The commander in chief of the American armed forces today forced a violation of Marine Corps regulations, so he wouldn’t get wet. According to Marine Corps regulation MCO P1020.34F of the Marine Corps Uniform Regulations chapter 3, a male Marine is not allowed to carry an umbrella while in uniform. There is no provision in the Marine Corps uniform regulation guidelines that allows a male Marine to carry an umbrella. Nevertheless, during a press conference under a light drizzle with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan this morning, President Obama allowed the First Head to be protected from the elements by an umbrella held by a male Marine corporal. (read more at The Daily Caller)
The first question for White House spokesman Jay Carney at Tuesday’s press briefing went right to the heart of the growing crisis facing President Obama: In the matters of the Benghazi terror attack, the IRS targeting conservative groups, the Justice Department going after AP phone records, “…doesn’t responsibility for setting tone, setting direction ultimately rest with the president?” That question of “where the buck stops” harkens back to another Democrat who occupied the Oval Office some 60 years ago, “Give ‘em Hell” Harry Truman but the answer is as relevant today. Benghazi may not be “Obama’s Watergate,” as Sen. Lindsay Graham has called it, but what we have is an administration that is adrift and leaking more controversy and unanswered questions every day. On Libya, a detailed examination of the record shows that the White House has had no consistent message on what happened on September 11. In fact, they changed their message from day to day — and it’s clear that the administration’s actions in the days and weeks after the Benghazi tragedy was all political maneuvering. The White House has been caught not telling the full story, and modifying the narrative for political ends. (read more at Fox News)
About a half-hour into a conference call with reporters Friday afternoon, senior Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner said something she will regret. “I’m not good at math,” she confessed as she tried to summon a statistic. Lerner clarified that she is a lawyer and not an accountant (a fair defense) but the remark instantly blew up on Twitter — an IRS official being bad at math — and wound up punctuating what was a torturous response to the IRS’ admission that it inappropriately targeted tea party groups. See: IRS targeted tea party, patriot groups for scrutiny A skeptical press corps peppered Lerner with questions, many of which she and her staff were unable or unwilling to answer. (read more at Bangor Daily News)
Gov. Paul LePage last week shared his views on education, the state budget, oil pipeline safety and other topics at a business roundtable at the Bethel Inn. About 40 people turned out for the gathering, which lasted an hour and a half. Much of the time was spent on education, and with SAD 44 Supt. Dave Murphy in the room, LePage joked that perhaps his security people should stay close. The governor was critical of current educational practices in Maine and said new approaches are needed. “The status quo is not helping our children,” he said. He said test scores have generally remained flat over the past two decades while other states have improved. A strong advocate for charter schools, LePage told those gathered, “I believe your street address should not determine what school you go to.” He cited Florida, where he said education has been improving since 1999 under changes implemented under Gov. Jeb Bush. In addition to offering charter school options, said LePage, Florida grades its schools under a letter system, an approach also utilized in Indiana. “Maine will do the same,” he said. (read more at Bethel Citizen)
WASHINGTON — Buy anything on the Internet lately without paying sales tax? In all but a few states, you’re probably a tax cheat. That’s right, even if Internet retailers don’t collect sales tax at the time of the purchase, you’re required by law to pay it in 45 states, including Maine, and the District of Columbia. Here’s the problem for states: hardly anyone pays the tax, and there’s not much states can do about it. The Senate is expected to pass a bill Monday making it easier for states to collect sales taxes for online purchases. Some of the nation’s largest retailers are rejoicing. But small-business owners who make their living selling products on the Internet worry they will be swamped by new requirements from faraway states. “It’s a huge burden for a company like ours,” said Sarah Davis, co-owner of Fashionphile.com, a California-based company that sells high-end pre-owned handbags and purses. “We don’t have an accounting department, we’ve got my father-in-law.” (read more at Kennebec Journal)
RUMFORD — Selectmen met with the Board of Assessors and their industrial appraiser Thursday night to learn how they determine the tax assessment for the NewPage paper mill. NewPage officials initially asked selectmen recently for a tax break, but were told that’s not something selectmen can do. They were told they have to apply for an abatement from the Board of Assessors. That’s why selectmen asked to meet with the assessors’ board to discuss its roles and responsibilities and how that relates to Maine’s taxation laws regarding the mill’s valuation. William Van Tuinen of Madison, the industrial appraiser who helps other towns assess paper mills and hydroelectric facilities, explained a history of types of assessments that Rumford has used in the past to determine tax amounts for these industries. Van Tuinen said determining an assessment formula for a paper mill is a bit harder than doing the same for a hydroelectric plant, because the plant’s income is not as variable due to the recent decline in natural gas prices. (read more at Lewiston Sun Journal)
Moving rail cars full of merchandise through Auburn will become a little easier when a new rail project that broke ground recently is completed later this year. The Rangeley Branch rail line restoration project will alleviate congestion on the existing rail line servicing the Maine Intermodal Transportation Facility by providing an alternative rail line for the movement and delivery of freight to area businesses. “After working on this project for over 10 years, the re-establishment of this rail line comes as welcome news,” said AVCOG executive director Bob Thompson. “The implementation of this project, opening up hundreds of acres for rail-related development, is a major step towards attracting businesses, creating jobs, and facilitating strong economic development opportunities for many years to come.” (read more at Twin City Times)
When Americans think of Maine, they often think of rocky coasts, lobster and moose. But Maine also has a long and proud tradition of military service, a legacy of world-class manufacturing, and a high percentage of personal firearm ownership. That’s why I invite manufacturers of firearms and related accessories—some of which are under siege in their home states by politicians pushing anti-gun legislation—to come to Maine. As a state that is fiercely protective of our right to bear arms, we will welcome you and your business. When a Bangor daily newspaper in February tried to get the names, addresses and dates of birth of all Mainers with concealed-firearms permits, we leapt into action, drafting and passing a bill in 48 hours to temporarily shield the personal information. Democrats joined Republicans to swiftly enact this emergency legislation. (Legislation to permanently shield the information is in committee.) (read more at Wall Street Journal)
PARIS — Fraud is not being considered as a reason the town’s books are unbalanced, reported Town Manager Amy Bernard on Monday. Last week, Bernard estimated that the town’s general ledger was off balance by $2.1 million and other town accounts were also unbalanced. “We’re not missing money,” Bernard said Monday. “This is really a bookkeeping, procedural error.” In fact, Bernard reported that the town now had more money, $348,523 to be exact, in its operating account than she had anticipated. The unexpected funds meant the town had not yet drawn down a $645,000 Tax Anticipation Note approved by the board of selectmen last month, Bernard said. (read more at Advertiser Democrat)
AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage vetoed a bill Thursday that would prohibit teens younger than age 18 from using tanning beds. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Geoffrey Gratwick, D-Bangor, a physician, pitted Democrats who portrayed it as good public health policy against Republicans who argued that it robbed parents of their rights to make decisions about their children’s lives. LePage informed legislators Thursday morning that he has vetoed LD 272, An Act to Reduce Youth Cancer Risk. “This bill does one thing: it tells Maine parents that Augusta knows better than they do when it comes to their children,” LePage wrote. “Instead of the current law that requires parents to give permission to their children tanning, this says that children are banned from it, regardless of what the parent thinks. This is government run amok. Maine parents can make the right decisions for their families.” (read more at Bangor Daily News)
The commander in chief of the American armed forces today forced a violation of Marine Corps regulations, so he wouldn’t get wet. According to Marine Corps regulation MCO P1020.34F of the Marine Corps Uniform Regulations chapter 3, a male Marine is not allowed to carry an umbrella while in uniform. There is no provision in the Marine Corps uniform regulation guidelines that allows a male Marine to carry an umbrella. Nevertheless, during a press conference under a light drizzle with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan this morning, President Obama allowed the First Head to be protected from the elements by an umbrella held by a male Marine corporal. (read more at The Daily Caller)
