The Maine Wire: “Baldacci condemns Maine Democrats’ “murder” message on Medicaid expansion” plus 2 more‏

Baldacci condemns Maine Democrats’ “murder” message on Medicaid expansion Posted: 20 Mar 2014 11:13 AM PDT Former Maine Gov. John Baldacci, a Democrat, condemned the Maine Democrats’ Medicaid expansion mudslinging campaign during a Thursday morning segment of WGAN’s Ken and Mike Show. The Maine People’s Alliance, a Democratic political activism non-profit, launched a website (157Mainers.com) that suggests Republican Gov. Paul LePage and many GOP legislators are killers for refusing to support […]

Maine Legislature sets hearings for welfare reform Posted: 20 Mar 2014 07:41 AM PDT AUGUSTA – Public hearings have been scheduled for a full slate of welfare reform proposals introduced by House Republican Leader Ken Fredette (R-Newport) and Gov. Paul R. LePage. Hearings on four bills will be held on Tuesday at 1:00PM in the Health and Human Services Committee room. The bills to be heard include Fredette’s proposal to […]

Top 10 Highest Paid Maine State Employees in 2013 Posted: 20 Mar 2014 07:16 AM PDT The Maine State Controller’s office has released state payroll data for 2013. Here’s a list of the top ten highest paid state employees: 10. Sheila G. Pinette – $163,480.96 – Department of Health and Human Services, State Health Officer and Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention 9. Leigh I. Saufley – […]

The Maine Wire: “Maine State Payroll Fun Facts: Recreation Therapists, Entomologists, Cartographers, and Potato Storage Consultants?” plus 3 more‏

Maine State Payroll Fun Facts: Recreation Therapists, Entomologists, Cartographers, and Potato Storage Consultants? Posted: 19 Mar 2014 12:27 PM PDT State payroll data for 2013 has been made public. Searching through the job titles yielded some interesting finds. The state of Maine employs 8 “cartographers” for a cost to taxpayers of more than $371,000. Departments with map makers include: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Public Safety, Economic and Community Development, Conservation, and Health and Human Services. […]

Top 10 Highest Paid Maine State Workers Posted: 19 Mar 2014 12:14 PM PDT The Maine State Controller’s office has released state payroll data for 2013. Here’s a list of the top ten highest paid state employees. Note: the dollar amount includes regular wages, stipends, overtime pay, and all benefits, including health insurance, life insurance, dental, and pension cost. - – - Top 10 Highest Paid State Employees 10. […]

Statutory Parenting: Liberals Deny Job Opportunities for Teens Posted: 19 Mar 2014 09:36 AM PDT From David Sorensen, House GOP Communications Director: Popular bill to let teens work in bowling alleys, theaters shot down by nanny-staters in House AUGUSTA – A bill introduced by the Department of Labor with the support of the Maine School Management Association to expand work opportunities for high school students was rejected with a party […]

Dems Agree to Pull Spending Amendment from Gov’s Rainy Day Fund Bill Posted: 19 Mar 2014 09:13 AM PDT From David Sorensen, House Republican Communications Director AUGUSTA – The Maine Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) Committee agreed early Wednesday morning to approve L.D. 1807, the Governor’s bill to restore $21 million to the state’s rainy day fund, with a clean vote. Late last week, Democrats in a party line committee vote added an $18 million […]

The Maine Wire: “American Comeback: Paul LePage” plus 3 more

American Comeback: Paul LePage Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:07 PM PDT Gov. Paul LePage was featured in the Republican Governors Association’s “American Comeback” video series.

Democratic think tank spreading falsehoods about Medicaid expansion Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:41 PM PDT The Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP), a Democratic think tank, is spreading misinformation about the Medicaid expansion proposal currently under consideration in the Legislature. In a brief entitled, “Debunking Myths About Health Reform Dollars for Maine,” MECEP’s Christy Roix Daggett says Republicans only oppose Medicaid expansion because of “overall ideological opposition to President Obama’s […]

Medicaid expansion passes House without veto proof margin Posted: 18 Mar 2014 11:25 AM PDT AUGUSTA – A proposal to expand Medicaid pursuant to the Affordable Care Act passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday, but failed to garner the two-thirds support needed to override Gov. Paul LePage’s inevitable veto. The vote, 97-49, comes after backers of the proposal failed to get a super majority in the Senate to approve […]

LePage outlines energy policy aimed at home heating Posted: 18 Mar 2014 10:55 AM PDT AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul LePage and Energy Office Director Patrick Woodcock outlined an energy policy at the State House on Tuesday that contrasts sharply with a Democratic initiative to provide rebates for solar power equipment. “The United Way last month received 1,300 calls looking for emergency assistance for heating. The Aroostook Community Action Program is […]

The Maine Wire: “Maine GOP fields full slate of House and Senate candidates” plus 4 more‏

Maine GOP fields full slate of House and Senate candidates Posted: 17 Mar 2014 03:43 PM PDT AUGUSTA – For the first time since 2006, the Maine Republican Party will contest every state Senate and House of Representative seat. That’s 151 candidates on the House side and 35 for the Senate, with many sitting lawmakers running for reelection. “Having candidates in every seat not only speaks to the urgency Republicans feel in […]

Maine Made: Trade show offers local entrepreneurs the opportunity for success Posted: 17 Mar 2014 09:47 AM PDT PORTLAND, Maine – Entrepreneurs from northern New England gathered at at the Portland Sports Complex this weekend for a chance to sell their wares in stores and shops across the country. The 30th annual New England Made Giftware & Speciality Foods Show brought together products from 275 Maine companies with more than 2,000 buyers representing […]

Maine jobless rate at 6.2 percent for January Posted: 17 Mar 2014 08:50 AM PDT AUGUSTA – Maine’s unemployment rate stood at 6.2 percent for the first month of  2014, according to labor statistics released by the Maine Department of Labor on Monday. The rate of unemployed Mainers dropped from a revised December 2013 rate of 6.4 percent to 6.2 percent in January — down from 7.0 percent one year […]

Democrats’ Medicaid mortality claims thoroughly debunked Posted: 17 Mar 2014 08:20 AM PDT Writing for Forbes.com, Chris Conover thoroughly debunks the studies Maine Democrats have used to call Gov. Paul LePage and GOP lawmakers murders for not agreeing to expand Medicaid. Conover points up myriad problems with the Harvard/CUNY and American Journal of Public Health studies and how both have been taken out of context for use by […]

L’Affaire Sanderson: Maine State Rep Gets National Attention Posted: 17 Mar 2014 07:04 AM PDT By. Prof. John Frary - Last week Rep. Deborah Sanderson (R-Chelsea) surprised herself and her friends by becoming a sudden national sensation. Sanderson’s fame began in Maine’s front yard with a March 13 Portland Press Herald report by Joe Lawlor entitled “Medicaid expansion vote has real-life impact for low-income Mainers.” The Chelsea Republican appeared in the […]

The Maine Wire: “DOJ: More than 1/3 of new Medicaid eligibles have criminal history” plus 1 more‏

DOJ: More than 1/3 of new Medicaid eligibles have criminal history

Posted: 13 Mar 2014 12:14 PM PDT

More than one-third of individuals covered under the Affordable Care Act’s proposed expansion of Medicaid have criminal histories, according to U.S. Department of Justice. In 2011, President Barack Obama’s DoJ estimated that “at least 35 percent of new Medicaid eligibles under the Affordable Care Act have a history of criminal involvement.” According to Forbes writer […]

 

Democrats murder charge debunked by Obama appointee

Posted: 13 Mar 2014 09:55 AM PDT

A report from an Obama appointee puts the lie to Maine Democrats’ charge that Gov. Paul LePage and Republican lawmakers are killers for opposing a Medicaid expansion bill. “Adjusted for demographic, health status, and health behavior characteristics, the risk of subsequent mortality is no different for uninsured respondents than for those covered by employer-sponsored group […]

The Maine Wire: “Katz-Saviello Medicaid expansion passes senate, 22-13” plus 2 more‏

Katz-Saviello Medicaid expansion passes senate, 22-13 Posted: 12 Mar 2014 12:06 PM PDT AUGUSTA – The Maine Senate approved a Medicaid expansion proposal Wednesday, but the vote, 22-13, fell short of the two-thirds total needed to surmount an inevitable veto from Republican Gov. Paul LePage. Absent something extraordinary, Medicaid expansion now has no path to become law. The bill under consideration, L.D. 1487, was introduced by Republican Sens. […]

Maine Obamacare enrollment goal beat with help from Republicans Posted: 12 Mar 2014 07:21 AM PDT Maine has exceeded the Obama administration’s  enrollment goal for the HealthCare.gov insurance exchanges thanks, in part, to the Republican reluctance to expand Medicaid pursuant to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Nationwide, a total of 4.2 million people have selected a plan on the Obamacare exchanges — a number which still significantly trails […]

Maine Democrats: LePage is a murderer Posted: 12 Mar 2014 06:41 AM PDT PORTLAND, Maine – The Democratic activist group Maine People’s Alliance is calling Gov. Paul LePage and Republican lawmakers killers for opposing a bill to expand Medicaid. “157. Number of Mainers estimated to die this year if Gov. LePage and the Legislature fail to accept federal health care funds,” screams the landing page of a new […]

The Maine Wire: “Did FOX’s Eric Bolling school Jon Stewart with The Maine Wire’s welfare data?” plus 3 more‏

Did FOX’s Eric Bolling school Jon Stewart with The Maine Wire’s welfare data? Posted: 11 Mar 2014 12:05 PM PDT Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart blasted Fox News for reporting on welfare abuse. For Stewart, it is beyond the pale to suggest welfare is spent on anything other than food. Fox News host Eric Bolling jabbed back at Stewart by citing reports of welfare cash being spent on alcohol and strip clubs. Technically, Stewart and Bolling are […]

9 mysterious facts about Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Posted: 11 Mar 2014 09:44 AM PDT Since Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 mysteriously vanished over the Indian Ocean, investigators have uncovered little to suggest why. The Internet has responded with numerous conspiracy theories, but no one really knows what happened. Where is the plane? Its passengers? Why did it disappear without a trace? Here are 9 odd facts about the missing flight, […]

Daily Catch: Alfond’s odd thoughts on jobs, Dems’ fuzzy math, tax breaks for the rich, and more… Posted: 11 Mar 2014 09:33 AM PDT Solidarity: It’s common knowledge that Maine Democrats march in lockstep with labor unions. But Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland) showed just how strong that commitment really is on Tuesday morning when he told Ric Tyler he’d rather Maine workers remain unemployed than take a job that doesn’t require them to pay fees to a union. […]

Top Maine Democrat would rather have no jobs than workplace freedom Posted: 11 Mar 2014 07:55 AM PDT The top Democrat in the Maine Senate espoused a controversial idea regarding employment on Tuesday morning’s broadcast of WVOM’s George Hale and Ric Tyler Show. The exchange came about is regard to Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s proposed Open for Business Zones (OFBZ). The zones would be located at the now-defunct Loring Air Force base in […]

The Maine Wire: “NFIB Survey: Small Business Owners Opposed to Medicaid Expansion” plus 4 more‏

NFIB Survey: Small Business Owners Opposed to Medicaid Expansion Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:25 PM PDT AUGUSTA – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) on Monday released a poll showing a majority of its Maine members oppose Medicaid expansion and believe it will lead to higher state taxes. “The survey, released Monday morning by the Maine affiliate of the nonpartisan, nonprofit National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), finds that 93 percent of its Maine […]

Dem Rep Admits: “I’d rather be Santa than Scrooge…” Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:14 PM PDT A Portland Democrat said on Monday she would “rather be Santa than Scrooge,” referring to her party’s unwavering support for growing Maine’s welfare system. Rep. Diane Russell (D-Portland)’s comment followed an exchange between Maine Democratic Party Chairman, Republican Party Executive Director Jason Savage, and The Maine Wire Editor Steve Robinson: Just as food stamps are […]

Maine Chamber will not support Medicaid expansion Posted: 10 Mar 2014 10:34 AM PDT The Maine State Chamber of Commerce (MSCC) will remain neutral with regard to Medicaid expansion legislation (L.D. 1487) introduced by Sens. Roger Katz (R-Kennebec) and Tom Saviello (R-Franklin).  The decision follows a vote of the MSCC board in which only a plurality of members, 18, voted to endorse the legislation, while 9 voted against and 10 […]

Daily Catch: Union Slams O’Care Costs, Chicago Gets a Downgrade, and Liberals Protest Hospital Donation Posted: 10 Mar 2014 09:57 AM PDT Medicaid Expansion Back Again: Lawmakers in Augusta will likely consider a bill to expand Medicaid this week, although there is some uncertainty which bill will be considered. While recent focus has centered on the compromise proposal introduced by Sens. Roger Katz (R-Kennebec) and Tom Saviello (R-Franklin), Majority Democrats may move House Speaker Mark Eves (D-North […]

Interview with a Climate Expert Posted: 10 Mar 2014 09:11 AM PDT The Maine Questioner, “A Voice in the Wilderness”, is pleased to share with you an interview we had recently at our offices in Bangor with Thermal A. Phollie, PhD, esteemed Senior Climatologist at the National Institute of Confabulation. MQ  Good morning, Professor.  We are so pleased that you agreed to take time from your busy […]

The Maine Wire: Daily Catch: The Media Mutt on Tipping, School Choice, O’Care Delays and Ukraine…‏

Daily Catch: The Media Mutt on Tipping, School Choice, O’Care Delays and Ukraine…

Posted: 04 Mar 2014 08:17 AM PST

Warning the Granite State: House Minority Leader Ken Fredette (R-Newport) has been a strong voice against Medicaid expansion here in the Pine Tree State, but the Republican leader took to the pages of New Hampshire’s Concord Monitor and Union Leader this past week to warn our neighbors against their own Medicaid expansion scheme. Several weeks […]

 

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The Maine Wire: “Republicans call for investigation of partisan activity of Legislature’s nonpartisan staff” plus 4 more‏

• Republicans call for investigation of partisan activity of Legislature’s nonpartisan staff
• Lewiston Mayor, City Council ask Charter School Commission to reject application over alleged misrepresentations
• For parents of disabled children, MaineCare waitlists are a nightmarish prospect
• Donald Sussman’s newspaper censors a conservative voice (again)
• Medicaid Expansion In Any Form Bad for Maine

Republicans call for investigation of partisan activity of Legislature’s nonpartisan staff Posted: 28 Feb 2014 04:24 PM PST AUGUSTA – A Sangerville Republican has asked the Democratic chairs of the Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee to begin a State House-wide investigation of the partisan activities of nonpartisan staff. “It is necessary for the integrity of our Legislature and the trust between parties and between elected members and staff to investigate the extent to which […]

Lewiston Mayor, City Council ask Charter School Commission to reject application over alleged misrepresentations Posted: 28 Feb 2014 03:47 PM PST LEWISTON – The Mayor and City Council of Lewiston have asked the Maine Charter School Commission to reject a charter school application from Lewiston-Auburn Academy Charter School, Inc. (LAACS) over what they say are deficiencies and misrepresentations in its application. “[The] applicant identifies supporters who are not supporters and seems to be oblivious to Maine […]

For parents of disabled children, MaineCare waitlists are a nightmarish prospect Posted: 28 Feb 2014 01:51 PM PST When doctors discovered that Jeff and Kirsten Martin’s child would have serious medical complications, they urged her to terminate the pregnancy. When the Martins decided abortion was not an option, they began a lifelong journey of living with, loving, and caring for, their disabled daughter Emily. “My daughter was born in 1997,” said Martin. “We […]

Donald Sussman’s newspaper censors a conservative voice (again) Posted: 28 Feb 2014 12:24 PM PST The Portland-based Press Herald newspaper, a publication majority-owned by Democratic Party mega-donor S. Donald Sussman, has refused to publish an unedited opinion editorial from the top Republican representative on the Legislature’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee. Press Herald Editor Greg Kesich’s handling of Rep. Deb Sanderson (R-Chelsea)’s opinion editorial is but the latest in […]

Medicaid Expansion In Any Form Bad for Maine Posted: 28 Feb 2014 12:24 PM PST (Editor’s Note: The Portland-based Press Herald newspaper refused to publish this opinion editorial, written by Rep. Deb Sanderson (R-Chelsea), the top Republican on the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee. It appears here in full. For an explanation click here.)  I don’t blame many people for thinking expanding Medicaid in Maine under ObamaCare sounds like […]

The Maine Wire: “Daily Catch: Cain Fakes Sick, ‘Shared Responsibility Payments’, and Sebelius in Denial…” plus 2 more‏

• Daily Catch: Cain Fakes Sick, ‘Shared Responsibility Payments’, and Sebelius in Denial…
• Maine commissioners say Medicaid spending threatens natural resource agencies
• Mayhew: Most vulnerable pay price of Medicaid expansion

Daily Catch: Cain Fakes Sick, ‘Shared Responsibility Payments’, and Sebelius in Denial… Posted: 26 Feb 2014 02:47 PM PST Faking Sick: Sen. Dawn Hill (D-York), at last night’s meeting of the Appropriations Committee, told the audience that Sen. Emily Cain (D-Penobscot) couldn’t make the meeting because she was feeling ill. But it turns out Cain wasn’t too sick to enthusiastically fund raise for her congressional campaign. Cain put out this photo on social media at […]

Maine commissioners say Medicaid spending threatens natural resource agencies Posted: 26 Feb 2014 01:19 PM PST AUGUSTA – Members of Gov. Paul LePage’s cabinet gathered at the State House on Wednesday to deliver a message to the public: Expanding Medicaid will undermine funding for natural resource management and environmental protection. The cabinet members, surrounded by LePage supporters and Republican lawmakers, delivered the message one day after Assistant Senate Minority Leader Roger […]

Mayhew: Most vulnerable pay price of Medicaid expansion Posted: 26 Feb 2014 06:28 AM PST AUGUSTA – Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew delivered the Paul LePage administration’s weekly address, focusing on Medicaid expansion, difficult decisions and priorities within DHHS’ target populations. Here is her address: Difficult decisions must be made in Augusta.  Tough choices are needed to ensure that state government can live within its means […]

The Maine Wire: “Maine nonprofits expect lower donations after charitable contribution cap” plus 5 more‏

Maine nonprofits expect lower donations after charitable contribution cap Posted: 25 Feb 2014 11:38 AM PST AUGUSTA – Maine’s nonprofits are expecting to see a decrease in donations after the Legislature last year limited the tax deduction for charitable giving. Brenda Peluso, director of public policy for the Maine Association of Nonprofits, told WCSH that the $27,500 tax deduction limit imposed by last year’s budget bill is expected to have a […]

House Republican Leaders, Senate Republicans Reject Katz-Saviello Medicaid Expansion Bill Posted: 25 Feb 2014 11:07 AM PST AUGUSTA – Top Republicans in the House of Representatives have rejected a bill from Assistance Senate Minority Leader Roger Katz (R-Kennebec) and Sen. Tom Saviello (R-Franklin) that would expand eligibility for Medicaid while simultaneously contracting with managed care service providers. The measure was unveiled Tuesday as an apparent compromise between pro-expansion Democrats and Republicans. “ObamaCare’s […]

Daily Catch: Medicaid expansion, IRS crackdown, Collins on FCC, Rubio’s best speech yet… Posted: 25 Feb 2014 11:01 AM PST Medicaid: After early indications that Democratic leaders were attempting to move a Medicaid expansion bill out of committee Wednesday and schedule House and Senate votes Thursday, it appears Sen. Roger Katz (R-Augusta) has put the brakes on. The expansion package is now expected to move out of committee this week and to the floor of […]

“A Republican Vision of Mainecare Expansion” – Bill Text and Talking Points Posted: 25 Feb 2014 10:03 AM PST AUGUSTA – Republican Sens. Roger Katz (R-Kennebec) and Thomas Saviello (R-Franklin) on Tuesday released a draft of a “compromise” Medicaid expansion bill along with talking points designed to sell the measure to wary Republican lawmakers. Katz and Saviello are expected to present their bill to the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Commission on Wednesday. Below […]

Maine Senator blasts Obama admin over “offensive” newsroom research program Posted: 25 Feb 2014 09:43 AM PST WASHINGTON, D.C. – After intense backlash from mostly conservative circles, the federal government has backed away from the Federal Communication Commission’s plan to survey America’s newsrooms. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins on Tuesday delivered a letter to Tom Wheeler, chairman of the FCC, condemning the so-called “Multi-Market Study of Critical Information Needs” (CIN – pronounced […]

CMS: Two-thirds of small business employees to see health insurance rate increases under Obamacare Posted: 25 Feb 2014 08:38 AM PST The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) released a report Friday which estimated that health insurance premiums will increase for 11 million people who work for small businesses. Nationally, CMS is “estimating that 65 percent of the small firms are expected to experience increases in their premium rates while the remaining 35 percent are […]

The Maine Wire: “Medicaid expansion said to move this week” plus 1 more‏

Medicaid expansion said to move this week

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 01:58 PM PST

AUGUSTA – Multiple State House sources have confirmed that a bill to expand Medicaid may move forward this week as an amendment to an Augusta Republican’s bill. By tying House Speaker Mark Eves (D-North Berwick)’s Medicaid expansion bill to Assistance Senate Minority Leader Roger Katz (R-Augusta)’s L.D. 1487, backers of the expansion proposal can float […]

 

Daily Catch: Howie Carr, Dividing California, Welfare for Pot and more…

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:07 AM PST

Cumberland County GOP: Talk radio legend Howie Carr headlined the Cumberland County Republican convention Saturday. Carr told an audience of more than 100 Republicans to make sure their “moonbat” friends know that independent gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler is a viable option for progressive voters. The Portland native also told the crowd that the Federal Communication […]

The Maine Wire: “Report: Medicaid expansion is a job killer” plus 1 more

Report: Medicaid expansion is a job killer

Posted: 21 Feb 2014 09:40 AM PST

PORTLAND – The Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC) on Thursday released a study of the pending proposal to expand Medicaid which predicts disastrous results for Maine’s private sector should the bill become law. “Many of Maine’s policymakers have already fallen for the siren call of Medicaid expansion as provided for under the provisions of the […]

 

Daily Catch: O to End Austerity, Dems Questioned on ACA Savings, Bellows’ Fuzzy Math, and more

Posted: 21 Feb 2014 08:32 AM PST

Big Brother in the Newsroom (update): After learning yesterday that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is sending researchers into newsrooms across the country to investigate how editors and reporters select newsworthy content, more details have come to light regarding the “critical information needs” review. President Obama’s administration will send government contractors out with the goal […]

The Maine Wire: “Daily Catch: Big Brother in Newsroom, Kerry the Warmist, Tough Love for the Maine Municipal Association” plus 1 more‏

Daily Catch: Big Brother in Newsroom, Kerry the Warmist, Tough Love for the Maine Municipal Association

Posted: 20 Feb 2014 12:51 PM PST

Big Brother FCC Enters Newsrooms: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is preparing to send spies researchers into newsrooms across the country to investigate how news outlets decide what to report. The so-called “Multi-Market Study of Critical Information Needs” is scheduled for a field test this spring in Columbia, S.C. The FCC report will explore how […]

 

“Non-partisan” State House staff wrote Medicaid expansion talking points for Democrats

Posted: 20 Feb 2014 07:13 AM PST

AUGUSTA – A non-partisan analyst on the Legislature’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee engaged in partisan activism to push a Democrat-backed Medicaid expansion bill last year, according to emails obtained through a public records request. The emails surface one week after top State House staffers held a closed-door meeting with Republican lawmakers in an […]

Rep. Willette’s Tough Love to the MMA

Speech given by Assistant House Republican Leader Alex Willette at a Jan. 18, 2014 press conference organized by the Maine Municipal Association (MMA) to thank lawmakers for passing a bill to forestall cuts to state revenue sharing funding to municipal governments.  
____________________________
Good afternoon.  Thank you, Rick, for inviting me to speak here today. 

I am glad that we were able to fund revenue sharing for our local communities.  

When the snow is flying and folks are counting on the plows to leave the town garage and clear the way so we can get to work, to school, or to the doctors’ offices, politics doesn’t seem very important. 

In my town of Mapleton, our town manager does a great job at managing local government and ensuring the efficient delivery of services to the people. 

It’s tempting to look at this recent vote as a win for bipartisanship or as a disaster averted.  But it’s important to warn all those who are concerned about local services that the issue of revenue sharing will likely come up again.

There is an elephant in the room and until we have the political courage to address it, our towns, our schools, our roads, our natural resources management agencies, and countless other important state priorities, will be under siege. 

I’m talking about runaway welfare spending.  I’m talking specifically about our Medicaid system here in Maine. 

Medicaid has doubled as a share of the state budget since 1998 and now consumes a quarter of all state spending.  It’s estimated to consume 40 percent of the state budget in 10 years from now.

 http://mainehousegop.tumblr.com/

The Maine Wire: “Revival of statewide property tax considered” plus 1 more‏

Revival of statewide property tax considered

Posted: 19 Feb 2014 11:01 AM PST

AUGUSTA – Lawmakers on the Taxation Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a proposal that may give state government the power to collect property taxes, but with only a hollow concept draft to consider, it’s unclear what the bill would do. Democrats say the concept bill, L.D. 369, would provide funding equality between schools in poor […]

 

Daily Catch: Minimum Wage Hike Threatens Jobs, GOP Eyes Lewiston, Democrats Oppose Religious Liberty (Bill)

Posted: 19 Feb 2014 08:36 AM PST

Minimum Hike Wage Kills Jobs: The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office is quickly becoming a thorn in the Obama administration’s side. First it dropped a bombshell report showing how the Affordable Car Act’s mandates would cause workers to work fewer hours – the equivalent of 2 million jobs lost by 2017. Now the CBO says President […]

The Maine Wire: “Daily Catch: Defending the Sweetser Speaker, Medicaid Keynesianism, Big Labor’s Big Loss” plus 2 more‏

• Daily Catch: Defending the Sweetser Speaker, Medicaid Keynesianism, Big Labor’s Big Loss
• Schaeffer: Human Capital and Maine’s Future
• Maine’s budget blow-out would be worse if not for LePage pension reform

Daily Catch: Defending the Sweetser Speaker, Medicaid Keynesianism, Big Labor’s Big Loss Posted: 18 Feb 2014 09:20 AM PST Liberals rush to protect the Sweetser Speaker: After 26 House Republicans signed a letter asking House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) to recuse himself from the Medicaid expansion debate due to a potential conflict of interest, the main stream media has finally caught notice. (It might also help that the Speaker’s crude attempts at […]

Schaeffer: Human Capital and Maine’s Future Posted: 18 Feb 2014 07:33 AM PST “There is no precedent in human history for economic growth on declining human capital – and that’s before anyone invented unsustainable welfare systems.” – Mark Steyn,  America Alone The Maine Heritage Policy Center has done considerable research and exposition on Maine’s ‘demographic winter’ in recent years.  To date however, we see precious little policy emphasis […]

Maine’s budget blow-out would be worse if not for LePage pension reform Posted: 18 Feb 2014 07:07 AM PST Once again, like a recurring nightmare, another gaping hole has been ripped in the state budget. And once again, it’s the same hungry beast ripping the biggest budgetary holes in the state’s checkbook: Medicaid, the profoundly broken and dysfunctional medical welfare program we call MaineCare. The estimated Medicaid fiscal gap is approximately $78 million, which […]

The Maine Wire: Bowdoin College to Christians: Get Lost!‏

Bowdoin College to Christians: Get Lost!

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:53 AM PST

BRUNSWICK, Maine – Bowdoin College officials have banned a local lawyer and his wife from leading campus Bible studies with students after the couple refused to sign a non-discrimination agreement they say violates their Christian faith. “The college has terminated us,” said Robert B. Gregory of Damariscotta. Gregory, along with his wife Sim, are volunteers […]

(click on title to read much more)

The Maine Wire: “Exclusive: The “Frary Juggernaut” will not challenge Saviello” plus 1 more‏

Exclusive: The “Frary Juggernaut” will not challenge Saviello

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 10:23 AM PST

THE ZEUS OF FRANKLIN COUNTY That would be me. It turns out that I have the power to raise what is being called a “spits-storm” (readers are free to substitute a consonant if they wish) in Franklin County. Now I propose to quell it by a single Zeus-like gesture, i.e., this column. At its deepest […]

 

Maine House GOP Reps to Sweetser Speaker: Recuse yourself from Medicaid expansion

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 09:48 AM PST

AUGUSTA – Twenty-six Republican state representatives delivered an open letter to House Speaker Mark Eves (D-North Berwick) Wednesday morning asking him to recuse himself from any vote on Medicaid expansion due to his potentially conflicting role as director of business development for a major Medicaid beneficiary. “We, the undersigned members of the Maine House of […]

The Maine Wire: “Sorensen: Republicans Propose Alternatives to Rainy Day Fund Raid” plus 2 more‏

• Sorensen: Republicans Propose Alternatives to Rainy Day Fund Raid
• Advocate or Analyst: Emails raise questions about non-partisan staffer’s role on HHS Committee
• Daily Catch: Obamacare chaos, RGA fundraising records, and the poverty industry

Sorensen: Republicans Propose Alternatives to Rainy Day Fund Raid Posted: 11 Feb 2014 11:34 AM PST AUGUSTA – The Maine House of Representatives on Tuesday took up LD 1762, the bill that forestalls $40 million in revenue sharing cuts with a $21 million raid on the rainy day fund, a $4 million sweep of the income tax relief fund, and $15 million in revenue surpluses. Republican lawmakers offered floor amendments to provide structural alternatives to […]

Advocate or Analyst: Emails raise questions about non-partisan staffer’s role on HHS Committee Posted: 11 Feb 2014 11:20 AM PST AUGUSTA – A top Republican lawmaker on the Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee is questioning the objectivity of non-partisan legislative staff after emails obtained by The Maine Wire show one senior analyst engaging in questionable activity.  The Maine Wire’s request for public records revealed extensive correspondence between Jane Orbeton, senior analyst on the Legislature’s […]

Daily Catch: Obamacare chaos, RGA fundraising records, and the poverty industry Posted: 11 Feb 2014 06:59 AM PST Obamacare Chaos: President Obama has once again unilaterally changed his signature health care law without Congress. From CNSNews.com: “President Barack Obama’s Treasury Department issued a new  regulation today that for the second time directly violates the plain and unambiguous text of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by allowing some businesses to avoid the […]