Maine’s Economy Distressed Community Index Highlights Administration’s Failure to Provide for Rural Mainers A recent study by the Economic Innovation Group (EIG) reveals that 52,000 Mainers live in distressed communities and demonstrates the extent of the LePage administration’s failed economic […] James Myall Posted March 8, 2016 Tags Economic Security, Economy, Poverty, Recession
Health Care Mary Mayhew’s misinformation campaign contradicts reality, experts on the front lines of Maine’s opioid epidemic When 31 states (plus the District of Columbia) have accepted federal funding to expand Medicaid, and two more states are in discussion to do so, the LePage […] James Myall Posted March 7, 2016 Tags Health Care, Medicaid
Taxes and Budget Testimony in Opposition to 1622 "An Act to Eliminate the Maine Estate Tax" “Eliminating the estate tax will generate a nearly $18 million give away to fewer than 60 of the wealthiest families owning property in Maine each year. These are […] James Myall Posted March 3, 2016 Tags Estate Tax
Maine’s Economy, Taxes and Budget MHPC “Piglet Book” ignores administration mismanagement and misses the real scandal: millions of lost and rejected federal funds “Weeding out authentic waste, fraud, and abuse is a laudable goal, but to overlook hundreds of millions of dollars in lost federal funds, as the MHPC report […] James Myall Posted February 8, 2016 Tags Budget, Economy, Taxes
Jobs and Income Latest employment figures paint a poor picture for Maine’s economy in 2015 and beyond The latest figures released by the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reinforce a persistent trend for Maine’s economy. The state continues to struggle to recover from […] James Myall Posted January 26, 2016 Tags Jobs, Recession, Unemployment
Taxes and Budget Why state lottery odds are never in Mainers’ favor It’s hard to imagine a tax that people would line up to pay; a tax so enticing it would be the topic of conversation week after week. […] James Myall Posted January 19, 2016 Tags Budget, Taxes
Maine’s Economy Governor LePage ignores the value of land conservation to Maine’s economy Gov. LePage recently announced that he will belatedly sign off on multiple voter approved bond issues for the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program, but he remains […] James Myall Posted December 21, 2015 Tags Bonds, Economy
Maine’s Economy Governor LePage ignores the value of land conservation to Maine’s economy Gov. LePage recently announced that he will belatedly sign off on multiple voter approved bond issues for the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program, but he remains […] James Myall Posted December 21, 2015 Tags Property Tax
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy Maine’s Lower Unemployment Rate Not Necessarily Good News State Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette today released the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) statewide workforce estimates for November. The headline touts a drop in unemployment […] James Myall Posted December 18, 2015 Tags Economy, Jobs, Unemployment