Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Nebraska, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, oppose the proposal in its current form and want to slash what they say is wasteful spending from the bill so moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats can vote for it.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Collins Wants to Scrub Stimulus Bill
(CNN) — President Obama’s hopes of passing a massive economic stimulus bill next week in the Senate could hinge on the efforts of a bipartisan pair of centrist senators.
AP: Stimulus bill not all that stimulating
WASHINGTON — They call it "stimulus" legislation, but the economic measures racing through Congress would devote tens of billions of dollars to causes that have little to do with jolting the country out of recession.
Read Article
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Cutting excise tax: Could it backfire? | Portland Press Herald
Editor: I found it interesting that according to Maine Municipal Association excise tax only represents 10% of municipal revenue. Obviously that is generalization, but there will be plenty of "fear" spread over this idea in coming months and this is good to keep in mind.
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=235317&ac=PHnws&pg=1
Maine Unemployment Hits 7%
From Maine Biz:
The Maine Department of Labor this morning said that Maine's unemployment rate increased to 7% in December, up from 6.3% in November and 4.9% in December 2007.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Pitts: Limbaugh's comment says quite a lot about Limbaugh
(Editor: Pitts is a good writer that I enjoy sometimes. He is commenting on Rush Limbaugh's saying that he hopes President Obama fails. We can all disagree on policy, but in these times we need to hope that our president, and by extension our country, is successful. The failure will be ours, not just Obama's.)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
LSJ: Battle simmers over auto tax
If the secretary of state verifies the signatures, the Legislature will be forced to either enact the proposal or send it to referendum. Supporters and opponents agree a statewide vote is more likely, meaning Mainers could soon have the power to reduce auto excise by 50 percent for the first five years a vehicle is registered.Lewiston Sun Journal Article
Friday, January 23, 2009
Mark McGwire's Brother Rats Him Out In Book
(Editor Note: With Family like this, who needs enemies?)
NEW YORK (AP) - Mark McGwire's youngest brother says in a book proposal that he injected the former baseball star with steroids, according to Deadspin.com.
Jay McGwire is circulating a manuscript titled "The McGwire Family Secret: The Truth about Steroids, a slugger and Ultimate Redemption," the Web site reported Wednesday. Jay McGwire, a body builder, said his brother started using steroids in 1994 and that he injected Mark with Deca-Durabolin.
"Mark is a man I think most would like to forgive because his reason wasn't nefarious - it was for survival," the proposal says, according to the Web site. "My bringing the truth to surface about Mark is out of love. I want Mark to live in truth to see the light, to come to repentance so he can live in freedom - which is the only way to live."
Jay McGwire, who says he has a strained relationship with his brother, could not be reached for comment Thursday. Telephone numbers for his home and fitness center in California were disconnected.
Mark McGwire repeatedly has denied using illegal performance-enhancing drugs. When he testified under oath before Congress in 2005, however, he wouldn't discuss whether he did.
"Who knows what might have happened if I didn't get Mark involved with all the training, supplements, the right foods, steroids, and HGH?" the Web site quoted Jay McGwire as writing. "He would not have broken any records, and the congressional hearings would have gone on without him. Maybe Barry Bonds wouldn't have ever gotten involved with the stuff, either."
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Bush Commutes Sentences for Two Former Border Patrol Agents | Political News - FOXNews.com
(Editor: Amen. It is about time Bush did something about this.)
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/19/bush-commutes-sentences-border-patrol-agents/
Stetson Wind Farm Ready
(Editor Note: Some good news to start the week off. Keep the wind farms coming....)
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A wind-energy project that will produce the equivalent power needs of 23,500 homes officially goes on line this week when Gov. John Baldacci attends an opening ceremony for the 57-megawatt project in Stetson.
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A wind-energy project that will produce the equivalent power needs of 23,500 homes officially goes on line this week when Gov. John Baldacci attends an opening ceremony for the 57-megawatt project in Stetson.
The 38-turbine wind farm along Stetson Mountain’s long, low ridgeline of 600 to 1,200 feet is the second in the state completed by First Wind, whose Mars Hill project has been until now New England’s largest commercial wind power project. Together, they will produce just under 100 megawatts of power.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Dwight: State's crash diet
Gov. John Baldacci's administration recently announced budget cuts and reorganizations by effectively saying, "I'm going on a diet. I'm going to order less food!"
Diet and exercise experts across the state (AKA fiscal conservatives), praised the effort as finally getting "serious." But, they noted that it came as a result Maine's economy being unable to provide the selections previously available, not because the governor decided to order less.
Sun Journal - January 18, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Maine Union: Raise Taxes, don't cut state jobs
Bruce Hodson, President of the Maine State Employees Association to Appropriations Committee:
"This is a time when we should all share in the recovery, even if that means raising revenue from those who can afford it," he said. "What our state cannot afford is to increase the number of unemployed Maine taxpayers."
Link: http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/blogs/politics/037905.html#comments
"This is a time when we should all share in the recovery, even if that means raising revenue from those who can afford it," he said. "What our state cannot afford is to increase the number of unemployed Maine taxpayers."
Link: http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/blogs/politics/037905.html#comments
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