Author: Steve Robinson

An Auburn Democrat is taking fire after the Maine Republican Party obtained an email rant he sent to various public officials. In the typo-ridden, profanity-laced email, Rep. Brian D. Bolduc (D-Auburn) belligerently ridicules truck drivers whom he believes are irresponsibly using their “jake breaks” too close to his house. Bolduc’s email is scathing towards Maine truck drivers and includes stern orders and threats directed at police and town officials. Wrote Bolduc, “We need more police survalence to crack down on this sh**. They rumble past our homes before they get to the bridge and to turn onto mill street especialy those…

The number of Mainers choosing Obamacare plans at the dysfunctional HealthCare.gov website is still well below expectations, according to a Tuesday report from the Department of Health and Human Services. Just 1,747 Mainers — or 0.13 percent on Maine’s population — have picked an insurance plan, according to the DHHS report for the months of October and November. That number includes people who have not actually paid their first premium. While its an improvement from October’s total of 271, it’s still far below expectation. All told, 12,667 Mainers were deemed eligible for a healthcare.gov plan. This number reflects only those…

The top advocate for expanding medical welfare in Maine confirmed Tuesday that he has returned to his position with a major beneficiary of Maine’s medical welfare programs and will return again following the conclusion of the 126th Legislature. In June, The Maine Wire reported exclusively on the potential conflict of interest for Speaker of the House Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick), who has emerged as the top proponent of a Democrat-backed plan to expand Medicaid, the medical welfare program known in Maine as MaineCare. Eves serves as Director of Business Development for Sweetser, a 501(c)3 non-profit that is heavily reliant…

U.S. Sen. Angus King has joined a Democratic “strike force” designed to help sell Obamacare to a public wary after the troubled law’s bungled implementation. “As part of the new push from the White House to try to highlight the benefits of Obamacare amid the troubled rollout of the law, a group of House and Senate Democrats are holding daily phone calls with administration officials to coordinate the messaging of the day and serve as a communications “strike team” on the Hill,” reports Buzzfeed.com. According to the report, the Senate Democratic strike team will include Senate Leaders Harry Reid, Chuck…

A counselor working for the non-profit Sweetser has told House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) that she has witnessed significant abuse of welfare programs and that stopping welfare abuse would be a good way for the state to save money. Elizabeth S. Bodor of Scarborough wrote Eves in January regarding MaineCare and Medicaid reimbursements for Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPCs) and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs). The purpose of her email was to object to a provision of Gov. Paul LePage’s budget proposal which would have limited MaineCare reimbursements to professionals like her. But in the end of her…

The chief Democratic advocate for Medicaid expansion may have misrepresented his professional relationship with a private school that stands to benefit financially from expanding the medical welfare program known as MaineCare. In June, The Maine Wire reported exclusively that House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick), who has advocated stridently for MaineCare expansion, also served as Director of Business Development for Sweetser, a non-profit social service agency that is heavily reliant on MaineCare funding and has benefited from previous expansions of MaineCare. (According to tax documents, Sweetser files as a private school.) At the time, Eves dismissed suggestions that he…

Senate Minority Leader Michael Thibodeau (R-Waldo) will soon join the field of Republicans running for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, a Republican source has told The Maine Wire. In a phone interview, Thibodeau declined to say if or when he will announce his candidacy but said he was considering. “My number one priority is to fulfil my duty as Senate Republican leader,” he said. Thibodeau’s entry would make the Republican primary a four-way race. Former State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin, former Senate President Kevin Raye and Blaine Richardson are also Republicans running to fill the seat vacated by Democrat Rep. Michael Michaud. The…

The following letter to the editor appeared in the Nov. 30 edition of MaineToday’s Media Kennebec Journal. The headline is the original headline as written by MTM staff.  During the tea party-led government shutdown, I watched C-Span and all the other news channels. One news channel promotes the nonsense that is the tea party. The more I watched, the more I got upset with the tea party. It didn’t care about the people who were furloughed. What did the shutdown accomplish? Most of the furloughed people live paycheck to paycheck. All the tea party wanted to do was stop Obamacare.…

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia on Tuesday published its monthly State Coincident Index – a ranking of states’ economic health – placing Maine among the top 10 growing economies. The index is based on four state-level variables: nonfarm payroll employment, average hours worked in manufacturing, wage and salary disbursements deflated by the consumer price index, and the unemployment rate. Data for the index is obtained via the federal Bureaus of Labor Statistics and Economic Analysis. The state ranked in the second-highest tier in September’s report, with growth between 0.6 and 1.0 percent. Maine’s ranking in the more recent October index…

PORTLAND – Two Portland lawmakers are looking to capitalize on voters’ short memories, claiming in taxpayer-funded mail pieces that it was Democrats who pushed a bill that paid Maine’s hospitals for more than $700 million in medical welfare debt. Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland) and Rep. Matt Moonen (D-Portland) have both sent mailers to their constituents touting paying the hospitals as one of the many successes of the Democrat-controlled 126th Legislature. Neither letter makes clear that Democratic lawmakers put up great resistance, called Gov. Paul LePage’s plan unconstitutional and voted for it only after their every roadblock crumbled. “[We] made…

AUGUSTA – Having fun in Maine could become more expensive if the Legislature OKs a Democrat-controlled task force’s recommendation to put new taxes on amusements. The  so-called Tax Expenditure Review Task Force is a product of the 126th Legislature’s biennial budget. To achieve “balance,” Democratic budget writers delegated the task of creating $40 million in new taxes to a committee controlled mostly by liberal Democrats and liberal interest groups. On Monday, the tax hike task force recommended placing new taxes on amusements, such as movie tickets, ski passes, and other forms of  entertainment. [RELATED: Tax hike task force looks for $40…

The present conversation over Medicaid expansion, as witnessed daily in editorial pages and at the State House, is misleading because the expansion would not do what supporters think it will. For supporters of Medicaid expansion, the decision is a no-brainer: it’s federal money paying for uninsured poor Mainers to get health care. For them, only politics could motivate the opposition. They whole-heartedly believe an expansion would simply move uninsured people onto Medicaid, thus reducing charity care costs which are ultimately passed along to those covered with private insurance. But Maine’s own experience expanding medical welfare shows that it does not…

PORTLAND – A recently elected Portland City Councilor said Friday that if John F. Kennedy were alive today the former president would be a moderate Democrat after the fashion of President Obama. “Nice Governor LePage honors JFK but “JFK Republican” is absurd. If JFK was alive today he’d be a moderate Democrat, like Obama,” said at-large Portland City Councilor Jon Hinck on Twitter. Hinck, 59, is a liberal Democrat who served in the Maine House of Representatives from 2006 to 2012 and was elected to the Portland City Council this November with 58 percent of the vote. He replaced out-going…

AUGUSTA – The Maine GOP announced Thursday a new youth outreach effort designed to showcase and promote “young rising stars” in the Republican Party. Executive Director of the Maine Republican Party Jason Savage said the initiative, spearheaded by Republican National Committeewoman Ashley Ryan, reflects a broader focus on creating opportunity for the next generation. “#GEN207 will accomplish many important tasks from training and supporting young Republican activists and candidates, to providing an outlet for young people across the state to make their thoughts and ideas heard,” said Ryan, who is the youngest person ever elected to the RNC. “It is…

AUGUSTA – Maine’s jobless rate hit 6.7 percent in the month of October—the rosiest unemployment picture the Pine Tree State has seen since November of 2008. The unemployment rate estimate for Maine was 6.7 percent in October, down from 6.9 percent in September and 7.2 percent one year ago, according to a press release from Department of Labor Commissioner Jeanne Paquette. “The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated 47,300 were unemployed, down 3,800 over the year,” said Paquette. Maine’s unemployment rate was better than the national average of 7.3 percent. Of New England states, only New Hampshire (5.1) and Vermont…

Democratic candidate for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District Sen. Emily Cain (D-Penobscot) launched her campaign’s first attack on two of her likely Republican opponents Thursday. In a fundraising email, Cain campaign hand Levi Knapp said the National Republican Campaign Committee’s decision to recognize two of Cain’s Republican opponents has “made it clear that [Republicans] are going to spare no expense to buy this seat.” Knapp further alleges that both former Senate President Kevin Raye and former State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin aim to cut Social Security and end Medicare. “Washington Republicans want nothing more than to have another reliable vote for cutting…

AUGUSTA – A proposal to turn abandoned state buildings into housing for homeless veterans of the U.S. armed services won approval from the Legislative Council during an appeal hearing. Rep. Corey Wilson (R-Augusta)’s bill was originally rejected on Oct. 30 by Democrats who control the council, but won unanimous approval Thursday. [RELATED: Augusta Republican to appeal denial of veterans’ homeless shelter bill…] According to Wilson, the bill will allow the Bureau of General Services to sell two buildings that were formerly part of the Augusta Mental Health Institute campus to Bread of Life Ministries, a non-profit veterans’ organization. The buildings are…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) announced Thursday that 36 congressional candidates have made their “On the Radar” list for the 2014 elections. Both former Senate President Kevin Raye and former State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin made the list. “These 36 candidates all provide a stark contrast to their liberal opponents, whose support of ObamaCare and this Administration’s big-government, job-destroying agenda has taken a toll on the American people,” said NRCC Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR). “With ObamaCare’s bad policies and botched rollout affecting families across our nation, and our country diving deeper into debt each and every day,…

Maine Sen. Angus King joined Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Democrats Thursday to cast historic votes limiting the right of the minority to filibuster in the U.S. Senate. King’s vote helped Democrats overcome Republican opposition to President Obama’s cabinet nominees and federal judicial appointments. The final vote was 52 to 48, with Sen. Susan Collins voting with fellow Republicans and three Democrats in favor of protecting the filibuster. King’s Senate office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Democrats were trying to break the filibuster rule in order…

AUGUSTA – Fixing Maine’s sprawling Department of Health and Human Services programs will fall on Gov. Paul LePage’s shoulders once again following the Democrat-controlled Legislative Council’s decision Thursday to reject every single welfare reform bill. “We’re not trying to vilify the poor. I grew up poor,” said House Minority Leader Ken Fredette (R-Newport), as he urged his Democratic colleagues to allow his three welfare reform bills full hearings in the Legislature beginning this January. But the measures ultimately failed to get approval from the Legislative Council, which is chaired by House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick), a top critic…

Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud’s Nashville smear machine is working overtime. On Monday, the Democrat candidate for governor blasted Republican Gov. Paul LePage over Maine’s problem-riddled Medicaid ride system. And on Wednesday, in an email focused on the LePage administration’s forthcoming audit of Maine’s welfare programs, Michaud campaign manager Matt McTighe implied in a fundraising pitch that LePage is corrupt. [RELATED: Michaud campaign hires mudslinging specialist…] “Governor Paul LePage is spending nearly $1 million to hire a Tea Party crony to “evaluate” Maine’s Medicaid program,” wrote McTighe. “Let’s just call it like it is right now: Governor LePage is using taxpayer…

AUGUSTA – An Amherst Republican says he will make an appeal to the Legislative Council on Thursday regarding his bill to give state employees the freedom to choose whether to financially support the Maine State Employees Association. It’s a Sisyphean task given that the six-person Democratic majority has firm control of the Legislative Council. But Rep. Lawrence Lockman (R-Amherst) says his bill, “An Act to Protect Fair Share Workers from Unauthorized Withholding of Agency Fees,” reflects the wishes of his constituents and many state employees. Lockman, who sits on the Labor Committee (LCRED), spearheaded the bipartisan push to repeal a 2007…

The LePage administration announced Tuesday that it has contracted with an outside consulting firm to audit Maine’s welfare programs, including Medicaid. The Rhode Island-based Alexander Group is headed by the former head of public welfare departments in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, Gary Alexander. According to HHS, The Alexander Group will assist Maine in addressing financial challenges and in crafting a program that effectively serves individuals and is sustainable. The work will include an evaluation all of Maine’s welfare programs as well as the Democrat-backed proposal to expand Medicaid. “DHHS and the Alexander Group will undertake a complete assessment of all…

Ken Altschuler and Mike Violette, hosts of WGAN Morning News with Ken and Mike, grilled Senate President Justin Alfond Wednesday morning over his decision to reject Rep. Amy Volk (R-Scarborough)’s human trafficking bill. Far from a mea culpa, Alfond blamed “Miss Volk” for not reaching out to Democrats on the Legislative Council. Ken & Mike: Why did Amy Volk’s bill not make it through the first time when your wine-tasting bill did? Alfond: “Well, let’s just back things up here. Uh, you know. We had over 400 bills. This was a rapid-fire process where we had very little information. We…

Democratic candidate for governor Rep. Michael Michaud attacked his Republican opponent on Monday over problems with Maine’s taxpayer-funded ride program for Medicaid beneficiaries. “Mainers deserve more than a government driven by dysfunction where disabled Mainers are being left stranded, waiting for a ride,” Michaud said in a prepared statement. [RELATED: Michaud campaign hires mudslinging specialist…] Michaud said the state should cancel its contract and get its money back, though the Congressman did not propose an alternative system for providing Medicaid recipients with transportation. Problems with Maine’s Medicaid ride system arose in August following the LePage administration’s decision to switch to…

The U.S. Census Bureau may have produced fraudulent job statistics in order to bolster President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election odds, according to a bombshell news report published Monday. The allegedly fake jobs report showed a decline in unemployment from 8.1 percent in August to 7.8 percent in September of 2012. According to the New York Post report, reliable sources within the federal government now say those numbers were manipulated. Read the full story here.

President Obama’s rendition of Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Gettysburg Address does not include “under God.” As first reported by WMAL’s Chris Plante Show Tuesday, Obama joined 61 other lawmakers, politicians, media figures and celebrities, including every living president, to recite the Gettysburg Address for a documentary film. In Lincoln’s address, delivered November 19, 1863, the Republican said, in part, “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we…

President Barack Obama on Monday told a conference call of progressive community organizers that “more than 100 million Americans” have successfully signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. “In the first month alone, we’ve seen more than 100 million Americans already successfully enrolled in the new insurance plans,” said the Commander in Chief, according to an audio recording posted by the Daily Mail. In the audio clip provided below, Obama does not correct his assertion that roughly one-third of the country enrolled in Obamacare-approved insurance plans in the month of October. According to official government numbers released…

Blaine Richardson, a Republican candidate for Congress in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, announced Tuesday that he has been endorsed by National Defense PAC. “I am very honored to receive this endorsement from one of the leading voices in the effort to replace the politicians in Washington D.C. with military veterans,” Richardson said in a written statement. NDPAC, a national organization committed to putting U.S. veterans in elected office, has previously endorsed former Maine Secretary of State Charlie Summers and former Florida Republican Rep. Allen West. NDPAC Chairman Rear Admiral James J. Carey, USN (ret) said, “Blaine Richardson will bring military…

Betsy Smith, former executive director of the gay advocacy group EqualityMaine, has endorsed unenrolled liberal Eliot Cutler in the governor’s race over U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, who recently announced that he is gay. The announcement provides further evidence that fierce competition between Cutler and Michaud is causing Maine’s left-of-center voters to splinter along interesting lines. Smith, who says she’s a Democrat and agrees with the Democrat Party platform, has formed Campaign for Maine, a political action committee comprised of Democrats, Republicans and unenrolled voters working to elect Cutler. In an opinion editorial for the Bangor Daily News, Smith explained why…

Fresh off an overwhelming victory, Lewiston Mayor Robert MacDonald has endorsed former State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin in the Second District congressional race. “I’m pleased to endorse Bruce Poliquin in his candidacy for Congress,” MacDonald said in a statement. “Bruce was the best State Treasurer that Maine has ever had,” “He’s an honest and hard-working Franco-American whose grandfather was born and raised in Lewiston,” said MacDonald. MacDonald, who won his most recent election with 61 percent of the vote, is a former Lewiston police detective. The early endorsement may play a role is determining which Republican congressional candidate gets the nod, as…

Maine’s highest-ranking Democrat lawmakers made a decision on Halloween Eve that distills and crystallizes everything Mainers loathe about the partisan politics of Augusta. Liberal legislators, led by House Speaker Mark Eves (D-North Berwick) and Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland), voted in lockstep to kill a bill that would have helped victims of the human sex trade. Go ahead and read that sentence again, and let it sink in. The bill is a simple, straightforward proposal from my colleague, Rep. Amy Volk (R-Scarborough). It would grant courts the power to vacate prostitution convictions from the records of former sex slaves. The practical impact would be to…

Democratic Reps. Michael Michaud and Chellie Pingree voted Friday against legislation designed to ensure Americans can keep their old insurance plans that have been cancelled or jeopardized by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Thirty-nine House Democrats joined all but four Republicans in voting for the bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich), who chairs the Energy and Commerce Committee. Democrats described the bill as an attempt to undermine the controversial health care law, but the bill’s supporters said it was a way to help President Obama keep the broken “if you like your plan, you…

President Barack Obama announced Thursday that his administration would not enforce key provisions of the Affordable Care Act that have caused an estimated 5 million Americans to lose their health insurance. The constitutionally-dubious proposal comes as the beleaguered president faces a tidal wave of anger and mistrust stemming from the disastrous consequences of his signature achievement. The proposed change is a transparent attempt to repair the broken promise that helped the White House sell the ACA, also known as Obamacare, to the American people and moderate congressional Democrats – “If you like your plan, you can keep it. Period”. That…

The Obama administration has finally revealed how many people have picked health insurance plans through Obamacare’s dysfunctional HealthCare.gov exchanges — and the number is embarrassingly low. According to the administration, 106,185 people have applied for private insurance through the new marketplaces, which are a product of the controversial Affordable Care Act. That total amounts to 20 percent of the administration’s enrollment target for the month of October. In Maine, just 271 people have signed up for insurance through the marketplace. Conversely, 8,500 have had their Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plans cancelled because of Obamacare, while 3,800 have seen significant alterations…

AUGUSTA – Maine Democrats have launched a campaign against Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage’s two-month old policy regarding communications between the legislative and executive branches of state government. The governor, in characteristic fashion, will have nothing of it. The policy, first announced on Aug. 14, requires all communication between LePage administration officials and the Democrat-controlled Legislature’s committees be in writing. On Monday, House Majority Leader Seth A. Berry (D-Bowdoinham) and Sen. Linda M. Valentino (D-Saco) penned an opinion editorial for the Bangor Daily News blasting LePage’s “unprecedented” policy. “We have never encountered such unfathomable behavior,” wrote the lawmakers. Although Valentino…

A Democratic polling firm’s survey of the 2014 gubernatorial race is garnering a moderate amount of attention in Maine. The Bangor Daily News has three blogs up talking about the poll and the Michaud for Governor campaign is touting it on their website. But there are some good reasons why this survey, conducted by Public Policy Polling of Raleigh, N.C., tells us absolutely nothing about the gubernatorial race. PPP’s automated methodology is cost-effective, but less accurate. According to the PPP data provided, the survey was automated, meaning respondents did not actually communicate with a trained questioner. PPP has no way…

AUGUSTA – Top Republicans said Tuesday that problems with President Obama’s signature health care law show the federal government’s promise to fund a proposed Medicaid expansion can’t be trusted. Expanding eligibility for Medicaid, a medical welfare program, is a central component of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. Legislation that would have expanded the welfare program failed to become law during the most recent session of the Legislature, but Speaker of the House Mark Eves (D-North Berwick) has introduced a similar bill to be considered come January. Key to Democrats’ pro-expansion case is the federal government’s promise to…

Former President Bill Clinton said President Obama should let millions of Americans keep their health insurance — even if it means changing his signature health care law, according to a video released Tuesday. “So I personally believe, even if it takes a change to the law, the president should honor the commitment the federal government made to those people and let them keep what they got,” said Clinton in an interview with OZY founder Carlos Watson. A hypothetical change to the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, could allow more than ten thousand Mainers who have received insurance cancellation…

A public university in Illinois bears a plaque stating that Abraham Lincoln was a Democrat. According to TheCollegeFix.com, the plaque, which was installed on a historic building  on Northeastern Illinois University’s Chicago campus in 1905, reads: “This building is dedicated to the public service honoring the memory of Abraham Lincoln  Democrat.” From TheCollegeFix.com: “According to building archives, the word democrat was used because Lincoln was an advocate for democracy—the political or social equality of all people,” campus officials stated in a press release. “The word was not chosen to reflect a political affiliation. … Northeastern Illinois University recognizes the context…

James O’Keefe, investigative reporter with Project Veritas, is back with a must-watch report on Obamacare “navigators” in Texas. Watch as these taxpayer-funded liberal advocates teach people to lie and defraud the government.

A growing group of state lawmakers from across the country are exploring ways to limit the power of the federal government by using a seldom-referenced clause of the U.S. Constitution. Last week, the President Pro Tempore of the Indiana State Senate David Long (R-Fort Wayne) joined an effort to explore convening a Constitutional convention pursuant to Article V of the Constitution. Long joins legislators from Kansas, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wisconsin who have all signed a letter calling for every state to send a three-person bipartisan delegation to George Washington’s home in Mount Vernon, Virginia on December 7th. The purpose of…

President Obama’s signature health care law is causing big shakeups in Maine’s individual and small group insurance markets. In the individual market, Maine’s two largest insurers, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and MegaLife, have already dispatched cancellation or modified early-renewal notices to tens of thousands of policyholders. That many Mainers will lose the insurance policies they liked as the result of Obamacare undercuts a promise the president made no less than 36 times. The notices show that for many Mainers, Obama’s promise that you can keep insurance if you like it isn’t true. Period. According to the non-partisan Kaiser Family…

Former Republican Senate President Kevin Raye released a poll Thursday night that shows the two-time contender for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District with a strong lead over his primary and would-be general election opponents. According to Public Opinion Strategies’ survey of 310 likely Republican primary voters, Raye has a 26-point lead over former State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin. Raye was the choice candidate of 45 percent of voters, while 19 percent would vote for Poliquin and 5 percent would vote for Blaine Richardson, who finished runner up in the GOP primary in 2012. [RELATED: On the Record: Republican candidate for Congress Kevin…

From the Office of Governor LePage: AUGUSTA – On Monday, November 11, Maine and the entire Nation will celebrate and honor our true heroes – brave Americans who willingly put their lives on the line to defend the freedoms we all enjoy and oftentimes take for granted. “I encourage all Mainers to reflect on the selfless sacrifices of America’s servicemen and servicewomen,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “We owe them our most sincere appreciation and gratitude, because if it were not for them, we would not enjoy the many freedoms we have today.” “While our appreciation extends to all veterans, we…

The towns of Cumberland, North Yarmouth and Yarmouth will join together to honor the 60th anniversary of the end of Korean War with a Veterans Day Ceremony on Monday, Nov. 11th. The ceremony will begin at 9:45 a.m. at the Moss Side Cemetery in Cumberland, where remarks will be delivered by Bert Kendall, Chair of the Korean War Anniversary Celebration Committee. The ceremony will continue to the Village Green of North Yarmouth at 10:30, where remarks will be delivered by Lt. Col. Thaddeus V. Day, who is Supervising Judge Advocate at the Air National Guard 157 Air Refueling Wing at the Pease ANGB.  The ceremony will…

AUGUSTA – Maine Democratic Party Chairman Ben Grant apologized on Thursday for remarks he made about Rep. Amy Volk (R-Scarborough) and her bill to help victims of human trafficking. “I made several ill-conceived remarks last week about Representative Volk’s proposed legislation,” Grant said in a prepared statement. “Since that interview, I have looked into the matter further and now understand that the issue of human trafficking does occur in all 50 states, including Maine.” “I also understand that there are proactive steps that advocacy groups have presented to State Legislatures to ensure that the law deals with this issue aggressively,and…

AUGUSTA – Amid the more than 300 bills the Democrat-controlled Legislative Council killed last month was a proposal from Rep. Corey Wilson (R-Augusta) to turn abandoned buildings into homeless shelters for U.S. military veterans. Wilson said Wednesday he intends to appeal the council’s decision on Nov. 21. The bill, L.R. 2377, would have caused the state to donate abandoned state buildings at the former Augusta Mental Health Institute (AMHI) to be used as homeless shelters. The buildings are currently scheduled for demolition and will be destroyed unless the state finds another use. The second session of a legislative term is…

AUGUSTA – More than 400 supporters joined Republican Gov. Paul LePage at the Buker Community Center for his campaign kick-off event Tuesday night. “We must – we must – re-elect Governor LePage,” said Maine GOP Chairman Rick Bennett as he introduced the night’s speakers, including business owner and former Michaud supporter Cindy Robbins and U.S. Air Force veteran Theresa Dempsey. Robbins, a primary-voting Democrat and owner of Poland Springs Resort, has previously donated to LePage’s Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud. But because of LePage’s efforts to make Maine more business friendly, she will not be supporting the five-term congressman…

Six Democrats on the Legislative Council voted on Oct. 30 to block a bill that would help victims of human trafficking. If there is a single voice in Maine’s Democratic Party that could lead with reason, rather than partisanship, it’s that of Sen. Emily Cain (D-Penobscot). Yet she remains silent. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Amy Volk (R-Scarborough), would allow courts to vacate prostitution convictions for victims of human trafficking. It was developed with the help of the Polaris Project, a non-profit dedicated to fighting human trafficking, and is similar to laws in 14 other states. The practical effect of…

AUGUSTA – Republican Party Chairman Rick Bennett on Tuesday called on his Democratic counterpart to apologize for sexist remarks the top Democrat made regarding Rep. Amy Volk (R-Scarborough) and her bill to help victims of human trafficking. The comment came just days after Democratic leaders on the Legislative Council voted unanimously to kill Volk’s bill, thus preventing it from having a full hearing before the Legislature. [RELATED: Liberal lawmakers refuse to explain vote against bill to help victims of human sex trade; main stream media ignores…] During a Friday interview with the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, Maine Democratic Party Chairman…

“Health care is a right, not a privilege.” How often have people heard that simplistic slogan fall from the lips of liberal Democrat re-distributionists? Expect to hear it repeated ad nauseam between now and January, when Democrats in the Legislature will renew their push to grant free Medicaid coverage to tens of thousands of non-elderly, non-disabled Maine adults. Liberals argue that another Medicaid expansion is smart public policy, because the hundreds of millions of dollars in additional costs will be paid for by the federal government. They are oblivious to the fact that the government in Washington is dead broke,…

The California company SolarCity estimates that it will install 1 million new rooftop projects in the next five years and that they sign up a new customer every five minutes. In fact, six of the ten largest US homebuilders offer a solar panel option in the construction in new homes. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, there are roughly 270,000 solar rooftop systems in the United States. State and federal tax credits, renewable energy mandates, and customer rebate schemes result in artificially low solar energy costs that are driving up demand for solar power. Behind the increasing popularity of…

Speaker of the House Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) offered an explanation on Friday as to why he and other Democrats on the Legislature’s Executive Council voted against a bill to protect victims of human trafficking. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Amy Volk (R-Scarborough), would allow courts to give immunity to victims of human trafficking who have been convicted of prostitution. From the Lewiston Sun Journal: “Lawmakers with bills rejected by the council may appeal those decisions in November and will be given an opportunity to explain why the bills are either an emergency or time sensitive, Jodi Quintero, the…

Chinese state-controlled media revealed this week its plans to counteract U.S. nuclear deterrence in the Pacific, including suggestions that an attack on America would target Portland, the largest city in Maine. According to multiple media reports, China’s state-run media outlets including China Central TV, the People’s Daily, the Global Times, the PLA Daily, the China Youth Daily and the Guangmin Daily ran identical stories touting the vast capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army navy’s submarine force. According to a translation of the Global Times story published in the Washington Times, China’s strategic attack plans include targeteting Portland with advanced intercontinental…

Top liberal lawmakers, including Senate President Justin L. Alfond (D-Portland), House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) and Senate Majority Leader Troy D. Jackson (D-Aroostook),  have refused to explain why Democrats on the Legislative Council voted against a bill to help victims of human sex trafficking. Maine’s old guard newspapers, despite previously covering the bill, are now refusing to ask questions. The controversy began on Wednesday, when the Democrat-controlled Legislative Council voted 6-4 on party lines to kill a bill from Rep. Amy F. Volk (R-Scarborough). Volk had worked on the bill with the Polaris Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated…

Opponents of industrial wind power began a petition drive on Thursday as part of their effort to persuade Gov. Paul LePage and the Legislature to repeal Maine’s Expedited Wind Law and place a moratorium on future wind power projects. The initiative, known as “Saving Maine”, was a project of Friends of Maine’s Mountains, a group of Mainers who regularly criticize the construction of large wind power turbines in rural Maine. Project organizers describe their effort as follows: “The beautiful State of Maine is being attacked from all sides by huge industrial wind projects that dynamite and clearcut our ridges, destroy…

AUGUSTA – The Democrat-controlled Legislative Council voted Wednesday to allow a military recruiter bill to move the Legislature in January, leaving Republicans wondering: What’s changed? The issue of whether schools can restrict the access of uniformed military recruiters to campus grounds arose in July, when Democratic lawmakers put up resistance to a Republican-backed bill (L.D. 1503) that would have banned such restrictions. For Republicans, the issue was simple: there should be no restrictions on uniform-wearing military recruiters at Maine schools. As Vietnam veteran Rep. Peter Doak (R-Columbia Falls) said at the time, “We bury these guys in their uniforms, but…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul LePage offered congratulations to the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox on Thursday following the teams 6-1 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals. “I am so proud of the Red Sox and the effort they put into this series,” said LePage. “Not only did they play hard and come back after some tough losses, but they finished ‘Boston Strong.’” “After the tragedy in Boston earlier this year, the Sox really wanted to deliver for their city,” he said. “They deserved this win and, even better, fans in Boston and all of New England deserve it…

Concerned Women for America’s Maine chapter is announcing their schedule of events for November and December, including Christmas Tea at The Blaine House with First Lady Anne LePage. On Monday, Nov. 4, the group will hold a Prayer/Action Chapter meeting at the First Baptist Church in Waldoboro, at 6:30pm. “All are welcome … men and women … bring a friend,” the invite says. Those interested in attending should contact Sue Straight. On Monday, Nov. 18 at noon over lunch, the group is holding a Prayer/Action Chapter meeting at the Christian Civic League of Maine, 70 Sewall St., Augusta. “Bring lunch…

Despite initially reporting on a bill to help victims of human trafficking, Maine’s main stream newspapers are now ignoring top Democrats’ party line vote to kill that legislation. Sponsored by Rep. Amy Volk (R-Scarborough), the bill would have cleared prostitution charges from the records of victims of human trafficking, thus helping them get jobs and move on with their lives. On Wednesday, the six most powerful Democrats in the Legislature voted during a meeting of the Legislative Council to reject Volk’s bill. Those Democrats include: Senate President Justin L. Alfond of Portland, House Speaker Mark W. Eves of North Berwick,…

In a recent letter to members of the Maine Education Association, MEA Benefits Trust Executive Director Christine Burke said many aspects of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, “may not make [teachers] happy.” These include “aspects” that will cause many active members and retirees to lose their current coverage. Wrote Burke, “Time marches on! And with the passage of time, more aspects of the–Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, roll out. While we have enjoyed many aspects of the ACA (being able to keep our adult children on until their 26th birthdays, removing restrictions on pre-existing…

AUGUSTA – In a shocking display of partisanship, the Democrat-controlled Legislative Council on Wednesday killed two Republican-backed bills – one to reform Maine’s welfare system, the other to enhance protections for victims of human trafficking. The Legislative Council, a body of leading lawmakers chaired by House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick), is charged with screening bills for the second regular session of the Legislature. While the council voted to allow Eves’ Medicaid expansion bill to move forward, despite concerns it violated a duplication rule, it blocked House Minority Leader Ken Fredette’s (R-Newport) welfare reform bill and Rep. Amy Volk’s…

The Office of Gov. Paul R. LePage sent the following update Wednesday regarding his trade mission to Mexico and Colombia: AUGUSTA – Approximately 90 people attended the State of Maine reception held Tuesday night in Mexico City. The reception followed two days of meetings for the Maine business delegation, led by Governor Paul R. LePage. In all, eight companies are participating in the mission with matchmaking meetings scheduled for this week in both Mexico and Columbia. Three schools – Husson University of Bangor, Lee Academy of Lee, and Thornton Academy of Saco – are also featured at roundtables with parents and students…

AUGUSTA – Top Democrats may nix a Republican-backed welfare reform before the next legislative session even begins by invoking the same rule they are prepared to flout for their own Medicaid expansion legislation. On Friday, State House staffers received the “screening book” from the Revisor’s Office. The report gives the Legislature’s Legislative Council an overview of legislation to be considered and includes notations about individual bills. According to David Sorensen, communications director for the House Republicans, the Revisor has tagged a GOP welfare reform bill with the following notation: “JR 217: LD 256”. [RELATED: Top Democrat touts welfare reform…] J.R.…

Senate Majority Leader Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook) has hired his 23-year-old son to work on his campaign to become Maine’s next member of Congress. Jackson paid his son, Chace, $5,671.20 in the months of August and September, according to an October quarterly report filed with the Federal Election Commission. The report also shows that Jackson has paid himself $1,213.73 in reimbursements for his mileage and cell phone. Alan Lindquist, Jackson’s campaign treasurer, confirmed that the younger Jackson is drawing a gross salary of $4,000 per month for his fundraising services. “We are very confident in Chace’s fundraising ability as shown by…

Dale McCormick, former executive director of the Maine State Housing Authority, is running for Augusta City Council. “Fresh ideas… with a Proven Record of Hard Work,” read mailers distributed over the weekend on McCormick’s behalf. McCormick’s latest pursuit of public office follows her 2011 ousting from MSHA. Her resignation was the direct result of the LePage administration’s investigation into mismanagement of the quasi-governmental agency she had directed since 2004.

Tea party activist Gordon Colby received The Maine Heritage Policy Centers 2013 Freedom and Opportunity Award on Friday at an annual event in Portland. Gov. Paul LePage addressed the audience followed by keynote speaker William O’Brien, former Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. “For his immense and unwavering dedication to Maine’s conservative movement, I am pleased to award Gordon Colby with [MHPC’s] 2013 Freedom & Opportunity Award,” said CEO J. Scott Moody. Colby’s contribution to grassroots conservative organizing is unparalleled in the state of Maine, said Moody. Born in the Norway area and raised on Paris Hill, Colby…

Speaker of the House Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) took to the pages of MaineToday Media’s Kennebec Journal Friday in an attempt to answer a question posed by Assistant House Minority Alex Willette (R-Mapelton): “Will Maine Democrats support any attempt to reform welfare?” The question was raised following Eves’ rapid rejection of two welfare reform proposals House Majority Leader Ken Fredette (R-Newport) has offered for the coming legislative session. On Friday, Eves attempted to tout a welfare reform the Democrats did support. [RELATED: Republican welfare reforms get quick rejection from Democrats…] “On Oct. 10, this newspaper published a column by…

Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman (R-Amherst) and Assistant House Majority Leader Jeff M. McCabe (D-Skowhegan) took to the pages of the Portland Press Herald this week to debate the Legislature’s gimmick-ridden budget and a possible conflict of interest surrounding Medicaid expansion. In an Op-Ed published Tuesday, Lockman blasted both Republicans and Democrats who voted in support of a budget that was not balanced – even despite a 10 percent sales tax increase and a 14 percent tax increase on meals and lodging. “We now know that even with these substantial tax hikes, this budget is not balanced,” said Lockman. “It relies…

Mike Tipping, spy master and blogger for the progressive Maine People’s Alliance, has been touting the contents of a “secretly” recorded stump speech from Gov. Paul LePage at a meeting of the Informed Women’s Network. Tipping has refused to publish the entire audio recording, electing instead to focus on the bits he believes are unflattering for LePage. [RELATED: Maine People’s Alliance spies reveal LePage helping state workers despite union bosses’ politicking…] The Maine Wire has obtained photos of his spies, whom we are told were recognized immediately as spies. If you see either of these women, beware: they could be…

Gov. Paul LePage traveled to Washington County on Tuesday for a scheduled tour of Downeast Maine. Maine Wire reporter Steve Robinson tagged along. The day started off at Cobscook State Park in Edmund Township, where the central U.S. government inexplicably attempted to close down a boat launch used by local fishermen. Although the state park is located within Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, it is funded and maintained by the state and Washington County. The federal attempts to blockade a boat launch located within Cobscook became a point of conflict between the LePage and Obama administrations earlier in the week.  Throughout…

Campaign finance reports became available for Maine’s congressional candidates on Tuesday. Here are the highlights. Blaine Richardson, running for the GOP nomination in the Second Congressional District for his second time, raised $1,162.48 from July 1 to to Sept. 30 for a campaign total of $2,312.48, most of which has already been spent. Richardson’s campaign expected to raise less than the other GOP candidates and is counting on a rural grass roots network to keep him in contention. It will be extremely difficult for him to keep up with the other candidates in terms of ad buys, but his connection…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage announced Tuesday that he will travel to Edmund Township in Washington County where federal officials have barricaded a state-owned boat launch due to the partial federal shutdown. Echoing President Ronald Reagan’s famous exhortation for Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, LePage said in a press statement that he is calling on the federal government to remove the barricades. “This ramp is a lifeline for local working fishermen, and it is a disgrace that the federal government is interfering with their livelihoods,” said LePage. First reported by The Maine…

Unenrolled candidate for governor Eliot Cutler on Tuesday touted a supportive op-ed from Sherry Huber, co-founder of the Family Planning Association of Maine, an abortion rights advocacy group. “I want to see Gov. LePage defeated as much as anyone, but I will not settle for someone who does not stand firmly for reproductive freedom,” Huber said in her Oct. 14 op-ed for the Portland Press Herald. “Eliot Cutler is staunchly pro-choice, but U.S. Rep Mike Michaud, D-2nd District, has voted against women’s reproductive rights all too often during his 33-year political career,” she said. Huber also called out Michaud for…

The Maine People’s Alliance revealed Tuesday that one of its “spies” secretly recorded Gov. Paul LePage as he spoke to a meeting of the Informed Women’s Network. According to MPA’s blogger Mike Tipping, LePage said on the recording that he declared a civil emergency in order to help state workers get unemployment insurance as quickly as possible during the partial federal shutdown. The recording also reveals that labor bosses with the Maine State Employees Association, rather than cooperate with the governor on helping their members get unemployment benefits as quickly as possible, refused to negotiate and instead threatened lawsuits. For…

Barrycades — and the tyranny of central government they represent — have come to rural Maine. Federal agents have threatened to erect cement barricades in order to prevent fishermen in Washington County from using a state-owned boat landing located in Cobscook State Park in Edmund Township. Cobscook State Park and the Edmund boat launch are both state-owned and -operated but located in the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, which has closed due to the partial federal shutdown. Last week, The Maine Wire reported exclusively on the closure of Moosehorn and the consequences for Cobscook and fishermen who rely on the Edmund…

AUGUSTA – A Democrat-led task force in Augusta is preparing to eliminate $40 million in so-called tax expenditures. If the task force’s recommendations are approved by the Legislature, the move will constitute a massive backdoor tax increase. Maine’s Tax Expenditure Review Task Force was created by the 126th Legislature’s budget and tasked with finding $40 million in new tax revenues. Democratic lawmakers have said the task forces job is to close loopholes that benefit special interests, but Republicans believe the force was designed as a way to execute tax increases on top of the increases in sales, meals and lodging…

Technical problems with the federal health care insurance exchange are depriving Mainers of their affordable health care. Healthcare.gov, the federal website designed to facilitate the Obamacare health insurance exchanges, has been an utter disaster since its launch on Oct. 1. Despite having nearly 3 1/2 years to prepare, two weeks after its launch, the website is still suffering from debilitating glitches, and few people, if any, have successfully used the service to acquire allegedly affordable health care insurance. On day one, Maine users could not even make an account. Now, you can make an account, but glitches still prevent you…

Watch Dr. Sandra Stotsky break down the Common Core State Standards at Saco City Hall on Oct. 2. Stotsky served on the validation committee — the committee that was supposed to approve the Common Core — but she now calls that committee “invalid.” Check out the video below to see why this renowned education expert says Common Core should go the way of the dodo bird.

The Maine Heritage Policy Center announced this week that the key note speaker for its annual Freedom and Opportunity Luncheon on Oct. 25 will be former New Hampshire Speaker of the House William “Bill” O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon). “Bill O’Brien is one of the strongest conservative leaders New Hampshire has ever had,” said MHPC CEO and Chief Tax Economist J. Scott Moody. “We are pleased that he will share with us his experience enacting conservative reforms in the Granite State.” Moody said hearing from O’Brien is especially important for conservative policymakers since New Hampshire is Maine’s chief economic competitor. The Freedom…

The federally-commanded closure of Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge and Cobscook State Park is causing trouble for people in Washington County. The U.S. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife ordered the closure of Moosehorn and Cobscook– a state-owned park located on leased federal lands – following the partial shutdown of the federal government.  The closing of the park initially meant commercial fisherman and recreational users would not be able to use a public boat ramp in rural Edmund Township. But after push back from fishermen, who depend on the ramp for access to Cobscook Bay, the Maine Department of Marine Resources now…

The Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation on Wednesday released its annual ranking of business tax climates in all 50 states. Maine came in at 29th overall, an improvement from last year’s ranking of 30th. The report ranks states according to corporate taxes, individual income tax, sales tax, unemployment insurance tax, and property tax. In each of those areas, Maine ranked as follows: Corporate – 45th Income – 21st Sales – 9th Unemployment – 33rd Property – 40th Maine’s improved business climate is the product of tax reform the Republican-controlled 125th Legislature enacted with Gov. Paul LePage, but also policy changes in other…

AUGUSTA – Democratic leaders held an emergency meeting of the Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) Committees but failed to invite Republican leaders. House Minority Leader Ken Fredette (R-Newport) said in a press release it  is customary for majority leadership to discuss legislative hearings with minority leadership, but Democrats have repeatedly failed to communicate with Republicans. “We had no idea this was happening,” said Fredette. “[House Speaker Mark Eves (D-North Berwick)] and his office never contacted me or my staff about this emergency meeting which they planned a week ago,” he said. “Speaker Eves has my…

Candidates for Congress in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District are not required to submit their first financial reports to the Federal Election Commission until Oct. 16, but Republican Bruce Poliquin announced Wednesday his campaign has already raised $220,000. The Poliquin for Congress campaign touted the high fundraising figure in a press release provided to The Maine Wire. The campaign says the strong fundraising effort shows that Poliquin is the GOP candidate with the best chances of defeating the eventual Democratic nominee. “We have received overwhelming and enthusiastic support for our campaign in just 36 short days,” Poliquin said in the press…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage said in his weekly address that the federal government’s decision to withdraw funding for food-stamps, the National Guard, and a psychiatric hospital is a good reason not to expand Maine’s medical welfare program. “The government shutdown sent the National Guard home without pay. Federal officials are reducing food-stamp benefits, and they just yanked funding for our psychiatric hospital,” the governor said. “But liberals still think they can rely on federal funds to pay for the expansion of welfare in Maine.” Here is the full text of his weekly address: “The failure of leadership…

Candidates for the 2nd Congressional District will report fundraising totals in less than a week, a moment that will show voters – and donors – which candidates have the resources to make a serious run at a hotly contested seat. On the Democratic ticket, Sens. Emily Cain and Troy Jackson are new to the fundraising world, as their political ambitions have historically received financial support from taxpayers – courtesy of the Maine Clean Elections Act. In the federal election, these Democratic state senators won’t have a law on the books compelling taxpayers to finance them, so they’ll have to learn…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage announced on Tuesday that he has appointed Jim Rier as Acting Commissioner for the Department of Education. “I am pleased to appoint Jim Rier as acting commissioner,” LePage said in a press release. “With Jim’s expertise in fiscal responsibility and his leadership of improved operations, I am confident the department is in very capable hands.” Rier has worked at DOE for more than a decade. He was the Director of Finance and Operations before becoming Deputy Commissioner in 2011. He will replace his former boss, Stephen Bowen, who resigned in September to take…

Unenrolled candidate for governor Eliot Cutler unveiled his campaign’s first ad on Monday: State of Opportunity. The three-minute video shares testimonials from Republicans, Democrats and independents as Cutler talks about his plan for Maine, which he presented his like-wise titled book.

Blaine Richardson of Belfast, 63, is a small business owner and veteran of the U.S. Navy. Richardson studied at Brandywine High School in Wilmington, Delaware and the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, before enlisting during the Vietnam War. After graduating from Naval Flight School in 1974, Richardson served in four military conflicts, including Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, before retiring at the rank of Captain in 2004. Richardson also served as the U.S. Naval Liaison Officer to the State of Maine during the terms of former Govs. Jack McKernan and Angus King. As a civilian, Richardson worked…

A crowd of parents, grandparents and taxpayers from the Saco-Biddeford area gathered at Saco City Hall on Wednesday evening to learn more about the controversial education initiative known as the Common Core State Standards. The meeting was organized by No Common Core Maine (NCCM), a group of citizen-activists who raising awareness about Common Core. Heidi Sampson, a member of the Maine State Board of Education, Maine Charter School Commission and NCCM, said more than 70 people turned out to listen for three hours as education experts Jamie Gass and Sandra Stotsky of the Pioneer Institute discussed Common Core and its…

Bruce Poliquin, 59, of Oakland graduated from Harvard University with a degree in economics. After college, Poliquin worked in the investment management industry, helping to build Avatar Investors Associates Corporation, a major fund management company. At Avatar, Poliquin helped manage nearly $5 billion in worker pension funds for clients such as Bath Iron Works and International Paper. Following the tragic death of his young wife, Poliquin left investment management and returned to Maine to raise his son. Poliquin entered Maine’s political scene in 2009 with a run for governor. He lost the competitive seven-man Republican primary, but was tapped by…

AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul LePage and representatives from the Maine State Employees Association are working together – yes, together – to minimize the detrimental impact of the partial federal shutdown on Maine’s federally-funded state workforce. LePage Press secretary Adrienne Bennett delivered the shocking news in a press statement late Friday: “It’s true. The Governor had a productive meeting with the Maine State Employees Association this morning. The meeting was called by the Governor to inform MSEA of the developments regarding federally funded state employees with regard to the federal shutdown. The Administration is working to identify the number of employees…

Republican Kevin L. Raye, believed by some to be the front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination in Maine’s Second Congressional District, is a veteran state lawmaker and congressional candidate. The 52-year-old native of Washington County brings to the table a wealth of political, legislative and business experience. At the national level, Raye spent 17 years working for former U.S. Rep. and Sen. Olympia Snowe, including 6 1/2 years serving as her chief of staff. Locally, Raye owns and operates Raye’s Mustard, a four-generation family tradition that produces delicious award-winning mustard. Raye took his first stab at electoral politics in…

AUGUSTA – Maine Democrats are calling the 126th Legislature’s Democrat-backed budget “responsible” — yet again — despite new calls for $40 million in tax increases and an additional supplemental budget. Top Democrats have also assailed $33.7 million in administrative spending cuts — cuts they asked for in their budget. The Unbalanced Budget Following the Legislature’s passage of a Democrat-crafted budget over Gov. Paul LePage’s veto, Democratic leaders repeatedly described their budget as “responsible.” Yet the budget was balanced through a combination of immediate tax increases (on sales, meals and lodging), delayed tax hikes delegated to a Democratically-controlled task force, and $33.7…

At nearly 74,000 pages, the U.S. Tax Code is a bloated, destructive and unwieldy mess. It demands fear and inspires loathing more than respect. Accidentally violate it, and you encounter bureaucratic revenge and pay a debilitating fine; do so willfully, and you also serve prison time. It answers unasked questions: “What happens to citizens when Congress exercises nearly unlimited authority to enact creative and continuous financing schemes to support its insatiable appetite for spending?” And, “Why are not Congress and congressional staff members treated the same way as every other citizen under the tax laws they enact?” To individual Americans…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Amid the shutdown turmoil in the nation’s capital city, 33 House Democrats crossed party lines Tuesday night to support a GOP measure to restore funding for veterans benefits for fiscal year 2014. The resolution failed (264 – 164) to get the two-thirds vote threshold required for passage in the House under a suspension of the rules. Reps. Michael Michaud and Chellie Pingree joined House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to help defeat the resolution. The failure of the measure offers little assurance to veterans, whose benefits have been jeopardized by the uncertainty of partisan chaos in grid-locked…

Eliot Cutler, a liberal who is running for governor without party affiliation, took to Facebook on Wednesday to blast partisan “blamesmanship” and blame the partial shutdown of the federal government on “Tea Party Republicans” and U.S. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). “There’s a lot of blamesmanship being practiced in Washington right now — a lot of it deservedly directed, in my opinion, at Tea Party Republicans in the House and Senator Cruz,” Cutler said in a Facebook post from somewhere in Portland. Cutler said the shutdown would have an awful impact on Maine’s tourist-reliant economy and federal workers. “But the shutdown has other…

AUGUSTA – House Republicans rolled out two welfare reforms on Monday targeting Maine’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash welfare program. Both proposals were quickly rejected by Democratic leadership has an attack on poor people. The first bill would require those seeking cash benefits to look for work before obtaining public assistance, while the second would clear up ambiguities in the statutory language governing the ASPIRE-TANF welfare program. Both were introduced by House Minority Leader Ken Fredette (R-Newport). [RELATED: As LePage makes final welfare debt payment, Dems lobby for more…] The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that 18…