All posts tagged "Commentary"
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Rand Paul, Ron Wyden want to end endless national emergencies
Have you heard about the newest national emergency? No, not the COVID-19 pandemic....
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Teachers don’t need to be vaccinated for Maine schools to reopen safely
Governor Janet Mills updated Maine’s statewide vaccination plan Wednesday to make teachers and...
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Bangor area residents launch ballot initiative to reform governor’s emergency powers
A new citizens initiative was approved for circulation in Maine on January 25,...
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COVID aid bill would pay federal employees $1400 a week if kids are out of school
With thousands of schools still closed or partially closed across the country, millions...
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After trying to oust Maine Capitol Police chief, Senate Democrats defend free speech on social media
More than 70 elected Maine Democrats, including 13 of 21 Democratic senators, signed...
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Are federal efforts to regulate gun ownership constitutional?
Amid the turmoil and bickering throughout the country, it is important to keep...
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Watch Secretary of State Bellows’ uncomfortable exchange with Congressman Steil on HR 1
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows testified before Congress on Thursday in support...
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After a difficult 2020, some lawmakers want to raise taxes on struggling Mainers
The last year has been challenging for most people in the country and...
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Certificate of Need hurts health outcomes in rural Maine
In Maine, medical providers like hospitals, out-patient facilities and nursing homes must obtain...
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Economists warn we can’t keep ignoring the national debt
With COVID-19 ravaging the country and government pandemic lockdowns devastating our economy, the...
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State, local govts post surprisingly sunny revenue projections. Dems want to give them billions anyway.
Dire predictions about state budget woes turned out to be much too gloomy....
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Time to pull back on emergency powers for governors
Last Friday, Democratic state senator John Mannion of New York called for an end to...
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The high cost of trying to use the minimum wage as welfare
In recent years, a number of economic studies have concluded that small to...
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Which New England state will be first to enact Right to Work?
New Hampshire has a lot going for it compared to the rest of...
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What would it take to reach Biden’s carbon-free electric power goal by 2035?
President Joe Biden pledged on January 27 to conjure “a carbon pollution–free electricity sector” into...
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Teachers unions continue to block school reopenings across America
As district school closures enter their 11th month, many parents are frustrated and...
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The Constitution notwithstanding…
The progressive establishment loves big government. Conversely, it really dislikes Americans born with...
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How would banning flavored tobacco products impact Maine’s budget?
This week, the anti-tobacco organization “Flavors Hook Kids” held an online news conference...
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Baker’s climate official resigns after controversial statements: ‘Turn the screws’ on ‘seniors on fixed income’
David Ismay, the Undersecretary for Climate Change within Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s Executive...
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Mills unveils new compromise on PPP issue, tax conformity
Maine Governor Janet Mills issued a press release Tuesday outlining a proposed path...
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Effort to expand ranked-choice in Maine voting receives hearing this week
Advocates of ranked-choice voting again seek to expand the use of the voting...
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Biden’s orders continue the presidency’s slide toward elective monarchy
“Ease up on the executive actions, Joe,” The New York Times urged recently inaugurated President Biden....
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Adding insult to injury: Governor Mills and the PPP
The Paycheck Protection Program, part of the federal CARES Act passed last year,...
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Local Kroger stores close as California ‘Hero Pay’ ordinance backfires
A new “Hero Pay” mandate in Long Beach, California has inadvertently cost some...
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Fake concept drafts don’t belong in a virtual legislative session
Much of the Maine Legislature’s regular business looks different this year. The Clerk...
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School choice in Maine amid the pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic and our collective response to it has changed (for better...
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Gas taxes may soon increase. Here’s why that’s bad news for the poor and middle class
I sold my car when I went to New York City in 2019,...
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How to reform emergency executive power, in Maine and the nation
At the peak of state-ordered lockdowns in response to COVID-19, 316 million Americans across 42...
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New research debunks claim that a $15 minimum wage would not reduce employment
President Joe Biden is pushing a federal $15 minimum wage in his sweeping...
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After closing Maine businesses, Mills wants them to pay state taxes on their PPP loans
Governor Janet Mills wants to balance her bloated budget on the backs of...
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WHO urges ‘careful interpretation’ of positive COVID-19 test results
On January 20, the World Health organization (WHO) issued an advisory for labs...
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Maine’s food stamp error blues
As I dig deeper into the recent supplemental and biennial budget proposals from...
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New letter defends Chief Gauvin’s free speech rights
After Maine Democrats sent a letter to the state’s top public safety official...
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Don’t let the Capitol riot become a 9/11-style excuse for authoritarianism
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, horrified Americans were ready to embrace virtually any...
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Threats of violence and thoughtcrimes: Selective speech standards at the State House
Maine’s Capitol Police Chief Russ Gauvin is on trial in the court of...
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Pandemic security theater
After the start of the Covid pandemic, my local Harris Teeter grocery store...
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3 glaring problems with Joe Biden’s new multi-trillion COVID package
On Thursday night, Joe Biden rolled out a sweeping proposal for $1.9 trillion...
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After a tough year for restaurants, Biden wants to eliminate the tip credit
It’s no secret that restaurants have been particularly impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns and...
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Governor Mills’ budget sleight of hand
Maine Governor Janet Mills released the details of her second proposed biennial budget last Friday...
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Maine to prioritize vulnerable populations in vaccine rollout
Since the first COVID-19 vaccine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug...
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Why most fell for the lockdowns, while a few stood for liberty
2020 will be remembered for many things: COVID-19, nationwide riots, a divisive election....
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First bills of the 130th Legislature released for public consumption
Last week our team offered a preview of the First Session of the...
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New York bill would let the state put people in detention if deemed a ‘significant threat to public health’
New York lawmakers are mulling a bill that would allow the state to...
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Understanding the economic cost of 2020 pandemic policy
The economic shock from the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, exacerbated by the response...
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The good, the bad and the ugly bills that could be debated this session
Just before the holidays, the legislature released a list of all legislator and...
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Lawmakers submit more than a dozen bill requests to reform emergency executive power
After nearly a year with one person unilaterally dictating public policy in Maine,...
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Government by referendum is almost always a bad idea
The controversy over a hazardous-duty supplement to the minimum wage required by the...
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Is Anthony Fauci right that federalism undermined the U.S. response to COVID-19?
Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert who has played a leading role in...
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The myth of widespread asymptomatic transmission
A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)...
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Gov. Mills keeps Maine out of regional gas tax scheme, at least for now
Last week, the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI) released its final Memorandum of Understanding...
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WHO deletes naturally acquired immunity from its website
Maybe you have some sense that something fishy is going on? Same. If...
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Count your blessings this holiday season
What a year. It started off with so much potential, but ended after...
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Maine’s climate action plan heavy on spending, light on specifics
Earlier this month, the Maine Climate Council released its four-year plan titled, “Maine...
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Americans are in full revolt against pandemic lockdowns
Echoing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio...
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Covid and the rise of cage keeper democracy
The Covid pandemic this year has profoundly transformed the relationship of government to...
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Pandemic reveals parents want more choice in their child’s education
The pandemic has revealed something many of us have believed for a long...
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One-in-four small businesses expect to close if economic conditions don’t improve
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Research Center released a new survey...
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Some lawmakers propose reining in Mills’ emergency power, assuming control of virus response
Some members of the Maine Legislature are speaking out against Gov. Janet Mills’...
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The pandemic is not an excuse to expropriate our rights
The basic problem with even a little bit of socialism is that, in...
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Remote work is here to stay and that’s a good thing
Since the beginning of the pandemic, businesses able to shift their employees to...
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Maine not out of the woods despite rosier revenue projections
Though Maine’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly taken a toll on...
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Brunswick father says social isolation drove his son to kill himself
Maine is mourning the loss of Spencer Smith, a 16-year-old sophomore at Brunswick...
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New studies on COVID-19 testing underscore need for greater transparency in Maine
Maine Policy Institute has previously noted the potential pitfalls of relying on a single health...
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Where are the justice warriors for religious freedom?
The Supreme Court of the United States recently voted to grant relief to...
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Portland’s ‘Green New Deal’ initiative complicates ongoing school renovations
School officials and building committees involved in Portland’s elementary school renovations are seeking...
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Evidence continues to mount against the efficacy of CON laws
Certificate of Need (CON) laws are state regulatory procedures that require health care...
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SCOTUS rebukes NY pandemic orders targeting religious services
In a decision handed down late Thanksgiving Eve, a five-Justice majority of the...
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Bellows wastes $74,150 in taxpayer funds to take over as secretary of state
It’s the start of a new term of the Maine Legislature, which means...
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Maine’s transportation infrastructure needs work
The Reason Foundation’s 25th Annual Highway Report highlights something Mainers of all political...
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Carbon tax backers didn’t fare well in election
One of the overlooked stories on Election Day was the defeat of pro-carbon tax...
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Coronavirus curfews are trending again, despite total lack of evidence they help
Coronaviruses don’t get more deadly or dangerous after dark. Yet across the country, leaders...
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What to be thankful for in this dreadful year of 2020
If you like individual liberty, economic freedom and self-determination, 2020 probably wasn’t the...
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AG Frey warns Mainers about enforcement of Gov. Mills’ unscientific mask mandate
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey used his bully pulpit this week to remind...
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Iconic Maine businesses couldn’t survive the pandemic shutdown and restrictions
A number of iconic Maine businesses have closed this year due to the...
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A hypocritical and baseless attack against Justice Alito
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito recently came under fire for comments he made...
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Mainers react to Gov. Mills’ mandated business curfew
Gov. Janet Mills announced on Thursday new, last-minute restrictions on businesses to limit...
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Portland’s delay on minimum wage ordinance provides no legal cover to local businesses
Portland residents approved on November 3 an ordinance that increases the city’s minimum...
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PCR tests and the prickly partnership between science and state
As COVID-19 case counts rise across the United States and Europe, it is...
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Should remote workers pay a tax for the ‘privilege’ of using their home as an office?
The coronavirus pandemic has devastated the service sector, made millions unemployed, and forced...
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Biden advisor notes incoming administration’s plan to neuter charter schools
Last year, the Maine Legislature and Governor Janet Mills enacted a pair of...
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Gov. Mills suggests Mainers call the cops on violators of coronavirus mandates
Last week, Governor Janet Mills joined Maine Public to shed crocodile tears for...
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Portland businesses worried about city’s new minimum wage ordinance
Portland voters approved Question A on their local ballots last week, an initiative...
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Governor Mills’ coronavirus narrative is crumbling
Governor Janet Mills’ latest batch of doomsday rhetoric is an admission that her...
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Unions lost a major battle in their war on the gig economy
Should Americans be allowed to freelance? Progressive Democrats have been pushing legislation at...
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What issues will Maine Democrats resurrect in 2021?
With Maine’s 2020 statewide general election behind us, it’s time to look ahead...
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Mainers acknowledge lack of science behind Mills’ new mask mandate
When Gov. Janet Mills updated her mask mandate last week to require Mainers...
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Wearing a mask alone in public defies science
Science, science science. It’s all about the science. Is it really, though? From...
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Massachusetts voters reject RCV in surprise Election Day upset
With more than 90% of the votes counted in Massachusetts, it appears that...
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California hates the holidays
Thinking about getting together with family for the holiday season? Think again. Just...
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Gov. Mills stokes fear while doubling down on economic restrictions
Last Friday, Lindsey Crete, spokesperson for Governor Janet Mills, hinted to the Maine...
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In-person voting remains a safe, secure way to vote
COVID-19 has changed a lot about our lives in 2020, including how we...
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A plague of pandemic restrictions builds herd immunity to arbitrary rules
Perhaps the only thing worse than being subjected to seemingly arbitrary and intrusive...
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What Governor Mills can learn from South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem
Maine Gov. Janet Mills joined Maine CDC director Dr. Nirav Shah on Wednesday...
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New Poll: RCV ballot question a dead heat in Massachusetts
A poll released Monday by UMass Amherst and WCVB is showing a tightening...
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Maine’s high court denies effort to keep counting absentee ballots after Election Day
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled late last week that absentee ballots must...
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Despite massive fundraising disparity, RCV still a close contest in Massachusetts
A recent Ipsos poll asked 1,001 Massachusetts adults about a number of issues,...
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Why Amy Coney Barrett should be confirmed to the Supreme Court
The recent death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg certainly sent massive...
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Deadline coming on Maine’s decision to participate in new gas tax scheme
Maine Policy Institute and a coalition of 17 other organizations sent letters to...
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Scott Atlas a vital voice of reason on White House Coronavirus Task Force
In a recent interview on Lockdown TV, Dr. Scott Atlas, a healthcare policy...
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The dangers of legislating from the bench
I listened last week to the questioning of Judge Amy Coney Barrett by...
