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Showing posts from June, 2012

My Encounter With Big Government INC.

TWEET THIS  http://goo.gl/D8m3J2 In 2009 I attended a competition for what I thought was a small business grant, but later I found was "an investment". I made this mistake in part because I learned of it through the Maine Art Commission which had been sending announcements all year about the availability of stimulus grants - but when one opened the link, it was inevitably and exclusively for non-profits. When The Maine Arts Commission announced a competition for small business investment from "an anonymous donor" I assumed it was a grant for a variety of reasons, including that it was for a very modest amount and that the source was anonymous. I wasn't paying much attention to those details as I had never entered such a competition before and there was a lot to processing taking place in a short amount of time. As later became apparent the "anonymous donor" was F, an investment corporation chartered by the Maine legislature to serve as

Networking Kickstarter to Kickstart A Network

Introducing my new blog Andersen Studio's Kickstarter Diaries , in which I write about my vision of an Andersen Studio's United Ceramic Designer Craftsmen of America. Today I published the second post which is called Networking Kickstarter to Kickstart a Network . Kickstarter is a way to raise capital for Arts and Foods projects which is inclusive of both the private sector and the non-profit sector. I hope that if you like the concept, which if successful will create jobs in the private sector, and that if you like it , you will share it. This blog is being published before we launch a kickstarter project in order to nurture a support base, which is the key to kickstarter success.

Maine's Hidden Network of Corporate Instrumentalities of The State

The Maine State Constitution: Article IV, Part Third: Legislative Powers Section 13. Special legislation. The Legislature shall, from time to time, provide, as far as practicable, by general laws, for all matters usually appertaining to special or private legislation.  Section 14. Corporations, formed under general laws. Corporations shall be formed under general laws, and shall not be created by special Acts of the Legislature, except for municipal purposes, and in cases where the objects of the corporation cannot otherwise be attained; and, however formed, they shall forever be subject to the general laws of the State. As one can see, The Maine State Constitution prohibits the legislature from chartering corporations as instrumentalities of the state. The only exception to the prohibition against chartering corporations by special act of legislation is for a municipal purpose and in the case where the objects of incorporation cannot be done otherwise, whic