Maine Insurance

It takes a few weeks before shaking mental fogginess created by spending nearly four months, just Augusta being “short session” of the 123 Legislature. Haziness Given that lifts the human spirit, to commence, and on carrying out with clarity the dramatic differences in opinion, concepts and perspectives between the majority and minority parties in Augusta.

The fact is that there are differences between Democrats radicals, running, which show, and Republicans, who are currently in the minority and the ranks behind. This distinction is rarely recognized or reported in newspapers or electronic media. We are always together as a “legislator”. Let me cite some examples.

It is not known, that the State Republican fought in the House of Representatives of Commons to require the identification of voters, before throwing a ballot. The very principles of our democracy when people lose confidence in the safety and reliability of our electoral process. Our bill, LD 1783, asked that people are identified before the vote, usually a driver’s license - a common practice among States to reduce the risk of electoral fraud.

Republicans have been precipitated by the Democrats this same theme. We lost, but we’ll try again, because the U.S. Supreme Court decided 6-3 on April 28, which states including within their rights to request a photo ID for voting. In this case, the High Court upheld Indiana, a law similar to Bill, we have proposed.

The approach of the budget in the spring of this year shows probably the biggest differences between the parties. The objective was to fix a refund of $ 190 million hole in the budget as revenue fell projections. Republican proposed structural reforms of the system to produce economies of today and tomorrow. — Democrats have benefited from their pocket players usual financial towers hand-in-a balance between expenditure budget and significantly reduce the drain current account operating money for other purposes and services.

On another issue, I stood on the floor of the house and proposed a modification of Maine to limit welfare benefits over five years, as the federal government. This simple common sense measure was defeated by a party-line vote.

I was recently asked people in my district, why the legislature has voted to more than two times higher than the tax on beer and wine, you create a new tax on water and soda syrup, “Borrow” $ 3.6 million the General Fund, a new tax on insurance pays the fee and $ 5 million fund for health Maine - all for the Dirigo health program solvent. This Deal - to increase taxes by more than 50 million dollars a year - was eleventh hour of the creation of Democrats. It pushes the legislature, without a public consultation on a party line vote strict. I have nothing to do with this bill, but I am sullied by their taxes increase, because public opinion was done dirty “legislature”.

Republicans fought very hard to introduce market reform health insurance and back in Maine, like most other countries to settle their insurance markets, which often results in insurance premiums in half that Mainers pay. House Democrats killed all the main reform efforts and serious decided instead of the Dirigo program, he failed to lugubrement achieve their goals.

I suggested that Mainers should have the right to acquire businesses health insurance, in another New England and Mid-Atlantic States, as long as it fulfils the same reservations mandatory insurance as backing in Maine. Such an approach could help save people of Maine sparks serious money and more competition. But the majority did not party.

There were some important issues, where the voting rights of the law on the employer not to fall along the lines. The school has been a subject of consolidation of the debacle divided rural and nonrural Maine. And building the prison has remained independent. The big question of tax reform has been expanded and discussed during the year 2007, but the majority Democrats could never piece of a plan acceptable practice that voters or the economy.