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Showing posts with the label Angus King

Rule of Law in Maine In Critical Condition

SHARE THIS! TWEET THIS USING THIS SHORT LINK; http://goo.gl/VXLcX8 Continuing where I left off in my last post - addressing the Lepage Campaign talking points as presented by Representative Heather Sirocki in this Portland Press Herald article titled  Maine reaping rewards of governor’s commitment to fiscal responsibility The article says: Let’s start with the state’s improved credit standing. In June, rating agencies issued their outlooks for Maine’s creditworthiness. Standard & Poor’s Rating Services assigned its AA rating to our long-term bonds, while Moody’s Investor Services affirmed its Aa2 rating and upgraded its forecast of Maine’s debt from negative to stable. The agencies cited several major factors that influenced the strong ratings, including repayment of $748 million in MaineCare’s hospital debt; substantial public pension reform; and measures to control costs in the MaineCare program, which provides “free” taxpayer-subsidized health care to more th...

Angus King's Almost Legal Insider's Investment Club. - Part One

Tweet This !! http://goo.gl/W9lWV5 More on The Small Enterprise Growth Fund (since 2014 known as The Maine Venture Fund), signed into law by Angus King to become the most secretive Maine state corporation ever . I have been writing about the SEGF since 2009, when I  participated in competition at the  Juice Conference for what seemed to be a micro-economy investment, promoted as contributed by an "anonymous donor", later revealed to be the SEGF. At that conference and on the SEGF's website the taxpayer's role in subsidizing this investment company is promoted with the explanation that for every dollar that the Maine taxpayers "invest", high growth investors contribute nine dollars. When I first heard this statement and until a few days ago, I took it to be a case of incorrect language as the model that I had constructed in my mind was one in which investments are made on an individual basis in individual companies and so it seemed to me that i...

Secular Saints of the Corporate State

  From  the charter for the Finance Authority of Maine  The above statement is found in the charter for the Finance Authority of Maine. It is a most astounding statement because it constitutes a legislative decree about the character of certain individuals and associations which practically ordains them into sainthood. By legislative decree, individuals and associations which privately benefit through the activities of the Finance Authority of Maine are motivated by only the purest of motives to serve the "public benefit" - whatever that may be, and whenever the powers that be, want it to be it.  Any private benefits that confer upon themselves, as a public-private relationship, is a pure chance of circumstance. Which type of government defines human character by legislative decree? Not that created by the founders of the United States Constitution. The Federalist Papers recorded the thought process which became the United States Constitution. Publius fir...

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, ...