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Showing posts with label The Maine WIRE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Maine WIRE. Show all posts

Friday, August 14, 2015

The Maine Wire: “Posik: Black Lives Matter Movement Is Losing Relevance” plus 1 more‏


Posik: Black Lives Matter Movement Is Losing Relevance

Has anyone else lost sight of the message behind the Black Lives Matter movement, or is it just me? Right now, Black Lives Matter is beginning to experience a burgeoning concern that develops for most social movements: its message becomes tainted because protestors don’t know what they’re actually raising awareness for. Once a social movement […]
 
Stephens: What Ever Happened To Public Service?

There was a time when serving in State and Federal office was considered service. Service to one’s town. Service to one’s state. Service to one’s country. It would appear that that era is dead. I would surmise that a vast majority of Americans today would consider running for office an opportunity to enhance one’s fortunes. […]

Thursday, August 13, 2015

The Maine Wire: “Strout: The Liberals’ Hypocritical Dark Money Machine” plus 1 more‏

 (click on titles to read more on each article)
Strout: The Liberals’ Hypocritical Dark Money Machine

Last week, a group of Mainers rallied in Augusta in support of a ballot initiative to make Maine elections “clean.”  The referendum would make several changes to the Maine Clean Elections Act, including increasing public financing for candidates, increasing fines for campaign finance violations, and forcing third-party ads to reveal their biggest donors. Supporters would have […]
 




Frary: The Democratic Party’s Apology Failure

On June 29 the Central Maine Papers published a column in which I suggested the Democratic Party should officially apologize for its leading role in supporting slavery and later segregation. I was inspired to write this by the “Burn the Stars and Bars” frenzy prompted by the Charleston slaughter. I remembered that when the Democrats […]

Friday, August 7, 2015

The Maine Wire: Court Rules Against LePage in Veto Dispute‏


Maine Governor Paul LePage

On Thursday, The Supreme Judicial Court of Maine unanimously ruled against Governor Paul R. LePage in his veto dispute with the state legislature.
The disagreement centered around the governor’s veto power and how long the governor could wait before returning vetoed bills to the legislature.  Typically, the governor has ten days to veto bills and return them.  If the legislature adjourns and signals the end of the second legislative session before those ten days are up, the governor may exercise a pocket veto.
LePage’s administration had claimed that the legislature’s temporary adjournment on June 30 triggered a provision in the Maine Constitution which allowed the governor to hold onto bills until the legislature reconvened for three consecutive days.  The governor’s basic argument was that the legislature’s adjournment, with no set date to return, prevented him from returning vetoed bills to the legislature.  Therefore, he could hold onto the vetoed bills longer than the typical ten day period.
The governor acted on this position, refusing to return the bills during the traditional ten day period, only sending them to the legislature after is had reconvened.  Democrat Speaker of the House Mark Eves and Republican Senate President Mike Thibodeau refused to take up the vetoes, however, ruling them out of order.
With his constitutional interpretation rejected by the Maine legislature, LePage asked the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine to answer the question of whether his vetoes stood, or if the bills had become law.

Read more here:  http://www.themainewire.com/2015/08/court-rules-lepage-veto-dispute/

Thursday, August 6, 2015

The Maine Wire: “Frary: Down the Slippery Slope to a Decision with Angus King” plus 1 more‏

(Click on article titles to read more)
Frary: Down the Slippery Slope to a Decision with Angus King

Late in July, Senator Angus King took a bold position on the Iran nuclear deal. The column’s title tells most of the tale: “Congress needs to carefully review Iran nuclear agreement.” This will please those among us who think careless, slipshod reviews are a lousy idea. Building on this promising beginning, Maine’s junior senator goes […]
 
Sigaud: An Objective Look at Constitutional Carry

One of the bright spots for Republicans this legislative session was the passage of a bill that protects so-called “constitutional carry.” This legislation, which was sponsored by freshman Senator Eric Brakey (R-Auburn), removes the need for an individual to acquire a permit before legally carrying a concealed handgun in Maine. When the law takes effect […]

Saturday, July 25, 2015

The Maine Wire: A Breakdown of the Veto Dispute‏

Maine Governor Paul LePage

A Breakdown of the Veto Dispute


Over the past few weeks, there has been significant discussion in the Maine political discourse on whether or not sixty-five bills were vetoed by the Governor or have become law.
However, much of this discussion has consisted of personal attacks and false information, and has failed to focus on the legal arguments being made by the Governor, the Maine Legislature, and other political figures.
So what is this veto dispute really about?
Background on Vetoing Legislation
According to clear language in the Maine Constitution, the Governor is allotted ten days to veto legislation while the legislature is in session.
However, if the legislature’s “adjournment” prevents the Governor from returning his vetoes, he may then veto legislation “within 3 days after the next meeting of the same Legislature which enacted the bill or resolution.”
 Read more here: http://www.themainewire.com/2015/07/breakdown-veto-dispute/

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

The Maine Wire: “Activists Gathering to Support LePage Budget Veto Tuesday Morning” plus 1 more‏



(click on titles to read more)

On Tuesday Morning, activists, concerned citizens, and advocates will be gathering at the State House to encourage lawmakers to sustain Gov. LePage’s veto of the next biannual state budget. Support for the Governor’s veto has been growing since the budget deal was released two weeks ago, due to the fact that the budget contains a $300 million spending increase, does little to address the need for welfare reform, is actually a significant tax increase, and is overall a bad deal for Maine. 
The rally, which is set to start at 8:30 am in the Hall of Flags in the State Capitol, will take place just hours before the legislature is set to vote on the Governor’s veto of the budget plan. […]


On Monday, Gov. LePage is expected to veto the legislature’s $6.7 biennial state budget, and force lawmakers to either over-ride his veto or head back to the budget negotiating table. And while significant attention will be given (by Democrats and members of the media) to the fact that LePage’s veto means Maine could be heading
 The deal is riddled with flaws and shortcomings, and would fail to move Maine towards prosperity or economic growth. It does not adequately address the largest issues facing Maine, nor does it reflect the core ideas and principles that Republicans were overwhelming elected on last November.[…]

Thursday, June 18, 2015

The Maine Wire: Posik: Are Secret Negotiations The New Business As Usual?‏


The Maine Legislature approved a $6.7 billion biennial budget Tuesday morning, just in time to pass Governor LePage’s ten day veto period and avoid government shutdown before the start of the next fiscal year on July 1.While this would seem like a job well done, these legislators deserve no pat on the back. A select few secretly controlled negotiations while their peers were left in the dark until voting occurred.
The manner in which this budget was created; behind closed doors in “chairs and leads” meetings held throughout the preceding weeks, then ultimately finalized in private discussions between House Speaker Mark Eves, D-North Berwick; Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport; Senate Minority Leader Justin Alfond, D-Portland; and House Minority Leader Ken Fredette, R-Newport, flies in the face of Maine’s long held tradition of and commitment to transparency, and shouldn’t be tolerated by the people of Maine.

Read more here.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

The Maine Wire: Daily Catch 11/25/14: Ferguson, Food Stamps, and Christmas Trees‏

Daily Catch 11/25/14: Ferguson, Food Stamps, and Christmas Trees
Not Indicted Yesterday, a grand jury decided not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on several charges, including the first-degree murder of Michael Brown.  While the Justice Department is still investigating the case, it is unlikely that Wilson would be convicted of wrong doing in Federal court due to a much higher burden of proof.  Grand […]

Friday, November 14, 2014

The Maine Wire: “Is Maine the Safest State in America? Almost.” plus 1 more‏

Is Maine the Safest State in America? Almost.
Posted: 13 Nov 2014 01:05 PM PST
On Monday, the FBI released Crime in the United States, 2013, a report detailing the estimated crimes in the United States last year. The data is submitted voluntarily by law enforcement agencies at all levels throughout the country, and is compiled into the report by  the Bureau’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. “The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program […]
 
Maine Remains Near the Bottom in Forbes Business Report
Posted: 13 Nov 2014 08:42 AM PST
In the newest iteration of Forbes’ Best States for Business report, Maine ranked 49th—one place higher than last year.  In fact, Maine has ranked dead last for the past four years. The 2014 Best States for Business report is the 9th edition of the influential Forbes analysis.  The report gathers data from all 50 states, […]

Thursday, October 23, 2014

The Maine Wire: Power, Money & Politics: The Case For Term Limits

Power, Money & Politics: The Case For Term Limits
Posted: 22 Oct 2014 01:24 PM PDT
In my previous article Why Elections Cannot Fix Washington D.C., I demonstrated that amendments are superior to elections in solving our nation’s problems because the incumbency rate of Congress prevents us from electing enough good people in a reasonable amount of time to restore sanity to Congress. In regards to the service tenure of Congress, […]

The Maine Wire: Mike Tipping’s Excellent Adventure‏

Mike Tipping’s Excellent Adventure
Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:54 AM PDT
Mike Tipping is communication director of the Maine Peoples Alliance (MPA). As such, his primary  mission is to expose Paul LePage as a man devoid of good will, accomplishment, competence, intelligence, and even humanity; a man who has never done any good, never wanted to do any good, never done anything right, and never had […]

Thursday, October 16, 2014

The Maine Wire: 3,289 Mainers lose health insurance plans due to Obamacare‏

3,289 Mainers lose health insurance plans due to Obamacare
Posted: 15 Oct 2014 01:23 PM PDT
More than 3,000 Mainers are set to lose their current health insurance plans due to President Barack Obama’s unpopular and controversial health care law. The newest round of cancellations has affected or will affect nearly 400 plans in the small businesses and 3,289 employees and family members. According to the Maine Bureau of Insurance and a form letter […]

Saturday, October 11, 2014

The Maine Wire: “Bangor Daily News lets blogger smear Uber with lies” plus 1 more‏

Bangor Daily News lets blogger smear Uber with lies
Posted: 10 Oct 2014 09:27 AM PDT
Bangor Daily News blogger Chris Shorr on Thursday published an outlandish and illogical attack against Uber, an innovative ride-sharing service based in San Francisco. As my colleague Nathan Strout has written, Uber just launched in Portland. You can read more about that here. But Shorr’s outrageous smear of a company that will offer valuable employment to […]
 
Uber comes to Portland
Posted: 10 Oct 2014 09:11 AM PDT
Uber – the international ride-sharing company headquartered in California- has arrived in Maine. The company announced on last week that its UberX service will available in the greater Portland area. “Between the awesome dining experiences, endless outdoor activities, and local microbreweries, we just couldn’t stay away,” reads a statement on Uber’s blog.  “Now, with the push of […]

Friday, October 10, 2014

The Maine Wire: “Poliquin, Cain draw national attention” plus 1 more‏

Poliquin, Cain draw national attention
Posted: 09 Oct 2014 01:55 PM PDT
The race for Maine’s Second Congressional District between state Sen. Emily Cain (D-Orono) and Republican Bruce Poliquin is drawing national attention. On Thursday, Republican strategist Ford O’Connell and Democratic strategist David Mercer analyzed the race for FOX News. Watch the segment below: Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com
 
Déjà vu? Maine’s top pollster shows shifting race for Maine governor
Posted: 09 Oct 2014 08:58 AM PDT
Maine’s top-rated pollster on Thursday released a new poll showing Republican Gov. Paul LePage leading the race for Maine governor by almost six points. Polling on the race so far has shown LePage statistically even with Democratic candidate U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, while independent Eliot Cutler has trailed in third place. But according to Pan […]

Thursday, October 9, 2014

The Maine Wire: “Higher Sales Taxes Will Drive Mainers to Shop in New Hampshire” plus 1 more‏

Higher Sales Taxes Will Drive Mainers to Shop in New Hampshire
Posted: 08 Oct 2014 09:51 AM PDT
On October 1, 2013, Mainers felt the sting of a 10 percent increase in the sales to 5.5 percent from 5 percent and 14 percent increase in the Meals and Lodging tax to 8 percent from 7 percent. It is well-known that Maine and New Hampshire are polar opposites when it comes to tax policy.  […]
 
Cutler, LePage and Michaud Debate
Posted: 08 Oct 2014 08:02 AM PDT
PORTLAND – The three candidates in Maine’s hotly contested race for governor gathered Wednesday morning at Portland’s Holiday Inn by the Bay for the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce gubernatorial debate. Public polling on the race so far has shown Republican Gov. Paul LePage virtually tied with Democratic candidate U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, while independent […]

Saturday, October 4, 2014

The Maine Wire: “Michelle O comes to Maine” plus 2 more‏

Michelle O comes to Maine
Posted: 03 Oct 2014 03:22 PM PDT
ORONO – First Lady Michelle Obama touted the health of the U.S. economy as she visited Maine on Friday to campaign on behalf of Democratic candidates at the University of Maine in Orono. “I remember some of you were with us back when we were out in Iowa and New Hampshire talking about hope and change and […]
 
Why Elections Cannot Fix Washington D.C.
Posted: 03 Oct 2014 10:19 AM PDT
As our nation continues to spiral out of control and those we elected to Congress continue to ignore their responsibilities and their constitutional boundaries, what are concerned citizens supposed to do? Until recently all we were ever heard was, “We need to elect ‘good’ people to office that will obey the Constitution.” Now that sounds […]
 
92,584,000 Americans not in work force; Unemployment Rate at 5.9 percent
Posted: 03 Oct 2014 10:14 AM PDT
The national unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent in September as the percentage of Americans not in the workforce reached a 36-year high, according to a Friday report from the U.S. Labor Department. “Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 248,000 in September, and the unemployment rate declined to 5.9 percent,” the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. […]
 

Friday, October 3, 2014

The Maine Wire: “National Rifle Association backs Poliquin” plus 3 more‏

National Rifle Association backs Poliquin
Posted: 02 Oct 2014 01:33 PM PDT
Republican congressional candidate Bruce Poliquin on Thursday received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association, the nation’s foremost Second Amendment advocacy group. “Bruce is committed to fight for gun owners and hunters in Maine,” said NRA Political Victory Fund chairman Chris Cox. “He is the only candidate in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District who shares the NRA’s commitment […]
Press Herald columnist likens tea party to Ku Klux Klan
Posted: 02 Oct 2014 12:51 PM PDT
Portland Press Herald columnist Alan Caron says Republican Gov. Paul LePage isn’t the worst governor in Maine’s history, but he’s a close comparison to Gov. Ralph O. Brewster — a man notorious for his ties to the Ku Klux Klan. “Ralph Owen Brewster is a closer comparison to LePage,” Caron wrote in a column published Thursday. […]
 
Cato Institute ranks LePage among top four U.S. governors on fiscal policy
Posted: 02 Oct 2014 10:44 AM PDT
The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., released its 2014 Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors. Maine Gov. Paul LePage received top marks from Cato with a score of “A”. Only three other governors — Gov. Sam Brownback of Kansas, Gov. Pat McCrory of North Carolina, and Gov. Mike Pence […]
 
The Embarrassing Governor
Posted: 02 Oct 2014 06:51 AM PDT
Author’s note: A previous version of this column appeared in the Portland Press Herald We’ve heard the term “embarrassing” used a lot in Maine over the last four years – and it’s usually in connection with our current governor. I, for one, am not embarrassed by Republican Gov. Paul LePage at all. OK, I’ve cringed […]

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The Maine Wire: “LePage blasts Mass. liberals on natural gas policy, calls for federal intervention” plus 3 more‏

LePage blasts Mass. liberals on natural gas policy, calls for federal intervention
Posted: 29 Sep 2014 01:09 PM PDT
AUGUSTA - Gov. Paul R. LePage on Monday called upon the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to intervene in New England to address rising energy prices before a winter gets underway — a step he said is necessary because of recent actions taken by Massachusetts. “New England households and our businesses are about to experience a […]
 
Daily Catch: Obama’s ’60 Minutes’ Interview, Debate Debates, Minimum Wage, and James O’Keefe’s Latest
Posted: 29 Sep 2014 08:09 AM PDT
Contradiction:  In a CBS “60 Minutes” interview, President Barack Obama admitted that his foreign policy plans in Syria were based on a contradiction. The president’s efforts to “degrade” Islamic State forces may have the undesired effect of helping the brutal Syrian dictator, Bashar Assad, regain control of the country.  “I recognize the contradiction in a contradictory land […]
 
Common Core: An Up-Close-And-Personal Encounter with the Standards Review Process
Posted: 29 Sep 2014 07:16 AM PDT
By Heidi Sampson – It was with reserved optimism that I accepted a post on the Standards Review Panel. I was informed that this process would only look at the standards to make sure they are of the highest quality for Maine students. I was also assured by the commissioner we would be bringing in […]
 
Poll: Poliquin leads Cain by double digits
Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:48 AM PDT
A new public opinion poll shows Republican Bruce Polquin leading Democrat state Sen. Emily Cain (D-Orono) by 10 points in Maine’s Second District congressional race. The poll was paid for by the liberal-leaning Portland Press Herald, whose majority owner, S. Donald Sussman, has donated to Cain. It was conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey […]

Thursday, September 25, 2014

The Maine Wire: “WATCH: Great debates in Maine politics [video]” plus 4 more‏

WATCH: Great debates in Maine politics [video]
Posted: 23 Sep 2014 01:14 PM PDT
With all the talk of debates this year, we thought readers might be interested in watching a collection of previous debates in Maine politics. Check out the “greatest hits” of Maine’s gubernatorial and congressional debates. Michael Michaud vs. John Frary No collection of Maine debate clips would be complete without clips from Michaud’s 2008 congressional […]
 
LePage wins NRA endorsement
Posted: 23 Sep 2014 11:43 AM PDT
The National Rifle Association has endorsed Republican Gov. Paul LePage in his reelection bid, the group announced on Tuesday. “Based on his leadership on Second Amendment issues, LePage has earned an “A+” rating from the NRA-PVF in the 2014 general election,” the NRA wrote in a press release. “An “A+” is the highest possible rating […]
 
Senator can’t explain Dem job creation plans for 127th Legislature
Posted: 23 Sep 2014 07:43 AM PDT
Sen. Ann Haskell (D-Portland), assistant majority leader in the state senate, went on the George Hale and Ric Tyler radio program Tuesday morning to talk about a press conference Democratic lawmakers held about their plans for the next legislative session. After trotting out Democratic talking points about Maine’s job creation over the past three and […]
 
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Democrat state worker debunks liberals’ latest attack on LePage
Posted: 23 Sep 2014 07:01 AM PDT
When the Bangor Daily News published a story about Gov. Paul LePage’s vacation policy for political appointees, Democratic operatives thought they had found campaign gold. From the BDN: “A new policy instituted by Gov. Paul LePage in February substantially increased paid vacation time for 54 political appointees and governor’s office staff, by crediting prior, relevant […]
 
VIDEO: Michaud dodges question on VA corruption scandal (again)
Posted: 23 Sep 2014 06:42 AM PDT
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following new developments in the Veterans Affairs health care corruption scandal, U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, the ranking Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee, is struggling to answer questions about how the committee is only now addressing problems in the system that have been brewing for nearly a decade. In May, a preliminary […]

The Maine Wire: “Schaeffer: The Amtrak Downeaster: Obama on wheels” plus 1 more‏

Schaeffer: The Amtrak Downeaster: Obama on wheels
Posted: 24 Sep 2014 10:40 AM PDT
For a few years now, I’ve been closely following and commenting on state and local level circumstances relating to the Amtrak Downeaster, and in particular, its extension to Brunswick. Not to mention the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) that operates it, and their closely affiliated lobbying organization, TrainRiders/Northeast. For those who aren’t aware, […]
 
14,000 EBT cards now have photo ID, says LePage
Posted: 24 Sep 2014 07:15 AM PDT
AUGUSTA – The administration of Gov. Paul LePage on Wednesday released information regarding new welfare reforms and enforcement procedures. “In the last year, we have added more accountability to the system in a number of ways,” LePage said in his weekly address. “We put photos on EBT cards; we eliminated the unauthorized out-of-state use of […]