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Browsing: Commentary
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…
By John Frary — Last year presidential consigliore John Podesta snarled that Republicans “are facing a second term against a…
Black bears are becoming a national menace as well as a serious threat to public safety and private property, and…
By Jonathan McKane — Maine Democrats and the Maine press are fed up. They are demanding action. And for the…
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Monday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) blasted Senate Democrats for supporting a constitutional…
As we have seen from Mike Michaud economic plan for energizing Maine’s economy, upyanking the economically undertrodden, rescuing the middle…
By Ken Quinn – Since the start of our government under the Constitution on March 9, 1789, Congress has proposed…
By David Trahan — In politics today, it is virtually impossible to expose the true motives of an individual candidate…
Our state’s media have looked upon Mike Michaud’s “Maine Made” economic plan and found it good. One newspaper editorial saw…
By David Trahan – Don’t be fooled by the group calling itself, “Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting” when they tell you…
By Ken Quinn – America has been blessed to be governed by the oldest written Constitution in the world. The…
Our nation’s founders painstakingly created one of the most lasting documents in human history — the United States Constitution. For…
By Ken Quinn, Coalitions Director for the Convention of States Project in Maine – We, as citizens of the United…
Is an Article V Convention for Proposing Amendments the same as a Constitutional Convention? That seems to be the most…
By Gov. Paul LePage – Spring is late this year throughout much of the country, and in northern states plenty of…
One of the greatest protections that the Framers of the U.S. Constitution wove into our nation’s governing document is…
Jesus wants Maine’s House of Representatives to expand Mainecare coverage. We know this because. Diane Russell (D-Portland) mounted her pulpit…
The following editorial was published in the March 4-10 edition of the Downeast Coastal Press. It is reproduced here, with permission,…
The following op-ed originally appeared in the March 3 edition of the Downeast Coastal Press, a weekly newspaper based in…
The Portland-based Press Herald newspaper, a publication majority-owned by Democratic Party mega-donor S. Donald Sussman, has refused to publish an…
“There is no precedent in human history for economic growth on declining human capital – and that’s before anyone invented…
Once again, like a recurring nightmare, another gaping hole has been ripped in the state budget. And once again, it’s…
THE ZEUS OF FRANKLIN COUNTY That would be me. It turns out that I have the power to raise what…
Could we puhleeease stop abusing common English for political purposes? This week I read another opinion item by a progressive…
WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Barack Obama delivered his fifth State of the Union Address Tuesday night. Here are some of…
WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Barack Obama delivered his fifth State of the Union Address Tuesday night. Here are some of…
“It is amazing that people who think we cannot afford to pay for doctors, hospitals, and medication somehow think that…
Maine’s economy is beginning to show signs of relative competitiveness. After years of ranking dead last for business friendliness, the…
The Bangor Daily News refused to publish the following letter to the editor regarding liberal blogger Amy Fried: It’s concerning…
I was surprised to read in a recent op-ed column by state Sen. Emily Cain (D-Orono) that federal dollars have…