Ask any average person what they hate most about their government, and you’ll get a variety of answers. Typically they…
Browsing: Commentary
My friend and fellow conservative M.D. Harmon wrote a June 13 column in the Central Maine papers entitled “Something Rotten…
For years, hard-working Maine companies, such as Hardwood Products and Puritan Companies of Guilford, have been penalized by ObamaCare’s medical…
“Christmas in July” came early in Maine this year, as Governor LePage used a Christmas tree and rubber pigs in…
The Maine Legislature approved a $6.7 billion biennial budget Tuesday morning, just in time to pass Governor LePage’s ten day…
For decades, Maine’s Second Congressional District was home to dozens of thriving paper, textile, shoe, and leather factories and mills…
A few weeks ago, fellow Maine Wire columnist Christine Rousselle wrote an op-ed piece about why young people are not returning…
For the last week and a half, the left has been seeking to preemptively blame an impending government shutdown on Ken…
Maine’s Second District is home to the hardest-working, most honest people that you could ever find in this country. As…
Governor LePage promised the people of Maine while campaigning for both of his gubernatorial elections that he would do his…
Recently, the Maine Legislature has been discussing whether the government should set a certain standard in marijuana consumption that would…
On Wednesday, the Maine Public Utilities Commission decided not to reconsider their decision regarding an interpretation of a statute provision…
As the first session of the 127th Legislature lurches toward statutory adjournment on June 17th, Maine people can breathe a sigh…
I love Maine. I was born there. I spent 18 years of my life there. My entire family lives there. Trading…
For several years, families and small businesses have suffered from the negative effects of ObamaCare. In Congress, I have supported…
In a state where nearly half of its population is enrolled in some form of government assistance program, welfare reform…
Jon Stewart has spent some time on his “Daily Show” scorning Paul LePage. Yet Stewart and our governor have something important…
In 2014, Maine became the second state to adopt a law requiring labels identifying all products containing genetically modified organisms, or…
There is no doubt a large number of Maine people have seen the need for real welfare reform. As Maine’s…
I was disappointed to learn that the Maine Legislature had once again voted down requiring the presentation of a photo…
Can individual municipalities in Maine assess their own minimum wage, or is that the job of our elected officials in…
Raising a child alone is one of the hardest things to do. Far too often, I have heard stories of…
Maine recently joined 35 other states this year in filing the Convention of States (COS) resolution calling for an Article…
There will be no problem with money in politics this year. Such problems arise only when Republicans have more money…
Now that Mrs Clinton has openly disclosed her intention to run as a Democrat, it is appropriate to establish a few…
Time and time again, our seniors, businesses and local governments’ private information is stolen from scams artists and hackers on…
Last Monday, a senior adviser to Governor Paul R. LePage revealed that the governor may submit a bill next legislative…
Gov. Paul LePage’s call for restrictions on towns setting their own specific minimum wages doesn’t go far enough. The minimum…
Last year, we discovered that veterans in Phoenix, Arizona, had waited for more than 100 days to receive the medical…
“No lesson seems to be so deeply inculcated by the experience of life as that you should never trust experts.…
Maine Democrats have finally responded to Governor LePage’s budget proposal, announcing their plan last week exactly three months after the…
For generations, hard-working Maine families have balanced their checkbooks at the kitchen table. I can remember nights when my parents…
On Monday, Governor LePage vetoed LD 122, An Act to Standardize Pints of Beer Sold in Maine, proposed by Sen.…
What is going on with the Maine Democratic Party? Former Democratic Rep. Stan Short has quit the party. Former Rep.…
Recently on Twitter, a very non-political friend of mine posted something about the failures of Obamacare. It was only seconds before a…
Before I begin, let’s go over a few basics. “Food stamps” are a thing of the past, and the program…
Late last October, a political pundit turned to me and said “You know the Democrats are struggling when they start…
Governor LePage’s effort to end revenue sharing in Maine is being combated in Augusta with a proposal for local option…
As you may know, the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) was created as a provision of the Balanced Budget Act of…
This year, lawmakers in Augusta will once-again consider right-to-work legislation in the form of LD 489, a bill which would…
Harry Reid gave us a warning. In a video produced to announce his retirement, Reid told us not to be…
In case Portland citizens have forgotten, the City Council’s ordinance regarding disposable bags will be implemented on April 15th, and…
Wearing a cap and gown I sat on the field at the University of Maine contemplating my years in college.…
Last week, the House Financial Services Oversight and Investigations subcommittee held a hearing regarding Operation Choke Point with Federal Deposit…
With voters last November resoundingly supporting fiscally conservative candidates who campaigned on reducing government spending, Democrats would be wise to…
No two children are alike—so why must we insist upon educating them like they are? Common Core isn’t necessarily a…
The Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN) provides some of the best and sometimes only coverage of statewide policy issues. That…
As I have repeatedly said, too many of our hard-working families and small businesses continue to be hurt by the…
On Monday, the Maine State Legislature will host public hearings on bill requests made by members of the Maine House…
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep…
“As the body of rules grows, the legal landscape becomes more thickly populated and harder to traverse. Concealed declivities, sudden…
In a bipartisan push for reform, Maine Sen. Andre Cushing III (R-Penobscot County) and Maine Rep. Justin Chenette (D-Saco) have…
As Chair of the Legislature’s Labor, Commerce, Research, and Economic Development Committee (LCRED), and as a member of the committee…
From putting my son through college to overseeing the management of Maine’s 529 plans as the State Treasurer, I understand…
Voters and legislators across Maine are just beginning to sort through Governor LePage’s ambitious new tax reform package. While many…
Several months ago, Maine Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland, and former Maine Sen. Dick Woodbury, I-Yarmouth, announced an initiative to change…
I remember testifying several years ago in front of the Health and Human Services Committee in support of then Representative…
Over the last 60 days, I have finally settled in to all my offices and am working hard to help…
There is no question that our right to vote is fundamental to our freedom. It only makes sense, then, that…
Checkmate, Mr. Mayor. With the revelation that Portland’s homeless shelters have knowingly been giving shelter to frequent stayers who have…
As someone who has left the state and become a Mainer-in-exile, it can be tough to keep in touch with…
Maine seems to have taken a side in the U.S. Supreme Court case regarding Obamacare subsidies – but it’s not…
On Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration effectively ended any commercial attempts at drone delivery services in the U.S. Several companies…
Maine might just be the most lavish state in the U.S. – at least when it comes to General Assistance.…
The measles do not seem like a fun time. Neither does diphtheria, polio, whooping cough, the mumps, or chickenpox. Thankfully,…
Tell me if you’ve heard this one. A self-identifying progressive city, a home to a vibrant community of artists and…
Liberals in Maine and Washington, D.C. are suffering a new psychological condition, one that started very recently, in November. Symptoms…
Well, not so much. The Obama Administration last week through the EPA issued the 2nd punch into the oil and gas…
At its best, research can be the backbone of policymaking. It can provide the numbers that illuminate problems for lawmakers…
The argument against expanding government run health care in America just got a lot stronger – thanks to the unlikeliest…
Nearly everyone knows that innovation, competition, and development are needed to bring Maine into the 21st century – but apparently…
There is no denying that the low wages earned by Maine people are a major concern for state policy makers.…
With Falmouth considering a ban or fee on plastic bags, it’s important to look at the facts instead of being…
Now that the elections are over and all the negative TV ads are gone we can all breathe a big…
The Precautionary Principle has been used by progressive environmental and public health advocates to justify climate change, energy, food and…
Monday marked the 50th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan’s famous speech, “A Time for Choosing,” delivered on October 27, 1964,…
Who was it that said election time is ‘silly season?’ For years I’ve rolled with that description, but more and…
Public education is getting a 21st Century shake-up. Back in September, Maine’s very first virtual charter school, Maine Connections Academy,…
Every election year Mainers can count on a handful of desperate political campaigns that rely on confusion and deception in…
In my previous article Why Elections Cannot Fix Washington D.C., I demonstrated that amendments are superior to elections in solving…
Mike Tipping is communication director of the Maine Peoples Alliance (MPA). As such, his primary mission is to expose Paul…
A powerful coalition of environmentalists and crony capitalists have engaged the American people in a confidence game called Climate Change.…
There are plenty of differences between the Maine gubernatorial candidates this election. Whether it concerns tax, labor, business or welfare…
Bangor Daily News blogger Chris Shorr on Thursday published an outlandish and illogical attack against Uber, an innovative ride-sharing service…
On October 1, 2013, Mainers felt the sting of a 10 percent increase in the sales tax to 5.5 percent…
As our nation continues to spiral out of control and those we elected to Congress continue to ignore their responsibilities…
Portland Press Herald columnist Alan Caron says Republican Gov. Paul LePage isn’t the worst governor in Maine’s history, but he’s…
Author’s note: A previous version of this column appeared in the Portland Press Herald We’ve heard the term “embarrassing” used…
This November we have an enormously important issue coming via Citizens Referendum regarding our ability to keep our black bear…
Mark Twain said, “Don’t let school get in the way of my education.” This is profound. Consider the two issues:…
It was with reserved optimism that I accepted a post on the Standards Review Panel. I was informed that this…
“Youth comes but once in a lifetime,” said Maine’s own poet and educator Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. As a two term…
This week, a Portland task force will hear final discussions on Mayor Michael Brennan’s proposal to increase the city’s minimum…
Given the traditional tripartite choice—animal, vegetable or mineral–there’s a solid consensus about Mike Michaud’s identify. Apart from a few violent…
Did you know that workers in Maine who want nothing to do with a union have the right to refrain…
By No Common Core Maine — The chair of Maine’s State Board of Education, Peter Geiger, wrote recently (see here)…
Greetings from Amherst to all readers of the Maine Wire: With fewer than 90 days to Election Day, it’s time…
It has become cliché to note that the Portland Press Herald newspaper is owned by a very wealthy Democratic donor. In…
By Debra Plowman — Mainers expect bold leadership from their representatives in Washington, D.C. Whether Democratic or Republican, the people…
The Article V Convention movement has really gained traction since the release of Mark Levin’s book last summer titled The…