Behind Blue Lines

Thank You, Lewiston Sun Journal

Crocker — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:44:58 +0000

Yesterday, the Lewiston Sun Journal endorsed TABOR. We’re grateful and appreciate the support from a respected Maine broadsheet. The key graf for us is the conclusion: Blame the economic downturn for this. But also blame the lack of foresight by policymakers in restraining spending during boom times. For years, the message has been clearly [...]

Citizens Unified for Maine’s Future and the SEIU’s Future

Crocker — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:10:42 +0000

In a prior post, we noted that the PAC opposing Question 4-TABOR calls itself “Citizens Unified for Maine’s Future” (CUMF). We also noted that CUMF is pure astroturf, comprised of unions and non-profit groups with their hands in all of our pockets. In fact, the one thing that unites the disparate groups in CUMF is [...]

Maine Equal Justice Partners: TABOR No, Legal Fees Yes

Crocker — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:00:54 +0000

On Monday, October 5, Maine Equal Justice Partners (MEJP) jumped into the fight against Maine’s taxpayers. Sara Gagne-Holmes, MEJP’s executive director, announced that the organization “is joining the growing group of organizations, businesses, and labor unions against Question 4 by launching an online video series that highlights the potential harm created by TABOR II for [...]

Citizens Unified for Maine’s Future: Made of the Finest Astroturf

Crocker — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:12:19 +0000

The Maine Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) is not opposed by the taxpayers. It’s opposed, rather, by a coalition of unions, leftist non-profit groups and larger businesses. And guess what they all have in common? Their revenue derives, directly or indirectly, from the very same taxpayers they oppose. What a surprise. These anti-taxpayer [...]

TABOR Opponents Before the Maine Ethics Commission: the Judgment

Crocker — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:22:04 +0000

In prior posts, I discussed how the Maine Ethics Commission found several TABOR opponent organizations in violation of Maine election law. A copy of the Commission’s ruling is here. Attached also is a copy of my prepared remarks before the Commission. I tried to strike a constructive note – which is more than I [...]

Maine Education Association: TABOR Proponents Are “Pests”

Crocker — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:41:54 +0000

Did you know that people who want to help Maine’s long-suffering taxpayers are “pests”, akin to a plague of mosquitoes? That’s what the Maine Education Association says in its anti-Question 4 advertising. The MEA was out in force this weekend, ritually denouncing TABOR as the devil’s work that will devastate our schools. For the [...]

Kristi Hargrove: Home of the Whopper

Crocker — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:26:57 +0000

Anti-taxpayers groups are deep into the retreads. It’s all they’ve got. And no retread campaign would be complete without Colorado-basher Kristi Hargrove. It was nice to see Kristi back in Maine for another go at the taxpayers. Yesterday she attended a “rally” in Portland sponsored by Planned Parenthood and an organization called the “Maine Women’s [...]

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Holding Taxpayers’ Heads Under Water in 28 States

Crocker — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:41:05 +0000

In my last post, I discussed TABOR Now’s ethics complaint against several opponent organizations, including our old friend, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. As you’ll recall, CBPP is the group that leftists call whenever taxpayers anywhere try to relieve themselves of the burdens heaped on them by every special interest pleader with outstretched [...]

TABOR Opponents Before the Maine Ethics Commission

Crocker — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:10:58 +0000

On August 27, 2009, the Maine TABOR Now campaign filed a complaint with the Maine Ethics Commission against four organizations coordinating to defeat TABOR in Maine. These groups are (1) the Maine Center for Economic Policy, (2) the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, (3) the Maine People’s Alliance, and (4) Maine Can Do [...]

Maine: Senate President, House Speaker Yet to Comply with Request for Public Information

Crocker — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:37:15 +0000

The following is a press release from the Maine Taxpayer Bill of Rights campaign (TABORNOW), issued today to the media. AUGUSTA – The chairmen of two citizen initiative campaigns on the November ballot have filed requests for public information under Maine’s Freedom of Information Act for all documentation and communications related to the Legislature’s consideration [...]

Iris Lav and the Immunization “Lavism”

Crocker — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:22:58 +0000

We talked in the previous post about “Lavisms” – persistent misrepresentations made by anti-taxpayer hit-woman Iris Lav of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Here’s another Lavism and it’s a beaut: that kids in Colorado don’t get their childhood immunization because of TABOR. Yes, she actually maintains that kids don’t get their [...]

Iris Lav: Maine, TABOR and the Infrastructure “Lavism”

Crocker — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:04:03 +0000

As I discussed in my previous post, Iris Lav of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is the designated TABOR hit-woman, just like 2006. In fact, whenever taxpayers get out of line anywhere in the country, there you’ll find Iris Lav to beat them back into line. Ms. Lav has produced a video for [...]

Iris Lav: Against Prosperity and Maine’s Taxpayers

Crocker — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:22:29 +0000

Because TABOR opponents lack originality, they tend to repeat the same tired stuff without enthusiasm. The bag of tricks this time is the same as 2006. In fact, it’s the same robotic opposition to TABOR we’ve seen in Colorado and now, again, in Maine. The talking points are basic and just as lame as [...]

Welcome American Thinker Readers

Crocker — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:56:32 +0000

Welcome to the readers referred from J. Robert Smith’s American Thinker article on liberalism. It’s gratifying to be linked by Mr. Smith and AT and we hope visitors will take the time to explore Behind Blue Lines. We like to think of ourselves as brainy yet playful and we’re sure there’s something both [...]

Forbes Magazine: Colorado is an Economic Powerhouse

Crocker — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:32:14 +0000

As we noted in a press release today, Forbes Magazine has recognized Colorado for the economic powerhouse it’s become. In overall business climate, Colorado ranks 4th. Much more eye-popping, however, are Colorado’s prospects for growth and prosperity: an incredible 2nd, up from 4th in the most recent survey. And this in the [...]

Three Cheers for the Maine Merchants Association

Crocker — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:23:05 +0000

All of us working in the TABOR campaign are greatly pleased and grateful to the Maine Merchants Association for throwing their support behind TABORNOW. It’s especially gratifying that they did so after careful consideration and debate. Main street merchants are far less in thrall to state government than their colleagues in the State Chamber and [...]

Coloradans Hate Tabor? – Part II

Crocker — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:35:32 +0000

Did you know that Colorado Springs has two TABORs? They do. By the early 1990s, spending and taxation were out of control in Colorado, much like Maine today. While the state adopted TABOR in 1992, Colorado Springs was out ahead of the rest of the state and adopted its own TABOR in 1991. After the [...]

Coloradans Hate TABOR – Don’t They?

Crocker — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:30:38 +0000

Our opponents – all with their hands in our pockets – insist that Coloradans are unhappy with TABOR and just want to be rid of it. They seek to create the impression that there’s a groundswell of opposition to it. After all, didn’t Coloradans “suspend TABOR for five years”? And TABOR is [...]

Maine TABOR: A Future for Our Kids and Grandkids

Crocker — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:25:10 +0000

On the campaign trail, I frequently observe that TABOR isn’t about the obscure details of taxation and budgeting. Not at all. At its most basic, TABOR is about our children and grandchildren and their ability to live and work and raise their families in Maine. That’s not happening now because our young people are fleeing [...]

Why Does Education in Maine Cost So Much?

Crocker — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:52:14 +0000

In a press release today, we commented on the proposal by Education Commissioner Susan Gendron to shortchange our kid’s classroom time rather than freeze salaries or reduce unnecessary positions in Maine schools. Yet, according to the Maine Development Foundation, as the number of children in our schools has gone down, the number of employees in our [...]