Ethan: I have to say, I think the Democrats’ move to tie Gov. Paul LePage’s hospital payment plan with a demand that he agree to expand health care coverage is brilliant. Win-win for both sides. Phil: We were definitely politically … Continue reading
Democrats are tying the hospital payment plan to health care expansion. Governor Paul LePage is calling the move ”criminal.” Was this a good move on the Democrats part? Is LePage right to call them out? Governor LePage is also sponsoring a bill to limit food … Continue reading
The Maine State Employees Association is asking for a meeting with Governor Paul LePage to discuss what plans there are for a possible partial shutdown of State Government, if a new 2-year budget can’t be arrived at by July 1, … Continue reading
Yes, yes, I know. The criteria Gov. Paul LePage released for grading our schools last week was very problematic. Using mostly one test from one day in one year to judge an entire educational experience is absolutely crazy. Penalizing failing … Continue reading
Ethan: As two folks who embody the importance of bipartisanship, let’s have a discussion about the Maine Legislature’s “Gang of 11” plan to reform our tax code? The gang is made up of five Republicans, five Democrats and one independent. … Continue reading
A bill to allow fishing boats to bring their lobster by-catch on shore for sale was defeated. The same week, a right-to-work bill allowing business to hire non-union employees into a union shop was defeated. Were these bills good or bad … Continue reading
This week Governor LePage will be rolling out his grades for schools across the state of Maine. Is this smart? Will it be fair? How will schools react? How should they react? Our political analysts Phil Harriman and Ethan Strimling … Continue reading
In the wake of the Governor’s meeting with unemployment judges, three investigations have now been initiated; one by the Governor, one by the legislature, and one by the federal government. Perhaps this is an indication of the potential problem the … Continue reading
Democrats rolled out a series of tax increases on tourists and the wealthy to balance the budget this week. From their perspective, if the LePage budget goes through, property taxes will go up. LePage wants the municipalities to absorb the … Continue reading
Phil: Immigration, guns and welfare benefits seemed to meld into one discussion in the aftermath of the terrorists attack in Boston. Do you think it’s time to amend the Constitution to address these matters? Ethan: Not sure where welfare benefits enter … Continue reading
