Category Economy

Nov 26 2017

The Red County Caucus Issues Statement on Senator Collins

 

We of The Red County Caucus would like to remind Senator Susan Collins that the Constitution of the United States was written to protect the Natural Born Rights of the Individual. These Rights, inherent, unalienable, and God-given, have been, in times past and present, under repeated assault from activism from all corners of our society in an effort to undermine the Founding Ideal of this Free Republic: that the government of free men should defend and protect the free will of the individual. What is common sense was once common place but now a rarity to be sure.

Congress is now engaged in a pitted debate over the nuance, impact, and economics of tax reform. The Red County Caucus is not prepared at this point to issue a statement on a tax reform plan as Congress is still far from formulating one. However, we will comment on the recent duplicitous behavior of Maine’s Senior Senator, Susan Collins.

Senator Collins has threatened to sabotage the tax reform process unless the repeal of the individual mandate of Obamacare is removed. This is strikingly hypocritical of the good Senator, who was heard on many occasions on the campaign trial, decrying to enthusiastic Maine voters the disastrous impact the individual mandate and ObamaCare has had on Maine household budgets, all the while chanting “Repeal and Replace”. Now returned to Congress’ marbled halls, Collins’ mantra seems to have changed to “Defend and Deny” at all cost.

Can there be a more glaring violation of the Constitution than the Individual Mandate? To mandate, that is to force by law, an individual to purchase a product the individual may or may not want, to fund an ideal of socialized medicine that the individual may or may not want, and to do so under threat of penal action by the government, the maker of the product, is the very epitome of the kind of governmental abuse and overreach our Constitution was written to protect against. Yet, Senator Collins remains dogged in her determination to undermine, once again, Congress and the President’s attempt to fix a failing and outdated tax system in a fixated effort to defend a healthcare system she promised voters she would work to “repeal and replace”.

We ask Susan Collins once again: Who is she representing? Is it the bureaucracies and Washington power brokers who wish to force the individual, through a government mandate, to comply to their wishes? Or the individuals here in Maine who have and still protest this Individual Mandate with its destructive impacts on the households of the State she represents. Senator Collins must choose against the interests of Washington and for the individual rights of her constituents in Maine.

Dec 3 2016

Bad For Thee, Good For Me

 

I have made the public statement that I daily hope and pray that President-Elect Donald Trump will continue to prove me wrong. To this point, the overarching consensus from the TMCV (The Maine Conservative Voice) is that the future President has done the just that. I use the word “overarching” so the reader can assume the caveats implied.

For example, General Mattis is a fantastic pick for defense. He brings back the sense of a disciplined, tempered, steely, ferocity in our military that Americans are desperately needing to see in the forces that protect this Nation in the face of the unspeakable horrors that surround us. In contrast, if not just slightly, I think the jury is out on Betsy DeVos, for education. Much depends, sadly, on whether she was lying when she said she opposed common core or lying when she supported it.

This brings me to my final thought for today. A critique of not only of the President-Elect, but of Conservatives also. Let’s just call it, if I may fall back on some lingo from my birth state of Arizona, a burr or a bullhead in my saddle.

Under the file of “Bad for Thee,But not for Me”, the Carrier deal is crony capitalism plain and simple. You can’t slap Republican on something and somehow think it makes it right. That’s called hypocrisy….plain and simple. We railed against liberals for this. But now we celebrate it because it’s “our side” screwing with Free Market? It was wrong for Solyndra, it was wrong for GM, and it’s wrong for Carrier.

Again the pendulum swings and we are not trying to stop it. This is the burr in my saddle. We have always as Conservatives preached against the “end justifies the means” approach of liberals, yet much to my chagrin (I speak for myself), it seems many Conservatives had no problem employing said approach this election cycle.

The response I consistently hear as of late is “Hey, we won!” While I feel increasingly in the minority among those who profess to be my conservative allies, I still contend that, for me, social and fiscal conservatism is not a campaign tactic, but rather, a reflection of my core convictions. Perhaps I am a relic of the past that deserves to be kicked to the curb as some assert, but a quick perusal of history will confirm that the “end justifies the means” ascent to power only assures a destructive exposition in the end, of this I am certain.

I understand give and take. I understand compromise is essential to effective statesmanship. I probably break with many fellow conservatives when I say I think Mitt Romney would make an excellent Secretary of State. His calm, measured demeanor is sorely needed on the world stage. Yes, I am fully aware that he certainly lacks in his conservatism.

I differ with many of my learned and far more talented contemporaries, such as Matt Gagnon, when I say Sarah Palin would be a great pick for the VA. I think we have forgotten what propelled her to the Governorship. Remember, her dogged investigation of the corruption in the oil companies in Alaska?

This I say simply to point out that I understand the give and take among the conservative ranks. What I cannot fathom however is how some so easily abandon their professed convictions for “Hey,we won!” Yes, I am aware one former Governor of Alaska certainly was the first to seemingly toss conviction to the wind for “the win”.

So there is contention within the conservative ranks that must be resolved. Can a candidate be a person of conviction and be successful? Or must the candidate simply profess conviction as tactics to be removed and reinstated as political atmospheres dictate? Is there really a right or wrong? Or does it have to be the present cycle of “bad for thee but not for me”? I foresee some soul-searching in my horizon. Is soul-searching allowed in politics?

Mar 15 2016

Rep. Poliquin Honored with the Spirit of Enterprise Award for Near-Perfect Voting Score on Job Growth

Rep. Poliquin Honored with the Spirit of Enterprise Award for Near-Perfect Voting Score on Job Growth

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Honors Rep. Poliquin’s Job Creation Record

 

WASHINGTON – Today, Maine’s Second District Congressman, Bruce Poliquin, was presented the Spirit of Enterprise Award by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in recognition of his near-perfect score of 95%—among the highest ratings of all Members of Congress—from the pro-business group for his work and votes to support job creation in Maine during his first year in Congress.  After the ceremony, Congressman Poliquin released the following statement:

 

“I greatly appreciate the Chamber’s award and recognition of the work I’ve done in Congress to help create jobs, and I understand there is still much more to be done ahead to grow our economy,” said Congressman Poliquin.

 

“As many Mainers unfortunately know all too well, disastrous policies from Washington are smothering Maine businesses and threatening hundreds of jobs across our State.  In the coming year, I will continue to fight for fair policies that promote business growth and expansion and allow for more workers to be hired in our communities throughout Maine.”

Mar 4 2016

ITC Votes Unanimously in Favor of Maine Manufacturer after Letter from Collins, King, Pingree, and Poliquin Supports Investigation

ITC Votes Unanimously in Favor of Maine Manufacturer after Letter from Collins, King, Pingree, and Poliquin Supports Investigation

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The International Trade Commission (ITC) voted unanimously today to continue its investigations on certain amorphous silica fabric (ASF) from China that are allegedly being subsidized and sold in the United States at unfair prices, which is harming the hard-working men and women at Auburn Manufacturing, Inc. (AMI). Last month, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin sent a letter to the ITC in support of the investigation.

 

“This unanimous decision by the ITC is extremely encouraging for AMI and hard-working men and women employed there,” said Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Poliquin. “U.S. trade laws are designed to protect American workers against the type of unfair competition alleged in this case.  We will continue to monitor the investigations at the ITC and the Department of Commerce and stand with Maine workers against all unfair trade.”

 

As noted in the Senators’ and Representatives’ letter to the ITC, according to AMI, its profitability and growth potential have been negatively affected by Chinese trading practices, which allow producers to sell ASF at artificially low prices.  AMI asserts that the illegally subsidized ASF from China caused the volume of imports of Chinese ASF to increase by more than 150 percent between 2012 and 2014.

 

Today’s decision from the ITC will permit the U.S. Department of Commerce to continue its investigations on imports of ASF from China.  The preliminary countervailing duty ruling is due on or about April 14, 2016, and the preliminary antidumping duty rulings are due on or about June 28, 2016.
A copy of the letter is available HERE.