Author: Steve Robinson

Steve Robinson is the Editor-in-Chief of The Maine Wire. ‪He can be reached by email at Robinson@TheMaineWire.com.

By Romina Boccia The Heritage Foundation Budget policy in 2012 was characterized by deficit spending, major increases in the national debt, and a heated debate over the “fiscal cliff.” With just days left for President Obama and lawmakers in Congress to avert a major tax hike, sequestration, and other major policy changes, today we bring you a list of the top 10 facts on federal spending in 2012: Four years of trillion-dollar-plus deficits. Fiscal year 2012 concluded with a $1.1 trillion deficit, marking the fourth year of trillion-dollar-plus deficits. Too much spending is the root cause of the federal government’s deep and sustained deficits.…

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The end of 2012 was marked by lawmakers engaging in a distracting fiscal cliff debate over tax rates when the solution to the real fiscal crisis lies in an entirely different area of the budget. Federal spending on entitlements and interest on the debt drives the federal budget crisis. Together the three major entitlements of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid (including Obamacare), as well as net interest, make up more than half of all spending in the federal budget today. Their share of the budget will grow to over two-thirds of all spending in 10 years. By 2025, the major entitlement programs…

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By Alyene Senger The Heritage Foundation Not all surprises are good. When it comes to Obamacare, the original projections are turning into unfortunately different realities. For the past 11 days, Heritage has highlighted one of the various changes in Obamacare projections (e.g., cost, enrollment, etc.) from when the law first passed until now. In 2014, Obamacare expands Medicaid eligibility to able-bodied, childless adults earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). If a state chose not to expand, the federal government would stop funding their existing Medicaid programs. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that by 2016, Obamacare…

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Not all surprises are good. When it comes to Obamacare, the original projections are turning into unfortunately different realities. For the next two days, Heritage is going to highlight one of the various changes in Obamacare projections (e.g., cost, enrollment, etc.) from when the law first passed until now. Obamacare was passed into law under the guise that it would expand access to health coverage while simultaneously reducing the federal deficit. In 2010, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that Obamacare would result in deficit reduction totaling $143 billion from 2010–2019. In 2012, the CBO estimated that Obamacare would result in deficit…

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By Rob Bluey The Heritage Foundation Christmas arrives this year at a time when our nation is on the brink of the fiscal cliff. With time running out for President Obama and Congress to reach an agreement, this Christmas Eve we bring to you 2012 twist on Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” It was produced by Public Notice as part of its Bankrupting America project. The poem was sent to members of Congress and President Obama “to lift their spirits during the final weeks of negotiations and hopefully inspire some responsibility.” We hope you enjoy it. Have a safe…

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This is the Governor’s weekly message. An audio file of the message can be found here. Hello. This is Governor Paul LePage. Celebration and family are at the heart of the holidays. It is a time of giving to those less fortunate, remembering our troops around the world who are fighting to keep us safe, and reflecting on the year gone by. Ann and I recently had the opportunity to visit one of the most sacred grounds of our nation, Arlington National Cemetery. As the final resting place for more than 400,000  military war casualties and their families, dating back to…

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  Jimmy Stewart in the 1939 film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”Wouldn’t you just know it; the venerable Senate filibuster is back in the news. The Maine Sunday Telegram on December 9 featured a “Maine Voices” column on the subject. Terms like “the nuclear option” and “the constitutional option” were on display. Senator Chuck Schumer, that unctuous 55-gallon drum of sanctimony, is trying to ride the fence on the issue, claiming the filibuster is vital to senate operation, but that “Republicans are abusing it.” This loosely translates to “Hey, we Democrats want to use the filibuster any way we please,…

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AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage asks that the people of Maine observe a moment of silence on Friday, Dec. 21, at 9:30 a.m., in remembrance of the victims of the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. “Governor Dannel Malloy of Connecticut has declared Friday an official day of mourning in his state and has asked all governors to share in that observance by calling for a moment of silence at 9:30 that morning. We share in the grief of the Newtown community at this tragic loss of innocent life,” expressed Governor LePage. In a letter…

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By Joel Allumbaugh Director of MHPC’s Center for Health Reform Initiatives The last of three cases studies on how Obamacare will affect real Maine businesses shows that the staggering increase in health insurance costs could actually force a retail operation into bankruptcy. (Download the case study here.) Depending on how many employees become eligible for Obamacare, the company would be compelled to spend either 54% or 134% of its profit margin to pay for health insurance. In the first scenario, spending more than half of the company’s profit margin on Obamacare would result in layoffs and other drastic cost-cutting measures. In…

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Peter Anastos, chairman of the MaineHousing Board of Commissioners, and State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin talk about the “astounding” results of new management at MaineHousing, which has driven costs per unit down by 36% and will create 148 more units of affordable housing units than last year. Last year, 177 units were created; this year, 325 will be created at a cost savings of $74,000 less per unit. This press conference was held December 18, 2012 at MaineHousing’s main office in Augusta. See complete story here.

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Thanks to new leadership at the Maine State Housing Authority, the cost of developing or rehabilitating affordable housing units in Maine has been reduced by 36 percent and 148 more units than last year will be available to low-income families. Last year, 177 units were available. This year, 325 will be available—and they will cost almost $74,000 per unit less to create. The significantly reduced costs and increased units result from a year-long effort by MaineHousing’s Board of Commissioners and staff, in partnership with Maine’s development community, to place incentives on lowering costs. Six affordable housing projects will receive…

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Not all surprises are good. When it comes to Obamacare, the original projections are turning into unfortunately different realities. For the next 8 days, The Heritage Foundation is going to highlight one of the various changes in Obamacare projections (e.g., cost, enrollment, etc.) from when the law first passed until now. One of Obamacare’s primary goals was to dramatically reduce the number of uninsured. To achieve this, Obamacare depends on a Medicaid expansion, new government subsidies funneled through exchanges, and an individual mandate to get people covered. In 2010, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that Obamacare would insure 32 million…

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By Scott Rasmussen The Rasmussen Report Having survived the Supreme Court and the November elections, President Obama’s health care law now faces an even bigger hurdle: the reality of making it work. Implementation of any massive new program requires cooperation, something the health care law can’t count on. Overall, just 46 percent of voters nationwide have a favorable opinion of the law, while 49 percent offer a negative view. The reasons are pretty much the same as they’ve been all along. Just 22 percent believe the law will reduce the cost of health care. Forty-eight percent believe costs will go up.…

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Not all surprises are good. When it comes to Obamacare, the original projections are turning into unfortunately different realities. For the next 9 days, Heritage is going to highlight one of the various changes in Obamacare projections (i.e. cost, enrollment, etc.) from when the law first passed until now. The federal government will provide subsidies to offset the cost of coverage in Obamacare’s new exchanges for those with incomes between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. In 2010, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that exchange subsidies would average $6,000 per enrollee in 2019, for a total…

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Governor urges Mainers to weatherize homes, contribute to community organizations that provide heating assistance to those in need AUGUSTA – As the snow flies and Mainers fill their fuel tanks for the winter ahead, Governor Paul R. LePage is reminding them of an interactive home heating cost calculator available on his Energy Office website at www.maine.gov/energy. The calculator allows Maine homeowners to estimate their costs to keep warm during the heating season ahead based on different types of fuels, their costs and their efficiency in different heating appliances. For example, a well-insulated 1,500 square-foot house based on current fuel prices cost nearly…

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The Alyene Senger The Heritage Foundation Not all surprises are good. When it comes to Obamacare, the original projections are turning into unfortunately different realities. For the next 10 days, Heritage is going to highlight one of the various changes in Obamacare projections (i.e. cost, enrollment, etc.) from when the law first passed until now. To pay for massive new spending provisions, Obamacare includes 18 new or increased taxes, fees, and penalties. In 2010, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that Obamacare’s provisions would generate $669 billion in additional revenue for the federal government from 2010-2019. This figure includes taxes, penalties, fees, and associated…

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By Michael Sandoval The Heritage Foundation In just a little over a decade, the U.S. federal debt will exceed 100 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), an “economically damaging” level, according to analysis from The Heritage Foundation based on numbers provided by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and the Congressional Budget Office. To the numbers: Fiscal year (FY) 2012 closed on September 30 with the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimating spending of $3.5 trillion and a deficit of $1.1 trillion. Debt held by the public was $11.3 trillion (73 percent of GDP). According to the CBO, debt will explode to 199…

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – As she concludes her 40 years of service in elective office to the people of Maine and the nation, U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) delivered her final speech on the floor of the United States Senate on Thursday.  During her remarks, Snowe, the third longest serving woman in the history of the United States Congress, discussed her remarkable life story, her rise from the corridors of the Maine Statehouse to the halls of Congress, and her impressive list of legislative accomplishments, always borne from her trademark consensus-building and bipartisan approach. In her remarks, Snowe – who…

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This story was posted Wednesday in Forbes. See it here. By Kurt Badenhausen Forbes For the third straight year Maine ranks No. 50 in Forbes seventh annual Best States for Business. Maine’s problems run deep. It has the second highest corporate tax burden at 16% above the national average, according to Moody’s Analytics. Energy costs, like the rest of New England, are also sky high at 27% above the U.S. average. The state is burdened with the oldest population in the U.S. with a media age of 42. The numbers tell the story on Maine. Its economy contracted 0.6% a year between 2006…

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Paying Obamacare penalties would be less expensive than providing health insurance A case study from a blueberry farming operation in Maine shows that providing health insurance benefits under Obamacare would result in a staggering annual increase of more than $184,000. (Download PDF of full case study here.) Due to the crushing mandates of Obamacare, this farm would face a whopping 203% increase of in the cost of providing health insurance benefits. The blueberry farm now pays $90,540 a year to provide health insurance for its full-time employees. Under Obamacare, the farm could pay as much as $274,762 to cover both full-time and…

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PORTLAND—The proposed East-West Highway across Maine is featured in a new Sierra Club national report as one of the worst transportation projects in the United States. The report, “Smart Choices, Less Traffic: 50 Best and Worst Transportation Projects,” cites the proposed $2 billion, 220-mile, four-lane freight truck highway’s serious negative impacts on Maine’s air and water quality and critical wildlife habitat. “The proposed East-West freight truck highway would permanently destroy Maine’s central landscape, threatening local communities, landowner private property rights, forests, air and water quality, and potentially leaving Maine taxpayers on the hook for this risky project,” said Karen Woodsum,…

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Governor recognizes Gorham organization which helps military families and children AUGUSTA – In recognition of the sacrifices made by children of military families, and to highlight the work being done to acknowledge those sacrifices, Governor Paul R. LePage has proclaimed December as Operation Tribute Month. Launched in 2007, and based in Gorham, Operation Tribute provides a holiday gift to participating children of Maine’s military families, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, as well as the Reserves and National Guard. Since its founding, the non-profit organization has acquired, wrapped and individually distributed more than 16,000 holiday gifts…

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By Curtis Dubay The Heritage Foundation The one glaring omission in President Obama’s fiscal cliff demands for higher rates on top earners is that he’s already raised their taxes. That’s right! When he signed Obamacare into law, he raised tax rates on families earning more than $250,000—his definition of rich. He has done so by including in the 18 separate Obamacare tax hikes an increase of the tax rates on income and investment. Obamacare raises the hospital insurance (HI) portion of the payroll tax on wage income over $250,000 from 2.9 percent to 3.8 percent. And it applies that 3.8 percent rate to investment income—capital…

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Hello. This is Governor, Paul LePage. Several weeks ago, I used my radio address to talk about the compassion of Maine people and their great generosity. The heart of Maine beats especially strong this time of year, as many drop a dollar in a red Salvation Army kettles or a holiday ham at a local food pantry. Others –including those who have little profit to part with– donate slightly worn coats or give of their time to serve meals at a shelter or shovel snow for a senior. But perhaps our country’s most humbling show of heart at the holidays…

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This article, titled “Stealthy Wealthy: Donald Sussman, Rep. Pingree make strange bedfellows”, was posted December 7, 2012 by The Sunlight Foundation. By Anupama Narayanswamy The Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group In the five or so years since hedge fund manager Donald Sussman and Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, have known each other, the investment tycoon has made his mark in her state, becoming its top political donor in 2012 and a major backer to Democratic super PACs. He’s also found ways to bankroll her campaign, while buying a controlling interest in the local papers that cover her district. Sussman, the billionaire manager of boutique hedge…

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By Amy Payne The Heritage Foundation It seems that every day now brings another business owner in the news talking about cutting workers’ hours or making other cost-cutting moves in anticipation of Obamacare’s impact in 2013. Here are just a few of the business owners’ comments on the health care law: “We’ve calculated it will [cost] some millions of dollars across our system. So what does that say—that says we won’t build more restaurants. We won’t hire more people,” Zane Tankel, chairman and CEO of Apple-Metro, which runs 40 Applebee’s restaurants. >> Tweet this quote “There’s no other way we can survive it, because…

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By David Kreutzer, Ph.D. The Heritage Foundation The wind production tax credit (PTC) has created an industry that produces overpriced, intermittent power, and it will continue to produce overpriced, intermittent power so as long as there is a PTC to pay for it. Here are the top seven myths associated with the PTC: Myth #1: Wind power is, or will soon be, cheaper than conventional sources. Fact: If this were true, then there would be no need for subsidies. First, this is a rerun of an argument that has been made for at least 20 years. Second, if wind were already…

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AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage released the following statement today, challenging Democrats to start working together for Maine people by calling off their hired political operative who has been intrusively tracking the Governor on a hand-held videocamera at all public events, including domestic violence awareness rallies, Blaine House food drives and visits to veterans homes: “For several months now, the Maine Democratic Party has hired a political cameraman to follow me wherever I go. I have not made an issue about this practice, nor did it bother me until Veterans Day. On that day, I had the privilege to speak…

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By Alison Acosta Fraser and J.D. Foster, Ph.D. The Heritage Foundation The House Republican leadership has offered a substantive counteroffer to President Obama’s frivolous fiscal cliff proposal of last week. At first blush, it appears little more than categorical, pre-emptive capitulation. To be fair, the details of the Republican proposal are extraordinarily vague. Nor is much clarity or comfort gained from the three-page accompanying letter sent to the President and signed by Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), and three other senior members of the House Republican leadership. Much can and likely will come…

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Governor LePage will assess options in a thoughtful and meaningful manner AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage has received notification from Department of Administrative and Financial Services Commissioner Sawin Millett to immediately reduce State government spending by $35 million. Governor LePage is currently reviewing the recommendation, which came Monday afternoon. The recommendation came on the same day the Revenue Forecasting Committee (RFC) formally submitted its December 2012 Report. The report indicates that State expenditures exceed anticipated income and other available funds in fiscal year 2013 by $35,452,373. Whenever it appears to the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services that the…

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By Amy Payne The Heritage Foundation With just a few weeks left in 2012, all eyes in Washington are on Capitol Hill and the “fiscal cliff”negotiations. As usual, Congress and the President are taking highly contentious issues down to the wire before cutting a deal—never a situation that ends well for taxpayers. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke coined the term “fiscal cliff” while urging Congress to avoid a steep dropoff for the economy at the end of the year thanks to tax increases and automatic budget cuts. There is no agreement right now on how to avoid it, however. When Treasury Secretary…

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By Amy Payne The Heritage Foundation President Obama made his first offer to congressional Republicans yesterday in negotiations over the “fiscal cliff”—an economic catastrophe of tax hikes just a few weeks away. The White House’s proposal? $1.6 trillion in tax increases, $50 billion in new stimulus spending, and a change that would make it easier to raise the debt limit—so that all this spending could continue. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) couldn’t contain his laughter at these suggestions. One congressional aide said the offer “amounts to little more than reiterating the President’s budget request—which failed to get a single vote in the House…

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A report that ranks Workers’ Compensation premium rates shows that Maine has the 10th highest workers’ comp rate in the nation. Compiled by the State of Oregon’s Department of Consumer and Business Services, the premium rate indices were calculated based on data from 51 jurisdictions, for rates in effect as of Jan. 1, 2012. Ranked at the eighth highest in 2010, Maine’s rank in 2012 dropped slightly to tenth highest in the nation. That still put Maine’s workers’ comp premium rate higher than 40 states and the District of Columbia. Ranked at 48th, the District of Columbia’s rate of $1.28 is…

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AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage revealed today that the U.S. Department of Labor has been interfering in the restructuring of the state’s workforce investment system to better meet the needs of Maine’s people. Evidence has surfaced of inappropriate backchannel communication between U.S. DOL and the local workforce investment boards, revealing the overreach of the federal government into state decision making. In a letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis signed by Governor LePage on Friday, the Governor condemns recent actions of that agency. The actions of concern relate to the state’s efforts to reinvigorate its workforce development system and…

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This story, titled, “MaineHousing changes standards, lowers cost of low-income projects,” was published November 29 in the Sun Journal. By Scott Thistle SJ State Politics Editor AUGUSTA — Recent changes to building standards and the way low-income housing projects are ranked by the Maine State Housing Authority for federal tax credits appear to be driving down development costs, state Treasurer Bruce Poliquin said. Poliquin, who sits on MaineHousing’s board of commissioners, said the changes mean the price for low-income housing will drop by a whopping $47,000 per unit, from $197,000 to $150,000. Prior MaineHousing standards placed a heavy emphasis on adding…

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An index of economic freedom in North America ranks Maine in the bottom 10 of states and provinces that offer growth and prosperity to their residents. As expected, New Hampshire was ranked as one of the states that offer the highest level of economic freedom at the all-government level, which measures restrictions on freedom imposed by all levels of local, state and federal government. Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York also offer more economic freedom than Maine at the all-government level, which is not surprising. But even Quebec and Rhode Island beat out Maine at the all-government level as places that…

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By Sally C. Pipes Pacific Research Institute The next act in the Obamacare saga is about to begin—and it’s going to be tragic. December 14 marks the deadline for states to reveal their plans for constructing insurance exchanges in line with the healthcare law’s dictates. Many are opting out, leaving the federal government to set up exchanges for them. Others simply aren’t ready to establish their own. And so these central components of Obamacare will soon stand as the latest examples of the president’s failure to make health insurance more accessible or affordable. Obamacare’s insurance exchanges were intended to be…

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AUGUSTA – A veteran legislator long lauded as an effective advocate for efficient government and for his efforts to enhance government transparency has been selected by Governor Paul R. LePage to head the new Governor’s Office of Policy and Management. Richard W. Rosen will begin as OPM’s first director on December 6, following the completion of his fourth term as the State Senator from District 31. He has been a leader in the Legislature since 1998, when he was elected to the House where he served three terms before voters sent him to the Senate. In addition to serving as the…

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By Amy Payne and Alison Acosta Fraser The Heritage Foundation Let’s talk taxes. In a New York Times op-ed yesterday, famed investor and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett once again argued that the wealthy should be taxed more. This isn’t the first time Buffett has made the case for higher taxes, and it’s not the first time he’s been wrong. Here are four reasons he is wrong to push for tax hikes. 1. Buffett says tax hikes won’t hurt jobs. Fact: Tax hikes, especially those he espouses, hurt jobs. Buffett cites periods when tax rates were high and says that “Under those burdensome rates,” employment “increased at a…

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As prescribed in Maine’s constitution, the state has been funding the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS) in amounts equal to the annual required contributions calculated according to Governmental Accounting Standards Board rules since 1998. Despite this good funding record, MainePERS was still considered endangered as of June 30, 2009, because its  asset-to-liability level is only 67.7%.   Put another way, the state had less than 68 cents to cover every dollar of benefits promised. The plan’s funding ratio has also been hurt by investment losses. At that time MainePERS only had $8.3 billion of assets to cover the $12.3 billion…

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The state of Maine has $14.5 billion in assets, but most of these assets are not available to meet the state’s bills.  The $5.6 billion of capital assets, such as roads, buildings and land, should not be sold to pay bills.  The use of $1.7 billion of the assets is restricted by law or contract. That leaves $7.2 billion of state assets available to pay a total of $13.9 billion of bills as they come due. The $6.7 billion shortfall represents compensation and other costs incurrede in prior years that should have been paid in those prior years.  Instead, these…

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By Scott Rasmussen Rasmussen Reports The Republican Party has won a majority of the popular vote just once in the last six elections. That dismal track record followed a party revival in the 1980s, when Ronald Reagan led the GOP to three straight popular vote majorities. To understand what went wrong, it’s important to remember Reagan was an insurgent candidate who defeated the Republican establishment of his era. When Reagan left office, however, the old establishment reasserted control. They consistently nominated candidates for president who opposed Reagan in 1980 and consistently lost elections. The difference is that Ronald Reagan believed…

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By Amy Payne The Heritage Foundation Federal employees—who work on average a month less than private-sector workers and get paid more—are lobbying for higher pay. Government unions know that Congress is looking for ways to nip and tuck the federal budget, and they’re counting on being left out of the deal. “The Federal-Postal Coalition—a group representing more than two dozen federal employee unions—pleaded with Congress on Monday to spare their members in any deal related to the ‘fiscal cliff,’” Government Executive reports. Government unions went all out to re-elect the President—the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) spent more than any other outside group on Obama’s…

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By Amy Payne The Heritage Foundation Taking down the Twinkie. Clogging Wal-Mart parking lots on Black Friday. Messing with a major airport on the day before Thanksgiving. If unions are trying to be more popular with the American people, they’re doing it wrong. Americans have gone crazy over the possible loss of Twinkies, Ho Ho’s, Ding Dongs, and Hostess CupCakes after the company said it was shutting down because its bakers’ union opted to walk off the job for a strike. People are already asking exorbitant prices on eBay for boxes of the packaged treats. Hostess and the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers…

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By Bronson Stocking The Heritage Foundation A letter from 232 multi-industry organizations, in conjunction with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is calling on President Obama and Congress to restructure the nation’s entitlement programs and put them on a path toward financial sustainability. These organizations recognize that the country’s rising debt poses grave economic risks. In the letter, they cite that near the end of 2008, debt held by the public was around 40 percent of gross domestic product (GDP); this is close to the historical average of about 37 percent of GDP. According to the Congressional Budget Office, though, debt held by the…

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By James Sherk The Heritage Foundation Enjoy Twinkies while you still can. Hostess Brands just went bankrupt. This morning the company announced that it will suspend operations and lay off more than 18,000 employees. The Bakery International Union put them out of business. Hostess has struggled financially for years. The company tried to stay competitive by cutting costs, but these cuts enraged its unions. The Teamsters ultimately accepted concessions; the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union would not. Despite warnings from management—and the Teamsters—the Bakery union went on strike and refused to return to work. Hostess lacked the funds…

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AUGUSTA – The Maine Charter School Commission voted Friday to approve the application from the Baxter Academy for Technology and Science to move to the contract phase that will result in becoming the first public charter school in Maine’s history focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It will be the third charter school approved by the Commission. Baxter Academy aims to be a rigorous, college preparatory high school promoting student ownership of learning through curriculum focused specifically on STEM. Baxter plans to serve students with a strong interest in science technology, engineering and mathematics. Baxter’s intent is to help…

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This is the weekly address by Governor Paul LePage. When Mainers say grace at the Thanksgiving table Thursday, we will offer thanks to the family, friends and community who surround and support us. Maine people have a tradition of caring for their neighbors as they care for themselves and their own families. I’ve seen that spirit of goodwill during the recent recession as many Mainers kindly stepped up to help those less fortunate. This fall, the First Lady and I had the honor to open our own doors for three donation days as part of our second annual Blaine House…

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By Bill Wilson Americans for Limited Government “[T]he only thing that’s worse than cutting national defense is not having any scheduled cuts at all take place.” That’s how Rep. Jim  Jordan, chairman of the House Republican Study Committee, put it recently, in defense of $109 billion of reductions to budget authority that are set to take place at year’s end — much of which would come from the defense budget. He’s right. If Congressional leadership and the Obama Administration cannot keep even the modest spending cuts proposed from sequestration — which would reduce the overall budget by just 1.7 percent…

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AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage today reiterated his recommendation that the State of Maine will not develop a state-based health insurance exchange as part of the implementation of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA also referred to as ACA). Because the guidance issued in the August 13, 2012, request of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is not legally binding, the State of Maine will not be submitting a Declaration Letter. Instead, Gov. LePage, in a letter to U.S. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, noted that the State of Maine has repeatedly stated that the law…

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After 35 years as president of the indispensable Heritage Foundation, Edwin Feulner will soon be stepping down. By NEAL B. FREEMAN The American Spectator On October 9 in Portland, Maine, Heritage Foundation President Edwin J. Feulner was honored by the Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC). Dr. Feulner was introduced at the event by longtime MHPC Director Neal B. Freeman. Most of you are familiar with the seminal contributions made to conservatism by the late William F. Buckley, Jr. In the early years of conservative revival, Bill Buckley and his merry band were the movers and shakers of American politics—challenging the pervasive…

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Governors and other state officials are deciding whether their state will establish a Health Insurance Exchange. The Department of Health and Human Services has given states until Friday November 16, 2012 to decide. Maine has already decided not to establish an exchange. By Bill Wilson Americans for Limited Government Those governors that are today considering whether or not to implement a state-run health insurance exchange under the new health care law may hold the fate of Obamacare in their hands. Under the law, state exchanges would be responsible for dispersing some $800 billion to private insurance companies. There is no…

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By Joel B. Pollak Brietbart.com The Department of Labor has announced that new jobless claims rose by a staggering 78,000 in the first week after the election, reaching a seasonally-adjusted total of 439,000. Over the past year, and in the weeks leading up to the election, jobless claims were said to be declining, dipping as low as 339,000, with the media proclaiming that they had reached the “lowest level in more than four years.” Now, suddenly, the news seems far less rosy. From the Department of Labor press release this morning: In the week ending November 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial…

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AUGUSTA – The hundreds of pounds of food collected by the First Family during their Second Annual Blaine House Food Drive will be filling the cupboards of Mainers in need within the week. Yesterday, a box truck from the Auburn-based Good Shepherd Food Bank picked-up the 1,568 pounds of nonperishable food items Governor Paul R. LePage and First Lady Ann M. LePage received from hundreds of generous Mainers over the past three Saturday donation days. The haul – nearly triple the amount collected last year – included many of the nutritious staple items that Good Shepherd hopes to see donated…

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By Bill Wilson  Americans for Limited Government If a new United Nations (UN) treaty governing small arms passes the U.S. Senate with a two-thirds majority, it will directly regulate gun owners in the U.S., warns acclaimed constitutional attorney Michael Farris. “[I]t is aimed not only at arms dealers — it is aimed at every ‘end user’ of firearms,” Farris wrote in a Facebook update, pointing to provisions in the treaty that define small arms, a requirement that all gun purchasers be put into a federal database, and even new powers in the treaty for the government “to prohibit the transfer of…

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By Rick Manning Americans for Limited Government Analyzing elections when feelings are still raw is usually a bad idea.  Of course that doesn’t stop those with an agenda from opining and pushing specific pet ideas. That is what we have been witnessing in the wake of Tuesday’s massive disappointment.  The media and some talking heads have been all over the idea that changing demographics are the problem and that Republicans have to become Democrats in order to appeal to Hispanics. However, digging into the numbers reveals a little more complex story.  Preliminary analysis of exit polls of people who voted suggest…

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The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry wishes to remind Maine residents who are veterans and were honorably discharged, or who received a general discharge under honorable conditions, that they are eligible for a free, life-time, day-use pass to Maine state parks and historic sites. “We are honored to be able to offer this small token of our gratitude to Maine veterans in recognition of their outstanding service to this country,” said Walter Whitcomb, Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, which oversees Maine state parks and historic sites. “We are proud and thankful for all that…

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By Steven Bucci The Heritage Foundation For nearly 100 years, America has been celebrating on November 11. Originally it was to remember the end of the First World War that was supposed to be the one that would end them all. Sadly, this was not the case. In 1952, a small town in Kansas started to use the date to remember veterans of all America’s wars. Two years later, President Dwight Eisenhower recognized the brilliant stroke of a small group of “regular” Americans by making it a national holiday. Some cynics today would say we should grow past the parades and…

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This article appeared the morning after the election, detailing the mass of layoffs because of the cost of Obamacare. By Rusty Weiss FreedomWorks Last night’s victory for the President marks the first time since its inception that Obamacare is no longer a what-if; it is the future of health care in America. It also means a near immediate impact on the economy.  With 20 or so new or higher taxes set to be implemented, ranging from a $123 billion surtax on investment income, through the $20 billion medical device tax, all the way down to the $600 million executive compensation limit, Obamacare will…

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By Nina Owcharenko The Heritage Foundation What’s next for Obamacare now? The bad news is that many of the health care law’s serious effects were delayed until after the election. Ten of its 18 new tax hikes have yet to kick in. And there is still so much about the law that we don’t even know. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D–CA) was absolutely right when she famously remarked in 2010 that “we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.” Thus far, we have seen revelations of increasing costs, higher taxes, and a flood of…

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By Rich Noyes Research director for the Media Research Center Fox News and other media outlets have projected that President Obama has been reelected to a second term. If, in celebrating his victory Obama wanted to give credit where credit is due, he might want to think about calling some of America’s top journalists, since their favorable approach almost certainly made the difference between victory and defeat. Reviewing the 2012 presidential campaign, here are five ways the media elite tipped the public relations scales in favor of the liberal Obama and against the conservative challenger Mitt Romney: 1. The Media’s…

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By Ed Feulner President, The Heritage Foundation Dear friends, I write to tell you to take heart. Yes, conservatives are disappointed that a President who recklessly spent trillions, expanded government and put many of our values and institutions at risk has won a second term. But many of us have been here before. In Washington, there are no permanent victories or permanent defeats, just permanent battles. Now is the time to stand up and declare we will continue to fight against big government and for freedom. We will see unfold over the next four years a crucial battle for the…

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By David S. Addington The Heritage Foundation In urging the delegates to a New York convention to ratify theU.S. Constitution in 1788, Alexander Hamilton emphasized the principal strength of the new Constitution: “Here, sir, the people govern.” The federal government gets its mandate from the American people. You are in charge. Express your will: Vote. You help govern your country through the exercise of your right to vote. As the U.S. Supreme Court has said: “No right is more precious in a free country than that of having a voice in the election of those who make the laws under which, as good citizens,…

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By Bruce Poliquin  Maine State Treasurer Maine state government’s credit rating is an objective measure of our State’s economic and fiscal health.  A strong credit rating is important to all Maine families for three primary reasons: 1. It gives confidence to investors who purchase our bonds (when they loan the State money) that those investments are safe and secure.  That helps us to sell bonds again when we need money, for example, to build roads and bridges. 2. It lowers the interest payments to our bondholders that Maine taxpayers must pay. 3. Entrepreneurs compare state credit ratings when deciding where…

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AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage has released a new video highlighting recent education reform, noting that the LePage Administration increased funding for public schools in 2011 by $63 million. In recent weeks, election advertisements have targeted education efforts claiming the Administration has undermined public schools in Maine. “Thankfully, we are coming to an end of the ‘mean season.’ I look forward to working with legislators who want to put our students first,” Governor LePage said. I encourage any legislator who wishes to put Maine students ahead of politics; ahead of union rhetoric and partisan talking points; and most importantly, to give…

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The Next President and the Supreme Court was posted on The Heritage Foundation’s blog. By Edwin Meese III Every vote counts. And this year, it could count double. One vote could decide both the immediate election and the course of constitutional law for decades to come. Just ask the senior federal officials responsible for our security immediately after 9/11 who were sued years later by Javaid Iqbal. During the investigation into the attacks, FBI officials identified Iqbal as a suspect of high interest and detained him in New York. He sued alleging that high government officials, including Attorney General John Ashcroft, personally…

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By Diana George Chapin In her March 14, 2009 Wall Street Journal column, Peggy Noonan recalled in “There’s No Pill for This Kind of Depression” the six-months’ passing since Lehman Brothers fell and the “great recession” began. With the heart-pumping drama of September 2008 replaced by the “drip-drip-drip of pink slips, foreclosures and closed stores,” Noonan began asking her perceptive colleagues what, in their view, the distress of the financial crisis had rendered. Those she interviewed provided a range of sensible insights, but perhaps none more decisive than a powerful Wall Street authority. “Five weeks ago, when I asked a…

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This was posted on Rasmussen Reports on Saturday, Nov. 3 Too close to call: That’s where we’re at. With eight states, all carried by Barack Obama in 2008, likely to decide the winner. The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll finds President Obama and Mitt Romney tied nationally with 48% support each. Our Electoral College Projections show that the president can reasonably assume he has 237 votes locked up to Romney’s 206. The winner needs 270. Eight states, with a total of 95 Electoral College votes, remain toss-ups and will determine whose sworn in as president in January: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia…

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By Amy Payne The Heritage Foundation The October jobs report essentially agrees with the rest of the current data on the economy—the economy is growing slowly, too slowly to bring down unemployment rapidly. In fact, the unemployment rate rose to 7.9 percent in October and the economy created about 171,000 jobs, roughly equal to the usual number of new workers in the labor force. The October report partly reversed the mysterious drop in the unemployment rate in the September jobs report. At the time, J.D. Foster, Heritage’s Norman B. Ture Senior Fellow in the Economics of Fiscal Policy, predicted that September’s jobs…

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Feds delay approval process by responding at last minute AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage today released a video to inform Mainers about the political games being played in Washington, D.C. which directly impact the State of Maine. The Governor’s announcement, available on www.maine.gov/governor, relates to the untimely manner in which the Federal Government has responded to Maine’s State Plan Amendment (SPA) that will allow legislatively-approved changes in Maine’s Medicaid program to be implemented. Additionally, Governor LePage reached out to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to discuss the matter by phone today and sent a letter. The…

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By Bruce Poliquin Maine State Treasurer Ten short years ago little was discussed about our accumulating public debt. The media wasn’t interested in government’s addiction to spending money it doesn’t have.  Many years of this financial recklessness by career politicians has caught up with America. During each of the last four years alone, Washington has spent roughly $1.5 trillion more than collected from us in federal taxes.  Today, our national economy is suffocating under a growing $16 trillion mountain of debt.  The annual interest paid by taxpayers on this and other public liabilities has reached $450 billion, 13% of all federal government…

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MoneyRates.com has ranked Maine second in its report, “Worst States to Make a Living 2012” By Richard Barrington Senior Financial Analyst, CFA You probably know that there are plenty of challenges to making a living in today’s economy. What you may not know is how significantly the place you live can impact some of those challenges. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, average wages range from a low of $33,930 in Mississippi to a high of $53,700 in Massachusetts. Unemployment rates range from a low of 3.3 percent in North Dakota, to a high of 12.6 percent in Nevada. Tax…

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The Maine Heritage Policy Center released the 2012 Maine Piglet Book today, detailing hundreds of millions of dollars of wasteful government spending. A new version of a similar publication released in 2009, the 2012 Piglet Book highlights government’s big-spending habits, as well areas where leaders can save taxpayers big money. Download the Full Maine Piglet Book (PDF) The Maine Turnpike Authority, the Maine State Housing Authority, “Welfare for Politicians” and stipends given to UMaine employees are just a few of the examples of excessive government spending highlighted in the 2012 Maine Piglet Book. The Piglet Book reports that the University of Maine…

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By Amy Payne The Heritage Foundation On this Halloween, a truly frightening specter is looming. No amount of garlic, crosses, or exorcists can help us—only Congress and the President can chase this ghoul away. It’s Taxmageddon. A horrifying combination of expiring pro-growth tax policies from 2001 and 2003, the end of the once-temporary payroll tax cut, and just a few of Obamacare’s 18 new tax hikes, Taxmageddon will be the largest tax increase EVER to hit Americans. It’s nearly $500 billion in one year, starting January 1. That’s two months away. The number $500 billion is rather large and abstract, so The…

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Democrats had advance warning of bill’s unconstitutionality  AUGUSTA – Rep. Sharon Treat (D-Hallowell) has left Maine taxpayers on the hook for $680,000 worth of legal expenses stemming from a bill she advanced in 2007 that was recently struck down as violative of the U.S. Constitution. Treat sponsored LD 838 in the 123rd Legislature, which was merged into another bill, LD 4, and passed in June of 2007.  The combined bills, pushed aggressively in the Legislature by Treat, tried to stop private businesses from obtaining information about the prescribing practices of doctors.  It was a popular initiative, but one that was…

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AUGUSTA – On September 28, 2012, the United States District Court for the District of Maine ordered the State of Maine to pay $678,189.64 in attorney’s fees as a result of IMS v. Rowe. The case involved an “Act To Amend the Prescription Privacy Law” passed in 2007, under the former Baldacci Administration, which subsequently the Courts found to be unconstitutional. “An Act To Amend the Prescription Privacy Law” prohibited prescription information records which contain patient or prescriber-identifiable data from being used for most commercial purposes. The law was modeled after similar laws in New Hampshire and Vermont. Before the Legislature…

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(Cartoon courtesy of NetRightDaily) Paying Obamacare penalties would be less expensive than providing health insurance By Joel Allumbaugh Director of MHPC’s Center for Health Reform Initiatives A case study from a real business in Maine, a commercial concrete company serving the construction industry, shows that providing health insurance benefits under Obamacare would result in an annual increase of almost $30,000. Due to the requirements mandated by Obamacare, this small business would face a 27% increase in the cost of providing health insurance benefits. The business now pays a total of $109,022 a year to provide health insurance for its employees.…

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Maine’s education policies are more in line with traditional union interests than nearly every other state, according to a new report, “How Strong Are U.S. Teacher Unions? A State-By-State Comparison.” The Maine Education Association is ranked 7th nationally for its influence over state policies, based on the study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute for Advancing Education Excellence in Washington, D.C. “At the time we calculated our data, Maine policies were more aligned with traditional union interests than in nearly every other state,” the report states. “As recently as March 2012, the state did not support performance pay, there were…

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By David Azerrad The Heritage Foundation When it comes to explaining how their policies would help the poor and the disadvantaged, conservatives can all too often be likened to a football team that drives all the way to the one-yard line and then just kneels down. Rock-solid principles and policies drive them forward, but they fail to take that last extra little step and explain how these policies would help allAmericans—especially those at the bottom who most need a hand up and a way out. And because of this, the left’s grotesque claims that capitalism allows the 1 percent to fleece the…

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AUGUSTA – Maine’s First Family greeted and expressed their gratitude to the generous Mainers who dropped by the Blaine House Saturday with donations of nonperishable food items. Governor Paul R. LePage and First Lady Ann M. LePage welcomed the public at their residence in the first of three Saturday donation days as part of their Second Annual Blaine House Food Drive. In addition to accepting the donations on behalf of the Good Shepherd Food Bank and offering their heartfelt thanks, the two led tours of the residence and invited the public to enjoy light refreshments. Additional donation days will be…

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Weekly Address by Governor Paul LePage Those who know me know I enjoy reading history – presidential biographies are my favorites. Recently, I spent a few evenings with Bill O’Reilly’s book “Killing Lincoln.” I have read many books on President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination; however, O’Reilly captures this American tragedy, as no other author has. It really is a thrilling read and I recommend the book. I think there is a lot to be learned from history and I like to think the mistakes and mishaps of the past will not be repeated. But I am not sure this is the…

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   Maine officials keep a close eye on Hurricane Sandy   AUGUSTA –Governor Paul R. LePage has signed limited Emergency Declaration that will allow power crews from other states and/or Canada to help Maine prepare for Hurricane Sandy. The declaration will help Maine power providers pre-place their crews by extending the hours their crews can drive. The Declaration was issued today in advance of Hurricane Sandy in order to expedite power restoration for thousands of households in the State that could potentially be without electricity as a result of the pending storm. The Governor and the Maine Emergency Management Agency continue to monitor the…

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The Maine Heritage Policy Center’s released today its newest “Fix the System” report on Maine’s welfare system, which shows that while recent reforms by the LePage administration have improved the state’s system, more must be done to move Maine out of welfare dependency. See the entire report here. The report uses updated numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Department of Health and Human Services and other sources to show exactly where Maine’s welfare system stands. According to the report, Maine is the only state in the country to rank in the top 10 of three major areas of welfare: Maine ranks…

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“Maine experienced an 11 percent decline in students from 1992-2009; however, the number of public school personnel increased by 35 percent. Perhaps more noteworthy during that period is the number of teachers in Maine public schools increased by 3 percent while the number of non-teaching personnel increased by 76 percent.” “The School Staffing Surge: Decades of Employment Growth in America’s Public Schools” is a new report by The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice. See it here. By Benjamin Scafidi The Friedman Foundation America’s K-12 public education system has experienced tremendous historical growth in employment, according to the U.S. Department of…

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By Michael Moroney The second presidential debate started off with a question from Jeremy, a college student who wanted to know what each candidate would do to improve the economy to help young people get jobs when they graduate. Both candidates’ answers were lacking, but President Obama seemed to have missed the question entirely. Instead of addressing the student’s concerns, he focused on his plan for creating more manufacturing jobs–like the union jobs he helped save in Detroit. For a president who was propelled to the White House on the hopes and dreams of America’s youth, Obama has helped young people…

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By Amy Payne The Heritage Foundation Last night’s debate between President Obama and Governor Romney was supposed to focus on foreign policy. It turned into a wide-ranging conversation on everything from the Middle East to American teachers. Heritage Foundation experts were live blogging analysis throughout the night. Below are some highlights from their reactions. A Heavy Focus on the Middle East Both men agreed that the Middle East was changing quickly, but said little about the new face of terrorism. Governor Romney charged that events in Libya, Syria and Egypt demonstrated that the Obama Administration’s policies were unraveling and leaving the region…

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