Tag Archives: Angus King

Mar 18 2016

Collins, King and Poliquin Send Letter in Support of Trade Adjustment Assistance for Madison Paper Workers

Collins, King and Poliquin Send Letter in Support of Trade Adjustment Assistance for Madison Paper Workers

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Bruce Poliquin sent a letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez in support for the recently filed Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) petition to assist the more than 200 workers at Madison Paper Industries who are being displaced in large measure to increased foreign competition.

 

“Given the closing of three other major pulp and paper mills within 125 miles of Madison in the past two years and the bankruptcy restructuring of a fourth, the skilled Madison mill workers face an enormous hurdle in identifying and securing meaningful alternative employment in the area for which they have the qualifying experience,” wrote Senators Collins and King and Representative Poliquin in their letter. “As a result, it is crucial that these workers receive the retraining and reemployment resources available through TAA certification. Such a certification will allow them to get back on their feet more quickly and continue making critical contributions to their families and our economy.”

 

TAA provides a variety of assistance to workers who have been negatively impacted by trade.  Assistance programs through TAA include services for displaced workers, reemployment programs and job training efforts.

 

The letter to Secretary Perez is available HERE and the full text is below.

 

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March 17, 2016

 

The Honorable Thomas Perez

Secretary

United States Department of Labor

200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC  20210

 

Dear Mr. Secretary:

 

We are writing in support of the recently filed Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) petition to assist the more than 200 workers at Madison Paper Industries in Madison, Maine, who are being displaced due in large measure to increased foreign competition within the supercalendered paper industry.

 

Last year, the U.S. Department of Commerce and International Trade Commission (ITC) investigated imports of supercalendered paper from Canada. As part of this inquiry, the Department investigated Port Hawkesbury Paper in Nova Scotia and Resolute Forest Products in Quebec and determined that imports of supercalendered paper from these mills received countervailable subsidies ranging from 17.87 percent to 20.18 percent. In December 2015, the ITC determined that the domestic industry was materially injured by these imports.

 

Given the closing of three other major pulp and paper mills within 125 miles of Madison in the past two years and the bankruptcy restructuring of a fourth, the skilled Madison mill workers face an enormous hurdle in identifying and securing meaningful alternative employment in the area for which they have the qualifying experience. As a result, it is crucial that these workers receive the retraining and reemployment resources available through TAA certification. Such a certification will allow them to get back on their feet more quickly and continue making critical contributions to their families and our economy.

 

We urge that you review this TAA application in a timely manner, consistent with all applicable rules and regulations, to ensure that these trade-affected workers receive the assistance they need to obtain work and maintain their financial stability.

 

Thank you for your consideration on behalf of the workers at the Madison Paper Industries.

 

Sincerely,

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.

Oct 29 2012

Stand Down!

 

For seven hours two Navy Seals held off the terrorists in Benghazi, waiting for the support to arrive.  One hour away, marines were stationed and ready to assist.  General Ham, Commander of AFRICOM, wanted to send his troops to the aid of those in the Embassy, who were calling for aid, when he was told by his Commander-and-Chief to “Stand Down”.  When General Ham ignored the order, he was apprehended by his second in command and relieved of duty.

While two Navy Seals heroically held off a compound over run with terrorists, the President held off their military support, watched in the situation room of the White House until the two men were dead, and then jetted off to Vegas for a fund raising event.  Yes, the two Seals ignored the “Stand Down” order and chose, instead, to hold to the oaths they had taken to the citizens of the United States.  They died waiting for the President to uphold his.

What has followed in the aftermath is myriad of lies and cover-ups, even at first trying to blame the “incident” on an obscure filmmaker and promising to arrest him, violating his freedom of speech.  The media has been working overtime trying to cover this mess up for the President.  It isn’t working and some in the media are starting to see the folly of their ways and abandon the sinking ship.

The Democrat brand has the mark of deceit seared onto every package it presents to the people. It is apparent throughout the liberal ticket that lies is the campaign strategy of choice.  What is most disturbing is the disdain the Democrat ticket has for the basic unalienable rights for Americans-life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Angus King has told so many whoppers in this campaign that the word count in this column couldn’t contain them.  He has put the Maine Democrat Party in the awkward position of trying to support his campaign, neutralize their own candidate, and still try to make King seem independent.  And remember when he said that those who supported traditional marriage needed to be “educated”.  He never said how he was going to do that….  Maybe the hum from his windmills is sending out subliminal messages to all Maine residents, besides the toxic waste they are dripping all over our mountains.

Mike Michaud, not so affectionately known as Pelosi’s Puppy, has a unique approach to representative government.  When the district he represents votes over 65% against gay marriage, he thumbs his nose at those he represents and instead represents his own interests on this issue.  Those incessant tugs on his leash from Washington way may be causing him to hallucinate, perhaps.  At last telling, he believes the Kevin Raye is moonlighting as a high-end designer, building exorbitant kitchens on the taxpayer’s dime.  This prompted Maine newspapers to categorize Michaud’s deception, as the biggest lie of the campaign.

Michaud’s close friend, Herbert Clark, has a similar approach to campaign strategy.  Work to co-sponsor a bill with the Senator you will be running against in the next election.  Then blame the whole thing on him, cry that you were hoodwinked and had no idea what you were doing.  Finally, assure everyone that if they vote for you, from now on, you will be aware of what you are sponsoring when you sponsor a bill, and, oh, please keep screaming about the bill that I sponsored but I wish I hadn’t sponsored because its all I’ve got to campaign on. I think he needs some cheese with that whine.

Finally, the Piscataquis County Commissioner races are of great importance.  Roxanne Quimby has been on a crusade to gate off the people of Maine from any access to the wilderness that we love so much.  The Democrats have been her allies in this crusade. Recently, she attempted to block access to the Little Wilson Falls by gating a County road.  The Piscataquis Republican Party answered the call of the people to rectify this travesty and, with Paul Davis, Doug Thomas, Pete Johnson, Fred Trask, and Jim Annis leading the charge, the Commissioners voted to demand Quimby remove the gate.  It was Fred Trask who forced the vote on the Commission to remove the gate. Silence, at best, from the Democrats.

Make no mistake; a vote for Sue Mackey Andrews and Donald Crossman for County Commissioner is a vote to give Roxanne Quimby control over the Maine Highlands and the 100-mile wilderness.  This is an important vote not only for Piscataquis residents but for the precedent it sets for the State of Maine as a whole.  Vote for Fred Trask and Jim Annis as Piscataquis County Commissioners.

It seems the leaders of the Democrat Party have telling Americans to “Stand Down” for far too long.  Perhaps, it is time for Americans to tell the Democrat Party to “Stand Down”.  Vote for Liberty November 6th!

Oct 9 2012

King of Wind Meets King of Slurpee

Maine people will just have to get used to seeing windmills on top of their mountains or at least that’s the decree issued to Maine residents by Angus King, self-crowned Majesty of all Maine’s landscape.  This was King’s answer to landowner complaints about seeing large white windmills atop of once idyllic mountains, views of which these retirees had hoped to enjoy from their lakeside cabins.  These residents were further incensed to hear that their own taxes had paid for the twirling monstrosities blocking their view of the fall foliage.  The response from Maine’s wind magnate, “Get used to it!”

The greatest of all Stealth Democrats has now joined forces with a new dictator.  He is the self-proclaimed Lord of all Calories and the Administrator of all Caloric Consumption and he’s backing King.  Yes, Mayor Bloomberg has insisted he knows best when any of his subjects in Gotham City belly up to the table or purchase any hated sweet syrupy things in large quantities from local corner stores.  Starting with banning large Big Gulp size sodas, Bloomberg has continued on his crusade against any form of food he finds offensive until the Big Apple, no, not a candy apple, knuckles under to his mandated menu.  When the not so loyal subjects complained that their diet was really none of the Mayor’s business, the Mayor’s response was a not so subtle, “Get used to it!”

Ah, aren’t they just a match made in heaven?  The Lord of the Wind and the Lord of the Belly.  Of course, wind blowing and food consumption go hand in hand and who better to be in charge of that than two corrupt politicians….and the answer is definitely blowing in the wind…I just couldn’t help myself…. I just couldn’t ….

Michelle Obama’s mandated menus are a big hit…in the bottom of the trashcan.  Yes, taxpayers, we have spent a lot of money to straighten out these kid’s bellies and they are chucking our federally mandated help right in the waste bucket.   Schools say they are going to combat this by sticking surveillance cameras on the trashcans to catch the many offenders.  Of course, I’m just a back woods hick but I think you can look in the cans, find the mounds of discarded food, and deduce that the kids don’t like what they are eating.  On the bright side, young children with entrepreneurial minds are smuggling in tasty food and selling those nasty calories.  They’re making a killing.  Ah, capitalism.

Americans.  We are Americans, are we not?  Then why do we allow self-indulgent despots to hand us a limited menu of choices?  Why do we allow the arrogant to stand over us and decide our futures?  If we allow those to stand and block the view of our wishes and hand us their own without options, then we will be left looking at a future not to our liking and the only answer left us will be, “Get used to it!”