Maine GOP Praises Court Decision on Pension Reform

One of Gov. LePage, Republicans' signature achievements

AUGUSTA -- The Maine Republican Party on Tuesday praised a recent decision by the federal First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, which upheld the monumental pension reforms implemented by Governor Paul LePage, then-State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin, and Republican majority lawmakers in 2011. 

"Our state faced a looming cloud of fiscal disaster that had been ignored for years until Governor LePage reduced the state's long-term pension shortfall by $1.7 billion, protecting Maine taxpayers and keeping our promises to retired state employees," said Maine Republican Party Vice-Chairwoman Susan Morissette, who served in the 125th Legislature of 2011-12 and voted to pass the pension reform package.  "It takes bold leadership to fix big problems, and Governor LePage and Republicans showed that they have it in abundance." 

The case, Maine Association of Retirees v. Board of Trustees of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System, was decided unanimously in the favor of pension reformers against a challenge by various state employee labor unions in a brief opinion by a three-member panel of the First Circuit, which included former U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter.

The Republican pension reform initiative was enacted as a part of the 2011 biennial state budget and reduced the state's long-term pension shortfall from $4.1 billion to $2.4 billion -- a reduction of 41 percent -- by raising the retirement age from 62 to 65 for non-vested employees and freezing cost of living adjustments temporarily. 

"If Michael Michaud were to return to Augusta, he would surely bring back the old ways of tax, spend, promise, and pass the buck to the next legislature and the next generation," added Maine Republican Party Executive Director Jason Savage.  "He is too indebted to the union bosses and too entrenched in the old, machine politics of the past to fix Maine's finances and economy.  The very problems that this reform fixed were created by Michael Michaud and other liberal politicians in the '80s and '90s who refused to change the status quo.  They lied to Maine state workers by telling them that their pension system is sustainable." 

Michaud has received $1.65 million in Big Labor campaign contributions throughout his 12-year career in Congress.  One major union alone contributed $300,000 this year to the Maine Democratic Party to support Michaud's gubernatorial bid.  Powerful Democratic Party elder and lobbyist Severin Beliveau recently said that Gov. LePage is "the first governor in ages that is not indebted to the MSEA, NRCM and MEA."

Knox County - Mark Your Calendar - July 10 and August 14, 2014

Knox County Republicans announce the next two meetings at their new summer headquarters.

Thursday July 10 and August 14 (second Thursday of the month for July & August only)
Social time is 6:30pm and the meetings will start at 7pm. Refreshments will be provided as well as some really good food.

The new headquarters is located in Rockport at the old Cody's Restaurant building on Old County Road. Our space is located in the big red building. The street address is 399 Commercial Street, Rockland ME for those of you who do not remember Cody's.

At the meeting we will be working on campaign preparation, assisting candidates. Staff training for volunteers working at the office. We do have a new coordinator and we will hear updates from the candidates.

All republicans are welcome. Remember to bring a friend.

Sonja Sleeper
Knox County Committee Secretary

Sutton for Senate at Annual Warren Days Parade - June 28 2014

Join us on Saturday,  June 28th at 10:00 am to walk in  the Annual Warren Days parade in downtown Warren.

The Sutton for Senate campaign (SD 12) will be having a float and a few cars in the event and ask that you join us!  We can accommodate people with mobility issues and encourage you to bring your family, children and grandchildren (If possible please wear jeans or chinos and  orange t-shirt ,white is OK if no orange available).

Line up for event is at 10:00 am (at the Motor Shop, 167 Western Road near fire station) and parade begins at 10:30.  Let me know if you think you can join us.  After the parade you can take advantage of the games, activities, bounce house and Chicken BBQ which is around 11:30. There will be live music from noon to 3:00 pm from Bobby Littlehale and his band "Winging It".

Paula Sutton
Candidate for State Senate District 12
207 380 3406

Find Paula Sutton on Facebook and at paulasuttonforsenate.com. Paula may also be contacted through her email at: pgsutton@hotmail.com

Will Illegal Aliens Receive Benefits in Maine?

Not if Governor Paul LePage has taken a common sense action - declaring to Maine cities and towns that the State will no longer fund general assistance welfare for illegal aliens. In doing this Maine will be in compliance with Federal law which prohibits states from providing welfare assistance to illegal aliens.

"Illegal aliens who choose to live in Maine are not our most vulnerable citizens. We need to take care of Mainers first. I think most Mainers would agree" Governor Paul LePage is quoted as saying. Illegal aliens contribute little to the state but manage to drain the limited resources that should be available to law abiding citizens. The citizens of this state should come first.

To keep current with Governor Paul LePage's reelection campaign follow him on Facebook.

Senator Emily Cain is a Creator of Job Growth?

In what has to be the most un-shocking news possible, the AFL-CIO has endorsed liberal, State Senator Emily Cain, touting her as someone who will help create jobs. Really? Lets be clear--Senator Cain's policies have hurt job growth, hurt our families, and have contributed to our kids having to look elsewhere to find employment. That is her record, not political spin, and it is not one of job growth. In contrast, Bruce Poliquin has 35 years experience of creating hundreds of jobs. Unemployment doesn't discriminate between party lines and most everyone can agree that we need More Jobs & Less Debt. Looking at her actual record makes it clear, Senator Cain is no more a job creator than Justin Bieber is the best role model for our kids. 

Please share with your friends and remind them to vote for More Jobs and Less Debt, Vote Poliquin for Congress and like on Facebook.

Michael Michaud Claims Gov Paul LePage Hurts the Homeless

Yesterday Michael Michaud made the claim that Gov. Paul LePage is hurting the poor and if elected again will continue to hurt the poor. Keep in mind that the Governor was homeless when he was younger and has made it a point to give those less fortunate a hand up not a hand out while in office.

To find out more on the Gov LePage campaign find him on Facebook.

Putting Children First - An Audit of 'Pro se' Representation in Maine Family Courts

Wikipedia defines an audit as: "A planned and documented activity performed by qualified personnel to determine by investigation, examination or evaluation of objective evidence  the adequacy and compliance with established procedures or applicable documents and the effectiveness of implementation.

A performance audit is increasingly used in government agencies as an examination of success in satisfying mission objectives.

Auditing is defined as a systematic and independent examination of data, statements, records and operations and performances of an enterprise for a stated purpose.

The purpose is then to give an opinion on the adequacy of controls and to improve the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes."

This is the working definition we use when we consider asking for an audit of ‘pro se’ issues in family courts.  Is the growth of ‘pro se’ representation impacting the “normal” functioning of family courts?  If so, how, and what are the qualitative implications?

'PRO SE' IN MAINE COURTS WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED:  'Pro se' representation in Maine courts is a problem of amateur, ”do-it-yourself “ players trying to navigate the arcane complexities and traditions of family law in family courts.  It is an incredible challenge to amateurs that is repeatedly and despairingly acknowledged by self representing users of family courts and by sympathetic members of the Judiciary.  It is also acknowledged, as a problem by the Maine Bar, which - in spite of its good faith efforts to find answers to the 'pro se' problem - sees the problem escape those efforts and grow numerically ever larger.

'PRO SE' NUMBERS:  Most people don't know the actual size, the statistics, of the 'pro se' problem in Maine Family Courts and are shocked when the hear the statistics.  74% is the number recently reported (personal communication) by Chief Justice Leigh Saufley.  Justice Andrew Mead in an "op ed" essay in the Portland Press Herald reported 3/4 'pro se' representation in family courts (or 75%).  But we won't quibble over 1%!!   It is a big problem.  ‘Pro se” users are the majority “parties” in family courts- a big majority!

And ... this 74% percentage isn't static.  It keeps on growing despite efforts by the Bar and the Judicial Branch to reduce the numbers - to reduce its prevalence.  From the absence of  successful “solutions” and the failure to reduce the numbers, one has to infer that there is a problem in diagnosing the "disease" - and its dynamics -  or that the corrective "medicine" isn't strong enough or isn't working fast enough.  Because the numbers keep growing there is an need for an opinion outside of the Judicial Branch about the nature and scope of the problems and for proposals to correct them.  We feel that OPEGA qualifies, given their experience in conducting audits and given their enviable reputation for fairness and objectivity.

NATIONAL 'PRO SE' PERSPECTIVE: The 'pro se' problem is by no means just a Maine problem.  The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) reports that growing ‘pro se’ representation is a growing problem for every state.  Connecticut and New York are said to have 82 and 83% 'pro se', respectively.  Some of the problem seems related to national "macro economics" and the economic problems of the last several years.  Some of it is related to the escalating costs of private  legal services, which quickly become a financial deterrent to middle class family court users. But we have to ask, regardless of abstract economic speculation, do we really want to end up competing with Connecticut and New York for bigger ‘pro se’ numbers? What are we waiting for?

Like it or not, the 74%  'pro se'  problem proclaims a 'de facto', two tier user (and social class) system in our courts - the wealthy 25% have lawyers, and the middle class 75% “do-it-yourself”.  The questions for the public are: (a) what are the root causes of  this social discrimination, can causes be addressed and (b) should we just let the problem continue (and grow) uncorrected?

THE HUMAN PROBLEMS behind the 'pro se' number: are public users, judges, lawyers and others. Any audit needs to consider who uses family courts 'pro se' and otherwise. What are the demographics? What are other differentiating features? How do 'pro se' users feel about their legal adequacy in court? What "tools" do they use in representing themselves? What is their experience of judges?  What outcomes differentiate those with lawyers form those with none. Is there a differential with regard to Guardian ad litem experiences?

Likewise there is a need to evaluate how judges perceive the 'pro se' issue.  What are the professional challenges for judges dealing with 'pro se'?  What solutions do they improvise to address the problems?  What suggestions or recommendations do they have for improvement?  What "tools" does the Judicial Branch already provide those doing self representation?  How useful/adequate are these?

We have heard many lawyers claim that they see no problem with the current operation of the family court system.  On a personal/professional level this is certainly understandable, because in cases where they oppose a 'pro se' "lawyer", they have an extreme professional advantage in their own favor. It must be like "taking candy from a baby"! There may be other advantages too in this sort of uneven "legal combat", but an audit would look at all of the dynamics and, one hopes, challenge complacency.

THE DEMOCRACY "PROBLEM":  Clearly a two class court system in which those with money for a lawyers are favored and those without a lawyer to represent them are disfavored poses a huge challenge to a democratic society. It is an enormous embarrassment to all of us to ignore the inequality. It is an important issue that needs thoughtful evaluation to diagnose the nature of the problem and to recommend intelligent proposals for correction that will be democratic and constitutional.

AN OPEGA PERFORMANCE AUDIT, we feel strongly,  is the way to go for Maine’s children and families, who are forced to represent themselves in family courts!  We ask the Legislature, the Judicial Branch and the Governor, along with the “grassroots” to support legislation to begin problem analysis and problem solving of the ‘pro se’ issue.


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Supporting candidates that are Putting Children First during this election cycle. Candidates that are willing to support an audit of the Family Court system in Maine. For more information please contact us at Republicanofme@gmail.com