Ray calls out the individual "good people doing bad things" in the Maine legislature who, in the middle of the night with no oversight, voted for the $70 million Dirigo tax increase.
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About Me
- Ray Richardson
- I live in Westbrook with my wonderful wife Dee Dee and our four children. We have been residents of Maine for a little over 22 years, moving here from Florida in 1985.
9 comments:
Let's see. You fault the legislature for not working hard enough. Then you get upset when they work overtime and go late into the night.
Do you believe your regular fans either can't read or do not have the inclination to look up the names, or were you just trying to chew up time reading the list today.
Also, I realize you would rather have callers that agree with you and pat you on the back, but the way you and Ted just shouted down the one caller this morning that questioned you was pretty typical of talk radio hosts left or right.
I predict "You all" will not be successful in November with this referendum.
Dirigo Health is worth funding until the feds come up with Single payer national health and disability.
That flavored water is a big scam anyway, it should be taxed.
How about a toll booth on the bridge to Mt Desert and Acadia?
Obama 08
Bruce,
I did not shout down anyone, I told the caller he was wrong. I was talking about DIRIGO, he was talking about Medicaid.
Defunding DIRIGO would not throw Maine's elderly out into the street from their nursing homes. Only an uninformed individual or a plant who was seeking to inject fear into Maine's elderly would have told such a lie on the air.
I read the names of the Legislators because Maine people need to know who tells them the truth when they run for office and who lies to them when they run for office.
Countless Legislators said they would bring tax relief. I have all their promises in writing, quotes from newspapers, after the election.
You can give them a pass Bruce, all you want. They need people like you who will not challenge them, who will not hold them accountable and who will not question why their ideas are failing.
Without people like you, liberals could not get elected.
You must be tops on Hannah Pingree's and Libby Mitchell's Christmas card list.
Keeping drinking the kool-aid my friend. Thinking like yours is needed to create balance in the world. If everyone used the common sense God gave them, we would not have issues and therefore would not need politicans.
At least you keep it interesting.
Ray
Thank you,
It seems Portland has more of us. It was interesting to note in yesterday's less than 10% voter turnout, the budget passed by a 2-1 margin. Must be those pesky elite majority liberal democrats.
Also interestingly, this vote was a brainchild of the conervative members of our legislature ( your guys) because they did not trust the elected school boards to follow the wishes of the people.
So, the extra expense of a popular vote. It's only mandated for 3 years though.
Perception is everything and it looked to me like you were cutting him off from debate.We liberals can look stuff up ourselves, we do not need it read to us.
You all never did tell me how you figure a group can be elite and a majority at the same time.
I only do this in an effort to hopefully make you see the light and come out from the dark side. I am worried you are going to pop a blood vessel when you get so excited on the show.
MY conservative buddy Frank wanted me to say hi to you.
PS
I canot believe I am saying this ,but I agree with W that it is not a good thing to stop adding to our "strategic" oil reserves.
All the politicians on both sides are just doing election year pandering.
But as flawed as our system may be, it is better than most alternatives.
Obama08
help is on the way
Hi it's me again one of the "elite majority"
This in today's PPH
about how the media is not doing a good job on the issue
It's a little long for your faithful, but i thought it was worth passing on
Here are five examples of how journalistic accuracy was undermined:
First, none of the articles, including an article in this paper entitled "Drink tax repeal drive weighed," noted that 100 percent of Maine brewers are exempt from the beer tax.
In fact, revenue for Maine brewers will increase because big-volume multinational brewers from out of state will be subject to slightly more tax. This means increased purchases of Maine-brewed beers.
In four articles we did not hear anything like this quote from Fred Forsley of Shipyard, Maine's largest brewer: "We appreciate the fact the Legislature and the governor understands the benefit the brewing industry brings to the state. If Maine brewers can keep growing, it will have a positive impact."
A fifth article, written by reporter Matt Wickenheiser of this paper, did include this key information.
Second, not one article reported on studies showing the effect of beer taxes. The "law of beer inertia" holds that adults who buy beer tend to continue to buy beer. However, studies show that higher taxes do deter a key group of people from drinking: minors -- precisely the group that society wants to dissuade from consuming alcohol.
Third, none of the articles mentioned societal costs imposed on Mainers by the overconsumption of soda.
Studies indicate soda is the single biggest driver in increased calories ingested by children and youth. Soda is a frill with zero nutritional value but, studies show, dangerous health consequences, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Fourth, one soda lobbyist said the soda tax applies to all soft drink beverages except "plain water and 100 percent juice." False. Soft drinks with 10 percent or more juice are exempt. Sadly, this lobbyist-created "fact" was printed in an article that was reprinted in several papers.
Fifth, these articles reprinted lobbyist assertions that the taxes on beer, wine and soda were a last-minute proposal.
False. Indeed, as Gordon Smith, executive director of the Maine Medical Association, has pointed out, a blue-ribbon Dirigo commission made these proposals almost two years ago. They were thoroughly and publicly discussed.
Yet the lobbyist's assertion that this was a last-minute proposal is widely believed (because newspapers printed the false assertion widely).
Did any reporter talk with experts about the negative fiscal impact of frill items (soda and alcohol) on our pocketbooks? How these taxes decrease youth consumption? Did they double check incorrect statements -- from lobbyists! -- about the language in the law? Sadly, no.
We hope journalism and media professors will seize this issue and lead a statewide discussion about why Maine reporters failed to incorporate key information from public health advocates, consumer advocates and health cost experts while trumpeting assertions of paid lobbyists.
We can differ about Dirigo, but newspapers have an obligation to report accurately and check the assertions of lobbyists.
Bruce,
I read from the article on the air.
It is not even factual.
Faircloth made statements in this piece that have no factual basis.
Soda consumption in Maine is down 11% since 2000.
More drivel, attempting to fool the masses that are working too hard to make ends meet and do not have the time or the stamina to refute this drivel.
If you heard my comments this morning, I did not bemoan the low turnout. The people made a choice. Some made the choice, actually a lot made the choice not to vote. Why? Probably a variety of reasons, but I will not be a hypcrite on this issue. I wanted this vote, I think it is the right thing to do and I support the outcome.
The people were given the chance to have their say and I support the people, therefore, I accept the outcome.
Gotta love this Bruce guy. As a typical liberal, all he can see is ways to take money from other peoples pockets and then justify it. I work with libs all day. Beyond raising taxes, they have never had an original idea yet. I like to ask them whether they are going with "the liar and cryer" or the "audacious racist". Guess Bruce is going with the racist.
In any case, Ray, how do I get a
people's veto petition? I have written emails to you twice, but have received no replies. Thanks.
Skowtown,
Keep bugging Ray, I am sure he has a lot of those petitions to get out.
Gotta get those ratings up.
"audacious racist" ?
Where did you hear that from me.
At least liberals have "ideas" and questions. We don't just sit back and rant like the right wing who only want the govt. to do things that directly benefit them.
Have you had kids in the public school system?
Ray, help. I heard you read the names of the people who voted for the beverage tax, but I cant find it...can you hellp? thanks
This is an excerpt from Bangor Daily news today from Dr. Erik Steele. I know you will love it.
Mainers in November will reject your side on this isssue Ray.
"The new taxes apparently amount to 3 cents per can of beer in a six-pack, 7 cents on a bottle of wine, and 7 cents on a 20-ounce can of soda. Think of it this way: That’s not a tax you are paying, that’s a mammogram you just helped give someone. If you’re willing to do that, then a few cents a drink might go down a lot easier than 18,000 people without health insurance. That is especially true when you consider that people without health insurance die younger, are less likely to get their diabetes and high blood pressure cared for, and are less likely to survive cancer. You might think this is about beer, soda and taxes, but it is really, in some cases, about life and death"
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