Preserving The American Political Philosophy

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...

  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...

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...

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.

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, ...

Maine Biz has an article on the Governor's Veto and uses the Maine Development Foundation as one of their sources on behalf of the legislature. This is my online comment to that article. MTI- Maine Technological Institute is BOTH government and non-profit. It is a non-profit corporation chartered by special act of legislation in violation of the Maine State Constitution, which our legislature routinely ignores as it continues to entrench a network of special corporations chartered by special acts of legislation. Article IV, Part Third Section 14 of the Maine State Constitution prohibits the legislature from chartering corporations by special act of legislation with an exception for municipal purposes and - an almost never applicable exception - for something that can't be done any other way. Article IV Part Third Section 14 of the Maine State constitution then goes on to say that all corporations, however formed , are subject to general law. However corporate records a...

I hope others will join me in researching the real facts behind the rhetoric of the current bond debate instigated By Governor LePage's veto of the  research and development bond.. This page Maine State Legislative Links is where I keep track of what I come across in my research and makes a good starting point.  I invite all to contribute a guest editorial about this subject. Close to the top of the list is The Journal of Innovation & Transformation,  published by the Southern Maine Community College, a likely recipient of those r&d funds that the governor just vetoed. About two thirds of the way down is The Midcoast Campus A Model In Educational Development  by Charle s Lawton , P .h. D . There you will find a chart of the "targeted sector", which looks pretty comprehensive were it not for the fact that it noticeably excludes the retail and tourist industries, which happen to be the main stay of my small community. It seems these sectors are not desi...