Preserving The American Political Philosophy

The Tea Party Movement in Maine is often described in terms of its “radical fringe” which is depicted as a gun-toting crowd. Although I support the right to bear arms, I have never held a gun and yet, based on the general Tea Party Platform, which primarily targets welfare reform as the means by which the size of government should be reduced, I find myself in small company in suggesting a different set of government agencies that deserve to be examined in consideration of reducing the size of government. I have written frequently about state capitalism in Maine and its unconstitutional foundation. The Maine Arts Commission works in conjunction with state capitalism and is a more highly visible player within “the creative economy” The Maine Arts Commission recently sent a survey, which included its long and short-term vision for arts and culture in Maine. I selected the “other” category in order to describe my interest in arts and culture as a private economy arts related business. In...

As some who might read this may know, the journalist and author, Colin Woodard , is a relative of mine. Colin wrote an article, Brewing Up A Storm, on the Republican Party's new platform for the September 2010 Downeast Magazine. I posed the following comment in repsonse. Defining Terms If the term centrist is supposed to mean a point in between the small size of government favored by our founding fathers and those who believe in a larger government providing certain entitlements for the people, then it raises the question why the term ”centrist” applies to the entrenched political system in this state, which has collectively advanced state capitalism over the past fifteen years, including this year’s recent passage of LD1, which unconstitutionally charters a mutual funds investment corporation .LD1 was sponsored by none other than Peter Mills, who is calling those who want to return to the state and federal constitution “far right extremist”. In the creation of investment corpora...

The Email from The Maine Arts Commission says it all: The Maine Arts Commission Presents Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy Center Initiative There are only 70 seats left for this free event, sign up today. Michael M. Kaiser, president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, will visit Portland, ME, on July 1 as part of “Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy Center Initiative,” an arts management symposium. Kaiser will provide counsel and encouragement to nonprofit arts organizations in need. Kaiser will be at the Portland Museum of Art between 9:15 and 11:30 am on July 1 for this invaluable symposium where he will provide counsel and encouragement to nonprofit arts organizations in need. During this free symposium Kaiser will address the key challenges facing nonprofit arts organizations through such areas as fundraising, building more effective boards of trustees, budgeting and marketing. Tickets for this event are free and must be reserved online at http://artcrisis.eventbrite.com. Sea...

The following was sent via my local Chamber of Commerce. This is the best debate on the tax issue that I have come across . Proposition 1 facing voters in the June 8 Gubernatorial primary proposes to rescind a major tax revision passed by the Legislature last year dropping the maximum state income tax from 8 1/2% to 6 1/2% but expanding the state's sales tax to make up the lost revenue. A "YES” vote agrees with Prop 1 - that is, cancels these revisions. A "NO” vote says keep them. The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce's newly formed Public Policy committee has asked our Local legislators Senator David Trahan (R-Waldoboro) and Representative Bruce MacDonald (D-Boothbay) to explain how these tax revisions will impact on a) economic development, b) small business, c) residents and d) state revenues. Plus list three other critical considerations. Their answers are below. (Public Policy committee members are Chair Lori Bailey, Wayne Sheridan, Lindy Bragg, Bill Bai...

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...

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...