July 21st, 2011 by rosascarcelli
Former Marine Resources Commissioner Norman Olsen offered a peek inside the inner workings of the LePage administration yesterday when he abruptly resigned his position.
In a lengthy public statement, Olsen laid out a stinging indictment of the governor and his unwillingness to stand up to special interests, support his rhetoric with action and manage state government. Olsen went so far as to predict that the administration would cover up a report that would be unflattering to the department and some members of the fishing industry.
But there was one piece of information, if true, that demonstrates a dangerous vindictiveness on the part of the governor and an economic short-sightedness that could hurt Maine’s chances for economic recovery.
According to Olsen, LePage ordered: “No further collaboration with the City of Portland to develop measures to return our groundfish boats to Maine, despite the work already done to secure the support of visiting Commerce Department officials. Portland was against him, he said, and we will not work with that city. Rather than work with Portland, he said, we’ll build a new port somewhere.”
It sounds absurd that the governor would turn his back on the largest city and one of the economic engines … Continue reading "Punishing Portland?" »
Posted in Maine, Portland, Rosa Scarcelli, economy, fishing, government | No comments »
April 7th, 2011 by rosascarcelli
The high stakes game of chicken that’s going on in Washington is hurting our country.
Short-term continuing resolutions are no way to run government. Every few weeks, we find ourselves waiting to see if we can kick the dented can down the road just a little further.
With half the current fiscal year already over, Republicans and Democrats should stop wasting so much time and effort and pass a CR for the rest of the year, and then get busy on the real work of the next budget. The Bangor Daily has it right. http://tinyurl.com/6ah6szd
The arguments have done little to solve long-running political arguments, but have done a lot to create uncertainty. Everywhere you go, people want to know about their Social Security check, about whether their taxes will be due or processed, about whether our men and women in uniform will get paid and about a long list of other critical government services.
It’s no way to run a government or a country. But there’s no worry for Congress. Members paychecks aren’t on the line.
If Congress can’t figure out a way to do its work in … Continue reading "If gov’t shuts down, Congress should feel the sting" »
Posted in Rosa Scarcelli, economy, government | No comments »
January 7th, 2011 by rosascarcelli
As the year 2010 draws to a close, I’m struck by the major accomplishments in Washington that were made recently and seemingly all at once as the clock ran out for Congress in its current form. When it reconvenes in 2011 it will be a very different body when the new Republican majority in the House gets settled in to work, but the opportunity for impactful work will be as great (or greater) than the so-called “lame-duck” session just ended.
I say “so-called” because few saw the recent flurry of notable achievements coming. Here’s a partial list of the most newsworthy: extension of the Bush Tax cuts; repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell; ratification of the New START Treaty; and health care benefits for 9/11 responders.
The President’s compromise on the two year extension of Bush era tax cuts caused a stir among stalwarts of both parties. On balance, tax relief for the wealthy was fairly balanced against other important concessions the President obtained for millions of hard-working Americans, especially given the continued fragile state of our economic recovery. It reminds me of the old adage we have in the … Continue reading "The Year 2010" »
Posted in Rosa Scarcelli, economy, government, national security | No comments »
January 5th, 2011 by rosascarcelli
I first want to congratulate our new governor on his campaign victory and wish him the very best following today’s inauguration.
Today, he offered hope to the people of Maine and a pledge to work across party lines to bring more jobs to Maine and improve our business climate. There’s no question that he faces many challenges ahead and he’ll need the voices and efforts of both parties, independents and unenrolled to achieve the vision he outlined today.
Now comes the hard part. What specifically are the regulations he wants to eliminate? How does he intend to pay for a fifth year of high school when the state and communities are struggling to afford what we already have? Which social programs does he intend to eliminate or curtail?
Today was mostly symbolic, and it was an opportunity for the governor to introduce himself and his family to Maine voters. But the hard work starts now and we’ll all have to wait and see what’s exactly in store. I wish the governor well in working to improve the future of our great state and the lives of … Continue reading "My Thoughts on Today’s Inaugural" »
Posted in Maine, Rosa Scarcelli, government | No comments »
December 16th, 2010 by rosascarcelli
Earlier this week, a Virginia judge declared a portion of the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional, virtually guaranteeing that advocates on both sides of the issue will carry the fight over the ACA to the Supreme Court. This is essentially the same outcome of the lawsuit that Maine’s incoming attorney general would have joined to oppose the law with other states. With this latest development, Gov.-elect Paul LePage has the opportunity to change his previous position in favor of such a move, one that would unnecessarily cost Maine taxpayers time, energy and money — all too precious commodities in our current economic environment.
As economist John Maynard Keynes once famously said after taking criticism for changing his views on an issue, “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?” Now that conservatives in Virginia have successfully opened the path to the Supreme Court, the incoming LePage administration should drop its plan to join in challenging the law.
There seems little Maine can do now to affect the trajectory of the legal challenge as it makes its way through the judicial branch. Let’s instead … Continue reading "Address Insurance Problems, Not Ideology" »
Posted in Maine, Rosa Scarcelli, government, healthcare | No comments »
December 2nd, 2010 by rosascarcelli
Mere days after his victory in early November, Gov.-elect Paul LePage vowed to lead the most transparent transition process in Maine history, which in turn he said will “serve as a stepping stone to what I know will be the most transparent administration.” I enthusiastically applaud his commitment to transparency, one of the three most important principles of good governance alongside efficiency and accountability, and urge the incoming administration to make good on this pledge.
Certainly, opening the process of raising funds for the transition and inauguration of the new governor for all to see will invite both praise and scrutiny. I hope the move, largely symbolic, doesn’t stop there.
I’ve been lucky to travel all corners of the state, and what I learned from talking to people all around Maine was that regardless of which gubernatorial candidate a voter supported, their vote was in some way driven by a lack of confidence in state government.
Increasing transparency strikes me as one of the most fundamental ways to bolster public confidence in government, check corruption and promote fiscal responsibility. This idea was confirmed for me in early … Continue reading "Follow through with transparency vow" »
Posted in Maine, government | No comments »
November 18th, 2010 by rosascarcelli
Like many people in Maine, I’ve been thinking about our election system. There has been a lot of recent news coverage not just about who we elected for governor, but how we elected him. This coverage has left out any real discussion of the single best reform we could make to our state’s election system.
Attacks on the long tradition of early and absentee voting in Maine ignore the fact that the popularity of absentee voting in gubernatorial elections has significantly increased voter turnout since at least 2002. This time around, more than 140,000 people voted early or absentee. Any move to eliminate the choice and convenience of this option will restrict voter participation, counter to the core principles of our democratic system.
Likewise, the increasing attention on Instant Runoff Voting focuses on the laudable ideals behind it — primarily that the victor ought to have at least 50 percent of the vote to win and that Instant Runoff Voting reduces the motivation behind negative campaigning. I … Continue reading "Open primaries in case of democracy" »
Posted in Maine, Rosa Scarcelli, government, open primaries | No comments »
November 4th, 2010 by rosascarcelli
Regardless of our individual feelings about the outcome of Tuesday’s election, and as much as we all may be relieved that it’s now behind us, our responsibilities as citizens didn’t end with the act of voting this week.
In fact, the real work it’s going to take to put our state back on track is just beginning. The need to find ways to create more jobs that pay well, close huge structural state budget gaps, improve Maine education results and fix our crumbling roads and bridges is just as real today as it was during the campaign.
But in today’s political climate and after a hard-fought election campaign, the first great challenge we must face and overcome is to put our differences aside and work together for the good of all, not just for or against the party or candidate who won. We are in crisis, our situation is only getting worse and the people of Maine simply can’t afford to waste another minute of time or an ounce of energy on divisiveness and partisanship.
I’ve consistently maintained my faith in the … Continue reading "‘No Labels’ needed for real change" »
Posted in Maine, Rosa Scarcelli, government | No comments »
October 7th, 2010 by rosascarcelli
We simply will not be able to do the things we need to do as a country to move forward “with all the vested interests that have accrued,” columnist Tom Friedman wrote in the Oct. 2 New York Times. “They cannot think about the overall public good and the longer term anymore because both parties are trapped in short-term, zero-sum calculations,” where each one’s gains are seen as the other’s losses.
Last week marked the release of “Reinventing Maine Government,” a wide ranging and comprehensive report detailing dozens of specific actions that, in the view of the nonpartisan think tank that published it, the state must make in order to stave off impending disaster. The full report can be viewed at www.envisionmaine.org. I highly recommend it.
I want to commend yet another fine effort by thinking people in Maine looking to make meaningful changes. But anyone who’s been around the state for a while knows there are a lot of thinking people here looking to make meaningful change.
Similar to Tom Friedman’s description of our current national state of gridlock, Maine has no shortage of great … Continue reading "A new report we shouldn’t try to ignore" »
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September 23rd, 2010 by rosascarcelli
“Take it down a notch, for America.” So says one of the most, if not the most, influential voices in American politics and culture today. What does it say about the state of our discourse that today’s voice of reason comes to us from a self-described “fake news” anchor on the Comedy Central cable network?
Don’t get me wrong. I’m planning to go to Jon Stewart’s Oct. 30 “Rally to Restore Sanity” on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. As he points out, someone needs to stand up for the rest of us who, well, don’t really feel like standing up right now, thank you.
I count myself as one of those, like Stewart, who thinks it shouldn’t be just those who make the loudest noises that get heard. So allow me to lower my voice, too, and write to you in my everyday speaking tone. I hope you can hear me.
I’ll be the first to acknowledge that we in America, and in Maine, face a substantial list of critical issues that must be resolved quickly in order to put us back on track. Given … Continue reading "What do you want from your government?" »
Posted in Rosa Scarcelli, government | No comments »
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