects to mention the real obstacle to growth and prosperity: the Legislature’s socialist ideology. Forty years of a Democratic stranglehold on Augusta transformed Maine from a society of rugged individualists into a highly taxed, anti-business state in which liberals were proud to perpetuate poverty through an out-of-control welfare system. It won’t be changed overnight…