MHPC: How Does New Hampshire Do It?‏

Dear Lisbon Reporter Readers,

As a supporter of The Maine Heritage Policy Center, I am pleased to share with you our latest research report, How Does New Hampshire Do It?

This comprehensive report compares and contrasts Maine with its only neighboring state, New Hampshire, and helps answer important questions as to how New Hampshire raises revenue and provides services without an individual income or general sales tax. 

While last month's budget was an endorsement of Maine's status quo high spending and over-taxation, it's important for us to show lawmakers that there are other options.  Our report shows how New Hampshire is able to spend less and tax less than Maine does, while still offering adequate services to residents.

I hope you'll help us spread the message, and show lawmakers that there's another path forward besides high taxes and high spending.  Please click the image above or click here to view the study online or download it at your convenience.

 

Best regards,

Patrick Marvin
Policy Analyst

The Maine Heritage Policy Center: Jinger Duryea named Chairman of MHPC Board of Directors‏

PORTLAND – The Maine Heritage Policy Center, Maine’s preeminent free-market think tank, announced today the election of Mrs. Jinger Duryea, president, C.N. Brown Company to Chair MHPC’s Board of Directors.

“Jinger will bring energy and enthusiasm to MHPC at a critical time for the state of Maine. Under her leadership, I am confident that MHPC will continue to grow and advocate fiercely for economic freedom,” said MHPC’s outgoing Chairman Peter Anania.

Anania served as Chairman of the Board of Directors from January of 2012 to October 14, 2014. Duryea joined MHPC’s Board of Directors in May 2007.

“MHPC could not have chosen a more capable Chair, in Jinger Duryea.  She is a successful businesswoman, a strong leader, and an eloquent champion of free markets. Mrs. Duryea brings with her a wealth of experience and an intimate knowledge of policy that will be critical for us in leading the conservative movement in Maine," said Chief Executive Officer Matthew Gagnon.

Duryea is the president of C.N. Brown Company, a South Paris, Maine-based family business that operates all Big Apple Food Stores and Red Shield Heating Oil locations throughout New England.  She has the distinction of having been the first female Chairman of the Maine Oil Dealers Association, and previously served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Convenience Stores.

Join MHPC for lunch and Reversing the Tide: Undoing Five Decades of Liberal Policies in Maine‏

Reversing the Tide: Undoing Five Decades of Liberal Policies in Maine

Please Join Us Liberals in Maine have a true political machine, and conservatives don’t.  With an avalanche of money, volunteers, activists and ally groups to help them accomplish their agenda for five decades, they have dictated policy in Maine.  Conservatives, on the other hand, have been unable to build the necessary infrastructure to compete.  Matthew Gagnon, CEO, The Maine Heritage Policy Center, will discuss the unique challenges the Right faces, and how Maine Heritage plans to turn the tables on the Left, to create something that will defeat five decades of destructive, regressive policy in Maine.   For more information or to register, please contact Ms. Heather Noyes by email at hnoyes@mainepolicy.org or by phone at 207-321-2550 Matthew Gagnon, CEO The Maine Heritage Policy Center     Thursday September 18, 2014   Luncheon 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.   DIMILLO’S ON THE WATER 25 Long Wharf, Portland   MHPC Member: $20 Non-member: $25   REGISTER HERE

About MHPC The Maine Heritage Policy Center is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational organization based in Portland, Maine.  The Maine Heritage Policy Center formulates and promotes free-market, conservative public policies in the areas of economic growth, fiscal matters, health care, education, constitutional law and government transparency - providing solutions that will benefit all the people of Maine.  Contributions to MHPC are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. For more information, see www.MainePolicy.org.

Media Advisory: MHPC Joins Global Effort Celebrating Late Nobel Laureate‏

The Maine Heritage Policy Center
Joins Global Effort Celebrating Late Nobel Laureate

PORTLAND, Maine – Milton Friedman, recognized as the greatest economist of the last century, will be the focal point at numerous events nationwide and around the world on July 31. The Maine Heritage Policy Center is participating in the annual “Friedman Legacy Day” to highlight the late professor’s famous ideas, including school choice.

"The Maine Heritage Policy Center is proud to host Choosing Success: Empowering Parents to Advocate for Greater Educational Opportunities as part of this year’s Friedman Legacy Day,” said Jonathan Haines, communications director for The Maine Heritage Policy Center. “MHPC is dedicated to furthering school choice for all families by empowering parents with the knowledge and tools they need to be strong advocates for greater educational opportunities for their children.”

“There is a close relationship between school choice and economic freedom – two principles that MHPC is proud to champion,” said Haines. “It is this relationship that is at the heart of the educational model that symbolizes Dr. Milton Friedman’s legacy.”

An advisor to several U.S. presidents, Milton Friedman won the Nobel Prize in economics in 1976 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1988. The author of such books as “Capitalism and Freedom” also is well known for his appearance on the popular PBS series “Free to Choose.” He is considered the “father” of the all-volunteer army and school choice.

“In education alone, today Milton Friedman’s ideas are positively impacting thousands of Americans,” said Robert Enlow, president and CEO of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice. “Calls for more personal empowerment and choice can be attributed to Dr. Friedman. And it’s groups like The Maine Heritage Policy Center that keep Milton Friedman’s legacy alive.”

FRIEDMAN LEGACY DAY DETAILS

 

Date:                Thursday, July 31, 2014

Time:               5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Location:          Easy Day, 725 Broadway, South Portland, ME

Speakers:

·        Ms. Heidi Sampson
Member, Maine State Board of Education

·        The Honorable Amy Volk
Maine State Legislature and Board Chair, Maine Connections Academy

Choosing Success: Empowering Parents to Advocate for Greater Educational Opportunities is co-sponsored by The Maine Heritage Policy Center and The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice.

In 1996, Dr. Friedman and his wife, Rose, founded the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice to research and promote school choice, an idea he first proposed in 1955.

The Maine Heritage Policy Center is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational organization based in Portland, Maine. The Maine Heritage Policy Center formulates and promotes free-market, conservative public policies in the areas of economic growth, fiscal matters, health care, education, constitutional law and government transparency - providing solutions that will benefit all the people of Maine.

For more information, please visit www.MainePolicy.org or www.EdChoice.org/FriedmanDay.

MHPC Applauds LePage's Decision on Welfare Work Requirements‏

July 23, 2014

PORTLAND, Maine - The Maine Heritage Policy Center, Maine's foremost free-market think tank, on Wednesday applauded Governor Paul R. LePage's decision to implement work requirements for many able-bodied recipients of welfare benefits under the federal Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) also known as Food Stamps.

"Maine's social safety net should be a temporary stop for Mainers on their way back into the work force, not a permanent destination," said MHPC Communications Director Jonathan Haines. "This policy will encourage work-ready adults to be self-reliant, independent, and in control of their own financial and economic destiny."

"Not only is it smart, fiscally responsible policy, it's an act of tough-love that will ultimately improve the well-being of Mainers who are down on their luck," said Haines.

MHPC on recent ACA rulings‏

The Maine Heritage Policy Center on today's Federal Court of Appeals Rulings on ObamaCare Subsidies

 

Joel Allumbaugh, Director of MHPC's Center for Health Reform Inititiaves released the following statement on Tuesday in regard to the latest ACA federal court rulings: 

 

 

"Today’s rulings highlight the many systemic problems with the chaotic train wreck that is the Affordable Care Act," said Joel Allumbaugh, Director of the Center for Health Reform Initiatives, The Maine Heritage Policy Center.

 

"Problems like these are bound to arise when irresponsible politicians ram massive, complex legislation through the process without properly vetting it – without even reading it," said Allumbaugh.

 

“More than four years later, the American people are still trying to make sense of this bureaucratic nightmare,” said Allumbaugh. "I cannot think of any other law currently on the books that brings greater uncertainty and instability to the U.S. economy than President Obama’s signature health care law. Rather than unilaterally subvert our duly elected representatives, as he has done time and time again, the president should work with Congress to fix this broken law.”

MHPC: Taking to the airwaves and real reforms‏

Rally for real welfare reform...

Progressives gathered in Augusta last week to hold a press conference at the State House to present their plan to "address" Maine's welfare and DHHS problems... and we were there to counter their punch. Sadly, their plan was nothing more than rhetoric and a last minute reaction to a shifting public opinion that supports honest and meaningful reforms – reforms driven by The Maine Heritage Policy Center. Maine needs real welfare reform and fiscal responsibility - now, more than ever. Will you join the fight? Click here to learn more – TAKE ACTION today.

The Maine Wire takes to the airwaves...

Tune into WGAN (FM 105.5 / AM 560) tomorrow morning, Thursday, June 12 from 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. to catch MHPC’s very own Steve Robinson, editor of The Maine Wire, in his debut role as a WGAN morning news guest co-host. Be sure to show your support by listening and, more importantly, calling in with “air support” as Steve goes toe-to-toe will Ken Altschuler. Not from the listening area? No problem, click here to listen online.

Join MHPC in Auburn or Portland for our Luncheon Presentation, "Illuminating Maine's Energy Crisis" March 19 or 20, 2014‏

Illuminating Maine's Energy Crisis:

Shedding Light on Maine's Failed Cap-and-Trade Scheme

Please join us     The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI, pronounced “Reggie”) is a carbon dioxide cap and trade agreement between nine states in the Northeastern United States – Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. Its purpose is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from qualified electrical power plants by auctioning allowances to emit carbon dioxide.   Since its inception in 2008, Maine’s qualified electric utilities have paid more than $48 million dollars to purchase nearly 20 million allowances for an average cost of $2.41 each. Just last year, in 2013, RGGI changed its model rule to cut the number of allowances available for auction nearly in half to 91 million tons starting in 2014. As a result, electricity rates will soon increase dramatically.   RGGI is little more than a hidden tax collected on Maine energy consumers and is threatening the livelihood of Maine. Please join The Maine Heritage Policy Center for a special presentation by Paul Bachman, director of research at the Beacon Hill Institute, and discover what you can do to help repeal this failed energy program and re-invigorate Maine’s economy with lower electricity rates.         For more information, contact Ms. Kate Clark: email kclark@mainepolicy.org call 207-321-2550

Wednesday March 19, 2014 Luncheon 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. HILTON GARDEN INN AUBURN RIVERWATCH 14 Great Falls Plaza, Auburn MHPC Member: $20 Non-member: $25 REGISTER HERE   Thursday March 20, 2014 Luncheon 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. DIMILLO’S ON THE WATER 25 Long Wharf, Portland MHPC Member: $20 Non-member: $25 REGISTER HERE     Mr. Paul Bachman Director of Research Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University

MHPC: Medicaid Expansion Is Not The Answer‏

 

Medicaid Expansion is NOT the Answer for Maine

 

The Maine Heritage Policy Center publishes report analyzing the adverse economic impact of expanding Obamacare in Maine.

 

 

PORTLAND, Maine – The Maine Heritage Policy Center, Maine’s premier free market think tank, on Thursday released a report analyzing the adverse impact of expanding Medicaid pursuant to the federal Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) on Maine’s economy.

 

“As policymakers debate whether to expand eligibility for Maine’s medical welfare program, they should bear in mind the detrimental impact such an expansion would have on Maine’s private sector.” said J. Scott Moody, MHPC’s CEO and Chief Economist.

 

“Obamacare's expansion of Medicaid is not free. Our analyses finds that Maine families stand to lose up to $2,638 of income or the equalivent loss of 30,988 jobs. More government spending on welfare will mean higher taxes for Maine families and less funding for education, public safety, and infrastructure. Over the long term, expanding Medicaid under Obamacare will crowd out private sector economic activity, thus shrinking private sector personal income and depressing private sector job creation,” he said.

 

“Although progressive policymakers and two would-be governors believe Maine needs to grow our welfare state, the path to prosperity lies in growing the private sector.” 

 

Click here to download a copy of the study. For more information regarding this report, please contact J. Scott Moody at jsmoody@mainepolicy.org.

About MHPC

The Maine Heritage Policy Center is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational organization based in Portland, Maine.  The Maine Heritage Policy Center formulates and promotes free-market, conservative public policies in the areas of economic growth, fiscal matters, health care, education, constitutional law and government transparency - providing solutions that will benefit all the people of Maine.  Contributions to MHPC are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. For more information, see www.mainepolicy.org.

MHPC to host conference analyzing "Global Citizenship" in the context of American higher ed‏

The Maine Heritage Policy Center

MEDIA ADVISORY

 

 

 

The Maine Heritage Policy Center to host conference analyzing "Global Citizenship" in the context of American higher education

 

February 6th Event to Revisit What Does Bowdoin Teach and Feature National Association of Scholars’ Dr. Peter W. Wood 

 

 

PORTLAND – The Maine Heritage Policy Center will host the “Global Illusions: Bowdoin’s Post-Citizens and the Future of American Higher Education” conference on February 6th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Inn at Brunswick Station in Brunswick, ME. A follow up to last year’s study by the National Association of Scholars (NAS), What Does Bowdoin Teach?, this conference will analyze “global citizenship,” which has become widespread in American higher education.

 

Dr. Peter W. Wood, President of the NAS and main author of the study, will speak on the ways that Bowdoin College emphasizes a “global” commitment over national identity. Event participants will examine the fundamental question of which is more important: learning to become a “citizen of the world,” or learning how to live up to the responsibilities of American citizenship.

 

Dr. Herbert London, Chairman of the NAS Board of Directors, will present the keynote address on how the idea of “global citizenship” diverts attention away from core educational goals.

 

Additional speakers include:

 

• Dr. Michael Poliakoff, Vice President of Policy of The American Council of Trustees and Alumni​​

• Dr. KC Johnson, a history professor at Brooklyn College and the City University of New York Graduate Center

• Dr. John Fonte, senior fellow and Director of the Center for American Common Culture at the Hudson Institute and author of Sovereignty or Submission: Will Americans Rule Themselves or be Ruled by Others?

• Dr. Susan Shell, a professor of political science at Boston College and author of Kant and the Limits of Autonomy and co-editor of America at Risk: Threats to Liberal Self-Government in an Age of Uncertainty

“The dream of becoming a citizen of the world is very old,” stated Dr. Wood. “It stretches back to the ancient Greeks and has always stood for a deep dislike for the obligations to one’s local community and one’s country. The idea, however, has gained a new life on college campuses where becoming a ‘global citizen’ is now very fashionable.”

 

The conference will explore two central questions that are critical to today’s discourse on the liberal arts and higher education. Is a thirst for global citizenship eroding our sense of what we owe to America? Is global citizenship a threat to the liberal arts?

 

“The second question comes directly from our study of Bowdoin College,” continued Dr. Wood. “Through our analysis, we found a sharp decline in courses that deal with traditional ‘core’ topics in U.S. history and Western civilization, and a significant rise in courses that emphasize so-called ‘global perspectives.’”

 

EVENT DETAILS

 

Date:                 Thursday, February 6, 2014

 

Time:                 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Morning Panel Discussion

                            11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Luncheon

                      1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Afternoon Panel Discussion

 

Location:          Inn at Brunswich Station, 4 Noble Street,            Brunswick, ME                         

 

Admittance:    The conference is open to the public.
                            There is a $35 registration fee for the luncheon.

 

Media credentials will be required. To confirm your attendance, please register via email to jhaines@mainepolicy.org no later than 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 5, 2014.

                     

For more information, please visit www.MainePolicy.org.

MEDIA ADVISORY: MHPC and AFP Maine to celebrate Digital Learning Day‏

The Maine Heritage Policy Center

MEDIA ADVISORY

 

 

 

The Maine Heritage Policy Center and Americans for Prosperity Maine to host press conference to celebrate Digital Learning Day

 

February 5th is Digital Learning Day in Maine

 

 

AUGUSTA – The Maine Heritage Policy Center and Americans for Prosperity Maine will host a press conference tomorrow in celebration of Digital Learning Day, Wednesday, February 5th. The press conference will take place at 10 a.m. in the Welcome Center at the Maine State House.

 

EVENT DETAILS

 

Date:
Wednesday, February 5, 2014

 

Time:
10:00 a.m.

 

Location:
Welcome Center at the Maine State House, Augusta, ME

 

Speakers:

 

Ken Coville
Superintendent, SAU 74

 

Jim Rier
Education Commissioner, Maine Department of Education 

 

Jeff Mao
Policy Director, Maine Learning Technology Initiative

 For more information, please visit www.MainePolicy.org or www.AmericansForProsperity.org/Maine.

Maine Heritage Policy Center: Morning Panel Discussion Added! Join us for Global Illusions and the Future of American Higher Education‏

Exciting update!  We are pleased to add a morning panel discussion. Don't miss out! See details below and register today if you have not already done so.   Global Illusions  Bowdoin’s Post-Citizens and the  Future of American Higher Education   P R E S E N T E D  B Y Dr. Herbert London President Emeritus, Hudson Institute   Thursday, February 6, 2014

M O R N I N G  P A N E L  D I S C U S S I ON   Dr. KC Johnson Professor, City University of New York   Dr. John Fonte Director, Center for American Common Culture, Hudson Institute    A F T E R N O O N  P A N E L  D I S C U S S I ON   Dr. Michael Poliakoff Vice President of Policy, American Council of Trustees and Alumni   Dr. Susan Shell Chair, Department of Political Science Boston College   Dr. Peter Wood President, National Association of Scholars P L E A S E  J O I N  U S   Inn at Brunswick Station 4 Noble Street | Brunswick, Maine 04011   Morning Panel Discussion 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.   Luncheon 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Afternoon Panel Discussion 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. $35 per person includes both panels and lunch   Register Here

Please join us for an in-depth presentation and discussion about the recent report,  What Does Bowdoin Teach?  How A Contemporary Liberal Arts College Shapes Students.  Dr. Herbert London, Dr. Peter Wood, Dr. KC Johnson, Dr. Michael Poliakoff, Dr. Susan Shell and Dr. John Fonte will discuss how higher education in America has transformed from strong intellectual traditions, a core curriculum, and a commitment to Western Civilization, to a new focus on race, class, gender, and the environment.  Out went the old style of scholarly generalists as teachers, and in came the new style of research specialists as faculty members.  The new Bowdoin dedicated itself to the achievement of social justice and to reshaping America in the image of progressive politics.     R E S E R V A T I O N S   Call 207-321-2550 E-mail kclark@mainepolicy.org For more information please contact Ms. Kate Clark

MHPC: Join us for Global Illusions, an in-depth look at what Bowdoin teaches‏

Global Illusions  Bowdoin’s Post-Citizens and the  Future of American Higher Education   P R E S E N T E D  B Y Dr. Herbert London President Emeritus, Hudson Institute   Thursday, February 6, 2014

P A N E L  D I S C U S S I O N   Dr. KC Johnson Professor, City University of New York   Dr. Michael Poliakoff Vice President of Policy, American Council of Trustees and Alumni   Dr. Peter Wood President, National Association of Scholars   P L E A S E  J O I N  U S   Inn at Brunswick Station 4 Noble Street | Brunswick, Maine 04011   Luncheon 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Panel Discussion 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. $35 per person includes lunch   Register Here

Please join us for an in-depth presentation and discussion about the recent report,  What Does Bowdoin Teach?  How A Contemporary Liberal Arts College Shapes Students.  Dr. Herbert London, Dr. Peter Wood, Dr. KC Johnson, and Dr. Michael Poliakoff will discuss how higher education has transformed from strong intellectual traditions, a core curriculum, and a commitment to Western Civilization, to a new focus on race, class, gender, and the environment.  Out went the old style of scholarly generalists as teachers, and in came the new style of research specialists as faculty members.  The new Bowdoin dedicated itself to the achievement of social justice and to reshaping America in the image of progressive politics.   R E S E R V A T I O N S   Call 207-321-2550 E-mail kclark@mainepolicy.org For more information please contact Ms. Kate Clark