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" »
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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 »
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