All posts tagged "Opinion"
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Maine House passes bill to make wording of ballot questions ‘as simple as is possible’
The Maine House on Tuesday voted to approve a bill that would simplify...
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Debt-free college bill ignores troubling realities of higher education in Maine
The Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business heard several bills last...
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Governor Mills’ revised budget grows spending but sends $20 million to rainy day fund
Since Governor Janet Mills released her biennial budget proposal in February, the fiscal...
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Speaker Gideon’s paid leave plan illustrates lawmakers’ propensity to tax and spend
The First Session of the 129th Maine Legislature has been filled with proposals...
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Stop unconstitutional initiatives from appearing on the ballot
Lawmakers are considering a flurry of ballot initiative reforms this session, from requiring...
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CMS finalizes rule to end dues skimming of in-home caregivers
Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule...
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Maine cannot afford ‘debt-free’ college
This session, lawmakers in the Maine Legislature are considering a pair of bills...
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Maine should embrace autonomous vehicle technology
It’s no secret that our state is inhospitable – to put it mildly...
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Empower Maine families with school choice
Quite often we hear politicians and special interests say that the quality of...
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What’s next for workplace freedom?
Three employees of Kent State University on Monday, April 29 filed suit against...
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LD 665: Protect free speech on college campuses
I have sponsored LD 665, “An Act to Enact the Campus Free Expression...
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Expand apprenticeships to reduce student debt, build Maine’s workforce
To become a hairdresser in the State of Maine, you must be at...
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Free speech should never be censored on college campuses
Lawmakers on Maine’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee on Monday held a public...
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Progressive groups seek to solidify their referendum racket
Lawmakers on Maine’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee today will consider a bill...
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LD 1451: Mandatory disclosures of private information as a condition of employment
Are you a public employee? Public sector labor unions in Maine want access...
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How to submit testimony via the Legislature’s new online system
Background The Legislature has developed a new automated tool for submitting electronic testimony....
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Now is the time to reduce Maine’s tax burden
There has been plenty of legislation proposed this session that would increase taxes...
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Lawmakers decline eliminating a licensing board that did not meet for four consecutive years
Occupational licensing exists to protect public health and safety in professions that pose...
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There’s no need to neuter the net in Maine
This week, the Maine Legislature’s Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology held a...
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Efforts to undermine public charter schools only hurt Maine students
A lawmaker from Portland appears to have a personal vendetta against public charter...
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Lawmakers squander opportunity to ease vehicle inspection requirements
In 1994, Maine rolled out the United States Emissions Test, a program that...
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Don’t fall for the seasonal gas tax gimmick
Roads across Maine are in rough shape this time of year, and a...
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Medicaid expansion enrollment is on track to surpass projections
Medicaid expansion enrollment under Governor Janet Mills is taking off – almost 16,800...
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Maine’s higher minimum wage is doing tangible harm to young workers
Lawmakers in Augusta have proposed a spate of bills this session in an...
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Maine needs more young people to skip four-year degrees and work in the trades
High school guidance counselors, parents and popular culture have spent decades telling young...
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Able-bodied adults should work to receive Medicaid benefits
Lawmakers on the Health and Human Services Committee yesterday held a public hearing...
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Medicare for All requires dismantling your private insurance
Health care itself is complicated and so is our health care system, yet...
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Governor Mills’ budget sets up Maine for fiscal ruin
The Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC) on Monday released a new analysis of...
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Numerous bills put in jeopardy the health of our small business economy
As a small business owner, I know firsthand that what is good for...
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Efforts to broaden the ‘death tax’ in Maine will backfire
The estate tax, often referred to as the “death tax,” is assessed by...
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Maine Open Checkbook should be more transparent
In 2013, former Maine Gov. Paul LePage established the Maine Open Checkbook website...
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All Mainers should have a say in what issues make it on the statewide ballot
Lawmakers on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee Monday held a public hearing...
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Vehicle inspections do not make our roads safer
Lawmakers on the Transportation Committee today will hold a public hearing on LD...
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How lawmakers can add much-needed transparency to the ballot initiative process
Lawmakers on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee will hold a public hearing...
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It shouldn’t be so hard to earn a living in Maine
Occupational licensing exists as a mechanism for government to promote public health and...
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Medicaid expansion will cost our state dearly
Liberals in Augusta are likely elated with the latest communication from Maine’s Department...
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Home sharing should never be a crime in Maine
Maine’s Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government today is holding a...
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Maine should end tax increases at the ballot box
This week, lawmakers on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee will hold a...
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Gov. Mills’ budget grows Maine government to unsustainable levels
Maine Gov. Janet Mills is trying to pass off her budget proposal, released...
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Don’t close the book on virtual charter schools
State Representative Michael Brennan of Portland recently introduced a pair of bills concerning...
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Ballot initiatives should reflect the ambitions of Mainers in both congressional districts
Citizens Initiatives should be reserved for Maine citizens.
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Mandatory snow tire bill has been withdrawn
Approximately 96 hours after this publication questioned the merits of a bill to...
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Legislators can take steps to prevent Maine’s coming regulatory storm
This piece first appeared in the Portland Press Herald. During her recent inaugural...
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Police checkpoints for snow tires?
As previously highlighted in this publication, there are a number of strange, ridiculous...
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Minimum wage law hurting small business and Maine’s most vulnerable
They say elections have consequences, and in the case of the minimum wage...
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It didn’t take long for tax increases to be proposed in Augusta
It was only a matter of time, right? In a piece that read...
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New analysis shows there are 113,862 regulatory restrictions on the books in Maine
The 2018 Code of Maine Rules is home to 113,862 restrictions and 8.1...
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Maine taxpayers cannot afford the costs of universal health care
Among the many harebrained schemes that will be considered in the Maine Legislature...
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Medicaid expansion is here. Now what?
For the second time in 17 years, Maine has expanded Medicaid. Governor Mills...
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Is the three percent surtax back from the dead?
During the biennial budget battle in 2017 that led to Maine’s first government...
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The costs of universal pre-K are not worth the benefits
It is no secret that the Mills administration and legislative Democrats are planning...
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Lawsuit seeks to undo exclusion of religious schools from Maine’s school choice program
Maine’s town tuitioning program, first adopted in 1873, is the second oldest school choice...
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Medicaid expansion must be funded responsibly
When I took office, MaineCare was running biennial budget deficits of more than...
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‘The Will of the People’ and the home care hypocrisy
If you’ve followed Maine politics in the last two years, you know that...
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Our revenue surplus should be returned to the people through tax cuts
Over the next three years, the State is projected to collect more than...
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Education in Maine is worse than you think
It’s no secret that Maine’s public K-12 education system needs work. Bloated bureaucracies...
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Jared Golden Did Not Win 50 Percent of the Vote
Jared Golden did not receive more than 50 percent of the vote after...
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Investigating the left’s latest scam
While Maine voters were out rejecting a plan for “Universal Home Care” on...
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Maine law forces me to accept union misrepresentation
This piece was first published in the Portland Press Herald. I am an...
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Maine voters reject Question 1
After a yearlong campaign of misinformation waged by the supporters of Question 1,...
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Whoever wins, Maine’s next governor needs to address these challenges
After the sounds of boisterous campaign rallies fade and the realities of the...
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Question 1 a scheme to achieve fully socialized medicine
More and more we are seeing direct democracy take hold in our elected...
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Question 1 is a shell game
Question 1 plays on voters’ emotions to pass policies that will hurt the...
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Progressives try to debunk tax flight by ignoring the data
The Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) recently released an analysis of interstate...
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Reductions in child poverty not a result of minimum wage increases
Last month, the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) published a study on the...
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Question 1 on November’s ballot is bad policy
There are so many bad policies rolled into Question 1 on November’s ballot...
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The numbers tell the real story on education funding
It’s the political season and a lot of misinformation is flying around. I...
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The abandonment of reason
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” It’s said...
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MPA’s Question 1 talking points now refuted by one of their own
The Maine People’s Alliance (MPA) is pushing a ballot initiative – Question 1...
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Ask your doctor if Referendax is right for you
Matt Gagnon did a superb job of “fisking” Edgar Allen Beem‘s recent Forecaster...
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One last veto: Gov. LePage blocks bill to fund ranked-choice voting for November elections
Dear Honorable Members of the 128th Legislature: Under the authority vested in me...
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Question 1’s new surtax would be detrimental to Maine’s economy
This commentary was originally published in the Bangor Daily News. The state economist recently...
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Open markets for internet providers can bridge the digital divide
Many would agree that consistent access to the internet is an important part...
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Inefficient Maine Immunization Program creates barriers to vaccines for children
The Maine Immunization Program (MIP) is publicly funded and provides necessary vaccines to...
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The Fisking of Edgar Allen Beem
Oh, Edgar. There’s something almost comical about reading a piece of writing that...
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The Disproportionality of Bloodlust
I remember instances in high school or junior high when something bad happened...
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Let’s keep our economy on the right path by attracting more workers
The Maine Department of Labor recently released its projections for job growth for...
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We are a teenage nation
The more I try to parent teenagers, the more I recognize similar patterns...
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Question 1 would devastate Maine’s economy
1,700 fewer Maine residents. 1,800 fewer workers in our labor force. 3,800 fewer...
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Portland City Council chasing opportunity into oblivion
Recently, the Housing Committee of Portland’s City Council met to discuss the possibility...
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The belligerent ignorance of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Oh, Alexandria. Ever since she won a stunning upset victory over her democrat...
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Question 1 is bought and paid for by outside interests
In case you haven’t heard, Question 1 on the November ballot will ask...
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Why are ‘experts’ so determined to mislead the public on Universal Home Care taxes?
When Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap was accepting public comment on the...
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FCC chairman Ajit Pai coming to Maine
On Friday, Sept. 14, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Ajit Pai will make...
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The ‘universal home care’ referendum will be disastrous for Maine’s economy
Ballot Question 1 is another benign-sounding, feel-good referendum. In reality, it’s one more...
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Maine’s ballot initiative process serves outside interests, not Maine people.
Today the Maine Heritage Policy Center released its newest report, “The Will of...
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What’s next for progressives after Universal Home Care?
I have a hunch. This late summer or fall, after Labor Day but...
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MPA continues to mislead the public on Universal Home Care
The latest in a long list of misrepresentations from the Maine People’s Alliance...
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Licensing reform can help attract talent to Maine
Policymakers are always asking: ‘What can we do to attract young, talented people...
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DPFR serves as the Legislature’s collective slush fund
Occupational licensing is supposed to protect the public from unqualified professionals whose goods...
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LePage and House Republicans spare Mainers big tax hike
Earlier this week, Maine House Republicans sustained Governor LePage’s veto of a bill to...
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Supporters of Universal Home Care initiative wage war of misinformation
Since the upcoming Universal Home Care (UHC) initiative sponsored by the Maine People’s...
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Why do lawmakers choose licensing?
Despite economists on both sides of the aisle agreeing that occupational licensing laws...
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Medicaid expansion and paying home-care workers must be done in a fiscally responsible manner
Medicaid expansion is the law, and I am committed to implement it. But...
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The earned income tax credit is Maine’s best anti-poverty program; let’s expand it
The biggest flaw in most social assistance programs — including TANF, SNAP, Medicaid,...
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Medicaid expansion activists will hurt people who need help just to prove a point
Medicaid-expansion advocates plan to bring busloads of able-bodied adults to DHHS offices on July...
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Corporate welfare cost Maine taxpayers $42.5 million in 2017
Economists have long criticized politicians’ penchant for creating narrow legal carveouts and targeted...
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Maine Policy Discussion: Ken Fredette
The Maine Heritage Policy Center is sitting down for detailed policy discussions with...
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Maine Policy Discussion: Shawn Moody
The Maine Heritage Policy Center is sitting down for detailed policy discussions with...
