PAY ME

Today, as every Sunday, I had lunch with my girlfriend's family.  As per usual, the chat with her father derailed into politics.  Sometimes the conversation gets heated, today was one of those days. To give a little background her father is a "dye-in-the-wool republican," who owns a small business.

We started talking about the proposed East/West Corridor and the misrepresentation of facts by both opponents and proponents.  The big seller for this highway is "build it and the jobs will come."  I can agree with this to a degree.  Jobs will come. They will be in the form of gas station attendents, and fast food workers.  These are not skilled labor jobs, thus not good paying jobs.  Well let's just say this hit a major nerve.

I was informed that "there should be no minimum wage.  That pay should be based on the market."  So if the market dictates that someone should only make $5/hour, "well that's what they'll get paid."  I was told that the market and supply/demand will even everything out so that pay is relative to area markets, such as real estate, fuel, and grocery.  I don't see how this is even close to possible.

My argument went as follows: So, you mean to tell me that your products will cost less if the demand is down? His reply . . . yes.  I ask if you receive your product from a warehouse that supplies your store and one in Boston, where demand is obviously greater, is the warehouse going to give you lower prices on your goods because your demand is lower? "Obviously," he says, "no they can't do that." If cost for someone in northern Maine is the same as someone in Metro Boston, how will the market even this out?

I attempted to break this down for him without taken a tuna sandwich to the face: A person living in Boston will need to make more money, because the cost of living is more expensive than Maine.  So the cost of goods to business is the same, how can one lower prices as to compete in it's market and still make money?  I'm not a business person, but it seems to me that if you can't sell goods because cost is higher than market demand, then you're not going to be in business very long.

When you don't pay someone a living wage, they will not be able to do business at your store.  Their money will be tied up in living expenses.  This is the problem we have right now.  A good number of Americans are not paid a living wage.  Without a living wage our economy will continue to suffer, because no one has money to buy more then essentials.  The question remains though what is a living wage?

Highway To Nowhere

The Republicans in Maine like to call this the welfare state.  They make ridiculous claims that other states pay for bus tickets to send their welfare recipients here to help lessen their load, because Maine has no waiting period for benefits.  Well today the "welfare state" went corporate.  Governor LePage signed the East West Highway Bill today authorizing the feasibility study for a privately built and owned highway connecting the towns of Calais on the eastern border, and Colburn Gore on the western border.  The cost of this study is at $300k, but this is a chance that this could become more costly. 

When and if this highway is built the cost of the study will be repaid by the private entity that is going to build the highway.  So you ask, why would the state be interested in funding the study initially?  The answer is quite simple, eminent domain.  With the state funding this study it opens the door for the land to be obtained through eminent domain. They will be able to come in to towns along the route and snatch land for pennies on the dollar.

We have said this in a previous blog about this topic, but the real beneficiary of this project will be the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick..  The governor said he has been in communication with premiers of both New Brunswick and Quebec, which straddle the state, “and they’re very excited about this opportunity. It is good for commerce” between the United States and Canada, the governor said. In reality it's good for Commerce between Canadian provinces. They will be able to move their natural gas through Maine, instead of up around the top of the state and into the ports of New Brunswick.

So will taxpayers get caught paying for any of this? You better believe it.  With the increased traffic at the Corburn Gore crossing, that border station will need to be rebuilt costing tax payers.  The Road will have to be patrolled as well, most likely by State Troopers. Oh and then there is EMT/Rescue from towns along the highway that will need to respond to accidents.  What is the environmental impact of building a 220 mile highway?  That remains to be seen, but we hope we won't have to see it.  This highway will be crossing many of the major watersheds of the state, The Penobscot River, the Kennebec River and the Piscatiquis River are all in the direct line of this road.  These waters will become subject to increased salt, as the roads are treated in the winter.  Don't forget the garbage that will be flying around as well.  Lastly it will also be crossing a section of the Appalachian Trail.  We understand that many roads and highways cross the trail, but how many have pipelines and electrical conduits along with them?

In the end Maine is going to lose and lose big with this highway.  The communities along the route are going to suffer when families are kicked off the land they own, some of which has been family owned for generations. As more info comes out about this project, we will see more opposition to it. - Mr. Salty

Maine GOP Hot Mess

Olympia isn't gone a hot minute and the GOP is vying for her seat like maple syrup at a pancake breakfast. Time to tap those trees folks, let's take a look at the players. Bruce Poliquin ; Rick Bennett ; Bill Schneider ; Charlie Summers ; Deborah Plowman ; Scott D'Ambroise 

Lto R : Bruce Peliquin; Rick Bennett; Bill Schneider; Charlie Summers

We'll start with Bruce "tree Growth" Poliquin.  Mr. Poliquin has run for office in Maine before, most recently he vied for the republican nomination for governor.  As we all know he did not get that nomination as it went to Supreme GOP Ruler LePage.  However, LePage appointed Poliquin to be the Treasurer of the State.  

Treasurer? This is ironic that he is being charged to manage billions of dollar$, while he is avoiding paying full taxes on a ten acre piece of property he owns in Georgetown.  By claiming his land was in "tree growth" he was paying $30 a year in property taxes, on a parcel of land that the average bub would be paying $30,000 a year on.  He has since removed his property from being in tree growth, to "open space".  This raised some serious ethical violations from the House and Senate Democrats.  When claiming tree growth on property you must show a plan to harvest some trees. It is reported that no such plan existed for Mr. Poliquin's property, which sounds pretty shady to us, not tree shady, but creep shady.

Also on a side note this is man that enjoys hearing himself speak.  After witnessing him in person at a town hall meeting, no other state officials could get a word in edgewise with him speaking.  Even when a question did not involve him, he found a way to inject himself into the answer. Fine, he is worse than Biden.

Next up, Charlie Summers who is the current Secretary of State in the LePage administration.  He served as State Director to United States Senator Olympia J. Snowe (1995 to 2004). He has served in the military in the Navy Reserves.  He has been deployed in Iraq and in Afghanistan.  

During this past election period Summers was in the center of the "voter fraud" allegations  by GOP chairman Charlie Webster.  The claim was that college students living in other states had voted in the Maine election in violation of the law, thus committing fraud. After the investigation was conducted, Secretary Summers found zero fraud.  He sent a letter to each student involved to inform them the investigation was complete, but did not inform them of their vindication.  He instead informed them they were in violation of not have Maine ID's and vehicle registration.  Instead of including forms that could allow these students to register their vehicle in Maine, he sent them unenrollment forms for voting.  This to us says it is easier for them to unregister to vote, then to register their vehicle.  This was a ploy of voter suppression that was soundly rejected by the state in last Novembers election.

In the bullpen we have William Schneider, who is the current Attorney General for Maine.  He has managed to stay above the fray of the LePage administration.  He refused to sign a letter by state Attorney Generals claiming that the birth control mandate was unconstitutional.  He did however sign on with the AG's that claimed "Obamacare" was unconstitutional, so 1:1 odds there.

Scott D'Amboise is running as a Republican, however he is a Tea Party Patriot.  The quotes on his campaign page say all we need to see, have a gander at the lead to his about me section: "Family Man, Patriot, and Small Business Owner". Oh another gem smack in the middle of his homepage: "Freedom is the most important of human possessions, and I think we may be in danger of losing ours.  If elected I shall do everything in my power to restore and protect freedom, for the people of Maine and for our great nation." This does not sound like a man who is going to be moderate and willing to work on both sides of the aisle in Washington.  This sounds like typical rhetoric from the far right Tea Part Zealot.  D'Amboise has been the candidate that has been in this race the longest, willing to force a primary against Senator Snowe had she stayed in the 2012 race. Before Olympia announced her retirement D'Amboise was the last Republican challenger.

For the X chromosome Debra Plowman is currently serving her fourth term in the Maine senate.  She is a business woman from Hamden, who along with her family run PDQ doors, a garage door company.  Here is a list of some of the legislation she has sponsored or co-sponsored . There is some great stuff in there where she sponsored a bill to collect child support.  This bill became a national model. 

Lastly, Senator Richard A. Bennett (R-Norway) alternated with Senator Michael Michaud as President during the 120th Maine Senate, under the State Senate's unique power sharing arrangement resulting from a first-ever partisan tie. Currently, Bennett serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporate Library, LLC, a Maine-based independent research firm which focuses on corporate governance and director/executive compensation. He is an honors graduate of Harvard University(1986).

That is a break down of the current crop of republicans vying for Senator Snowe's seat. Currently Charlie Summer's has an 8 point lead on his closest challenger, Scott D'Amboise. The Primary will be held on June 12th. 

Maine : The Way Life Should Be (minus LePage)

Late February came the announcement that senator Olympia Snowe (R- Maine) was retiring from political service after serving the people of Maine for 16 years in the House of Representatives, (1979-1995) and then the United States Senates for 17 years (1995-2012).  This spans Mabel & Salty's ENTIRE life time, like saying goodbye to Mr. Rogers, this is going to be weird. Her departure caused  a firestorm of uncertainty for the political landscape of the state and nation.

Olympia, thanks for making us think the GOP was cool while writing book reports in grade school

Once the dust settled a little bit the number of candidates taking out papers for the senate bit began to stack up.  It started with Congressman Mike Michaud (D- Millinocket), then it went on to Congresswomen Chellie Pingree (D-North Haven), former Governor John Baldacci (D-Bangor) threw his name in the ring, as did former Governor Angus King (I-Brunswick).  These were the heavy hitters as far as Maine politics are concerned. After a week Congressman Michaud decided that he was better served to continue his bid for re-election to the House of Representatives.  Last week Angus King confirmed the rumors that he was going to make a run and announced his intentions while giving a speech at Bowdoin College.  At the end of last week Chellie Pingree also made her decision to continue her bid for re-election into the House of Representatives.  Yesterday former Governor Baldacci also decided he was not going to run.

It appears that with Former Governor King's decision to run has scared off these well known politicians and with reason.  Governor King has been one of the more popular governors in the state of Maine. He won his second term as governor with over 60% of the vote (unlike our current governor which 61% of the state did not vote for).  He has not however scared off everyone, March 15th was the deadline for all papers to be turned into be reviewed for the 2000 necessary signatures.

In the line up for the GOP : Rick Bennett (former Maine Senate President), Scott D'Amboise (businessman), State Senator Debra Plowman, Treasurer Bruce Poliquin, Attorney General William Schneider and Secretary of State Charlie Summers.

On the Democratic side, State Senator Cynthia Dill, Matt Dunlap (former Secretary of State) and State Representative Jon Hinck are in the running.

In the coming weeks we will highlight each candidate on both sides of the aisle and and former Governor King, to bring to light each candidates accomplishments and back ground politically.

"As Maine Goes So Goes The Nation" no, seriously bubs...

Musical Chairs With Olympia Snowe

Olympia Snowe (R)

A GOP we can actually tolerate from the great State of Maine has decided she is not going to run for re-election of her senate seat in November. This is a lady who has voted her conscience the last thirty-three years in Washington DC representing Maine in the House and Senate. Our entire lives, we've heard about the senator with the crazy name.

Now, we aren't going to say we've agreed with all of her decisions, but Olympia is a different breed of politician. A "New England Republican" if you will. She has gone against her party on issues and hasn't towed the line like a Koch Brother Zealot.

Is Olympia another "Republican In Name Only" or RINO as the zealots call them? Ask your favorite Maine GOP and they will say yes. If you asked them fifteen years ago you would have heard a different tune. The political landscape has changed so dramatically that there is no longer room for Olympia in Washington. She has actually sited this as her reason for not seeking re-election.

“Unfortunately, I do not realistically expect the partisanship of recent years in the Senate to change over the short term,” Snowe said in a statement. “So at this stage of my tenure in public service, I have concluded that I am not prepared to commit myself to an additional six years in the Senate, which is what a fourth term would entail.”- Olympia Snowe

Google 'em, there are blogs screaming for her head on a spike because she is the most liberal GOP senator to date. It is truly unfortunate that it has come to this. The division of political parties is only firing up, it is much like Mabel & Salty with a Red Sox/Yankee series.

We bid you adieu Olympia Snowe, we were proud to have you during the good and the bad because you had cojones and stood your ground on the issues. We didn't always agree with you but we knew you had a moral compass. You are the last of a rare breed and you will be missed in the great State of Maine.