Tag Archives: corruption

Mar 2 2016

WARNING: IRS Scams Continue to Harm Mainers

WARNING: IRS Scams Continue to Harm Mainers

Congressman Poliquin’s offices in Lewiston, Bangor and Presque Isle are here to help victims of IRS fraud

 

LEWISTON – Phone scams from IRS impersonators continue to exploit taxpayers in Maine at alarming rates. These ongoing attacks have directly harmed countless individuals in Maine’s Second District, most of which are seniors.  Congressman Bruce Poliquin’s offices in Lewiston, Bangor and Presque Isle are available as resources to anyone who has been targeted or suspects that he or she has been targeted by these scam artists.

 

“It is despicable to me that there is an entire illegal industry today that exploits so many honest, hardworking citizens,” said Congressman Poliquin.  “It is especially disturbing that these scam artists target our seniors in particular, who are more likely than anyone else to fall victim to these criminals.”

 

When answering phone calls, it is important to remember that the IRS will NEVER:

  • Call to demand immediate payment or call about taxes owed, without first having mailed you a bill.
  • Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
  • Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
  • Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
  • Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

 

Also, be aware that IRS scams by email are up 400% this season.  Remember to take the proper precautions to defend against misleading and harmful emails from scammers.

 

Congressman Bruce Poliquin’s Offices:

 

  • Lewiston: 784-0768 or visit 179 Lisbon Street
  • Bangor: 942-0583 or visit 6 State Street, Suite 101
  • Presque Isle: 764-1968 or visit 631 Main Street, Suite 2

 

For additional information on how to defend against identity theft, please visit https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Identity-Protection.

 

Congressman Poliquin has worked hard in Congress to combat scams against Mainers, especially our seniors.  In February, Poliquin introduced the Senior $afe Act in the House, which will provide important protections for seniors to combat investment fraud, an enormous abuse of the investment market that exploits about one-fifth of investors aged 65 or older.  Poliquin’s bill is companion legislation to Senator Susan Collins’ bill in the Senate.

Mar 1 2016

Governor Will Not Support Tax Conformity Tied to More Spending

03/01/2016 02:14 PM EST
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 1, 2016 Contact: Adrienne Bennett, Press Secretary, 207-287-2531

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage announced today he will not support a tax conformity bill that is tied to taking $23 million for additional education spending from the Budget Stabilization Fund.

“I will not support good policy tied to the back of bad policy,” said Governor LePage. “After speaking today with leadership from both sides of the aisle, it is clear that socialist legislators will continue to hold up tax conformity to get more spending. It’s totally unrelated to tax conformity.”

The Governor said he hopes to work with the 128th Legislature to support tax conformity next year and make it retroactive to this year.
Feb 25 2016

Of Beliefs, Convictions, and Gronk’s Party Boat

 

Much has been made this election season of the amount of Christians that are voting for Donald Trump. To help quantify the consternation, many have floated ideas to the why and how of the disconnect between the professed beliefs of Christians and the history of Donald Trump varying from the issues of the day outweigh personal beliefs to Trump is the second coming of Cyrus the Great…wow, on that last one. I’m leaning more towards the less apocalyptic explanation with a much simpler and fundamental twist.

 

It boils down to beliefs and convictions. Just as many who call themselves conservatives, tea partiers, or libertarians have shown a complete lack of conviction on their professed beliefs in the constitution to vote for Trump, so have Christians been exposed for their lack of conviction concerning their Biblical beliefs. Simply put, times of desperation show the courage of your convictions. Many Christians of today simply don’t believe the Bible.

 

“Now hold on,” some of you might say, “haven’t you ever held your nose to vote for someone?” Yes, I’m a conservative Republican in the State of Maine. I have permanent scar tissue in my nose from holding my nose so much. Still, never in my life have I had to deal with a candidate in my party that violates every belief system that I have on every single level, which is compounded by the fact that the man is a pathological liar.

 

Those of you that have followed my column/blog may remember that one of the mantras I preach is to never believe what a candidate says during a campaign. Look at what they have done and said outside of the election year, in their life history. So now we have this man, who has crafted a whole new persona for this election, which continues to morph hither and yon, whither the winds blow in his best interest, and I am supposed to turn a blind eye, soul, and intellect to the warning billboards littered all along the road of destruction Donald Trump has paved?

 

I think not. Truly, Donald Trump has become the Republican Barack Obama. Trump’s followers were interviewed in the latest caucus in Nevada. The overwhelming reason they gave for voting for the man was change. Where have we heard that before? The billionaire refuses to give details on his policy but is big on grand promises with no substance. Where have we heard that before?

 

All those that oppose him, he mocks, humiliates, and demeans. Saul Alinsky? Where have we heard that before? The only difference between Obama and Trump is that, where as Obama is willing to trample the Constitution to achieve his goals, Trump will crush and pulverize the Constitution to achieve his. Imagine the day, and it will come if Trump is elected, that we would prefer Obama.

 

He believes single-payer healthcare works, is for universal healthcare, has a history of supporting gun control, supports raising taxes, establishing mandates, pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, supports Eminent Domain and has a rabid following that defends his questionable past. No, I’m not talking about Barack Obama. This is Donald Trump. They’re both big fans of Hillary Clinton, which could explain why Trump will be taking the stand on trial for fraud. My goodness, we could have two Presidential candidates splitting time between the campaign trail and standing trial for felony charges.

 

And for Christians, the man opened the first strip joint casino, brags openly about sleeping with other men’s wives, publicly joked that he’d like to date his daughter because of her beautiful body, his latest wife,who would be First Lady, poses sans clothing in various racy glossies, and has used questionable business practices to bilk people out of their personal wealth. He claims to read the Bible every day and we believe him? What Bible? The Hugh Hefner version?

 

It is increasingly clear to me that people cannot believe the things they say they believe and support this man. It’s more a desire to follow the crowd like kids hopping on the Gronk Party boat to be part of the “in group”. Once again, it’s not about truth. It’s about hope and change!

Update: New information has surfaced that shows Trump preferred to use foreign workers rather than pay American workers to build his Florida hotels and Trump Towers.

Update: David Duke, former KKK Grand Wizard, has come out to publicly support Trump.

 

 

Feb 12 2016

LePage Administration to Preserve Access to Public Land in the Katahdin Area

 

 

LePage Administration to Preserve Access to Public Land in the Katahdin Area

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage announced today the Bureau of Parks and Lands has taken initial steps to preserve the State’s access to roughly 2,500 acres of publicly held land that is threatened by efforts to create a National Park / National Monument in the Millinocket area.

For years, the Quimby family has worked to impose a National Park on the residents of Northern Maine. When this proposal was voted on by local citizens, it was roundly rejected. Undeterred by the will of the people, Quimby’s effort continues to march forward.

“Despite lack of local support and lack of support from members of Maine’s Congressional delegation, this proposal has now changed direction,” said Governor LePage. “Through the use of high-paid lobbyists in Washington, D.C., the Quimby family has focused its efforts on lobbying the Obama Administration, seeking to have the President use sweeping authority granted to him under the Antiquities Act to unilaterally designate this area a National Monument.”

Given this threat of federal takeover, the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry today commenced efforts to re-establish access to Public Reserved Land surrounded by the Quimby property. The State has clearly established legal crossing rights to access the public’s land.

Despite these crossing rights, roads to the State’s land have been blocked and bridges have been removed. The Department, however, intends to re-establish its crossing rights and harvest timber on the public’s land, once these roads are rebuilt.

“The time is right to clearly re-establish the public’s legal rights,” said Governor LePage.