Tag Archives: Maine politics

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 26 2016

Poliquin Votes to Protect Second Amendment Rights, Access to Public Lands

Poliquin Votes to Protect Second Amendment Rights, Access to Public Lands

Poliquin safeguards rights to our public lands and firearms

 

WASHINGTON – Today, Maine’s Second District Congressman, Bruce Poliquin, voted for the bipartisan SHARE Act, which will protect access to public lands and safeguard law-abiding citizens’ Second Amendment rights. Congressman Poliquin released the following statement:

 

“As an outdoorsman, proud gun owner, and member of the Congressional Sportsmen Caucus, one of my priorities in Congress is to protect our outdoors and public lands and to ensure that they can be enjoyed by all and for generations of Mainers to come,” said Congressman Poliquin. “That is why I voted in support of this legislation, which will protect our use of public lands from intrusive federal agencies and will safeguard our Second Amendment rights.”

 

“As Maine’s Second District Congressman, I know how important it is to protect our sportsman tradition in Maine. In Congress, I will continue to support our citizens’ rights to using our land responsibly. I will also always stand firmly against any attack on our Second Amendment rights.”

 

The SHARE Act is a bipartisan bill that contains several key provisions to protect our fishers, hunters and outdoorsmen and women and their rights. This bill removes intrusive regulations from federal agencies, greatly increases the opportunities for Mainers to use federal lands recreationally, and puts in place safeguards to protect law-abiding citizens’ Second Amendment rights.

Feb 25 2016

BREAKING: Poliquin Requests Meeting with White House on Potential National Monument Designation

BREAKING: Poliquin Requests Meeting with White House on Potential National Monument Designation

Congressman Poliquin sends letter to White House emphasizing the importance of hearing from local residents, local employers and local stake holders

 

WASHINGTON – Today, Maine’s Second District Congressman, Bruce Poliquin, sent a letter to the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Managing Director Christy Goldfuss requesting a meeting to discuss the White House’s potential unilateral designation of nearly 100,000 acres in the Katahdin region as a national monument. CEQ is the office within the White House that makes recommendations to the President about national monument designations.

 

In his letter to the White House, Congressman Poliquin writes:

 

“I am requesting this meeting because I fear that the voices of the local residents— my constituents— are not being heard at the White House, leaving only the current land owners and their Washington lobbyists the opportunity to make their case for a national monument designation in Maine’s Katahdin region.

 

“You may be aware that Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and I sent a letter to President Obama on November 20, 2015 urging him against designating a national monument in Maine. Recognizing that the President has the legal authority to unilaterally bypass the legislative process, our letter urged the President to incorporate nine conditions to any monument designation on the land in question if he should choose to sidestep the Congressional process and act alone.

 

“Of the nine conditions we outlined in our letter, we asked the President to consider selecting the U.S. Forest Service as the agency to oversee any monument designation of this land. It came as a surprise that the Director of the National Park Service responded on behalf of the President more than two months after we sent our original letter.

 

“It is important for the White House to hear from the local residents, employers, and stake holders on this issue.  Just this past summer, two of the local towns overwhelming voted to oppose a national park in the region– the Town of Medway voted 71% opposed, and the Town of East Millinocket voted 76% opposed.   These landslide votes in opposition are especially noteworthy when considering that special interest groups in support of a national park—and now a national monument—engineered a massive and expensive campaign to drive up support.”

 

Earlier this month, Congressman Poliquin, along with Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, received a response to their letter to President Obama on the prospect of a national monument designation in the Northern Maine region.  The President’s response came from National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis.

 

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The following is the full text of Congressman Poliquin’s letter to the White House:

 

February 25, 2016

 

Ms. Christy Goldfuss

Managing Director

White House Council on Environmental Quality

722 Jackson Place NW,

Washington, D.C. 20506

 

Dear Ms. Goldfuss,

 

I respectfully request a meeting with you to discuss the White House’s potential designation of nearly 100,000 acres in the district I proudly represent in the United States House of Representatives, Maine’s Second Congressional District.

 

I am requesting this meeting because I fear that the voices of the local residents— my constituents— are not being heard at the White House, leaving only the current land owners and their Washington lobbyists the opportunity to make their case for a national monument designation in Maine’s Katahdin region.

 

You may be aware that Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and I sent a letter to President Obama on November 20, 2015 urging him against designating a national monument in Maine.

Recognizing that the President has the legal authority to unilaterally bypass the legislative process, our letter urged the President to incorporate nine conditions to any monument designation on the land in question if he should choose to sidestep the Congressional process and act alone.

 

The President did not respond to our letter, but instead I received a letter on his behalf from National Park Director John Jarvis earlier this month.

 

Of the nine conditions we outlined in our letter, we asked the President to consider selecting the U.S. Forest Service as the agency to oversee any monument designation of this land. It came as a surprise that the Director of the National Park Service responded on behalf of the President more than two months after we sent our original letter.

 

It is important for the White House to hear from the local residents, employers, and stake holders on this issue.  Just this past summer, two of the local towns overwhelming voted to oppose a national park in the region– the Town of Medway voted 71% opposed, and the Town of East Millinocket voted 76% opposed.   These landslide votes in opposition are especially noteworthy when considering that special interest groups in support of a national park—and now a national monument— engineered a massive and expensive campaign to drive up support.

 

Immediately following the vote, the park proponents and their lobbyists emphasized that voter turnout was low and thus not an accurate reflection of the local residents, but that is incorrect.  36% of eligible voters participated in these two nonbinding referendums. This is a significantly high turnout when compared to a 2013 referendum on other issues when less than 22% of eligible voters in East Millinocket and Medway participated.

 

Additionally, the park proponents and their Washington lobbyists have focused largely on a statewide telephone poll that shows 60% of Mainers support their national park proposal.  What the park proponents fail to disclose is that they paid for that poll without any consultation from our Office or the Senate Offices and that the questions asked did not include very important facts, including that much of the proposed land is owned by other private land owners who do not wish to sell.  Further, this poll asked about a proposed national park, not a unilateral national monument designation.

 

I know the President’s Administration has been accused of governing only by polls, rather than in the best interest of the American people. I hope you dissuade me, and others, of the notion that the White House is not simply governing by polls and you will eliminate any weight placed on any unverified private poll which was not conducted by or on behalf of the U.S. Government.  The two official votes in Medway and East Millinocket reflect the voices of those who actually live in the Katahdin region and should be given great weight.

 

Thank you for your time and consideration of my meeting request.  My scheduler, Carmen Fuentes, can be reached at (202)225-6306 or carmen.fuentes@mail.house.gov.  I will make myself available at your convenience so that we can discuss this important matter that would have long lasting effects on my constituents in Maine’s Second Congressional District.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Bruce Poliquin

Member of Congress

 

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Click HERE to see a PDF version of Congressman Poliquin’s letter to the White House.

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.