Author: Steve Robinson

Followers of AsMaineGoes.com, the state’s oldest and most popular online forum, saw three charts last week detailing the rise of state spending under former governor Angus King, who is now running for U.S. Senate. The charts, which show dramatic increases in state spending and a surge in MaineCare, as well as the decline of financial reserves, during the King administration, were in posts attributed to State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin. Poliquin said he does not post on AsMaineGoes.com, and he did not put the charts there. But he said the charts show data that is available publicly. “The public data shows…

“Obama’s Failing Agenda,” a nationwide bus tour by Americans for Prosperity to protest the health care takeover, out-of-control federal spending and and ideological “green energy” policies, will host rallies on Monday in Augusta, Freedom and Portland. Speakers include Joel Allumbaugh, director of health care policy for The Maine Heritage Policy Center, and State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin. Mary Adams of Garland, a one-woman dynamo and Maine’s most passionate tax activist, was scheduled to speak this morning at the rally in Freedom, but she will be out of state and cannot attend. “People don’t hear about local control any more, and yet…

By James Carafano The Heritage Foundation The breaking news keeps breaking when it comes to revelations surrounding the attacks and protests aimed at U.S. embassies going on throughout the Islamic world. Protests have spread to at least eight countries. Reports indicate that four people have been arrested relating to the killing of the U.S. Ambassador to Libya and three other embassy staff there. That offers at least the promise of getting more information about the deliberate attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi. Meanwhile, in the U.S., government authorities identified the man behind the controversial film purported as the cause for the…

By Maine State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin This is the fourth year in a row that Washington career politicians have spent more than $1 trillion than they collected from us in federal taxes and fees. They recklessly make up the difference by either borrowing the money or printing it. As the advancing federal Debt Clock shows, our country now suffers under a $16 trillion mountain of public debt. (Click here to watch our federal government’s frightening Debt Clock march on.) Every American man, woman and child owes more than $50,000—and growing—primarily to those investors who loaned Washington the $16 trillion. This…

Governor Paul R. LePage and Secretary of state Charles E. summers, Jr. encourage Mainers and eligible dependents serving overseas to request their absentee ballots With the November elections quickly approaching, Governor Paul LePage and Secretary of State Charlie Summers are reminding Maine’s service members and eligible dependents to make sure they are able to vote. National Military Voter Readiness Day on September 15, 2012, is a day designed to raise awareness among service members and their families serving overseas to ensure they are registered to vote and to request an absentee ballot. “Mainers and their families serving overseas and abroad devote…

On Wednesday the Maine Delegation, led by Governor Paul LePage, departed Hong Kong and flew north to Shanghai to continue the second leg of what has been a very productive and informative week-long trade mission to China. China is already Maine’s third largest foreign market with $275 million worth of products exported last year. “China is the world’s fastest growing economy, and for Maine companies looking to develop new exports, we have seen firsthand there is huge potential here,” said Governor LePage. More than a dozen Maine businesses and organizations are taking part in the mission that is providing valuable…

Dr. Barbara Bellar, candidate for Illinois State Senate, District 18 sums up Obamacare in one sentence.

The Portland Press Herald ran an editorial on September 8 stating that lowering Maine’s liquor prices is bad public policy. Their logic: lowering prices is bad because it might encourage more people to drink, which would unleash other social costs. The problem with that logic is that Mainers already have easy access to cheaper booze: they can simply buy it across the border in New Hampshire. Cross-border shopping in New Hampshire is a major pastime for Mainers. We all know people who make a regular run to buy liquor, cigarettes or other everyday items in New Hampshire. When Mainers go…

By Pat Murray In 2007 I began to research elementary math programs because my son, a second grader at the time, was bringing back homework in math that seemed to be in a foreign language. I soon learned that elementary and middle schools throughout the nation had been systematically converted from traditional math programs to the new fad of reform programs. Programs like Everyday Mathematics, Investigations in Number, Data and Space, Math Trailblazers, Connected Mathematics and Math Thematics that did not teach—and actually discouraged—the standard algorithms for arithmetic. This expensive but futile exercise began in 1989 and has resulted in…

With winter approaching, Governor LePage joins in requesting full funding for the federal LIHEAP program AUGUSTA – Governor Paul LePage joined with 13 other Governors across the country to submit a letter requesting Congress fully fund the federal government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) this winter. In a letter written to the leadership of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, the Governors requested that the LIHEAP program be funded at last year’s levels in any funding agreements for FFY 2013. This includes a potential six-month continuing resolution to fund the federal government through March 2013. “LIHEAP is vital…

By Kristen De Pen State Budget Solutions Executive Summary of “Throwing Money at Education Isn’t Working:” Education funding remains a major issue in the United States. One controversial aspect is whether increasing funding for education guarantees better student performance. Download the full report here. State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009-2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending as a percentage of total state spending, and a comparison of average graduation rates and average ACT scores per state. The study shows that states that spend the most do not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor do they have the highest…

On Monday, September 17, the “Obama’s Failing Agenda” bus tour, a nationwide project of Americans for Prosperity, will host rallies in Augusta, Freedom and Portland. Carol Weston, State Director of Americans for Prosperity-Maine, will be joined by local speakers to discuss specific policies that are failing Maine. See list below for details about each rally. “Mainers are struggling and Obama’s policies aren’t helping. This bus tour is an opportunity to urge President Obama to stop spending away our prosperity and instead advocate for the free-market, limited government policies that can make us strong again,” said Carol Weston, state director of…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), former Chair and current Ranking Member on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, was honored today by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) with its “Guardian of Small Business” award in recognition of her exceptional voting record on behalf of America’s small business owners.  Snowe, who received a perfect score of 100 percent from NFIB, was honored with this distinction for voting favorably on critical small business issues.  Senator Snowe also received the award in 2010, when she was similarly given a 100 percent rating from NFIB for…

Cartoon provided by NetRightDaily.

By Pem Schaeffer Several years ago, I heard Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia being interviewed about so-called “moderate” judges. “What is a moderate interpretation of the text?” Scalia said. “Halfway between what it really means and what you’d like it to mean? There is no such thing as a moderate interpretation of the text. Would you ask a lawyer, ‘Draw me a moderate contract?’ The only way the word has any meaning is if you are looking for someone to write a law, to write a constitution, rather than to interpret one.” To make this concept more personal, how you…

HONG KONG – The first three days in China have proven to be productive and successful for the LePage Administration. After arriving in Hong Kong late Sunday, the Maine Delegation, led by Governor Paul LePage, met with various officials and business leaders. The mission is a coordinated effort by the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), Maine International Trade Center (MITC), and the U.S. Department of Commerce. “We are here to tap into this country’s growth and opportunity and make those face to face connections,” said Governor LePage, the first Maine Governor to lead a trade mission to Mainland China.…

 Created by: CollegeAtHome.com

In accordance with a Presidential proclamation, the United States flag and the State of Maine flag shall be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset today, September 11, 2012, in remembrance of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Flight 93. Today marks the 11th anniversary of the attacks which killed 2,752 Americans. Governor Paul LePage released the following statement in regards to the 9/11 terrorist attacks: “Today marks the eleventh anniversary of that tragic day on which America was forever changed. The terrorists who hijacked our skies, attempted to attack…

This video from Energize Vermont reveals the destruction to the natural environment caused by the “Gold Rush” of wind-turbine projects. Similarly, the pristine environment along Maine’s mountaintops has been blasted, bulldozed and obliterated, all for insignificant gains in “renewable energy.”

by Ben Shapiro – Breitbart.com The Obama administration is famous for its crony capitalism. It’s famous for wasting money on disastrous investments like Solyndra to pay off its political allies. It now appears, however, that they go a step further: they put public funds in bad investment loans, then double down on their bad loans with free cash grants. Here’s the short story: Angus King, former governor of Maine, Obama supporter, and front-running independent Senate candidate, owned a wind company. Obama’s Department of Energy handed over a deeply questionable $102 million loan to that company. It appears that as that company was coming under investigation, King quickly divested himself of…

“The Machine” explains why our K-12 education system isn’t producing better schools — and how it’s rigged to make money for unions and politicians. Please take just 4 minutes to watch the video, which was produced by the Moving Picture Institute.

Maine People Before Politics today revealed a shocking conflict of interest at the Portland Press Herald and Maine Today Media, owner of the Herald, Kennebec Journal and Waterville Sentinel. “While we were initially disappointed with the publishing of an untrue statement and the conspiratorial tone of the recent ‘Special Report’ on digital learning policy published by the Portland Press Herald and Maine Today Media, a newly revealed conflict has blown a hole in the credibility of this report, the investigative reporter and Maine Today Media as a whole,” said Jason Savage, executive director of Maine People Before Politics. Maine Today Media allowed Colin Woodard to publish a report…

By Amy Payne The Foundry The unemployment rate is now 8.1 percent, marking 43 months straight that it has stayed at 8 percent or above. At least 12.5 million Americans are out of work. Yet President Obama has been trying to convince people that he’s a job-creating President. Have 4.5 million new jobs been created under President Obama, as several speakers in Charlotte claimed last week? A fact check shows that under President Obama, the U.S. economy has created a net 415,000 private-sector jobs—less than 0.2 percent of the 155 million-member American workforce. But even that statistic does not tell the…

By John Jaques As executive director of the Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, I would like to set the record straight and dispel some of the myths surrounding public charter schools in Maine. Presently Maine has three approved public charter schools: the first two will open this fall, the Maine Academy for Natural Sciences in Hinkley and the Cornville School in Cornville (both near Skowhegan). The third approved school is the Baxter Academy for Technology and Science in Portland, which will open in September 2013. First, we call them public charter schools for good reason: these schools are…

LePage Administration looks to lower prices for Mainers  The Maine Energy Office announced Friday that electricity rates in Maine as compared to the national average are much higher than other states. The data, provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, indicates that Maine rates are improving. However, Maine is still 24 percent above the US average at 11.94 cents/kWh (per kilowatt hour) as compared to the national average of 9.62 cents/kWh. Maine has the 12th highest electricity prices in the United States. Maine’s 2010 average all-sector retail price was 31 percent above the national average decreasing to 26 percent above in 2011.…

MHPC, ACLU joined forces to spearhead effort for more open government The Maine Freedom of Information Coalition, a broad group of individuals and organizations—including the “Tom and Jerry of Maine politics”—presented its 2012 Maine Sunshine Award to State Sen. Richard W. Rosen in recognition of his steadfast support of open government. “Senator Rosen did an outstanding job in this legislative biennium of sponsoring and shepherding an important piece of right-to-know legislation, LD 1465,” said Suzanne Goucher, president and CEO of the Maine Association of Broadcasters and president of the Coalition. “Among other provisions, this bill establishes that every unit of government…

By Joel Allumbaugh Consumers for Affordable Health Care, a Maine advocacy group that promotes government-run health care coverage, is trying to pin the results of decades of bad insurance regulations on Public Law 90, the first market-based effort to dig us out of the incredible hole we find ourselves in. A press release about CAHC’s new report, “Few Winners, Many Losers: Evaluating the Impact of Key Provisions of Maine’s New Health Insurance Law To Date,” offers five misleading bullet points to summarize the report. First, CAHC points to the fact that 54% of individual policyholders saw higher premiums. But they…

By Amy Payne The Heritage Foundation Yesterday, the U.S. national debt passed $16 trillion. On President Barack Obama’s watch, the debt has increased by 50 percent, as campaign promise after campaign promise has drowned in a sea of federal spending. When he was running for President, Obama condemned George W. Bush for adding $4 trillion to the national debt over eight years, calling it “irresponsible” and “unpatriotic.” Now—in less than four years—Obama’s Administration has already added almost $6 trillion to the debt. That means he is on track to triple Bush’s debt increase over eight years. It is important to understand the…

By Peter A. Steele The Maine Wire While the furor over inappropriate spending at the Maine State Housing Authority has faded, one large expense still stands out: $7.1 million has been paid over eight years to just two vendors for MaineHousing’s computer systems—and the systems are still not done. The MaineHousing Board of Commissioners has authorized a forensic audit to determine if the $7.1 million was a legitimate expense. With the media frenzy around the resignation of former MaineHousing executive director Dale McCormick and revelations in The Maine Wire about inappropriate spending on travel, parties and a costly “carbon credit”…

This Saturday Governor Paul LePage will lead a diverse group of Maine business professionals, academic recruiters and government representatives including Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) Commissioner, George Gervais on an intense week-long trade mission to Hong Kong and Shanghai.  The State of Maine Trade Mission to China will be Governor LePage’s first overseas mission as Governor and marks the first horizontal Gubernatorial Trade Mission to Mainland China. The delegation includes several Maine businesses seeking to develop new export markets and secure new buyers/distributors to expand their sales in China.  “This is all about boosting Maine’s export trade, developing…

By David Sorensen Regulatory reform was the first priority of Maine’s GOP-controlled Legislature 0f 2011-2012, hence the number of the first bill featured below.  Many regulations were out of date or simply too burdensome.  Using decades of one-party rule to their advantage, Maine Democrats had built up an imposing regulatory apparatus that gave their friends in the environmental lobby virtually everything they wanted without balancing the need for private-sector job growth. These are some of the bills that began to hack away at that regulatory jungle.  There are many more that could arguably be included here, but these represent some…

The Heritage Foundation has prescribed a set of policies intended to fix the biggest issues facing America. See We Can Change America’s Course. Entering the final stretch of the presidential contest, Americans are facing a monumental choice. The American people will decide the direction of government and its role in their lives for the coming years. The debate in Tampa this week raised a number of issues, including preserving the American dream of working hard to achieve success. The Heritage Foundation has extensive research and policy prescriptions on each of these issues: Energy: America needs to end energy subsidies and restore…

By Diana George Chapin The land conservation community has long heralded conserving lands as a way of adding jobs, increasing tourist revenue and insuring watershed protection throughout Maine and the United States. Now, with decreasing private donations and waning public support for taxpayer-debt-funded land acquisitions, the movement has shifted to describing the non-market values of conserved lands with monetary figures. The effort includes developing new terms to describe the public benefit of conserved land and establishing the groundwork for acquiring more public funds. “Since 2008, general economic concerns have outpaced non‐economic concerns among the majority of American voters,” says a…

Largest Multistate Consumer Protection Drug Settlement Attorney General William J. Schneider announced today that Maine, along with 36 other State Attorneys General, reached a record $181 million dollar settlement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson. A complaint and consent decree filed in Kennebec County Superior Court today resolved claims that Janssen violated the Maine Unfair Trade Practices Act when it improperly marketed the antipsychotic drugs Risperdal, Risperdal Consta, Risperdal M-Tab and Invega for unapproved or off-label uses. Risperdal is among a class of drugs known as atypical or second generation antipsychotics. Maine will receive $2.7 million…

Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to play important role in natural-based resource economy The State of Maine has a brand-new agency, one that will focus on the best use and development of the state’s extensive land-based natural resources. The new Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry becomes official on Thursday, Aug. 30, combining two departments into one that will support the people and economy of Maine while protecting its most valued assets. The new department, which merges the departments of Agriculture and Conservation, is the result of legislation signed into law earlier this year by Governor Paul LePage,…

Secretary of State Charlie Summers would like to remind Maine motorists that new driving regulations, passed into law by the 125th legislature, will go into effect on Thursday, August 30, 2012.  This law is among others that will become active 90 days after the close of the 2012 legislative session. LD 1912, “An Act To Encourage Responsible Teen Driving,” the product of collaboration between Secretary of State Summers, bill sponsor Senator Bill Diamond and the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation, was signed into law this past April. The resulting changes to the current regulations include an increase in fines and terms…

By David Sorensen Maine Republican Party Welfare reform is one of the most important initiatives that Maine and America can undertake.  Well-intentioned Democrats have, over the years, grown our welfare system to an unsustainable level out of an urge to help the poor.  The folly of their policy is two-fold. First, it creates a culture of dependency and entitlement, whereby people expect government handouts and lose motivation to improve their position in life.  This does not help them in the long-term.  Second, it cripples government budgets, requiring ever-increasing taxes that drain resources from the productive side of the economy—the side…

By David Sorensen Maine Republican Party The 125th Legislature of 2011-12 passed the largest tax-cut package in Maine’s history as a part of the biennial budget, LD 1043. Democrats have been railing against this package in the editorial pages, calling it a tax cut for the rich. They leave out two facts that destroy their credibility. First, they voted for it. The budget passed 123-19 in the House and 29-5 in the Senate. They did so reluctantly, however, with House Minority Leader Emily Cain eventually commenting, “My caucus hates these tax cuts. It hates them.” Second, the Democrats’ own tax package,…

See “How Obamacare Robs Medicare and Hurts Seniors” online at The Heritage Foundation. The rhetorical Medicare wars have heated up this week, after President Obama declared in his Saturday radio address that his proposed reforms “won’t touch your guaranteed Medicare benefits. Not by a single dime.” This is incorrect. Obamacare cuts $716 billion from Medicare over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and uses these “savings” from Medicare to fund other entitlement expansions mandated by Obamacare. Medicare becomes a cash cow for Obamacare, and the Medicare “savings” from payment cuts are not put back into making Medicare solvent. Such…

This op-ed by U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe ran August 24 in the Washington Post. See it here. By Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) It is unfortunate that the stunningly insensitive statement about rape made last weekend by Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) is casting a shadow over the start of the Republican National Convention. Republican leaders, led by Mitt Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan, rightfully and strongly repudiated his remarks. Yet, the comments from Akin reinforce the perception that we in the Republican Party are unsympathetic to issues of paramount concern to women. I have worked for three decades as a…

Attorney General William J. Schneider announced Monday that Christopher S. Frazer, 44, of Lewiston, pled guilty to one count of Class C Theft by Deception, three counts of Class D Misuse of Identification and one count of Unlawful Possession of Scheduled Drugs and was sentenced for stealing $3,600 in benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps). Androscoggin County Superior Court Justice Clifford sentenced Frazer to three years in jail, all but six months suspended, and two years of probation with the requirement that he pay restitution. Frazer was also sentenced to six months incarceration, to run concurrently with…

Governor LePage applauds the Romney/Ryan energy plan for its focus on North American renewable sources Governor Paul LePage on Monday applauded the new energy plan introduced by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, which focuses on making America energy independent by the year 2020. The plan looks to achieve this critical goal by bringing all cost-effective sources into the energy mix, reforming the federal energy regulation and permitting processes; establishing more energy partnerships with our Mexico and Canada neighbors; and emphasizing private sector-driven energy and energy technology development. “It is very encouraging to see that the Romney/Ryan plan stress that both…

By Robert Rector The Heritage Foundation Last month, President Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) illegally overturned the work requirements that were the core of the welfare reform law of 1996, which required that a portion of the able-bodied recipients in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program—the successor to the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program—be required to work or prepare for work as a condition of receiving aid. The Obama Administration abolished this standard, declaring that in the future all state welfare bureaucracies and all TANF recipients could be exempted from the federal work…

Maine is second only to California in conserved land By Diana George Chapin According to the 2010 National Land Trust Census Report produced by the Land Trust Alliance in Washington, D.C., nearly 2 million acres of land in Maine is preserved from development, placing Maine second in the nation after California in numbers of acres encumbered in perpetuity with conservation easements. This represents an 8% increase in acres conserved since 2005. Bond sales, which fund the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program, likely contributed to the rapid increase, providing money for the state, municipalities and land trusts to purchase ownership…

Governor Paul LePage announced today a new Energy Office website (www.Maine.gov/energy). The website provides a home heating calculator as well as comprehensive information and data on energy issues, incentives, initiatives, reports, policies and costs. The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) mission is to create effective public and private partnerships that advance Maine’s energy security and economic development in an environmentally responsible manner. The website offers an interactive Home Heating Calculator that allows consumers to estimate their average annual heating costs and presents the price impacts of various energy sources. Director Kenneth Fletcher commented, “While it’s difficult to predict where prices will…

By Amy Paine The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported Wednesday that without a doubt, America will have a fresh recession next year unless Congress and the President prevent it. We are facing the largest tax increase in history—Taxmageddon, scheduled to take effect January 1—and what experts are calling a “fiscal cliff” of sharp and unforgiving budget changes that will send the country spiraling downward. Congress and the President have the power to prevent this, and when the August congressional recess is over, that is exactly what they should do. In its new report, the CBO said that if Congress does…

Governor LePage has nominated John Gallagher of Bath, executive director of the Westbrook Housing Authority, to take over as the head of the Maine State Housing Authority. If appointed, Gallagher would replace former director Dale McCormick, who resigned earlier this year after a series of questions about years of wasteful spending and mismanagement at MSHA under her guidance. In addition to serving as executive director of the Westbrook Housing Authority for 13 years, Gallagher was formerly the manager of the Development Division of Maine State Housing Authority. Prior to that, he co-owned a small real estate and management firm in…

Marc A. Thiessen, a Washinton Post opinion writer, penned a piece on Monday stating that a victory by Angus King is not a sure thing. This is his column, titled “Message to the GOP: Maine is not lost!” By Marc A. Thiessen The Washington Post WESTBROOK, Maine Here’s a message to the GOP from Vacationland: Maine is not lost! When Sen. Olympia Snowe announced her retirement last year, many Republicans wrote Maine off — and with it their chances of taking back the U.S. Senate. At the start of July, a Portland Press Herald poll showed independent former governor Angus King…

On July 1, most of Central Maine Power’s customers unknowingly suffered a 19.6% increase in electrical transmission rates. If they did notice the shocking increase to their electric bill, they most likely failed to connect the rate hike with the aggressive agenda to push wind power in Maine. The dramatic increase—which is just the start of rate hikes that are coming over the next five years—will affect hundreds of thousands of ratepayers, including businesses, which are those entities that we’d like to see start hiring again. According to the Maine Public Utilities Commission, the primary driver of the 19.6% increase is…

By Michael Ozga Throughout the centuries, the elite amongst us have tried to sell their version of utopia. From Plato’s “Republic” to Obama’s “Hope and Change,” the ruling elite have tried to centrally plan our very existence, either by force or perfidy. Unfortunately their vision of utopia generally morphs into a Progressive Dystopia. The latest version of this panacea is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as ObamaCare. Vice President Joe Biden has been on the wrong side of history for most of his political career. However, Biden was correct when he famously quipped to President Utopus…

WABI TV-5 in Bangor posted this story: Sources: LePage Hopes To Pay Down Hospital Debt With Liquor Money In Special Session By Rob Poindexter, Central Maine Bureau Chief, WABI TV Augusta – Governor Paul LePage’s plan for a special legislative session is in question following a conversation between the Republican governor and the House Democratic leader. House Minority Leader Emily Cain says LePage told her by phone he did not plan on calling the legislature back into session, and he would adress his plans in January. TV-5 News has now learned part of what LePage is hoping to get accomplished. According to highly…

This is a post from The Foundry, a blog by the Heritage Foundation. See it here. The wind production tax credit (PTC) is set to expire at the end of this year, which has the industry crying out for continued subsidies. In an article titled, “We Need Wind Subsidies Like We Need VHS Subsidies,” Nicolas Loris of The Heritage Foundation makes the case that the wind energy tax credit makes as much sense as a VHS production tax credit. Can you imagine the logic: “We can’t afford to lose our VHS tape manufacturing plants. They provide valuable jobs. Americans need a…

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s financial disclosure is now available online, and what a story it tells. Pingree was the only member of Maine’s congressional delegation to request an extension from the May 15 deadline, and it is her first since marrying billionaire hedge-fund manager and Democratic string-puller Donald Sussman. Here is a sampling of the investments disclosed in Pingree’s report: Chilton China Opportunities, LP China Aoyuan Property Group Cathay Investment Fund Limited New China Investment Management Inc. New China Management Corp. TAM China LLC Pingree is especially invested in The Cathay Funds, a private equity firm that invests in China. It is…

Policymakers must work to reverse out-migration Maine is staring into a population abyss that could result in the loss of up to 47,000 workers over the next 10 years and a reduction of up to 101,000 workers over the next two decades. The state’s declining population, coupled with a rapidly growing segment of people over 65, has serious economic ramifications for both Maine’s business community and the state government. As younger residents leave Maine and the older generation dies off, businesses will continue to lose employees and customers. At the same time, Maine’s remaining population will age rapidly and demand more…

The Maine Department of Education is inviting the public to weigh in one last time on its plan for creating a fairer and more constructive system for holding schools accountable and helping them improve. The Department will submit a formal request for flexibility under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to the U.S. Department of Education by Sept. 6. The process, which has been underway since fall 2011, has included considerable public engagement, including a survey with more than 1,500 responses, several public forums, a public website and four working groups with stakeholder participation. Forums are scheduled Aug. 20 online;…

In light of recent concerns of State Senator Doug Thomas (R-Ripley) and others, Governor Paul LePage announced today that Maine Department of Transportation officials will continue to gather information regarding the proposed East West Highway before any action is taken. The Governor said on Tuesday he would like to ensure Mainers that a thorough and thoughtful process will take place, which could take years, before the project begins. “The East West Highway is an idea that’s been around for a dozen years and that’s what it is, an idea,” said Governor LePage. “We must explore the facts and go on…

(This story has been updated with information added by Dan Remian, who helped organize the Governor’s visit.) A group of economists, financial advisers, hedge fund managers, Federal Reserve advisers and bankers come from around the world each year to participate in “Camp Kotok,” a quiet and exclusive summit at Leen’s Lodge in Grand Lake Stream, a remote plantation in Washington County. The annual weekend retreat is typically a low-key, relaxing and off-the-record respite for industry insiders, but this year they had a special guest: Governor Paul LePage. Kevin Gurall, director of the Partnership for the Preservation of the Downeast Lakes…

The leader of the Maine GOP praised the selection of Wisconsin Congressman and conservative budget hawk Paul Ryan as candidate for vice president, while the Maine Democratic chairman defaulted to demagoguery about class welfare in disparaging Ryan. Gov. Mitt Romney’s selection of Ryan, well known as one-man assault team on the federal budget, clearly signals that Republicans are taking aim at President Obama’s failed agenda on the economy, the federal budget and the country’s massive debt. As chair of the House Budget Committee, the young, energetic and likable Ryan has had marksman-like focus on fiscal policy. His proposals for reducing debt and…

The chairman of the Maine Republican Party has called out Angus King’s former budget officer for blaming a billion-dollar deficit on 9/11. The Angus King for Senate campaign touts on its website and social media sites an op-ed published in the Portland Press Herald by King’s former budget officer. (“Maine Voices: Former state budget officer explains, defends King’s fiscal record,” by Jack Nicholas, who served as state budget officer for Governors John McKernan and Angus King) In what Charlie Webster, chairman of the Maine Republican Party, calls “a shocking display of passing the buck,” the op-ed by Nicholas blames the fiscal mess…

Wisconsin numbers cruncher unifies, revitalizes GOP By Brett M. Decker The Washington Times Mitt Romney has proved everyone wrong. The common wisdom was the presumptive Republican nominee for president was going to make a safe pick, going with an old Washington hand from an important swing state for vice president. By tapping 42-year-old Rep. Paul Ryan from Wisconsin, Mr. Romney shows that he is taking the fight into blue states deep in the heart of territory Barack Obama won four years ago. This is the strategy of a winner. Choosing Mr. Ryan, the wonky chairman of the House Budget Committee, telegraphs…

This the weekly message from Governor Paul LePage. To listen to the audio, visit www.Maine.Gov/Governor/LePage. Hello. This is Governor Paul LePage. Maine Lobster is known to be the best of the best throughout our country and the world. But what’s happening right now with our lobster industry is having a major impact on Maine fishermen, and it’s not doing them or our economy any good. The price of the crustacean has plummeted because of a highly unusual season that has fishermen catching record numbers of lobster. The highest average price in 2005 was $4.63 per pound and this year we’ve…

By Diana George Chapin Many people across the nation are making the connection between the regionalization of land conservation efforts and the goals of theUnited Nations Agenda 21, which is a “comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations system, governments and major groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment.” In Maine, land trusts have moved from conserving land on a local level to a regional level. For example, the 12-Rivers Collaborative is a plan for doubling the amount of land encumbered with conservation easements in the mid-coast, is being undertaken by a collective of 10land trusts based within the…

AUGUSTA – On Friday, August 10, Governor Paul LePage will travel to Belfast to visit employees and tour the facilities of Front Street Shipyard, a premiere yacht yard that services boats as large as 160 feet. After opening in 2011, Front Street Shipyard has grown to be one of the largest and most capable yacht yards in the Northeast. The Governor will begin with a tour of the facilities at 10:00 a.m. This will be followed by a reception where the Governor will have the opportunity to meet the shipyard’s employees. “Front Street Shipyard has created quality jobs for Mainers…

Expanded Medicaid enrollment increases private insurance rates, burdens taxpayers without reducing number of uninsured PORTLAND – The Maine Heritage Policy Center today released a report saying that Maine should not expand its Medicaid coverage under Obamacare. States will have the option to add government-funded coverage for healthy individuals under 65 who are at 133% of the poverty level because of the controversial health care overhaul. Originally, the law sought to force states to expand Medicaid, but the Supreme Court threw out that requirement, giving states the option to deny the expansion without penalty. In Maine, more than 25 percent of…

By Diana George Chapin Maine’s vast northern and downeast forestland is viewed by some as the last wilderness frontier in the country. With large areas preserved in perpetuity by state and federal possession, an increasing amount of acreage is being conserved through easements and controlled by private non-profit, board-of-directors-governed corporate land trusts. In an announcement in May of this year, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Forest Society of Maine (FSM) and Plum Creek unveiled the acquisition of one of the largest conservation easements in U.S. history. A press release from The Nature Conservancy at the time of the announcement stated:…

By Prof. John Frary Governor LePage’s proclamation of July 31 as “Milton Friedman Day” probably needs some explanation. Although more Mainers celebrated Whoopie Pie Day on June 26 than will ever celebrate July 31, there is a good deal more substance to the latter date. The governor had a special purpose in inviting us to observe the hundredth anniversary of the economist’s birthday. It was Professor Friedman who first gave an impetus to the idea of school choice in a 1955 article entitled “The Role of Government in Education.” To quote the press release from the governor’s office: “Maine’s educational…

The recently uttered words of President Barack Obama that told business owners they “didn’t build that” shows that his true views on entrepreneurship and limited government leave much to be desired. This 30 year old video clip of Milton Friedman on Phil Donahue in 1979 addresses the issue, and is worth a watch.

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul LePage released the following statement today regarding the filing of the State Plan Amendment to implement Medicaid Reductions enacted by the Maine State Legislature: “Today, we are standing firm to let the federal government know Maine is committed to providing quality health care to our most vulnerable.  But we cannot be controlled by mandates that are unaffordable and do not meet the needs of the individual states. Maine’s welfare costs are much higher than the national average and these changes will allow Maine to be more comparable with other states. Maine extended these welfare benefits for…

Feds Pressed for a Rapid Decision AUGUSTA – Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Commissioner Mary Mayhew and Maine Attorney General William Schneider held a joint news conference today in Augusta to release details regarding Maine’s Medicaid State Plan Amendment Request. The request was filed Wednesday morning with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Regional Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in Boston.  Commissioner Mayhew asked for an expedited approval, so that DHHS can implement Legislatively-mandated reductions in its Medicaid program in October in order to achieve $19.93 million in savings that is critical…

MHPC CEO Scott Moody (l. to r.) with Lindsey Burke, Will Skillman Fellow in Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, and Amanda Clark, research and development associate at MHPC. Over 50 business people, legislators, school officials and Maine Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen heard from a national expert on school choice Tuesday, July 31 at a luncheon hosted by The Maine Heritage Policy Center. Lindsey Burke, Will Skillman Fellow in Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, addressed the need for local control over schools and the importance of school choice and competition. Her talk was part of an international effort to celebrate the…

Satellite, GPS, aerial photography used to supervise millions of acres By Diana George Chapin Maine’s history, economy and culture are inextricably intertwined with its working forests. Traditionally, the state’s expansive timberland was held mainly by private landowners, whether individuals or businesses. However, over two million acres of forests in the northern part of the state are no longer wholly held by private enterprise. A controlling interest in considerable acreage has been obtained by non-profit corporate land trusts. On May 15, The Nature Conservancy, the Forest Society of Maine (FSM) and Plum Creek announced from Portland what was billed as “an…

*Editors Note – Lindsey Burke, the Fellow in Education at the Heritage Foundation is the author of this report, and will be the featured speaker at the Maine Heritage Policy Center’s monthly policy luncheon on July 31 at 12pm at DiMillo’s in Portland. Abstract: Coverdell education savings accounts (ESAs), created through the federal tax code, allow families to save money tax-free for K–12 and higher education expenses. Lifting the cap on contributions to Coverdell accounts would provide greater access to school choice options by allowing families to invest more money in their children’s education. Additionally, existing “529” college savings accounts should be expanded to…

People seemingly voting after they’ve been dead for years. Drug kingpins buying votes from poor people to sway elections. Non-citizens being bussed to the polls and coached on how to vote. Stories of voting fraud are shocking, and states have been taking action to make sure that elections are secure. But the Justice Department, led by Attorney General Eric Holder, has blocked states at almost every turn. This is the same Justice Department that stopped a non-partisan election reform by arguing that if party affiliation were removed from a ballot, African-American voters wouldn’t be able to identify and vote for the Democrats.…

Report says states must make structural changes – more flexibility from Feds is needed for states’ stability  AUGUSTA – A new task force led by former New York Lieutenant Gov. Richard Ravitch and former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker warns of calamity for states if they continue on their financial trajectory and highlights six threats to their stability. Today, Governor Paul LePage noted the report is a “call to action” for Maine, as well as other states. The study, released Tuesday titled “Report of the State Budget Crisis Task Force,” outlines six major fiscal threats:Medicaid spending growth; federal deficit reduction; underfunded…

July 25, 2012 Governor’s Office AUGUSTA – Governor Paul LePage and Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen held a joint media conference today in the Cabinet Room at the State Capitol to discuss the results of a recent study released by Harvard University’s Program on Education Policy and Governance. Governor LePage and Commissioner Bowen explained these results and what they mean for Maine. They also unveiled a new initiative to revitalize Maine’s educational system: the ABC plan. The study, an analysis of 49 countries worldwide and 41 states in the U.S., measured improvements in academic test scores of 4th and 8th grade…

Jobs Creation Workshop will focus on Maine’s forestry sector AUGUSTA – Governor LePage announced today the details regarding the fourth and final Governor’s Workshop on Job Creation to be held this summer. The workshop will be held in the Roberts Learning Center at the University of Maine Farmington, on August 15, 2012. The seminars are part of a series of industry-specific workshops designed to bring business leaders together to share ideas and concerns about government policy. “It is critical that we work directly with Maine’s job creators to get input and feedback on what we can do to improve the…

Maine state and local business taxes grew less than the national average, at 2.4% between 2010 and 2011 but actual “effective business tax rate” is among highest in the country The Council On State Taxation (COST) announced the release of their tenth annual study of state and local business taxes. The report, “Total State and Local Business Taxes: State-by-State Estimates for Fiscal Year 2011,” prepared by Ernst & Young LLP, shows all state and local business taxes paid in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Maine state and local business tax rates grew only 2.4 percent…

“Morning Bell” email July 24, 2012 Solar-cell manufacturer Solyndra became a household name when it collapsed, taking $627 million in American taxpayer dollars with it. It’s the poster company for the government picking winners and losers—or really, just losers—in the energy market. But there are 12 more “green energy” losers that have declared bankruptcy despite attempts to prop them up with taxpayer money—and the list is growing. There’s a reason why these companies could not rely solely on private financing and needed help from the government. They couldn’t make it on their own; they couldn’t even make it with extra…

Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew informed the Legislature on Friday that the projected $12.5 million shortfall was all but eliminated in the final five weeks of State Fiscal Year 2012. July 23, 2012 DHHS AUGUSTA- Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew informed the Legislature on Friday that the projected $12.5 million shortfall was all but eliminated in the final five weeks of State Fiscal Year 2012. In late May, DHHS officials met with Legislators to share that the preliminary year-end analysis showed the possibility of a $12.5 million shortfall in the…

Reform begins with the ABC’s – accountability, best practices, and choice AUGUSTA – Following a report released by Harvard University’s Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG), Governor Paul LePage and Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen will hold a media conference in the Hall of Flags of the State House on Wednesday, July 25 to discuss Maine’s educational system and the Administration’s plan moving forward. The conference will begin at 2:00 p.m. The PEPG report, an analysis of growth trends of student performance in math, reading, and science, ranked Maine 40th out of the 41 participating American states. The study examined…

U.N. report emphasizes “the importance of land redistribution for the realization of the right to food.” By Diana George Chapin  The land conservation community in Maine often cites affordable access to land as one of the main barriers faced by young people who wish to pursue commercial farming. But some young farmers are looking to “community land trust” models as a means of accessing land, then removing it in perpetuity from private ownership and, in turn, private enterprise. The Maine Landless Farmers Alliance (MLFA) states: “In order to preserve farmland and rural heritage, we must resist the wave of rural gentrification that threatens our local economies and food security.”…

Baldacci task force, Hannah Pingree and “Kid Safe Act” laid groundwork for DEP to list “chemicals of high concern” Following the passage of bipartisan legislation directing the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to focus on regulating the safe use of chemicals, DEP has released a list of 49 “chemicals of high concern” that are now subject to intense scrutiny. If anti-business activists have their way, these commonly used chemicals that are critical to producing many consumer products could ultimately be banned from use in Maine. Some of the “chemicals of high concern” on the list include formaldehyde, benzene, styrene, mercury,…

By Joel Allumbaugh Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that Obamacare, the so-called “Affordable Care Act,” can stand, we must focus on the many challenges that the law presents for Maine. Although Obamacare is the single largest government intrusion into the private health insurance market, it is important to recognize that Maine is in a somewhat unique position. First, Maine is one of a handful of states with a regulatory framework that is in many ways already more restrictive than Obamacare. For example, many states will experience significant rate increases when they transition to guarantee issue and community rating…

by Free Enterprise Small business owners’ concerns about the future—particularly on health care and taxes-—are impacting their hiring, according to the U.S. Chamber’s fifth quarterly small business survey released today. Only one in five small businesses (20%) expect to add employees in 2013, according to the poll of 1,225 small business owners, conducted by Harris Interactive. The majority of small businesses say they are likely to keep the same number of employees over the next year – meaning there is likely to be little change in overall unemployment figures. Following the Supreme Court’s decision on the President’s health care law, only 3%…

By J. Scott Moody, CEO The Maine Heritage Policy Center The Lewiston Sun Journal ran an inaccurate editorial on Sunday, July 15, “A taxing comparison to Maine,” that claimed Maine is not a high tax state compared to New Hampshire. “The bottom line, though?” the editorial asked. “We Mainers paid fewer state taxes than our bordering neighbors during the first part of this year. And, interestingly enough, based on U.S. Census figures (which do not include local and federal taxes), we paid fewer state taxes during the same time . . . this rally cry that we’re the most taxed…

In a letter from President Dan Danner, the National Federation of Independent Business accused President Obama of “ignoring small business warning of ‘fiscal cliff.'” The letter is concerning the impending expiration of what the NFIB calls “crucial tax provisions,” referring to the potential expiration of Bush-era tax rates that were friendly to businesses. The business-friendly rates are set to expire at the end of 2012, and that could spell trouble for the small-business community that is already struggling with a slow economy. “Warned repeatedly of a rapidly approaching ‘fiscal cliff’ that will have lasting economic consequences, the president is refusing…

By Diana George Chapin Controlling land, as well as the full suite of rights for it and the full financial value of it, has been paramount to free-enterprise, private-ownership farming in Maine for centuries. But traditional models of farmland ownership are being threatened by alternative agreements of “land tenure” for new and entry-level farmers who do not own land. In such “land tenure” agreements, tenant farmers may be building equity in a farm operation they don’t completely own. Building equity in land is a major concern seasoned famers have for new and entry-level tenant farmers, especially as progressive attitudes develop…

The Heritage Foundation, a national, conservative think-tank says that what they call “taxmaggedon” will cost Mainers filing a tax return an additional total of $2,662 each, and Maine as whole a total of $1.85 billion in increased taxes in 2013. “Taxmaggedon” is what Heritage has dubbed a slew of major tax increases that are set to take effect next year. According to the group, which pulled the tax increase data it used for its study from the IRS and estimates from the Office of Management and Budget and Joint Committee on Taxation, the United States will see a total tax increase of…

Eleven “key outcome” sub-categories rank Maine as high as 15th, as low as 45th A new report from the Florida Foundation for Government Accountability has ranked each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia according to how well their child welfare systems performed in 2012. The report shows Maine in the middle of the pack, ranked 25th overall. According to the study, Maine improved by 14 spots from their 2006 ranking. The study, which looked retroactively at 2006 data, showed Maine coming in at 39th in 2006. The number one state in the nation according to the study…

Harvard report says 70% of New England forestland should be free from development By Diana George Chapin While land trusts across the country have worked in local areas to conserve and preserve land in earnest since the 1960s, more recently they have sought to regionalize, accelerate the pace of their efforts and attract a new, national audience of conservation funders to Maine. These efforts are guided by and associated with land-conservation efforts throughout the northeast. Maureen Hoffman works as executive director of the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association (SVCA), a Newcastle-based non-profit, corporate land trust that works to limit the development…

Attorney General William J. Schneider announced that Robert W. Baylor, 35, of Lewiston, pled guilty to one count of Class C theft by deception and was sentenced on June 28, 2012 for stealing $2,800 in benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps). Androscoggin County Superior Court Justice Clifford sentenced Baylor to one year in jail, all but 30 days suspended, and one year probation with the requirement that he pay full restitution. Baylor was charged with stealing 14 months of Food Stamp benefits by selling his Electronic Benefits Transfer Card (EBT card) with $200 of monthly benefits to another…

This fascinating video was shot this morning on the Falmouth Spur. It shows a young moose making his way up the highway at a brisk pace, hooves clacking on the pavement, as it runs parallel to the car driving in the passing lane. It narrowly avoids being hit as it darts across oncoming traffic. A reminder from the Maine Wire to drive safely as you make your way to holiday destinations this Fourth of July! (videotaping while driving not recommended)

by J. Scott Moody The U.S. Census Bureau recently released new data showing state and county population by major age groups as of July 1, 2011. This new data shows another slice of “Demographic Winter” in Maine by looking at the overall age pyramid of the state. A healthy age pyramid, as the name suggests, is one where young folks form the large base and the oldest folks form the narrow top. However, Maine already has a majority of counties where there are more deaths than births. As a consequence, we would expect the percentage of folks under the age of 18 to…

Economist Named CEO of Portland-based Think Tank The Maine Heritage Policy Center announced today that J. Scott Moody has been named chief executive officer of MHPC. Moody, currently MHPC’s chief economist, will be moving to Maine from his home in northern New Hampshire. In making the announcement, MHPC Chairman Peter Anania said, “We are delighted to have Scott, who has a strong policy background, to lead our organization. Scott has directed our studies in tax and regulatory policy for six years, and he has excelled in that role. MHPC’s board, our staff and our many supporters across the state look…

By Diana George Chapin Maureen Hoffman has served as executive director for Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association for 15 years and is dedicated to conserving and preserving land in the Sheepscot River watershed, which extends from the “headwaters” region of Montville and Freedom to estuary area of Southport and Westport Island. The land trust, based in Newcastle, is organized as a non-profit corporation. It solicits, receives and administers property and funds for the promotion and advancement of land conservation in areas of Lincoln, Waldo, Kennebec and Knox Counties, encompassing more than a dozen towns. SVCA holds a controlling interest in approximately…