Author: James Erwin

During his campaign for governor in 2014, Congressman Mike Michaud often uttered the talking point “We’re gonna make Maine the breadbasket of New England.” Presumably, one accomplishes this by reviving our state’s declining agricultural output. While I don’t know much about bread, I have maintained a keen interest in the exploits of the Maine Milk Commission, and by extension, our state’s dairy production for many years. Recalling the former congressman’s comments on agriculture, I decided to check up on the Maine dairy industry and the government organ concerned with it. I was quite surprised to stumble into an excellent case…

This fall, the voters of Maine may be treated to not one but two different ballot proposals to raise the state’s minimum wage (which currently stands at $7.50 per hour). The first proposal, backed by the Maine People’s Alliance (MPA), would see the minimum raised to $12 per hour by the year 2020. The potential counter-measure would raise minimum wage to $10 per hour (also by 2020) and is still before the legislature for approval. MPA argues that the workers of Maine deserve a “living wage,” and seem determined to perpetuate the false idea that only through government mandate can this be…