Author: Steve Robinson

“President Obama does not want an immigration bill to pass,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) during a Wednesday interview with CBS News’ Jan Crawford. Cruz, a darling of the Tea Party movement, has taken a no-holds-barred approach to tangling with the Obama Administration. Said Cruz, “I think that the president wants to campaign on immigration reform in 2014 and 2016. And I think the reason that the White House is insisting on a path to citizenship for those who are here illegally is because the White House knows that insisting on that is very likely to scuttle the bill.” “Like”…

AUGUSTA – Due to “inadequate internal control procedures,” the Maine Department of Labor gave more than $100,000,000 in jobless benefits to Mainers who might not have been actively searching for a job, according to the 2012 report of the Maine State Auditor. State Auditor Pola A. Buckley, a Democratic political appointee, delivered her bombshell report to Senate President Justin L. Alfond (D-Cumberland), House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) and Republican Governor Paul R. LePage on March 28. Buckley wrote in the audit, “Approximately $42 million in federally funded unemployment claims and $61 million in claims funded by Maine’s employers…

AUGUSTA – State workers who have been forced to pay fees to the Maine State Employees Association (MSEA) since 2007 will suffer forced wage garnishment for at least another two years after the Legislature’s decision to reject an Amherst Republican’s bipartisan proposal. Standing on the floor of the Maine House of Representatives, Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman (R-Amherst) testified in support of his bill, L.D. 786, which would eliminate the MSEA’s monopoly over public sector collective bargaining rights thus rendering union membership voluntary. “Simply put, if the unions were doing their job and offering services that workers are willing to pay…

AUGUSTA – Lawmakers at Tuesday’s public hearing of the Taxation Committee heard testimony for an amorphous blob of policy proposals that could become the largest middle class tax hike in Maine history. The handful of tax proposals will likely become one omnibus bill, but the basic elements of the final proposal Democrats will produce are predictable: repeal of the 125th Legislature’s tax cut and the creation of a new Robin Hood Assessment. [RELATED: Fee Hike: Democrats allow $3 million motor vehicle registration fee increase…] The hearing began with a bill from Rep. W. Bruce MacDonald (D-Boothbay) to repeal tax cuts passed…

WASHINGTON – National Journal conducted an analysis of Sen. Angus S. King, Jr.’s voting record to date and found Maine’s allegedly independent junior senator votes with Democrats as often as the former chairman of the Democratic Party. Read the full National Journal report: When Maine’s Angus King ran as an independent candidate for the Senate last year, he carefully guarded which party he would caucus with in Washington and how he would vote. “They’ll know the answer when they get to the K’s,” King said of roll-call votes. The answer is: with the D’s. In his first 100 days casting…

AUGUSTA – As demonstrators gathered at the State House Tuesday to support a Farmington Republican’s push for better labeling of foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs), new information has come to light regarding U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree’s financial and political ties to top GMO firms. In advance of the Agriculture Committee’s public hearing for Rep. Lance Harvell’s (R-Farmington) bill to regulate food containing GMOs, crowds gathered shouting “No, No, G-M-O!” and brandishing signs and slogans – even some that appeared on the backs of old Pingree for Senate signs. That Pingree’s old political materials are being recycled to protest…

AUGUSTA – Less than six weeks after its first stint in the Maine House of Representatives, Democratic representatives voted Tuesday to enact L.D. 405, a bill to allow motor vehicle registration fee increases of 50-67 percent—or $3 million. The House accepted the Transportation Committee’s divided ought-to-pass report on March 14 and the Senate concurred on April 4.  Today’s House vote – 89-57 mostly along party lines – puts the fate of the bill in the Senate. House Republicans said Democrats are asking Mainers to pick up the tab for the rapidly growing government of their dreams. “Just yesterday, Democrats rejected millions of…

AUGUSTA – The Maine House of Representatives voted Tuesday on Rep. Corey A. Wilson’s (R-Augusta) proposal to exempt concealed hand gun permits from Freedom of Access Act requests. The final vote was 106 yeas to 40 nays. How did your Representative vote on L.D. 345? “LIKE” us on Facebook “Follow” us on Twitter

The Center for American Progress – a leftist think tank with intimate ties to the White House– recently published a fact sheet about gun violence in Maine. The sheet is true propaganda that omits important contextual information about gun deaths in Maine in order to advance an ideological agenda — namely, that more than 90 percent of gun-related deaths in Maine are self-inflicted. The Center states the following: “In Maine, 113 people were killed in gun-related violence in 2010, or one every three days.” True. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 113 Mainers died in firearm-related incidents. What the Left…

According to the Associated Press, the Tsarnaev brothers were motivated by radical Islam: BOSTON (AP) — The two brothers suspected of bombing the Boston Marathon appear to have been motivated by a radical brand of Islam but do not seem connected to any Muslim terrorist groups, U.S. officials said Monday after interrogating and charging Dzhokhar Tsarnaev with crimes that could bring the death penalty. The brothers, ethnic Chechens from Russia who had been living in the U.S. for about a decade, practiced Islam. Read the full AP story 

Ten – that’s how many bullets Democrats think Mainers’ firearm magazines should hold. Twenty-one – that’s how old Democrats think Mainers should be before they can obtain a concealed carry permit. AUGUSTA – Despite President Barack Obama’s incontestable failure to force his sweeping national gun-control agenda through Congress, Maine Democrats are continuing their push for controversial state-level gun-control legislation. During a Monday afternoon meeting of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, state lawmakers considered two Democrat-backed proposals to restrict the purchase and use of firearms in Maine. [RELATED: Angus King: “Pretty Disappointing Obama’s gun-control bill died…] The first proposal,…

AUGUSTA – The Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee on Monday heard testimony regarding several bills Democratic lawmakers are pushing to make severe — and costly changes to voting in Maine. Two of the proposals would change Maine’s popular election system into a run-off election system, while two additional bills would enact ranked choice voting. All four proposals will impose significant costs on the state and its municipalities and are designed to prevent candidates from winning elections with a plurality of the popular vote. Sen. John Tuttle (D-York) has introduced L.D. 1358, An Act To Amend the Election Laws To Require…

Contrary to media reports, there is no federal investigation of Governor LePage. Rather, the U.S. Department of Labor will be cooperating with the LePage administration to conduct an audit of Maine’s unemployment insurance system. AUGUSTA – The acting Secretary of the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) and Maine Gov. Paul R. LePage agreed Wednesday to cooperate on an audit of Maine’s unemployment insurance program. “I have said repeatedly that the unemployment compensation system must maintain a fair and consistent application of the law throughout the process,” said LePage. “That will benefit both employees as well as employers.” If the…

The Way Life Should Be. Our motto rings true as Maine consistently ranks high in quality of life. However, for the past three years Maine ranked last on Forbes Magazine’s best places to do business list. It’s not surprising considering Maine has the second highest corporate tax burden, third lowest productivity per worker, and a shrinking economy and population. Recently, our legislators had an opportunity to help restore Maine’s competitiveness, and squandered it. (Recommended: Big Labor: Democrats kill bipartisan bill to protect state workers’ paychecks from union…) Two bills, L.D. 831 and L.D. 786, sponsored by Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman…

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Sen. Angus S. King, Jr., an un-enrolled Democrat, said Friday in his weekly YouTube address that it was “pretty disappointing” to see President Barack Obama’s much-ballyhooed gun control legislation die. “There really wasn’t any good reason to go against it,” said King. “It was pretty much a straight party line vote, not entirely, but largely.” “It’ important to know that the bill got a majority of the Senate. It got 55 votes. And normally – in a normal universe – that would be enough votes to pass it,” said King. “But of course, down here, we have…

Defense against land trust costs Limington taxpayers funds, property In rural town of Limington, a dozen miles or so southwest of Sebago Lake, the quiet balance of country life has been upset over the past few years by a number of land use and property rights disputes between a local land trust and residents, as well as the desire of a land trust to receive the designation of property tax-exempt. While land use disputes have caused much discord for the local population, the tax exemption case has garnered statewide attention, as land trusts across Maine watch carefully for a precedent-setting…

Republican State Senators are co-sponsoring a Democratic proposal to restore the Maine Education Association’s (MEA) “virtual monopoly” of teachers’ taxpayer-funded health insurance. Sens. Roger Sherman (R-Aroostook) and Tom Saviello (R-Franklin) are co-sponsors of An Act to Protect School Administrative Units and Taxpayers (LD 300), introduced by Rep. Henry Beck (D-Waterville). Beck’s bill would repeal a law passed in 2011—and subsequently upheld by two federal courts—that allows school districts to obtain medical loss information from the MEA Benefits Trust (MEABT) which manages a statewide health insurance plan for most of Maine’s public school work force. Ralph W. Sarty Jr., former Republican…

U.S. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Wednesday the Affordable Care Act – also known as Obamacare – could become a “train wreck” as the Obama administration readies to implement the massive healthcare overhaul. According to a report from TheHill.com, Baucus, the chairman of the Finance Committee and a “key architect” of the healthcare law, is concerned that people – especially small business owners – do not understand how the law will work. [RELATED: Maine Democrats assail MGARA amid Obamacare chaos…] “I just see a huge train wreck coming down,” he told Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, according to…

A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Colorado’s 21-year old Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) could have dire implications for constitutional restraints on spending and taxation in almost every other state, including Maine. At issue is the very essence of republican self-government. The case – Kerr v. Colorado – is winding its way through the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. Colorado Attorney General John Suthers is representing the state against individual plaintiffs. The plaintiffs in the case – 34 current and former state legislators and local officials, mostly Democrats – are arguing that when a state constitution or…

Early reports on the Boston Marathon bombing have presented two theories as to who might be responsible for what White House officials have labeled an act of terrorism: home-grown right-wing radicals or Islamic terrorists. No individual or group has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the attack. The Pakistani Taliban, a group that has previous made threats against the U.S., denied responsibility, according to the Associated Press. While law enforcement officials questioned an injured Saudi national immediately following the event, reports indicate that he appears to be unconnected. Although President Barack Obama, in his initial public address, declined to use…

At least two people are dead and more than two dozen injured after three explosions rocked the city of Boston on Monday in what city officials are calling an “ongoing” event. Two explosions occurred at the finish line of the Boston Marathon as stragglers in the famous foot race completed their 26.2 mile trek, while a third device went off at JFK Library in a controlled explosion. Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Director Rob McAleer is monitoring the situation as it develops, according to a press release from Gov. Paul R. LePage. “It’s a very sad Patriot’s Day in Boston,”…

As Americans nationwide prepare to fork over Uncle Sam’s pound of flesh, 55 percent of respondents questioned in a Gallup poll report that their level of taxation is fair. This is the lowest percentage Gallup has measured since 2001. The results are based on Gallup’s Economy and Personal Finance poll, conducted April 4-7, and annually since 2001. The recent high in Americans’ perceptions that their taxes were fair, 64%, came in 2003, after President Bush signed tax cuts into law and weeks after the Iraq war began. Gallup’s history of asking this question stretches back to the 1940s. From 1943…

“The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.” – George Bernard Shaw Modern day consumerism has given us the concept of truth in packaging, or more formally, “Fair Packaging and Labeling,” which went into effect in 1966, compliments of our elected betters in Congress.  The intent was to prevent the public from being misled by “unfair and deceptive” packaging and labeling methods for consumer products. On its face, this is a great idea. It would be an even better one if elected officials and their support staffs applied it to their own…

AUGUSTA – As President Barack Obama’s sweeping health care overhaul causes regulatory chaos across the nation, Maine Democrats and other advocates of government-run health care are keeping true to the Party mantra – never let a crisis go to waste. During public hearings and work sessions last week, lawmakers on the Insurance and Financial Services Committee discussed several bills related to the President’s Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly referred to as Obamacare. The Democrat-backed proposals, which have the support of Maine’s left-leaning interest groups, are varied, but each seeks to extend government control over health insurance while repealing the…

AUGUSTA – The lawyer who helped fuel sensationalist claims about Gov. Paul R. LePage’s March 21 meeting with state workers is a staunch partisan with political motives for attacking the Governor, according to a report released Monday by the Maine GOP. David G. Webbert, an Augusta-based attorney who also serves as president of the Maine Employment Lawyers Association, stoked the fires of false controversy last week in interviews he gave to several Maine newspapers. Several Maine newspapers, starting with the Lewiston Sun Journal, ran stories last week based on the anonymous gossip of disgruntled state workers who claimed LePage illegally…

Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage on Friday published an opinion editorial with the Wall Street Journal in which he invited the country’s top firearm manufacturers to bring their businesses to Maine and pledge never to sign gun control legislation for the Pine Tree State. “We are dismayed to see strict anti-gun legislation in states that are home to some of our country’s best firearms manufacturers,” wrote LePage. “Beretta USA Corp. in Maryland, Colt Manufacturing Co. in Connecticut and Magpul Industries in Colorado are facing hostile—and hysterical—legislation from politicians who slap them in the face for providing their states with jobs,…

AUGUSTA – Republicans and Democrats on the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee sparred Friday over a host of bills GOP lawmakers believe will undermine public charter schools and online learning and restrict school choice. “The attacks on education reform that have come from the Democrats and the education establishment really are unrelenting,” said Rep. Peter Johnson (R-Greenville), the top House Republican on the Education Committee.  “All of these bills are little bites that combine to make the promise of charter schools dimmer for thousands of Maine students at a time when nobody should have a monopoly on our children’s education,”…

Maine – Old Orchard Beach Town Councilor and 2012 Emerge Maine graduate Robin Dayton has become the subject of the Maine Attorney General’s investigation into allegations that she used hate speech on Wednesday to ridicule a black Auburn resident. Dennis E. Graise, Detroit native and Maine resident since 2005, was at the Old Orchard Beach post office on Wednesday gathering signatures for a local recall initiative — an initiative which includes the recall of Dayton — when he noticed a woman approaching him who appeared irate. “She was yelling mean stuff and putting on a show,” said Graise. “She came back…

On Wednesday the Lewiston Sun Journal, the Bangor Daily News, and Maine Today Media all ran stories based on the anonymous gossip of disgruntled state workers with axes to grind against Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage. The anonymous Department of Labor (DoL) workers reportedly said LePage “scolded” them and told them to “skew” the outcomes of unemployment insurance (UI) hearings in favor of Maine employers. The Maine State Employees Association (MSEA) and high-ranking Democrats are now criticizing the Governor and calling for the Attorney General to investigate. [Recommended: Disgruntled state workers lie about Blaine House Bully to cover errors…] The events provide a…

AUGUSTA – Maine’s Republican Senators sent letters Wednesday to many mayors, city managers, selectman, school board members, and other municipal officials detailing the state’s current budget problems and how they came about. “The letters detail how Maine’s expansion of Medicaid, coupled with continued slow economic growth, have led to the current budget shortfall of more than $800 million,” according to a press release from the Senate Republican Office. Senate Minority Leader Michael Thibodeau (R-Waldo) said the letters were intended to rebut messages from special interest groups regarding the proposal for a temporary suspension of revenue sharing for towns and cities.…

LESSONS FOR TODAY FROM THE IMMORTALS, BUCKLEY AND REAGAN Remarks by Neal B. Freeman Amelia Island, Florida, March 23, 2013 Looking over this audience, I sense that I may have been around the political track a few more laps than most of you. I can tell you that every lap is unique in its own way — and that the lap we completed last November was uniquely disappointing. Rarely in my experience has a winning candidate appealed to meaner spirits. Never has a winning candidate seemed less interested in calling his countrymen to reconciliation and common purpose. When has an American…

The Lewiston-based Sun Journal  reported Wednesday that Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage bullied Maine Department of Labor (DOL) staff during a March 21 meeting at the Blaine House. The report, which relies entirely on anonymous hearsay from disgruntled state workers, is a stunning act of journalistic malpractice. According to multiple sources in the Governor’s Office, the anonymous allegations contained in the report are false. [RELATED: Hatchetgate: the anatomy of a hit piece…]  John Butera, senior economic adviser to the Governor, was present for the meeting at the Blaine House. He said LePage arranged the meeting in order to discuss whether…

Our College came under attack last week. It was an attack on our students, our alumni, our faculty, and our values. It is an attack that continues today on the blogs, in the comment streams, and on Twitter. It’s time to respond. [RELATED: Scholars say Bowdoin College is “dominated by progressive ideology”] Why has it taken us a week to answer the charges contained in a 359-page document (plus another 119 pages or so of background material) financed at a cost of “well over $100,000” by an individual who has not spent more than a few hours on our campus…

AUGUSTA – Maine Democrats’ major campaign promise last year was the repeal of Republican-backed health care insurance reform known as Public Law 90 (PL90), but now that they control the Maine House and Senate they face a problem:  PL90 is working. The Insurance and Financial Services Committee on Tuesday worked on six proposals to modify health insurance regulations in the state of Maine. Lawmakers ultimately decided to toss out three of the bills, but they have not abandoned their pursuit of repealing PL90 and are even considering measures that would go far beyond the federal Affordable Care Act, also known…

On April 22, in cities across America, some environmental activists will celebrate Earth Day, claiming only increased government control can protect the environment. Those celebrations will expose a couple ironies. First, many activists will arrive in a Toyota Prius, which has become the symbol of environmental consciousness. Ironically, however, the Prius is not a triumph of political planning but of the free market. In the 1990s, while California was requiring “zero-emission” vehicles, leaders at Toyota and Honda saw an opportunity to sell cars to people who want to spend less on gasoline, drive a car that emits less carbon dioxide,…

Gov. John E. Baldacci took to radio Tuesday morning to correct Republican “half-truths” and “misstatements” concerning Maine’s nearly $500 million hospital debt, but wound up spinning his own false yarn. On the Voice of Maine’s George Hale and Ric Tyler Show, Baldacci echoed comments made at a press conference last week that ads run by Maine People Before Politics, a 501(c)4 group connected with Gov. Paul R. LePage, were rife with falsehoods. Baldacci said he called a press conference last week to call attention to the half-truths and misstatements of ads run by Maine People Before Politics. In exchange with…

UPDATE: Members of the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday afternoon rejected a proposed ban on Agenda 21. Only three lawmakers voted in favor of the bill. Rep. Jarrod Crockett (R-Bethel) said he believes the bills supporters will have a future opportunity to discuss the bill before the full House. AUGUSTA – Maine Democrats maneuvered during Tuesday’s meeting of the Judiciary Committee to kill a Republican-backed ban on implementation of United Nations “Sustainable Development” Agenda 21 in Maine. Rep. Ricky D. Long (R-Sherman) introduced L.D. 220, An Act To Ban the United Nations Agenda 21 in Maine.  in order to prevent any state…

By Rep. Heather Sirocki – Here in Maine, we value our privacy and our laid-back lifestyle.  That’s why it came as a surprise to me that the Maine People’s Alliance (MPA), a controversial liberal activist organization, has deployed political salespeople to knock on our doors at night.  At 7:30pm on Valentine’s Day they knocked on my door in Scarborough. The activists’ information is based on prepared talking points and, if presented with any questions, they have limited knowledge.  They are collecting signatures for a petition to raise taxes on “the rich.” Many of them are from out of state.  One who…

AUGUSTA – After shaking hands on an agreement to honor the Boy Scouts of America, Maine Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Cumberland) and House Speaker Mark Eves (D-North Berwick) ordered Democrats to oppose it. Sen. Andre Cushing’s (R-Penobscot) nine-month old resolution honoring the Boy Scouts was a bipartisan proposal expected to pass with ease. Cushing said in a statement from the Republican Senate office that he was dismayed by the actions of the Democratic leadership in both the Senate and House of Representatives. Said Cushing, “This is a resolution that simply honors one of the most enduring institutions for young men in the…

BRUNSWICK – Bowdoin College entered the national spotlight last week when the National Association of Scholars (NAS) published a voluminous – and sharply critical – report on the state of the liberal arts at Maine’s top private college. NAS released the study April 3 during a Manhattan Institute press conference in the University Club of New York in New York City. “The report is perhaps the most deep and specific to date on how progressive ideology has altered the character of American higher education,” said former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett. “Bowdoin has supplanted the ‘classical liberal’ principles of…

In response to the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, several leftist groups have been hard at work in Maine seeking support for a constitutional amendment that would severely restrict the rights of people who choose to work through incorporated entities. In Citizens United, the Court overturned on First Amendment free speech grounds the federal ban on “independent political expenditures” by for-profit and non-profit corporations and unions.  Such expenditures are independent of any party or candidate.  The court, however, left intact the existing ban on direct corporate contributions to candidates and political parties. While leftist…

AUGUSTA – A Hampden lawmaker on Saturday condemned his colleagues following a highly partisan decision Friday to close debate on a bipartisan bill that would have protected state workers’ paychecks from the Maine State Employees Association (MSEA). “In my 5 terms, I have never seen so much blatant partisanship by the majority party in a committee,” said Rep. Brian Duprey (R-Hampden). Duprey made his comments in a letter sent to Sen. John Patrick (D-Rumford) and Rep. Erin Herbig (D), co-chairs of the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development (LCRED) of which Duprey is a member. [RELATED:…

AUGUSTA – Democratic lawmakers on Friday used procedural tricks to kill a bipartisan proposal to protect Maine state workers from the state-abetted wage garnishment on behalf of government workers unions. Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman (R-Amherst), lead sponsor of L.D. 786, An Act To Ensure the Voluntary Membership of Public Employees in Unions, said Sen. John L. Patrick (D-Rumford), Co-chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, and Economic Development (LCRED), motioned to close debate during Friday’s work session before it even began. [RELATED: Lawmakers debate bill to protect state workers’ paychecks from Big Labor…] Lockman said Patrick’s decision to silence…

The National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), a Fredericksburg, Virginia-based 501(c)4 lobbying group, began running ads last week on the popular conservative news website Drudge Report targeting U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). The high-profile ad buy urges Collins to join Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in pledging to filibuster “ANY and ALL gun control legislation.” “That includes so-called ‘Gun-Trafficking,’ ‘Mental Health Screenings” or expanding ‘Background Checks!’,” according to the ads. The ads follow similar ads from another gun group, the National Rifle Association (NRA), targeting Maine’s junior senator, un-enrolled Democrat Angus King of Brunswick. [RELATED: Maine’s Angus…

Myth #1: The Medicaid Expansion is largely funded by free federal money for state governments. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as “Obamacare,” the federal government would pay the lion’s share of costs for new Medicaid enrollees.  But the federal government first takes that money through taxes on individuals, families and businesses across America, including those in Maine. The Congressional Budget Office has already increased its estimate of the cost of Obamacare over ten years from $940 Billion to $1.76 Trillion.  In the words of Thomas Jefferson, “the principal of spending money to be paid by posterity,…

AUGUSTA – Members of the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services gathered in Cross Office building Tuesday for a packed public hearing on a bill that would expand Maine’s Medicaid program – also known as MaineCare – to include individuals eligible under the federal Affordable Care Act – also known as Obamacare. “This bill will allow Maine to expand medical coverage under the MaineCare program to adults who qualify under federal law,” said Rep. Linda F. Sanborn (D-Gorham), lead sponsor of L.D. 1066, An Act To Increase Access to Health Coverage and Qualify Maine for Federal Funding. The…

Well, at least we’re not dead last. A survey of 8,000 small businesses across the country published by Governing.com on the regulatory, tax and economic climate of all 50 states has placed Maine 40th in terms of the state’s friendliness to small business. If that sounds like progress since Forbes published a similar study placing Maine 50th, guess again. According to the survey, nine states were excluded from the review because less than 20 businesses from those states responded to the survey. Only Rhode Island’s business climate ranked less friendly than Maine’s. Utah, Alabama and New Hampshire took home the 1, 2 and 3 spots,…

AUGUSTA – Rep. James J. Campbell, Sr. (U-Newfield) was called out of order several times Monday morning as he vehemently defended the same unions that funded his 2012 campaign. Sen. John Patrick (D-Rumford), Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development (LCRED), struggled to contain Campbell as the committee heard testimony concerning L.D. 786 and L.D. 831 – a pair of bills that would reform Maine’s public and private sector union laws. Both bills were introduced by Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman (R-Amherst). L.D. 786 would prevent unions from coercively collecting dues and fees from public…

AUGUSTA – Maine lawmakers heard testimony on Monday concerning Right-to-Work legislation that would make labor union membership voluntary for Maine workers. While proponents of the bill point to the economic benefits other states have seen after passing similar laws, union leaders and pro-union Democrats are not convinced. “This proposal is inspired by principle and economics,” said Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman (R-Amherst), lead sponsor of L.D. 831, An Act To Prohibit Mandatory Membership in a Union or Payment of Agency Fees as a Condition of Employment. “The principle is liberty. And the economic justification is being proven again and again as…

AUGUSTA – Lawmakers debated a bill on Monday morning that would give Maine’s state workers freedom to choose whether they want to belong to the Maine State Employees Association (MSEA) – a not-for-profit corporation also known as the state workers union. L.D. 786, An Act To Ensure the Voluntary Membership of Public Employees in Unions, introduced by Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman (R-Amherst), would protect state workers’ paychecks from mandatory wage garnishments and end a controversial 6-year-old experiment whereby Maine serves as a collections agent for MSEA. “I’m here today to speak on behalf of the disenfranchised minority of state workers…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage told Mainers on Saturday that electricity rates in the Pine Tree State are far too high and the state-mandated wind power industry is to blame. “Maine’s energy costs are 10th highest in the nation, and our electric bills are 34 percent higher than the national average,” said the Governor. “But it does not have to be this way. Affordable energy is available right here in Maine and just across our northern border.” LePage has been engaged in negotiations with Canadian officials regarding a deal that could drastically lower electricity rates Maine’s businesses and families pay.…

The Do-Nothing Democrats in Augusta have two months and twenty days remaining before the Legislature must adjourn and still have not taken action on any of the problems facing Mainers. Here’s a review of legislative priorities the Democrats have considered instead. Selling the Governor’s House: L.D. 858, An Act To Partially Fund Tax Breaks for the Wealthy by Eliminating Certain Gubernatorial Benefits. Rep. Diane Russell (D-Portland), who failed to attend the public hearing to present her bill, told the Bangor Daily News that she presented it because she thought Republican Gov. Paul R LePage “ought to know what it’s like for…

AUGUSTA – Rep. Lawrence Lockman (R-Amherst) joined the George Hale and Ric Tyler show Friday morning to discuss a bill he has introduced that would give state workers the freedom to choose whether to join the Maine State Employee Association (MSEA). “It’s a corrupt money laundering scheme that funnels $750,000 per year into the coffers of the union,” said Lockman. Listen to Lockman’s GHRT interview here: Lockman said that under the Baldacci administration, the Legislature passed a law requiring the state to collect dues and agency fees on behalf of the MSEA – the state’s public sector employees union. The…

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University has released its biennial report on freedom in these United States. According to the 2013 Index of Freedom, Maine is the 39th freest – or 11th least free – state in the Union. The freest states? North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee and New Hampshire. The least free? New York, California and New Jersey. Here is a list of all the states’ rankings. Mercatus determines freedom rankings based on three categories: fiscal policy (35.3 percent), regulatory policy (32 percent) and personal freedom (32.7 percent). The fiscal dimension covers tax burdens, government employment, government spending,…

A front group of the Portland-based Maine People’s Alliance (MPA) is back in the news over a report it released on Thursday urging Congress against cutting unsustainable entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. The so-called “Maine Small Business Coalition” (MSBC) released a study prepared by the national Main Street Alliance at a press event in Boothbay. In February, The MAINE WIRE exposed MSBC as a registered front group for MPA, Maine’s most notorious leftist advocacy group.  Although MSBC is a perfect example of astroturfing – that is, fake grassroots – this has not stopped the Associated Press and…

Maine’s Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) provides enterprising journalists a way to dig up dirt on matters of great interest to the public, but state officials say some newspaper reporters have taken their pursuit of public records a little too far. The MAINE WIRE has obtained emails  that show how newspaper reporters have threatened to publish unflattering stories about state workers or state agencies — including details of state workers’ personal lives — if their FOAA requests are not granted quickly or inexpensively enough. According to state law, agencies may charge up to $15 for every hour after the first…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage on Thursday slammed Portland’s Democratic Mayor Michael Brennan for his “innappropriate” attack on a Portland-based public charter school. “Governor Paul R. LePage condemned today inappropriate activities that Portland’s Mayor has requested of Maine Attorney General, Janet Mills,” the Governor’s Office wrote in a statement. Brennan sent a letter to Mills on March 22 asking her to investigate the Baxter Academy for Technology and Science on the premise of “financial mismanagement.” In her March 27 letter of reply, Mills declined to interject the AG’s office into the dispute and pointed out that the Maine Commission…

During the 2012 election, much ado was made over Cleveland resident Michelle Dowery’s rant in a viral YouTube video about her “Obama phone.” Now, a telecommunications giant Virgin Mobile USA has begun an ad campaign designed to encourage Mainers to get Obama phones of their own. “Keep Obama in president… He gave us a phone,” said Dowery in a YouTube video that now has nearly eight million views. In reality, the Obama phone program – which is officially called the Lifeline program – began in 1985 during the Reagan administration and expanded to include cell phones in 2005 under President…

The National Rifle Association (NRA), the foremost defender of Second Amendment rights in the country, is running ads targeting Maine’s  junior senator. The NRA’s Facebook ad asks Mainers to call Sen. Angus S. King, Jr., the un-enrolled Democrat of Brunswick who replaced former Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) last November, and urge him to oppose the “anti-Second Amendment agenda” of President Barack Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Although King had a reputation as being an outdoorsman – and received the endorsement of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine – when he served two terms as governor, his senate campaign was buoyed through…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage said Wednesday via Twitter that he would give up his pension if Democratic leaders in Augusta would simply agree to his proposal to repay Maine’s hospitals with revenue from the liquor contract. The Governor, who is enjoying his yearly vacation in Jamaica, offered the deal in response to Assistant Senate Majority Leader Troy Jackson’s (D-Allagash) attempt to take away pensions from governor’s who do not serve two terms. [RELATED: Democratic Rep. Attacks Gov. LePage on Pension] Jackson’s bill, which comes amid serious debates over Maine’s budget, was widely acknowledged by both Republicans and Democrats as…

From the House Republican Office: AUGUSTA – Well, there they go again.  Yesterday, Democrats were telling parents that their kids couldn’t go tanning.  Now, they’re telling struggling small business owners that the wages they offer aren’t good enough. The House this morning voted to advance a bill to further control the wages Maine employers may offer and Maine workers may accept.  The bill, LD 611, is sponsored by South Portland Democrat Scott Hamann and pushed by the controversial Maine People’s Alliance.  If it becomes law, the bill will increase the minimum wage by $1.50—or 17 percent—over three years, bringing it…

PORTLAND – The Portland Phoenix’s Jeff Inglis is reporting that Chris Korzen, the man behind MainesMajority.org, has quit the Portland-based non-profit group he started. “Not sure who’s empowered to accept his resignation, but it’s as clear as day: Chris Korzen is leaving the Maine’s Majority group he founded,” Inglis wrote in a story on Tuesday afternoon. “ BREAKING NEWS: Founder Chris Korzen ‘quits’ Maine’s Majority #mepolitics” Inglis’s report includes a lengthy email exchange between Korzen and Inglis in which the latter man points out the hypocrisy of Maine’s Majority assailing former State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin for his use of a…

Republican leader and former State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin on Wednesday released a new two-minute video that succinctly explains Maine’s hospital debt predicament and why paying Maine’s bills is the right thing to do. In the video, Poliquin explains how the state managed to accumulate $484 million in unpaid hospital bills and discusses Gov. Paul LePage’s proposed solution. Poliquin, whose tenure as Treasurer ended when Democrats assumed control of the Legislature, has continued to be outspoken about the role conservative principles can play in improving Maine’s economy. Watch the video below: Follow The Maine Wire on Twitter and Facebook!

AUGUSTA – Maine GOP Chairman Richard M. Cebra said Wednesday that Democratic lawmakers are falling short of lofty campaign promises and are instead resorting to petty, personal attacks on Republicans. The Maine Republican Party released a statement  highlighting what it believes is mounting evidence that Democratic Party is more concerned with pet issues and personal vendettas than delivering on campaign promises. “It’s almost April, and this session, Democratic leadership has failed in spectacular fashion,” said Maine GOP Chairman Richard M. Cebra in a statement. “They’ve ignored jobs, debt and the economy in favor of drinking hours, hiking car registration fees,…

Lawmakers on Tuesday considered two items of legislation that would force businesses to collect sales and use taxes on goods sold into Maine over the Internet. L.D. 346, An Act to Require the Collection of Sales Tax by Any Business Making Sales to Persons in Maine, was introduced by Rep. L. Gary Knight (R-Livermore Falls), the ranking House Republican on the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. “This is not a new tax,” said Knight. “This is simply an attempt to collect an existing tax that is not being collected because of the nature of online sales,” he said. “Maine’s small…

Democratic leaders in Augusta are using unorthodox parliamentary tricks to prevent the Legislature from considering a proposal to make Maine’s schools safer. State House sources say Democratic leaders have asked for a fiscal note on a bill to develop safety standards for school access before referring the measure out of committee. Typically, lawmakers ask for fiscal impact determinations when a bill is referred out of committee. Rep. Lance Harvell (R-Farmington) introduced L.D. 529 as emergency legislation that would ensure future school construction projects abide by certain standards for access. The act has ten co-sponsors – all Republicans – including Sen.…

Maine Department of Labor spent more than $6.5 million from 2008 to 2012 on “training and support” for 851 Mainers – Draft report describes flawed, irresponsible government largesse – Program managers required to funnel applicants into other welfare programs – Other welfare not considered “income” – Max two-year benefits: $48,390; benefits given for up to eight years – $393,375 spent on car repairs; $91,200 on car insurance – “Anti-poverty” program left some with lower wages By S.E. Robinson, Maine Wire Reporter AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Labor has spent $6.5 million on a flawed anti-poverty lottery that lacks accountability, has…

State employees are speaking out in favor of a bipartisan proposal to reverse a six-year-old decision to turn the state of Maine into a collections agent of the Maine State Employees Association (MSEA). The legislation (L.D. 786), which was introduced by Rep. Lawrence Lockman (R-Amherst), would prevent the state from withholding agency or service fees from the paychecks of workers who decline to become members of the MSEA – otherwise known as the state employees’ union. Rep. Terry M. Hayes (D-Buckfield) has co-sponsored the proposal. The MSEA began collecting fees from newly hired employees at the beginning of the Baldacci…

AUGUSTA – As the 126th Legislature wrangles with difficult debates over the state budget, Democratic lawmakers are occupying their colleagues with partisan jibes at Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage and former U.S. Senate candidates Charlie Summers and Bruce Poliquin. Democrats are pushing two bills, L.D. 947 and L.D. 490, which many in Augusta say are not only unworthy of the Legislature’s energy, but are also naked partisan attacks on Republicans. L.D. 947, An Act To Ensure the Effectiveness of Constitutional Officers, introduced by Sen. Christopher K. Johnson (D-Lincoln), would prevent sitting Constitutional Officers from seeking federal or statewide office. The…

UPDATED: Lewiston Mayor Bob MacDonald announced Wednesday that city officials have removed 84 people from the welfare rolls and saved taxpayers more than $150,000 in fraudulent welfare payments. More than half of the individuals included in the investigation will be charged with fraud, according to city officials.  LEWISTON – Lewiston city officials will hold a press conference Wednesday morning concerning an investigation into welfare fraud allegedly committed by local residents, The Maine Wire has learned. The investigation has found a significant number of welfare fraud cases in Lewiston alone, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulently received public…

Center for Constitutional Government Director David Crocker joined Inside Maine with Phil Harriman to discuss a lawsuit he has filed against the Maine Municipal Association (MMA). The lawsuit, which was filed in June of 2010, alleges that MMA inappropriately used taxpayer funds to engage in political activity supporting or opposing various ballot initiatives. The initiatives on which the MMA allegedly engaged in improper use of property tax dollars include the 55% School Funding Initiative (2002-2004), the Palesky tax reduction initiative (2004), TABOR I (2006), TABOR II (2009) and (5) the Auto Excise Tax initiative (2009). The MMA’s total expenditures (monetary and…

AUGUSTA – Amid Friday’s debate over whether to raise Maine’s minimum wage law, some Democrats fear doing so might make some Mainers ineligible for food stamps, Medicaid, and other welfare benefits. During a Friday work session on L.D. 611, An Act To Adjust Maine’s Minimum Wage Annually Based on Cost-of-living Changes, the Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development pondered an amendment to raise the minimum wage even more. Whereas the bills sponsor, Rep. Scott Hamann (D-South Portland), originally proposed that the minimum wage increase by $1 and be indexed to inflation, the proposed amendment would have increased the minimum…

At Gov. Paul R. LePage’s Friday education conference at Cony High School in Augusta, key note speaker Tony Bennett called school choice the “social justice issue of our generation” and challenged Maine’s teachers’ union – the Maine Education Association – to bring new ideas to the table. “It does not play in the Bennet household that collective bargaining should be abolished,” said Bennet, who became Florida’s education commissioner in January. “But I would say to the Maine Education Association: come to the table with solutions,” said Bennett. “Come to the table in good faith with solutions.” Bennett, who spoke passionately…

Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage used is weekly address to talk about the education conference he hosted Friday at Cony High School in Augusta. The first-ever Governor’s Conference on Education served as a forum for dialog between national education experts and officials from other states and Maine lawmakers and school administrators. “Our first education conference was a great success,” said LePage, who sat center stage for the duration of the event taking notes. “A quality education is critical to any child’s well-being and future success,” said LePage. “The status quo no longer works.” LePage said that accountability, best practices and…

The Portland Press Herald reported Friday morning on a lawsuit filed against its owner, hedge fund billionaire and bank roller for many of Maine’s progressive organizations S. Donald Sussman. The Press Herald report comes less than a day after The Maine Wire first broke the news that Kevin Bunker of Portland-based Developers Collaborative had filed a legal complaint against Sussman seeking nearly a half a million dollars in restitution. The story was also covered by Chris Busby at his Bangor Daily News blog “News, Views, and Happiness Pursued.”  While reporting unflattering facts about its owner is commendable, the Press Herald’s coverage of a shipyard worker’s protest…

AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul R. LePage held a statewide conference on education Friday at Cony High School in Augusta. The Governor spoke candidly about his own personal experiences with the education system in Maine and rebuked those who have accused him of slashing education funding. “To say that the Governor of Maine is cutting education spending is incorrect,” said LePage. “To say that the Governor of Maine is making up for the loss of federal education funding is correct.” The Governor pointed to a graph (below) showing how his administration has increased funding for education. (* The amount listed for…

Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) broke with the rest of Maine’s congressional delegation on Thursday to vote against a Continuing Resolution (C.R.) that will restore the Defense Department’s pre-sequester funding levels thus sustaining vital federal contracts for two of Maine’s largest employers. The C.R., which was supported by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus S. King (UD-Maine), ultimately passed in the House of Representatives with 318 “yeas”, Michael Michaud (D-Maine) included. The C.R. contains more than $4 billion for the Navy to purchase up to ten DDG-51 destroyers, ships which Bath Iron Works (BIW) of Bath is currently competing to build.…

WASHINGTON, DC – Senate Democrats joined forces late Thursday night to reject a Republican-led floor motion that would have required them to produce a balanced budget by 2023. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) made a motion to commit S. Con. Res. 8 back to the Budget Committee with instructions to report back no later than March 22, 2013 with such changes as may be necessary to achieve unified budget balance by fiscal year 2023, according to Congressional records. The motion was defeated on a 46 to 53 vote. Sen. Angus S. King Jr., an un-enrolled Democrat and former Maine governor, joined…

Summit Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Colorado-based Summit Utilities, has decided to enter into a project labor agreement (PLA) for its Kennebec Natural Gas project, prompting outcry from Maine’s leading construction associations and strong disapproval from Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage. “While I appreciate Summit’s commitment and investment in Maine to help reduce our cost of energy, I am extremely disappointed that they have chosen to implement a PLA on this project,” said LePage. “This action not only increases the cost of the project, but more importantly, it shuts out Maine’s construction workers and their families from good job opportunities,”…

Two letters from the Obama administration to Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage paint very distinct portraits of the federal government’s fiscal health amid sequestration and Medicaid expansion. “It is my hope that all states will fully expand their Medicaid programs and take advantage of the generous federal matching funds to cover many of their currently uninsured residents,” wrote Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a March 5 letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Maine Wire. That same day, Deputy Health Secretary William V. Vorr sent a separate letter warning that sequestration would cut funding for Maine’s Department of…

Billionaire Democrat S. Donald Sussman and wife Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) are dealing with a lawsuit following the collapse of an $8,000,000 condominium project that residents in the First Congressional District had hoped would revitalize a blight-stricken Portland neighborhood. According to Cumberland County District Court documents, copies of which were obtained by The Maine Wire, Portland-based Developers Collaborative is suing Sussman and his real estate attorney Thomas B. Federle for consultancy services provided on the Newbury Lofts – a much-ballyhooed condo complex that was never built. Kevin Bunker, the manager of Developers Collaborative and plaintiff in the lawsuit, alleges nonpayment…

Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage has offered the federal government a quid pro quo regarding his willingness to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). On Monday, Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary C. Mayhew sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius outlining pre-conditions for the Governor to accept an expansion of Medicaid called for in the ACA — more commonly known as Obamacare. “Ultimately, we must make the decision that is best for the people of Maine,” wrote Mayhew. “While we share the common goal of increasing access to affordable health care,…

Assistant Democratic Senate Leader Troy Jackson (D-Allagash) wants Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage to forfeit his pension unless he his re-elected to a second term in the Blaine House. Jackson’s Democratic colleague, however, has called his efforts a “distraction,” “political shenanigans,” and “mere political tomfoolery.” Jackson testified on Monday before the State and Local Government Committee in favor of his bill, L.D. 490, which would amend Maine’s Constitution to specify that only two-term governors may receive pensions. “As the law stands now, someone could take the Governor’s Oath of Office, serve one day, and then quit and receive the full…

AUGUSTA – Lawmakers on the Criminal Justice Committee on Monday heard testimony on several bills that would restrict the sale and use of fireworks in the state of Maine. The law legalizing fireworks went into effect in January of 2012 and has allowed 17 retail fireworks stores to open in Maine. According to industry estimates, the stores employ roughly 100 Mainers full-time and another 500 on a seasonal or part-time basis. “The law to transfer fireworks regulation from the state to local communities was a jobs bill that has paid off big-time,” said House Minority Leader Kenneth Fredette. “It would be…

AUGUSTA – The Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), a division of the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, on Tuesday alerted Maine’s school districts to a new grant program that will help cover the cost of upgrading campus security. William DeLong, Division Director for Homeland Security, said MEMA worked closely with Department of Education personnel in crafting the grant program. DeLong expects anywhere from 50 to 100 school districts toapply for the grant, which will be funded through a federal Homeland Security Grant program. “The thinking behind the grant is to enhance school security without costs for schools,” said…

George Mason University professor and renowned economist Walter E. Williams on March 7 delivered a rousing keynote address to the founders of the Independence Institute, entitled, “The Legitimate Role of Government in a Free Society.” Williams’ address examined the growth of the federal government within the context of constitutional liberty. “In the course of my comments I’m going to say things that will break with conventional wisdom on a whole range of topics. I’m going to say some things that may sound mean, mean-spirited, uncaring and politically incorrect,” said Williams. “One of the justifications for the growth of government—far beyond…

The leftist political organizations that control much in Maine politics on Thursday unveiled the latest initiative designed to advance their progressive agenda through Augusta. Fair Share Now, an initiative dedicated singularly to the pursuit of higher taxes on so-called wealthy Mainers, is controlled by an all-star cast of Maine’s tax-hungry Democratic powerbrokers: Maine AFL-CIO, Maine Education Association (MEA), Maine’s Majority, Maine People’s Alliance (MPA), and Maine State Employee’s Association (MSEA). “It’s not right for taxes to increase on Maine’s middle class and working families while those at the top get a break they don’t need,” the group states on its website.…

PORTLAND – U.S. Agricultural Secretary Thomas Vilsack on Thursday visited the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland  to lecture children on the national security and educational implications of obesity. “We must continue to take action today to ensure that today’s young people grow up healthy and strong, or we will see more challenges – everything from soaring health care costs to diminished national security and decreased business competitiveness,” said Vilsack in a USDA news release. “Improving the nutrition of our young people has tremendous implications for our country’s future,” said Vilsack, who was joined by Portland Mayor…

The Women and Gender Studies program of the University of Southern Maine will host author and sociologist Danielle Lindemann on Tuesday, March 19 at 5:30PM at its Portland campus to lecture about her new book, Dominatrix: Gender, Eroticism, and Control in the Dungeon. According to USM’s press release advertising the event, “Dr. Lindemann’s book draws from extensive fieldwork and interviews with professional dominatrices in New York City and San Francisco to offer portraits of pro-dommes, their work, and their clients.  Upending the idea that these erotic laborers engage in simple exchanges, Ms. Lindemann’s work contributes to a more sophisticated understanding…

From the House Republican Office:  Washington’s fiscal irresponsibility threatens another bait-and-switch on Mainers AUGUSTA – House Republican leadership says that Maine’s decision about whether to accept federal dollars to expand Medicaid is one that should consider the fiscal health not just of Maine, but of America. The federal government had a $1.3 trillion deficit in 2012, borrowing 35 cents out of every dollar it spent.  The CBO had projected a smaller deficit for fiscal year 2013, but in just the first two months (October and November 2012) the deficit far outpaced projections at $292 billion, which is spending at the rate of $1.75 billion…

In the face of tremendous opposition from Democratic legislators, the powerful teachers’ union, and even nameless vandals, Cornville Regional Charter School is giving students opportunities previously unavailable to them in the traditional education system. “We don’t know who did it or why,” said Justin Belanger, executive director of the Cornville Regional Charter School (CRCS). “But someone entered the school building, popped a ceiling tile, cut the school’s intercom and internet wires, and left them dangling in the hallway,” said Belanger. The act of vandalism occurred sometime between the closure of Cornville Elementary School in 2010 and the repurposing of that…

AUGUSTA – The 4th floor committee room in the State House overflowed with outspoken citizens on Tuesday as the Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Rep. Corey S. Wilson’s (R-Augusta) bill to exempt concealed weapon permit information from Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) requests. “I was extremely pleased with the number of supporters who turned out for the hearing,” said Wilson. “I was satisfied with the testimony offered on behalf of my bill,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the work session.” The FOAA exemption Wilson is asking for is not unprecedented and would add to the 483 exemptions provided…

AUGUSTA – The Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday held a work session on legislation that would force Maine’s hospitals to disclose conflicts of interest and other pertinent information to patients when referring them to affiliated nursing homes or rehabilitation facilities. LD 447, An Act to Increase Patient Choice in Health Care Facilities and Health Care Settings, was introduced by Sen. John L Patrick( (D-Rumford) and would require hospitals to declare conflicts of interest by using statements such as “affiliated with hospital” or “owned by hospital” when referring patients to secondary care facilities. The bill would also require hospitals…

AUGUSTA – Sparks flew on Tuesday as Gov. Paul R. LePage’s nominee to head the board of directors of the Dirigo Health Agency (DHA) blasted his critics and unexpectedly withdrew his nomination during a heated hearing of the Insurance and Financial Services Committee. “There were many things said about me last Tuesday. Some of them were true,” said former Republican Rep. Jonathan McKane of Newcastle in reference to the March 5 hearing in which the committee rejected his nomination by an 8-5 party line vote. “I was accused of misogyny, of wanting to deny women the right to vote, of saying…

The Center for Educational Excellence, a project of the Maine Heritage Policy Center, has released a new study on the benefits of educational innovations that capitalize on new and emerging digital technologies, Online Learning: Maximizing Results by Leveraging Technologies. “Online learning, often referred to as ‘anywhere, any time learning,’ is an education model whereby a student completes his coursework through internet-based programs,” writes MHPC Education Policy Analyst Amanda Clark. “Given the laptop programs and online learning programs already in place throughout our state, Maine has the potential to revolutionize education to such a degree that every student can realize his…

By Sandy George, Montville The inspiration for offering this opinion was a personal e-mail sent to me by John Piotti, executive director of Maine Farmland Trust, referencing his “Cedar and Pearl” column of March 6, Taxes, Conservation Easements, Farms and Other Thoughts of Spring.  In his column, Mr. Piotti reduces the response of sitting selectman to property tax increases as a simple complaint about “others.”  Of the many selectmen I have met across the State of Maine during the past 46 years, very few are uncaring about their citizens.  Recently, one very frugal 1st Selectman from Waldo County put it…

After weeks of public pressure, Democratic leaders on Monday had a change of heart: They now support repaying Maine’s $484 million hospital debt and doing so with revenues from a renegotiated liquor contract. “Democrats have always been focused on repaying the state’s debt to the hospitals,” Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland) said during a morning press conference. “Today, we commit to a swift upfront and immediate payment in full to put to rest our debt obligation.” Prior to Monday’s press conference, which came just minutes before public hearings on Gov. Paul LePage’s competing proposal began, it was unclear whether repaying the…

Democrats on the Insurance and Financial Services Committee last Tuesday reached new heights of incivility in savaging Gov. Paul R. LePage’s nominee to head the Dirigo Health Agency (DHA), Jonathan McKane former Republican Representative of Newcastle. McKane withstood the barrage of heated rhetoric as the committee’s co-chairs Sen. Geoff Gratwick (D-Bangor) and Rep. Sharon A. Treat (D-Hallowell) refused to allow him to respond to criticisms ranging from matters of policy to direct assaults on his character. “The lawmakers opposed to the nomination cited McKaine’s long-standing opposition to Dirigo Health and its mission of increasing affordable health care in the private…

By Rep. Kathleen Chase (R-Wells) If most of us won a small lottery and received monthly payments over 10 years, we would not simply spend that money on dinner out and fancy new cars.  We would do something smart with it, such as pay off the home mortgage early or invest for retirement. In other words, we would try to do something fiscally responsible. The State of Maine is faced with a similar choice.  We are fortunate to have an opportunity to realize an extra $30 million or so per year since our current contract on the state’s liquor business is…

By Rachel Sheffield Heritage Foundation Last summer, the Obama Administration gutted the successful 1996 welfare reform law by offering to waive its work requirements. Now the debate is back, as several Members of Congress are trying to restore the reforms that helped so many out of poverty. The work requirements were the heart and soul of the historic welfare reform signed by President Bill Clinton. As a result of “workfare,” welfare rolls declined by half within five years, and employment rates among low-income individuals increased. Some of the biggest winners from workfare were children. Millions of children were lifted out of poverty. In 2003,…