Author: Steve Robinson

A new advertisement from the Republican Governors Association (RGA) contrasts Gov. Paul LePage with “blow-dried” politicians. “Some people like their politicians blow dried. Others prefer the cookie cutter model. Or those who always have the perfect sound bite. And then there’s Paul LePage,” a female narrator says as images of LePage and Maine workers flash on screen. According to a source with detailed knowledge of RGA’s communications strategy who asked not to be identified, the group has already purchased as much as $3 million in television time for ads supporting LePage. “Governor LePage is no run-of-the-mill politician, and he has shown…

Following the controversial policing tactics employed in Ferguson, Mo., and heightened concern over the militarization of American police departments, the Department of Defense has released data detailing equipment it gives police departments throughout the United States. Police departments across the State of Maine have taken advantage of this program, receiving approximately $12 million in military equipment, according to The New York Times, which placed the DoD data in an interactive database. Maine police departments have obtained 463 assault rifles, 37 pistols, 32 shotguns, 8 armored vehicles, and 2 planes. In addition, police departments have received items such as first aid…

Gov. Paul LePage joins Maine Wire Editor Steve Robinson for the latest episode of The Robinson Report, a joint venture with As Maine Goes. In a rare interview, LePage talks about the current governor’s race, his hopes for his political future, and what he’s learned about himself — and his state — over the past three and half years. Check out the interview now on As Maine Goes! LePage talks about his plans to further reform Maine’s welfare system and how he would eliminate Maine’s income tax if elected to a second term. The governor also speaks candidly about his penchant…

AUGUSTA – Maine’s unemployment rate remained at 5.5 percent for the month of July – the lowest since August of 2008, according to the Maine Department of Labor. “Since we took office, almost 22,000 private-sector jobs have been created in Maine,” Gov. Paul R. LePage said in a statement. Maine’s unemployment rate was well below the U.S. average of 6.2 percent and below the New England average of 5.8 percent. Rates for other New England states were 4.4 percent in New Hampshire, 3.7 percent in Vermont, 5.6 percent in Massachusetts, 7.7 percent in Rhode Island, and 6.6 percent in Connecticut.…

In the Midwestern United States, one charter school’s approach to blended learning was ambitious right from the start. The first five Nexus Academy schools – three in Ohio (Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo) and two in Michigan (Lansing and Grand Rapids) all launched on the same day: September 4, 2012. All were conceptualized, designed and launched as fully blended schools from the beginning, with the goal of creating an altogether different kind of high school. Nexus Academy schools are public and free to all students. According to the founders of Nexus, the goals were to preserve the personalization of virtual schooling…

By No Common Core Maine — The chair of Maine’s State Board of Education, Peter Geiger, wrote recently (see here) that Common Core won’t change Maine’s tradition of local control in education. Pointing to his two decades of having “had an unusually close look at public education,” Mr. Geiger felt he had to respond to the “great deal of criticism in almost every aspect of what we do in our schools.” He then addressed five aspects, which he labeled, “Rigor”, “Secrecy”, “State vs. Local”, “Common Core”, and “Testing”. Mr. Geiger reassured us that while “education has always been a complicated…

In an Arizona desert town near the Mexico and California borders, an innovative charter school is changing the way American students learn, one child at a time. They’re doing it with a blended learning model that leverages technology – combined with hands-on teacher interaction – to deliver customized learning experiences to every student. That school is Carpe Diem Collegiate High School and Middle School in Yuma, Arizona – a publicly funded but privately operated charter school – and their unconventional approach to learning is quickly catching on. Carpe Diem started in 2000 as a traditional public charter school serving nearly…

Greetings from Amherst to all readers of the Maine Wire: With fewer than 90 days to Election Day, it’s time to take off the gloves. Here’s the deal. Democrats lie about Republicans every day, and the lies are echoed and amplified by the liberal media. Our task is to simply tell the truth about the Democrats, and keep repeating and sharing the truth every day between now and Nov. 4th and beyond. Please share this op-ed with all your social media contacts. SURVEY SAYS: MORE JOBS, LESS WELFARE Voters in rural eastern Maine are fed up with the status quo, fed up…

In southeast Denver, Colorado, one young public charter school is using blended learning to serve at-risk elementary school children – and it is generating some impressive results. Rocky Mountain Prep (RMP) is spearheaded by founder and CEO James Cryan, a 2007 graduate of Colby College in Waterville, Maine. After teaching for two years in a traditional public school through Teach for America (TFA), a program that places recent college graduates in challenging classrooms with at-risk students, Cryan got his MBA from Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. In July of 2010, he decided to take the TFA…

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’s reelection is nearly as certain as death and taxes, according to the Washington Post’s Election Lab predictions released on Thursday. According to WaPo, Collins has a greater than 99 percent chance of defeating her challenger, Democrat Shenna Bellows. Here’s what WaPo says about their Election Lab: “Like most forecasting models, Election Lab uses the past to predict the future. To predict House and Senate elections in 2014, we draw on the elections from 1980-2012. We first look at how well key factors were related to outcomes in those past elections. Then, we gather information…

POLAND – Two Democratic lawmakers are wrapped in a scandal surrounding the town of Poland’s Tax Increment Finance (TIF) districts, some incomplete accounting work, and a bill some believe is too high. The over-billing conflict became public knowledge following a July 15 Sun Journal story that quoted several Poland officials who were angry with Community Dynamic Corp.’s decision to bill the town $12,725 for services originally estimated to cost $6,900. “I can understand 10 or maybe 20 percent over, but not this,” Selectman Walter Gallagher said of the bill, which was about 80 percent over estimate. “I’m furious. Taxpayers out there are going to be…

The Washington Post’s Election Lab is predicting that Republicans will grow their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives by four seats, including Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. According to WaPo’s analysis, former State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin has a 64 percent chance of defeating Democratic state Sen. Emily Cain in the race to see who will replace Rep. Michael Michaud, who vacated the seat after 12 years to run for governor. On the Senate side, WaPo is predicting Republicans will win seven seats and assume the majority. Here’s what WaPo says about their Election Lab: “Like most forecasting models, Election Lab…

Jay Nordlinger, well-known columnist for National Review, has written a series about the Pine Tree State, “The State of Maine: Not all lobster bibs and brisk swims.” Nordlinger endeavors to show both the picturesque Maine featured in tourism brochures and also the “other Maine” — the Maine stricken with poverty, drug abuse, and a struggling illiberal economy. Visit NRO to read his pieces here, here, and here.

AUGUSTA – The Department of Health and Human Services will begin drug testing convicted felons who receive cash welfare benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, Gov. Paul LePage said Tuesday. “We must ensure that our tax dollars do not enable the continuation of a drug addiction,” LePage said in a press release. “If someone tests positive for drugs, they are clearly putting their addiction ahead of their family’s needs,” he said. If a person tests positive, the individual will have the option to be tested a second time, according to DHHS. Individuals may avoid termination of benefits…

The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM) on Tuesday called on its former director  to stop interfering with its business and to disclose his political work on behalf of candidates for elected office. George Smith, who ran SAM for 18 years before becoming a columnist and consultant, claimed he is advising both of Gov. Paul LePage’s opponents in the current gubernatorial race, according to emails obtained by The Maine Wire. The emails in which Smith said he is advising both Democratic Rep. Michael Michaud and independent Eliot Cutler were forwarded to The Maine Wire by SAM following Smith’s scathing Bangor Daily News column published…

Maine’s liberals are at it again, cherry picking data in an attempt to portray Gov. Paul LePage’s economic policies as unsuccessful. On social media and via Democratic Websites, liberal activists are touting a click-bait blog post from Business Insider that allegedly shows Maine’s economy is under performing. But on Tuesday David Sorensen, communications director for the Maine Republican Party, blasted liberals’ arguments to smithereens simply by pointing up comments made by local Maine economists. “[T]he Dems like to compare the raw number of jobs or GDP growth in Maine to other states’ since the recession.  Here’s what nonpartisan Maine Department of…

Debt held by the American government has surged under President Barack Obama. CNSNews.com reports: “The total federal debt of the U.S. government has now increased more than $7 trillion during the slightly more than five and a half years Barack Obama has been president.” According to CNSNews.com, that debt increase amounts to more than the combined debt accrued under all U.S. presidents from George Washington through Bill Clinton, “and it is more debt than was accumulated in the first 227 years of this nation’s existence–from 1776 through 2003.” Read the full analysis here.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, fresh off a trip to Texas she organized to expect the U.S.-Mexico border, said on Saturday that the majority of immigrants entering the country illegally are teenage boys. “Prior to my visit there yesterday I was under the impression that most of these children were very young. In fact, most of them are teenage boys between the ages of 14 and 17,” Collins told me on WGAN’s Inside Maine this weekend. “That doesn’t mean that it isn’t still a huge problem — it is. But it changes the complexion of the problem and what our approach needs…

A leaked intelligence analysis from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — obtained by Breitbart News —  shows that individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally are not just from Mexico or Central American nations. According to the unclassified analysis, illegal immigrants have come from more than 75 countries including India, China and Pakistan. 235768688-Darby-CBP-Leak-Numbers-Globe

AUGUSTA – The Maine Republican Party has issued the first edition of what it says will be a series of memos about GOP candidates and their opponents. The subject of the first memo, published Wednesday morning, is Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s successful push to payoff more than $500 million in medical welfare debts owed to Maine’s hospitals. The memo begins in 1980 when, according to the GOP, Maine first began the payment system that ultimately enabled the massive debt to accumulate. “In 1980, Maine began a system of paying hospitals a set amount monthly for Medicaid services rendered, settling up at…

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Shenna Bellows has been caught misrepresenting her support from AFL-CIO labor unions. “I received the unanimous endorsement of the AFL/CIO,” Bellows told a crowd at the left-wing Net Roots conference in Detroit. Contrary to Bellows’ claim, she does not have unanimous support from AFL-CIO unions. In fact, Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who leads Bellows by more than 55 to 36 points, according to publicly available polling data, received the endorsements of four AFL-CIO unions. The unions backing Collins include: the Maine Professional Fire Fights, United Auto Workers Local 3999, Local S6 Industrial Union of Marine &…

To most Americans, the words “Export-Import Bank” don’t mean very much. The DC insiders, cozy with international corporate interests putting taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies, want to keep it that way, too. The Export-Import Bank is big businesses’ big-government bank backed by U.S. taxpayers. It sends huge amounts of assistance to foreign corporations, buyers, and companies that are hostile to our economic and security interests, but can afford armies of lobbyists to access easy financing backed by American taxpayers. Contrary to the values that keep America strong, safe and free, the Export-Import Bank…

“A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation.” — Ronald Reagan America faces two serious problems on our southwestern border. One is the overall immigration issue we’ve been debating for years. The other is the growing humanitarian crisis from thousands of unaccompanied Central American minors crossing the Texas border. As a parent, I can’t imagine sending a child or young adult on a dangerous 1,400-mile journey from Central America through Mexico to the U.S. border. However, desperate parents have entrusted ruthless human traffickers to deliver nearly 60,000 of their children to our national doorstep since last fall.…

It has become cliché to note that the Portland Press Herald newspaper is owned by a very wealthy Democratic donor. In light of recent events, however, a refresher seems appropriate. S. Donald Sussman, majority owner of MaineToday Media, is a billionaire hedge fund manager who happens to be married to U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat. Mr. Sussman is also a member of the secretive Democracy Alliance, an elite club of millionaires and billionaires who spend mindboggling sums influencing elections and culture. He has contributed a small fortune to liberal Democrat candidates, liberal super PACs and liberal activists. He also happens…

According to a report at SeacoastOnline.com, U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud was not the Maine Democratic Party’s first choice for the governor’s race — independent candidate Eliot Cutler was. The report, which covers a Cutler campaign event in Kennebunkport, includes the following indirect quote from the candidate: Cutler went on to say that after the 2010 election, the democratic party had contacted him to ask him to run as a democrat, assuring him they’d “clear the field” for him, but Cutler turned them down because, “that’s a party being run by organized labor.” As David Sorensen, communications director for the Maine…

As problems with President Barack Obama’s health care law continue to unfold across the country, a new sting operation launched by the Government Accountability Office has discovered a troubling trend: Obamacare’s enrollment system is unable to discern fake applications for federal health care subsidies. The GAO’s sting operation submitted 18 fake applications to healthcare.gov seeking subsidies for health insurance, according to a report from National Journal. A majority — 11 of 18 — of the fake applications were accepted, raising questions about how many other improper or fraudulent applications have gone unnoticed. From National Journal: The accuracy of the health…

AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday it will require nearly 12,000 able-bodied Food Stamp recipients to work, provide volunteer services, or participate in job training as a condition of receiving the federal welfare benefit. “People who are in need deserve a hand up, but we should not be giving able-bodied individuals a handout,’’ said Gov. Paul R. LePage in a statement. “We must continue to do all that we can to eliminate generational poverty and get people back to work,” he said. “We must protect our limited resources for those who are truly in need…

At a campaign event in Saco on Monday, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Michael Michaud joined York County Democrats in giving a standing ovation to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick for his controversial decision to welcome undocumented immigrant children into Massachusetts’ schools and communities. Patrick, a Democrat, announced last week that his administration will find ways for the Bay State to host immigrant children who recently crossed the US southwest border illegally. Although the federal government has said it will foot the bill for housing, clothing and feeding the untold number of young Central American immigrants, some Massachusetts cities and towns have objected to…

As the 2014 gubernatorial campaign heats up, political parties, politicians, political action committees and even anonymous Twitter accounts are making all manner of claims about their favorite — and no so favorite — candidates. But one claim deserves some further scrutiny. The Maine Republican Party is claiming that U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, the Democratic candidate for governor, has never managed to get a bill passed throughout his 12 years in Congress. Put differently, they claim Michaud has never introduced a bill which subsequently became law. Here’s an example of that talking point in action from former Republican state senator Debra…

By Debra Plowman — Mainers expect bold leadership from their representatives in Washington, D.C. Whether Democratic or Republican, the people we have sent from our small state to our nation’s capital have stood out and have gotten things done in that crowded town. Ed Muskie wrote the Clean Air and Water Acts. Bill Cohen became a respected secretary of defense — a Republican working with a Democratic president at a critical juncture in our history. George Mitchell rose to the top of the Senate as majority leader, accomplishing much for Mainers and all Americans. Susan Collins recently was named one of the…

Did you miss Maine Wire Editor Steve Robinson when he filled in for John McDonald on Saturday? Be sure to catch the podcasts of from his first solo radio show! Robinson talks about Eric Holder’s Justice Department with John Fund, senior national affairs correspondent for National Review Online: Listen! David Trahan, executive director of the Sportman’s Alliance of Maine, joins Robinson to talk about the effort by out-of-state activists to outlaw Maine’s bear hunting tradition: Listen! Robinson talks with a Maine mom who has experienced a nightmare in dealing with President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Erica Fallon’s story puts a…

Shenna Bellows, Democratic candidate for Senate, is taking flak for her campaigns use of an out-of-state actor in a commercial. Although the ad talks about supporting Maine workers, Phil Harriman, columnist for the Portland Press Herald, points out that the hardhat-wearing actor in the commercial actually comes from stock footage. The Maine Republican Party is asking, why Bellows didn’t choose actual Maine workers? From Harriman’s Agree to Disagree column: Shenna Bellows released a new television ad on Friday. In it she discusses the need for raising the minimum wage and increasing social security. Throughout the ad she has images of adults and…

A Maine family is enduring a nightmare as the result of systemic data problems with the government-run health insurance exchanges created under President Obama’s health care reform law. Sean and Erica Fallon live in Gardiner, Maine. Like most Americans, they were aware of the drastic changes the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, brought this year to the health insurance market. But they never imagined the government-run exchanges would come to stand between them and health coverage for their newborn daughter. Sean is an Army Reserve veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom who served with the 619th Transportation unit out…

Maine Wire Editor Steve Robinson filled in for WGAN Morning News host Mike Violette this week. In case you missed it, you can listen to Robinson talk about the IRS corruption scandal with co-host Ken Altshuler.

Candidates for Maine’s Second Congressional District reported fund raising totals this week. Republican Bruce Poliquin has an edge over Democrat Emily Cain, while independent candidate Blaine Richardson raised just $275. Cain, a Democratic state  senator from Orono, raised nearly $380,000 in the last three months. She has raised a total of $870,000 for her campaign. Poliquin, a former State Treasurer, reported raising $296,000 for the second quarter of 2014, bringing his campaign total to roughly $820,000. Both campaigns touted their strong fundraising numbers to emails to supporters and press, though Poliquin does have nearly $50,000 more cash-on-hand than Cain. The…

POLAND – State Sen. John Cleveland (D-Androscoggin) is taking fire from Poland’s board of selectman after he billed the town $12,725 for services estimated to cost about $6,900, according to a report in the Lewiston Sun Journal. Remarkably, the Sun Journal’s story does not mention that Cleveland is a Democratic elected official.  From the Sun Journal: Last December, the town’s economic development consultant, John Cleveland of Community Dynamics Corp. of Auburn, estimated it would cost about $6,900 for his firm to separate the financial accounts of the two Poland Spring Bottling Co. Tax Increment Financing districts. Selectmen told Cleveland to…

The LePage administration’s decision to crackdown on municipalities that give General Assistance (GA) to undocumented immigrants has created a firestorm driven by Democrat Attorney General Janet Mills and new lawsuit from the Maine Municipal Association. New documents obtained by The Maine Wire shed light on the year-long collaborative process between Mills’ office and the LePage administration that resulted in the decision to enforce a 1996 federal law, which prohibits the state from providing GA to undocumented immigrants unless the state has passed a law explicitly authorizing it to do so. According to the documents, the LePage administration’s decision to stop reimbursing…

Despite a “corrosive culture” and “chronic systemic failures,” the U.S. Veterans Affairs health care system provides excellent health care — if you can get an appointment. That’s the chief take away from a June 27 White House report on the corruption scandal plaguing the government agency responsible for delivering health care to veterans of the U.S. military. “There is a strong sentiment among many Veterans and stakeholders that in general VA provides high quality health care “once you get in the door” and that the current system needs to be fixed, not abandoned or weakened,” said White House Deputy Chief…

Inconsistencies in application data submitted to online health care insurance exchanges may jeopardize coverage for millions of Americans and cause massive headaches come next tax season. According to a new report from the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, the federal government was unable to resolve 89 percent of the “inconsistencies” in data from applications submitted at Healthcare.gov. “During the period of our review, marketplaces were unable to resolve most inconsistencies, which they reported most commonly as citizenship and income,” the report said. “Specifically, the Federal marketplace was unable to resolve 2.6 million of 2.9 million…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Supreme Court delivered two major decisions on Monday that proponents of the Affordable Care Act and government union bosses will not be happy about. The first case pit women’s rights groups against Hobby Lobby and other advocates for religious liberty. Hobby Lobby argued that it should not have to comply with a provision of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which mandated that employers provide health care coverage for contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs. In a 5-4 opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito, the court held that the contraception mandate included in the ACA was a…

Gov. Paul LePage’s re-election campaign unveiled key staff members on Tuesday, including some well-known figures from Maine political circles. Scot Van Orman will serve as campaign manager, Rep. Alex Willette (R-Mapleton) will serve as communications and coalitions director, and David Madore will serve as deputy director of finance. Van Orman, who served on the governor’s 2010 campaign, has spent the last few years working in the LePage administration, most recently as deputy director of Boards and Commissions. Willette, who recently decided not to seek re-election to the state legislature, worked with the LePage administration in the most recent legislative session…

Republican Paula Sutton is a candidate for Maine State Senate District 12. She recently sat down with The Maine Wire and As Maine Goes for an interview about Maine politics and her first campaign for state office.

Black bears are becoming a national menace as well as a serious threat to public safety and private property, and exacerbating this problem is the Humane Society of the United States and its radical, Pollyanna belief that bears can be managed without the use of hunters. The D.C.-based Humane Society roams our country using its vast millions looking for opportunities to promote its anti-hunting agenda. Now the group has landed in Maine with the November bear referendum; as a result, Maine could join the growing list of states struggling to prevent bear-human encounters. According to a recent report in the Wall…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) ripped into IRS Commissioner John Koskinen Monday evening over the tax agency’s claim to have lost two year’s worth of emails that include evidence surrounding the targeting of conservative groups.

Just 5 percent of Americans are newly insured under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, according to a new Gallup poll published Monday. “Five percent of Americans report being newly insured in 2014. More than half of that group, or 2.8% of the total U.S. population, say they got their new insurance through the health exchanges that were open through mid-April,” the Princeton, N.J.-based firm reported.  This data is based on interviews with more than 31,000 adults conducted between April 15 and June 17. The poll did not ask with newly insured individuals were paying for coverage, receiving…

Our businesses are the life blood of the Maine economy. They create stable jobs, invest in local communities, and create and sell products and services we need. Our unfair and out of control tax system with never ending requirements and tax rates that seem to go up every year makes it difficult for companies to navigate and grow. Many businesses are able to expand and take on large projects through financial investments from partnerships, such as private equity or venture capital firms. These investments are fortified through carried interest, essentially a financial reward for investment partners on long-term, high risk…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will headline Democratic Rep. Michael Michaud’s 12th — and final — lobster bake fundraiser on Tuesday. The lobster bake will take place at Credit Union House on C Street, in North East Washington, D.C. “House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi will be joining us as the Special Guest,” wrote Lindsay Angerholzer of Angerholzer Broz Consulting (ABC), in an email obtained by The Maine Wire. “As always, we will be driving the lobsters down from Maine on the day of the event, and we will have plenty of Maine microbrews on hand for you…

Media Flips on Michaud: The mainstream press is starting to turn on U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, Democratic candidate for governor. On Friday, the liberal Portland Press Herald published an editorial headlined, “Our View: Blaine House rivals overplay Michaud’s part in VA crisis”. But don’t let that title fool you — this editorial is devastating news for Michaud. Here are some pull quotes: “He’s one of a number of people who should have noticed the system’s issues and pushed for reform sooner… [T]he Maine congressman was one of many who didn’t adequately prepare for the coming storm… Someone should have noticed and pushed…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen came before a Congressional oversight committee on Friday to explain how tens of thousands of emails from IRS officials tied to the political targeting of conservative groups wound up lost or destroyed. More than one year ago, Lois Lerner, the highest ranking IRS official implicated in the scheme to date, staged a press conference in order to admit that the tax agency improperly targeted conservative non-profit groups for unusual scrutiny and harassment. The admission spawned a full-scale congressional investigation into the abuse of power at the IRS. On Monday and Tuesday,…

AUGUSTA – Maine’s unemployment rate remained at 5.7 percent for the month of May, according to government figures released Friday, but opponents of Republican Gov. Paul LePage remain skeptical. The preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate estimate was 5.7 percent, down from 6.7 percent one year ago, for a total decline in unemployed persons of 7,000 since this time last year. “The share of the population that is employed was estimated at 61.6 percent, well above the U.S. average of 58.9 percent,” the Maine Department of Labor added in its press release. “May was the 80th consecutive month the employment to population…

Maine GOP Communications Director David Sorensen clashed with former Democratic Gov. John Baldacci over welfare reform Wednesday morning. A clearly agitated Baldacci called into WGAN Morning News twice to defend himself against the criticism that welfare reform never happened on his watch. Baldacci pointed out that, when he was a Congressman, he voted for the Gingrich-Clinton welfare reforms of 1996 that created the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash welfare program. But Sorensen pointed out that Baldacci never moved to implement the five-year lifetime limit on the benefit during his 8 years in the Blaine House. Only when Republican Gov.…

Not Ready: Potential Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s book, Hard Choices, appears to be a bomb. Although the former First Lady and U.S. Senator was paid $14 million by mega-publisher Simon & Schuster, sources tell the Weekly Standard that the book “will be lucky to sell 150,000 total lifetime.” In related news, young liberals waiting in line to buy a copy of Clinton’s book struggled mightily to identify her major accomplishments. Also this week: the Washington Free Beacon uncovered audio recordings of Clinton from the early 1980s in which the former prosecutor speaks glibly about how she used a legal technicality to…

In 2010, Independent Eliot Cutler turned Maine’s political establishment on its head. After a late surge, he came within 2 percentage points of beating Republican Paul LePage. This year, he’s running again. Cutler sat down with Maine Wire Editor Steve Robinson to discuss health care, taxes, regulation and more.

Maine Attorney General Janet Mills makes no attempt to conceal her contempt for Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage or her wish to see him defeated this November. Emails obtained by The Maine Wire show just how far the state’s top attorney is willing to go to advance her anti-LePage agenda — even if it means overruling her own assistant attorney general or withholding information about welfare fraud from the media. A STRIDENT PARTISAN Elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2002, Mills, 66, served until a Democratic Majority in the Legislature tapped her to become Maine’s first female AG in 2008. She briefly left…

U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, a Democrat running for governor, said on a campaign tour of southern Maine that his connections with Saudi Arabian princes and Japanese businessmen set him apart from one of his opponents, independent Eliot Cutler. While stumping for Democratic state legislative candidates in Kittery Point, York and Wells on Sunday, Michaud was asked what distinguishes him from Cutler. According to a reporter present for the tour, Michaud said he has met with Saudi Arabian princes about “projects” and has discussed tidal power with Japanese businessmen. From SeacoastOnline.com: At both forums, Michaud was asked the difference between himself and…

By Jonathan McKane  — Maine Democrats and the Maine press are fed up. They are demanding action. And for the first time in decades, they are speaking out against wasteful government spending. Specifically, it is the $500,000 paid to the Alexander Group that has really set them off. Here is a just little of what they are saying: Ben Grant, Chairman of the Maine Democratic Party: “Taxpayers should demand a refund for this waste of money.” Mark Eves (D-North Berwick), Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives:  “It is a sad day when taxpayer dollars are spent so egregiously.” Amy…

Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage has shot his first ever endorsement ad for another Republican seeking election to federal office, Isaac Misiuk, who is running for Maine’s First Congressional District seat against incumbent Democrat U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree. In the ad, LePage touts his own record reforming state government before strongly endorsing Misiuk, 25, of Gorham. As Mainers, we can continue to move Maine forward, but we must see change in Washington, D.C.,” LePage says in the ad. “That is why I stand behind Isaac Misiuk for Maine’s First Congressional District.” “I know Isaac will work to shrink the size…

AUGUSTA – U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, the Ranking Democrat on Congress’ Veterans Affairs Committee, on Thursday refused to accept any responsibility for the corruption scandal that has resulted in the deaths of at least 23 U.S. military veterans. Asked whether he takes any responsibility for the fraudulent scheme that now involves at least two-thirds of the nation’s VA medical facilities, Michaud, the Democratic candidate for governor, side-stepped the question and instead blamed his opponents, Republican Gov. Paul LePage and independent Eliot Cutler. TMW: “Congressman, Do you take any responsibility for the scandal unfolding at the Veterans Affairs administration?” Michaud: “That is,…

Maine Democrats have little love for Charles and David Koch, two billionaire libertarian brothers, or the money they spend advocating for their beliefs. But Shenna Bellows, the Democratic challenger to Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, once benefited from the Kochs’ generosity while she worked with the American Civil Liberties Union to reform the U.S. PATRIOT Act. In 2008, reports surfaced that the Kochs had given a combined $20 million to the ACLU to defeat the most controversial parts of the PATRIOT Act. According to one analysis, the Kochs may have given more to repeal the Act than any single individual, and…

Gray, MAINE – A confident Gov. Paul LePage stood in sand pit in Gray on Tuesday alongside First Lady Ann LePage to accept an endorsement from the Associated Building Contractors of Maine. “Back in 2010, the state was struggling. The economy was kind of down in the dumps. Jobs were hard to come by and we were having trouble paying our bills,” said James McBrady, general manager of James A. McBrady, Inc., a steel manufacturing company in Scarborough. “We needed a new direction.” “In 2010 the state elected Paul LePage as governor and things turned around,” said McBrady, who serves…

Two young guns in the Maine Republican Party are leading candidates for the state legislature in fundraising, according to the most recent financial disclosures. Incumbent Sen. Garrett P. Mason (R-Androscoggin) and first-time candidate for state senate Eric L. Brakey of Auburn are the top fundraisers statewide, having raised $21,300 and $32,800, respectively, according to campaign finance data. “Our strong fundraising is a direct result of the incredible grassroots support for our campaign,” said Brakey. “Maine people know the career politicians made this mess, and they are ready for bold, new leadership to clean it up,” he said. Brakey, 25, is running…

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Monday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) blasted Senate Democrats for supporting a constitutional amendment that, he says, undermines American’s First Amendment right to freedom of speech. “For two centuries there has been bipartisan agreement that American democracy depends on free speech,” wrote Cruz. “Alas, more and more, the modern Democratic Party has abandoned that commitment and has instead been trying to regulate the speech of the citizenry.” “We have seen President Obama publicly rebuke the Supreme Court for protecting free speech in Citizens United v. FEC; the Obama IRS inquire of citizens what books…

U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, a Democrat, espoused a view of federal deficits and taxation in 2002 that most voters would associate with today’s tea party movement, according to his first congressional campaign website. “[A]ll the economists you could fit in the second district could not convince me that on going large federal deficits are good for the economy,” Michaud wrote in his 2002 Economic Development Plan for Maine’s Second Congressional District. On taxes, too, Michaud toed what would become the tea party line: “It is important that the tax burden faced by American consumers and businesses not restrain the growth of business,” he…

In a preliminary report released Wednesday, the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said delays of veterans’ medical care are “systemic throughout” the VA’s Phoenix Health Care System and perhaps at other facilities. “Our reviews at a growing number of VA medical facilities have thus far provided insight into the current extent of these inappropriate scheduling issues throughout the VA health care system and have confirmed that inappropriate scheduling practices are systemic throughout VHA,” the report states. The IG’s report comes weeks after a news investigation found evidence that senior VA health officials were manipulating wait-list tracking…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Rifle Association has endorsed former senate President Kevin Raye in the Republican Primary for Maine’s Second Congressional District, the Raye campaign announced on Friday. The NRA is the foremost advocate for gun rights at the state and federal levels. Their stamp of approval could carry weight with voters in northern Maine, who will head to the polls on June 10 to nominate a GOP contender in the race to fill a congressional seat recently vacated by Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud. But just because NRA endorsed Raye doesn’t mean they’re critical of his opponent, former…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Americans for Tax Reform, the Washington, D.C.-based tax reform group headed by Grover Norquist, on Thursday blasted Republican congressional candidate for using what they labeled a Democratic playbook to mislead voters about the group’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge. In a debate on Wednesday, Raye, former President of the state senate, butted heads with former state Treasurer Bruce Poliquin over the ATR pledge, which calls on candidates to promise their constituents that they will not raise taxes. Both men are competing to fill the 2nd Congressional District seat recently vacated by U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud. Poliquin has signed the…

From the Maine GOP: AUGUSTA — The Maine Democratic Party is holding its convention Friday and Saturday, May 30-31, and they have found a keynote speaker who matches standard-bearer and gubernatorial candidate Mike Michaud in obscurity coupled with out-of-touch, liberal views. Michaud was twice named a member of Congress’s “Obscure Caucus” by Roll Call Magazine, which added that he seemed “ticketed for stardom” upon arriving in Washington in 2003, but has become “anonymous.”  One commentator has even suggested that “re-electing him [would] be the equivalent of leaving the seat vacant” and both daily newspapers in Michaud’s congressional district endorsed his opponent in 2012, one of them specifically…

A Portland-based Democratic activist group announced on Thursday its endorsement of several Democratic candidates for Maine’s state legislature. “Each of these candidates has proven themselves as progressive leaders who will fight for a Maine where everyone has what they need, everyone contributes their fair share, and no one is left behind,” Maine People’s Alliance board member Sheryl Lee said in a prepared statement.  An endorsement from MPA could mean financial support through the groups political action committee – MPA Campaign Vote! – and manpower to canvass a district. Democratic candidates who have received the MPA stamp of approval include: Ralph Chapman…

Unilateral Climate Policy: President Obama is prepared to unveil a new regulation on June 2 that will, according to reports, be the most significant climate policy of his administration — and he’s ready to implement it unilaterally, without Congressional approval. According to Vox.com, Obama plans to use the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s existing authority over green house gas regulation to impose strict new requirements on power plants. From Vox.com:  “On June 2, the EPA will propose a rule to cut carbon-dioxide emissions from the nation’s existing coal- and natural gas-fired power plants. The New York Times reports that the rule could require coal plants to…

Two of Washington, D.C.’s most powerful women – First Lady Michelle Obama and Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican – are butting heads this week over the unlikeliest of things: the fresh white potato. At issue is whether public assistance programs, particularly the Women and Infant Child (WIC) voucher program, should subsidize the potato. Michelle Obama, who has made telling other people what they should eat the hallmark of her tenure in the White House, objects to the potato. She wrote in a New York Times op-ed published Thursday (and splashed across the Drudge Report): Right now, the House of Representatives is considering a bill…

U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud strongly supported the construction of a publicly financed East-West highway through northern Maine in an economic development plan published during his first congressional race. “There is probably no single thing that Congress could do that will provide more economic benefit to the Second District than the building of this road,” Michaud, a Democrat, wrote in his 2002 Economic Development Plan for Maine’s Second Congressional District. Then a state lawmaker, Michaud said he would like to see federal funds used to commission a feasibility study on the road and, eventually, to build the road itself. “I will work aggressively to…

The two Republican candidates battling for a chance to become the next congressman from Maine’s 2nd Congressional District shared a heated exchange Wednesday in a debate moderated by Maine Public Broadcasting Network’s Jennifer Rooks. The conflict hinges on allegations that one candidate, former senate President Kevin Raye, has previously supported elements of President Obama’s health care reform and a separate proposal to study establishing single-payor health care in Maine. Former state Treasurer Bruce Poliquin, Raye’s opponent, has accused Raye of voting for a plan to implement the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, in widely panned television and radio ads – a…

Republican candidate for Maine’s First Congressional District Isaac Misiuk joined Maine Wire Editor Steve Robinson for a conversation about his race to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree. Misiuk, 25, is the youngest congressional candidate in the country.

AUGUSTA – Maine teachers are growing frustrated with the Common Core State Standards, a controversial educational reform that has quietly wound its way into nearly every American school in the past few years. “Teachers from around the country (including many here in Maine) have expressed concerns about the way the Common Core standards are being implemented and assessed,” wrote Maine Education Association (MEA) lobbyist John Kosinski in a Feb. 19 email to Democratic leaders. “Frustration is quickly growing among teachers,” Kosinski wrote. The email, which was sent to Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland), House Speaker Mark Eves (D-North Berwick), Sen. Rebecca…

Stinging Greens: James O’Keefe, conservative guerrilla journalist is at it again, this time with a undercover recording that shows prominent Hollywood film makers negotiating a $9 million payout to make an anti-fracking video on behalf of a Middle Eastern oil tycoon. Hydraulic fracturing – known as fracking – is the process through which natural gas is harvested from underground shale formations. In the movie, an actor posing as “Muhammad” promises to pay Josh and Rebecca Tickell, two well-known producers of environmental documentaries, $9 million to make the anti-fracking movie with the explicit purpose of keeping America dependent on foreign oil.…

By David Trahan — In politics today, it is virtually impossible to expose the true motives of an individual candidate or special interest group; in addition, with technology and the vast media resources available to manipulate film and written media, special interests can use highly paid media consultants to hide their real agenda.  Unfortunately, voters are easily swayed by thirty second television ads and 10 second sound bites.  Compound this problem with individuals so blinded by cult like beliefs they are willing to dishonestly spin the truth and you have a recipe for disaster. The extreme animal rights movement understands…

In a victory for the free market, Adam Lee of Lee Auto Malls announced Friday that he will no longer pay any employees less than $10.00 per hour. It was not immediately clear how many of Lee’s employees would be impacted by the publicly advertised pay increase and Lee did not respond to inquiries. Lee did not disclose the reason for making internal wage decisions public. “We believe it is important for successful Maine businesses to pay enough so that the lowest-paid employees are still earning a living wage,” he said in the statement.  Lee has previously testified in favor…

“Help Wanted” signs are popping up across the state as tourism season begins in earnest and the economic activity is reflected in April’s unemployment report. Maine’s jobless rate fell in April to 5.7 percent — its lowest point since September of 2008 and better than the national average of 6.3 percent, according to employment statistics released Friday. “Rates for other states were 4.4 percent in New Hampshire, 3.3 percent in Vermont, 6.0 percent in Massachusetts, 8.3 percent in Rhode Island, and 6.9 percent in Connecticut,” the Maine Department of Labor said in a press release.  In real terms, the U.S. Bureau…

Renowned tax reform activist Grover Norquist slammed Republican congressional candidate Kevin Raye on Friday over comments the candidate made about the so-called Taxpayer Protection Pledge at a Wednesday debate. The pledge in question was conceived of by Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates explicitly against tax increases. By signing the pledge, candidates promise voters, in writing, that they will refuse to raise taxes in any form whatsoever. Raye’s only GOP primary opponent, former state Treasurer Bruce Poliquin, emphasized during the debate that he had signed the pledge and Raye had not. “This is a very clear…

By Ken Frederic — I find it at once sad and disturbing that many potential voters are easily persuaded by a headline, bumper sticker, or couplet. With the oceans of information readily available today, responsible citizens should be dismayed that others are voting with no idea what they’re doing. Among the many examples are the misconceptions and misrepresentations of the Maine Clean Elections Act as lessening the influence of money in elections or the likelihood that interest groups or large donors will persuade a legislator to vote in favor of bills that benefit them at the expense of the people…

A York County grand jury has indicted four individuals – including a New Hampshire woman – on charges that they allegedly lied to the state of Maine in order to obtain tens of thousands of dollars in welfare benefits. The indictments were released May 7 by the York County Superior Court. Sources say all four indictments stem from crimes committed against the state of Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services. Courtney L. Cochran, 36, of Springvale was indicted on one charge of theft by deception of more than $10,000 and four charges of unsworn falsification, i.e. making false statements to…

A new report released Thursday has identified numerous problems with Maine’s various welfare programs and identified several potential avenues for reforming the system. The report was produced by the Alexander Group, a consulting firm hired by the LePage administration to conduct a review of Maine’s welfare system. The 228-page analysis of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and General Assistance programs follows an earlier report from the group which focused on Medicaid, known in Maine as MaineCare, and proposals to expand the medical welfare program. Although the report is mostly technocratic policy…

Sen. Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook), candidate for Congress in Maine’s 2nd district, found himself on the receiving end of campaign attack directed by the League of Conservation Voters. While the LCV says they are targeting Jackson because of key votes his made in the past, Jackson said his environmental record is comparable to that of his opponent, Sen. Emily Cain (D-Penobscot). He says what really explains LCV’s attacks against him is a $25,000 donation S. Donald Sussman made to LCV. Sussman, who is a major supporter of Maine Democrats and majority owner of the Portland Press Herald, has also contributed to…

Maine’s congressional delegation does not fare well in the Republican Liberty Caucus’ 2013 Liberty Index – a comprehensive measure of elected officials votes on matters relating to economic and personal liberty. “I was disturbed when I read the scores and learned how out of touch our Maine congressional delegation is with the will of the American people when it comes to free enterprise, smaller government, lower taxes and personal liberty without government intrusions,” said Maine RLC State Chair Vic Berardelli. “And it crossed party lines with disappointing scores whether Republican, Democrat or independent.”  Republican Sen. Susan Collins scored the highest of…

Wasted: The Internal Revenue Service is spending $10 billion per year on illegitimate payments under the Earned Income Tax Credit program, according to a report released Tuesday by a federal watch dog. From the Washington Times: “Despite a 2010 law requiring agencies to crack down on improper payments, the IRS is still deeply in arrears, the Treasury’s Inspector General for Tax Administration said. In 2013, the agency paid out between $13.3 billion and $15.6 billion in bad payments, accounting for up to 26 percent of all EITC payments. The EITC is one of the government’s chief poverty-fighting programs. It is a refundable tax credit paid to the…

The Republican Liberty Caucus has unanimously endorsed former Maine State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin’s bid to become the next congressman from Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, according to a statement released Monday. “It is time that the career professional politicians more interested in being Washington insiders step aside for new voices who will represent the people who want smaller government, lower taxes and less interference from government in the conduct of their family affairs and their personal lives,” RLC National Chair Matt Nye said in a prepared statement. “Our Board members from all parts of the nation found Bruce Poliquin to be…

Should teachers’ unions set Maine’s education policy instead of local school boards and elected officials? Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud appears to have given conflicting answers on that question, leading some to suspect he’s been less than truthful with education stakeholders in order to garner their support for his 2014 gubernatorial campaign. Asked about the role collective bargaining should play in crafting education policy for Maine schools, Michaud appears to have given two different, even opposing answers to the Maine School Management Association (MSMA) and the Maine Education Association (MEA) — two major stakeholders in Maine’s education policy world. According…

One week after the Maine People’s Alliance was enveloped in a media firestorm for a controversial attack it made on a wheelchair-bound Republican lawmaker, new evidence has surfaced suggesting the attack was not accidental as the group has repeatedly claimed. The kerfuffle began when the MPA, a radical left-wing political group based in Portland, sent mailers to the district of Rep. Dale Crafts (R-Lisbon Falls) criticizing him for having “no spine” and for failing to “stand up” to Gov. Paul LePage’s bullying. Crafts has been paralyzed for 26 years as the result of a motorcycling accident. After The Maine Wire…

The Maine Democratic Party relies heavily on union funding and contributions from national Democratic committees, according to its campaign finance filings for 2014. Unions – including private-sector unions and government workers unions – have contributed $431,500 to the Maine Democrats so far this year. The Democratic Governors Association has given $104,236, the House Democratic Campaign Committee has given $40,000 and the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee has given $20,000. S. Donald Sussman is the largest individual donor to the Maine Democrats, hacing donated $50,000 this year. ABDC PAC, a political action committee affiliated with Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland) had given…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz on Wednesday released a list of President Obama’s most egregious abuses of power to date. “Of all the troubling aspects of the Obama presidency, none is more dangerous than the President’s persistent pattern of lawlessness, his willingness to disregard the written law and instead enforce his own policies via executive fiat,” Cruz told the Federalist Society as he unveiled “The Legal Limit Report No. 4,” according to the Daily Caller. Read the report below:

PORTLAND – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie joined Maine Gov. Paul LePage Wednesday for a campaign stop at Becky’s Diner in Portland. Christie, who heads up the Republican Governors Association, traveled up to Maine as part of a fundraising effort for both the Maine Republican Party and LePage. The RGA has named Maine’s 2014 gubernatorial contest as a top five race in the country, and Christie vowed today that the group would be willing to spend considerable time and money to help reelect LePage. “Paul’s not only a colleague of mine, but he’s become a really good friend of mine,”…

When a group of left-wing millionaires and billionaires held a secret meeting in Chicago last week, big time political players from Maine’s Democratic Party were in attendance. S. Donald Sussman, his daughter, Emily Sussman, and Daniel Hildreth are listed as attendees of last week’s event at the Ritz Carlton, where progressive power players are believed to have crafted a dark money spending strategy for the 2014 elections. Although media reporters are strictly prohibited from attending all Democracy Alliance events — Politico reporters have been physically removed in the past — a partial member list was left behind and recovered by…

AUGUSTA – Republican leaders say funding for nursing homes across the state has been jeopardized by Democratic lawmakers refusal to take action in the 126th Legislature. Although the Legislature did pass bipartisan legislation that provides funding for nursing homes, that money does not become available under current law until July of next year. That’s not soon enough to prevent the closure of some homes, according Senate Republican Leader Mike Thibodeau of Waldo and House Republican Leader Ken Fredette of Newport. The top Republicans in  the Legislature want to convene a special session of the Legislature, but Senate President Justin Alfond…

The Maine Republican Party is calling on U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud to denounce the activities of the left-wing Maine People’s Alliance, a controversial advocacy group funded through anonymous donations. Maine GOP Executive Director Jason Savage’s call follows the MPA’s attack on Rep. Dale Crafts (R-Lisbon). In mailers distributed throughout Crafts district, MPA accused the lawmaker have having “no spine” and failing to “stand up” to Gov. Paul LePage. Crafts, paralyzed from the waist down for the last 26 years due to a motorcycling accident, uses a wheelchair. The offensive mailer drew widespread condemnation from Republicans and Democrats across the state,…

By David Trahan – Don’t be fooled by the group calling itself, “Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting” when they tell you this November’s referendum is an attempt to end baiting, trapping and the use of dogs for hunting bears.  This ballot initiative has nothing to do with bears. Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting is a front for a well-known national an anti-hunting organization: The Humane Society of the United States, or HSUS. When you see their ads, likely taped many years ago and in another state or when you hear them attack the credibility of Maine’s bear biologists know that their…

Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland) is taking his lead from U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) — both Democrats have decided the path to reelection involves villanizing two wealthy American entrepreneurs. “We all have targets on our backs,” Alfond said in a recent fundraising pitch. “The national Koch Brothers-funded national (sic) Republican Party has picked Maine as one of its top targets for flipping control of the Legislature. They’re still angry that you helped us take back the majority in 2012, and they will stop at nothing to take it back.” “Together, we’ll make sure that the 2014 election is decided…

The Maine governor’s race is a dead heat between Republican Gov. Paul LePage and Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, according to a Critical Insights poll released on Tuesday. The poll found 37 percent of likely voters support Michaud and 36 percent support LePage. Independent candidate Eliot Cutler trails with 18 percent. According to the poll results, unenrolled voters are breaking for roughly even, though Michaud has a slight advantage. One-third of unenrolled voters said they support Michaud, 30 percent support LePage, 29 percent support Cutler and 8 percent don’t know. While Democrats and Republicans support their party’s candidates by large…

The Marxists Internet Archive, a Website that hosts the works of socialist philosopher Karl Marx, has removed some of his writings from the public domain following a property rights complaint lodged by a United Kingdom-based publisher, according to a story in the New Yorker. From the New Yorker: “For nine years, Lawrence & Wishart allowed the Marxists Internet Archive to host the copyrighted material alongside thousands of other translated texts by Marx and Engels, many of which are in the public domain. But the company recently began preparing a digital edition of the fifty-volume set for university libraries. (The e-book…

Democrat Shenna Bellows has raised more than $750,000 for her Senate campaign — a fact her campaign has attributed to broad grassroots support. “Even having raised ¾ of a million dollars in total, our average donation this quarter was only $52.53,” Bellows’ campaign manager Katie Mae Simpson said in an April 10 press release. But according to a review of Federal Election Commission filings, the campaign’s “average donation” statistic may be a misleading indicator of how the campaign has gotten its money. FEC records show that many of Bellows most significant donors have made multiple donations. As a result, the difference between Bellows’…

BOOTHBAY – The parents of one Boothbay Region High School student are outraged following a Social Studies teacher’s Tax Day screening of a MoveOn.org video that disparages Republicans and calls for higher taxes on the so called rich. The video, which was published at MoveOn.org on April 15, features Robert B. Reich, a professor of public policy at University of California at Berkeley, criticizing wealthy Americans for not paying enough taxes. Reich also has some harsh words for U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) over his latest federal budget. “Believe it or not, Republicans want to make all of this worse…