On this Monday, I decided to get a couple items off my chest. But first, my Fearless Friend and Mrs. FF arrived back in Maine after spending the last three months or so in Florida. They own a home down there and it is very near to the Major League Baseball training grounds. Both like baseball so take in several spring training games. Spring training ended so they came home.
Welcome home to Maine, my good friends.
Now, here are my random thoughts from the weekend:
>>>We’re now less than two months away from the June primaries. One of the issues facing me is the selection of which Republican we want to face the eventual Democrat nominee in November in the race for governor. John Baldacci is term-limited out so no matter who wins, we will have a new governor. My interest right now lies in the Republican side of the ticket.
There are seven contenders and some of them seem to be pretty close in ideology. As of this day I’m still in the undecided column, although I have eliminated at least three of the contenders from getting my vote. I may have eliminated another one yesterday as the candidate being interviewed by Pat Callahan on WCSH impressed me not at all.
I do have a tentative preference order of the remaining three, but I still need to do a lot of reading and listening before I narrow them down. I do think my preference will be a candidate who has not been widely involved in state political actions as those who have seemed to be too stuck in many of the problems that face us.
>>>Before this day is over, we should know the fate of the Democrat sponsored bond package being proposed for Maine. The package, which includes buying railroad lines in Northern Maine, and other transportation plans, has passed the House of Representatives but stalled out last week in the State Senate.
I believe it should have been killed outright. Wasn’t it just a year ago the Democrats promised that if Republicans would go along with last year’s bonding package, which included a portion being decided in June this year, no new one would be put forth? They put forth two new ones this year, but consolidated them into one. In my world, a deal is a deal; and if my memory is correct, one group demonstrated once again it lies and cannot be trusted. But then I’m in my mid-70s so my memory could be faulty.
I can’t understand why the State should buy railroad lines whose owners are going to abandon because they are not profitable. If this bond passes, we will be stuck with maintaining those lines for generations to come.
>>>Republicans who successfully created a People’s Veto campaign to put a Democrat shift and shaft tax “reform” package before voters seem to have lost their voices as we approach that vote. The so-called reform package lowered the top income tax rate to 6.5% but raised all lower brackets up to that percentage. It also took away all deductions, like property taxes and the myriad of other breaks, and replaced deductions with an income-dependent sliding scale of credits.
Many people believe they’ll pay less income tax, and some will. But to replace the money the Democrats included a whole long list of new items subject to the sales tax. Just wait until you see how much more in sales tax you’ll be spending. Any income tax savings will quickly be wiped out.
The proponents of the new tax have begun their campaign and are urging us to vote against what they are calling a tax increase if the repeal passes. I agree with them and also urge voters to vote against a tax increase and vote “Yes” on question one…repeal the shift and shaft plan.
>>>We have a new health reform law. And we’re learning on a daily basis about the provisions of that law and how it will affect us. How do you like the new “Hope and Change?”
>>>And finally, I saw a disturbing commercial on TV last night. It was a commercial showing a young person tied between two bungy cords. A tractor pulled her about as far as the cords would stretch and she was released from the machine. She then bounced back and forth just feet above the ground as the announcer sold his product. This was a very scary commercial and I can see young people "trying this at home" with disastrous results.
GiM
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