we are up for sale!

[luckyleftyme2]

you think your fellow mainer won't sell out to big business;well you better read this because some already have!
Maine House OKs bill based on ALEC-backed "takings" legislation
LD 1810 minority report pits corporate interest groups against middle-class taxpayers

Portland, ME - By a razor-thin margin of 74 to 72, the Maine House of Representatives voted Wednesday evening to enact the minority report on LD 1810, the so-called regulatory takings bill derived from similar legislation pushed by the controversial American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). ALEC, a conservative organization which allows corporate lobbyists to write big-business friendly model legislation and helps lawmakers pass this legislation on the state level, has been linked to several Maine bills put forth under the current legislature.

LD 1810 would create a convoluted system in which property owners could secure monetary compensation for alleged reductions in property value caused by land-use and environmental regulations. An amendment put forth in the minority report authored by Rep. Leslie Fossel (R-Alna) further increases the bill's strength and reach over regulatory affairs.

In an email to Maine's Majority, Rep. Fossel explained, "I do not now, nor have I ever had, any relationship or communication of any kind with 'ALEC.'" Nonetheless, the bill was introduced by House Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Andre Cushing (R-Hampden), Maine's most prominent ALEC member. Furthermore, the original bill and minority amendment bear a striking to 3 ALEC model bills:

•The "Regulatory Costs Fairness Act"
•The "Private Property Protection Act"
•The "Property Investment Protection Act"
"The LD 1810 minority report is nothing more than a back-door attempt to stifle regulation that would otherwise benefit the common good of Maine," said Maine's Majority director Chris Korzen. "Like most of ALEC's priorities, 'takings' legislation is designed to benefit big business at the expense of everyday people. When is the Legislature going to stop kowtowing to out-of-state corporations and start paying attention to the needs of our own families?"

ALEC is under considerable fire after it came to light that it supported "Stand Your Ground" type legislation that contributed to the death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin. To date, at least 7 major corporations - Wendy's, McDonald's, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Intuit, Kraft, PepsiCo, and Coca-Cola - have announced they have left ALEC or do not plan to renew their memberships. Last week, Maine's Majority called on Maine's Republican ALEC members to quit the organization as well.

At least 3 members of the Maine House of Representatives are known members of ALEC: Rep. Andre Cushing (R-Hampden), Rep. James M. Hamper (R-Oxford) and Rep. R. Ryan Harmon (R-Palermo). All voted in favor of the LD 1810 minority report.

A recent Maine's Majority Education Fund report detailed the full effect of ALEC - which allows large corporations to write big-business friendly bills and helps legislators advance this legislation on the state level - on Maine's political system. The report also found that corporate members of ALEC's elite private enterprise committee have poured more than $750,000 into Maine's campaign finance system in the past decade, overwhelmingly to Republican interests. The amount of ALEC money in Maine politics has increased dramatically in recent years, as has the proportion going to Republican candidates and political action committees.

have you ever wondered who finances the heritage foundation? the tea party ? and why? well its time you started researching. I'm sure many of you war hawks who have never served (I have two in my family that come to mind) do not realize the profits of war come from the blood of our youth! A cost we want to protect as much as possible! we should never engage our youth in battle unless absolutely necessary!
this land use bill if it passes the senate will be the end of conservastion for our waterfront property and the north woods ! so few realize how many acres north of bangor has and will change hands in the next 20 years! their are 100's of lakes in this area! how about our coast line? miles of it are undeveloped and more miles are underdeveloped! let me tell you what is happening in the sebago lakes area! people are buying million dollar lakeside homes and leveling them to put say three homes on the same property and selling them for a million apiece! you think your average mainer could do this? do you think your average mainer is buying one of these places? the other thing about this law is these people could bring a law suit and get compensated (if they made a bad choice) for poor judgement!