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Showing posts from May, 2010

Director of the Maine Department of Innovation describes Mainers as having "blank stares "

Below is copied from the Maine Department of Innovation News Letter which I recently recieved. Notes from the Director of Office of Innovation A few weeks ago, Thomas Friedman wrote an article for the New York Times that talked about the importance of a more entrepreneur-friendly environment. He called upon President Obama to make 2010 the year of innovation, the year of Start-Up America. Similarly, Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation called upon policymakers to promote entrepreneurship to spur job creation and speed recovery. Study after study points out the importance of entrepreneurship to fostering economic growth, as the "carrier of innovation." Yet here in Maine, suggest that we should assist entrepreneurs and you get blank stares. Solutions such as tax reductions, regulatory reform and greater access to capital, while all helpful, are not sufficient to create the entrepreneurial climate that we need. Entrepreneurs in the high-growth...

LD1- A Transference of the Power of Taxation?

Letter submittted to the Boothbay Register May 2, 2010- I am glad to say that this letter is published in the issue coming out on May 05, 2010. This article was also published on The Augusta Insider. When The Augusta Insider "merged" with Pine Tree Politics all articles examinining state capitalism in Maine were no longer available. A Call For a People's Veto. Dear Editor, I recently submitted a letter, which was also sent to Senator Trahan , who did not respond. This letter concerned the use of taxpayer funding by the Small Enterprise Growth Fund and the proposed LD1 and LD1666 . LD 1666 was rejected by the appropriations committee but subsumed into LD1 and then passed unanimously by both the House and the Senate and signed into law by Governor Baldacci. The Maine Chamber of Commerce describes LD1 as “An Act To Stimulate Capital Investment for Innovative Businesses in Maine” . LD1 is marketed by the Small Enterprise Growth Fund with the following words “This program c...