Author: Tom Desjardin

The New Rule Will Not Reduce the Dirty Air We Inherit from Other States The goal as stated in the new rule is “Improving air quality and reducing the adverse effects of climate change.” As to air quality in Maine, according to the American Lung Association, “Bangor is one of only 10 cities in the nation that ranked cleanest for ozone, short and long term particle pollution.” The city of Portland, however, was recently identified as “the 100th most polluted city for ozone pollution.” There are twice as many EVs per capita in the Portland area. In fact, 40% of…

“Taxation without representation is tyranny.” A common saying in New England leading up to the American Revolution, this was a challenge to the idea that the King had no right to force American colonists to pay taxes to the Crown but have no elected representatives in either house of Parliament to help shape the laws and policies under which they must live. The same principle applies to a soon to be finalized rule from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP), under the authority of just 150 signatures on a petition and the votes of at least four of seven…

In this column I have devoted most of this space to drawing attention to ways in which state government has failed to live up to its potential to make the lives of its citizens better. These include gross dishonesty, like the time Gov. Janet Mills invented an elaborate set of lies about a phone call with former Republican President Donald Trump, then held a press conference specifically to tell those lies, only to be exposed when the White House released the audio of the call. They also include a cruel determination to not adequately fund Maine’s nursing homes until many…

This week for the first time in U.S. history, the cost of interest on the national debt passed $1 trillion annually. This means that for every $5 the U.S. Treasury takes in, it pays $1 (20%) for interest on the debt. It also means that, in a given year, one out of every five dollars you pay in income taxes does not go to provide you government services. It goes to pay the interest on the government’s debt. Recently, Democrats have raised the specter of doom and gloom whenever deadlines draw near for raising the debt ceiling, arguing that Congress…

Ignoring the Constitution is Becoming an American Pastime In an effort to address the economically crippling labor shortage in New Mexico, Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham today issued an emergency order suspending the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolishing slavery to allow critical New Mexico industries to resume working at full capacity. In a statement accompanying her executive order, Lujan-Grisham wrote, “We have a great need for labor and a large population of residents whom we can easily exploit. A temporary resumption of the practice of chattel slavery is the best way to protect our safety and prevent the further decline…

Only eight U.S. states can boast that all-electric vehicles exceed 1 percent of all vehicles registered there. None are greater than 2.5 percent. Yet the Natural Resource Council of Maine (NRCM) wants to force our state to require that 52 percent of all new cars sold here are “zero emission vehicles” (ZEVSs) in just the next three years. “Zero emissions” is, of course, a misnomer, considering most of the power that charges the vehicles will come from power companies that burn natural gas. As others have noted, it would be more accurate to call them “External Combustion Vehicles” (ECVs). By…

Another week, another boondoggle from the Mills Administration on energy. Now, Mills wants to shift our electricity production from cheaper existing resources to expensive offshore wind. If you have had sticker shock over the last several months at your steadily increasing electric bill, be prepared for the next few years. It is only going to get worse. Maine already has the fifth highest residential electricity rates in the nation. Not surprisingly, states two through six are all in New England, with Vermont at number ten. Since they all belong to and purchase their electricity from the ISO New England Regional…

“We should all storm the institution, out of anger that this is the attitude that they’ve taken about our history.” It may surprise you to learn that this is not a statement made at some political event by former President Donald Trump. It may surprise you further to learn that it was made by the far-left Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, Rachel Talbot Ross, a Democrat from Portland. She made these comments, on camera, at an event aligned with the new state and federal holiday known as Juneteenth which celebrates the end of slavery in America. When there…

For nearly seven years now, advocates and opponents have struggled in legal and political venues over a corridor of land across which high-capacity power lines would transmit hydroelectric power from Quebec to Massachusetts through Maine. Officially known as the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) project, it is more often referred to as the Central Maine Power (CMP) Corridor. Though I have found myself ambivalent about whether “The Corridor” is ever built, it is clear to me that there are a few key reasons why it is likely—and legally—to become a reality. Among the key issues involved are whether a…

In the news last week, President Joe Biden said he wants to increase taxes to “help save Medicare.” Maine Democrats said they not only want to increases taxes, but to create an entirely new payroll tax to fund paid family leave. With both the state and federal budgets enjoying record levels of tax revenue and both having recently spent huge sums of money beyond that of previous budget years, this push to raise taxes reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of budgets among our elected officials and the media that report on them. Here in Maine, Democrats increased the size of the…

In her first major public step toward her promise to reform the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Director Rochelle Walensky has chosen Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah to serve as her second-in-command. As her “principal” deputy, he’ll be focusing primarily on communication issues for the agency. It is a remarkable decision, as Shah’s background demonstrates a staggering inability to effectively manage or communicate in the field of public health. Following his election as Governor of Illinois in 2014, Bruce Rauner nominated Shah to serve as the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). His nomination papers…

Around seven or eight years ago, I was sitting in the room in which the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee held its meetings, listening to public testimony about the process that allows school superintendents to grant a student a transfer from one district to another if both superintendents agree. The bill in question sought to broaden the rules to give the Commissioner of Education more influence since the superintendents were not approving any transfers under any circumstances. A former teacher and Legislator rose to argue against the proposal by making one of the most remarkable statements I had ever…

Apparently, Gov. Janet Mills is expecting a $2 billion visit from the tooth fairy. While introducing the third two-year budget of her tenure in office last week, Mills explained that she intends to spend yet another $2 billion more with her new two-year budget and, she says,  “It does all of this without raising taxes.” This statement, of course, is nonsense. If she spends $2 billion more dollars and it doesn’t come from taxes collected from citizens, what is the source of this windfall? During her recent reelection campaign Mills told voters, “I have pledged not to increase taxes. I…