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 Better. We have written previously about the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and will continue to explore this organization at length in future posts.
Who are these organizations? We’ve already discussed CBPP. The Maine Center for Economic Policy is the local analogue to CBPP – devotedly left-wing and the ally of bureaucrats, unions and every non-profit special pleader with outstretched hand. The welfare of Maine’s taxpayers is certainly not MECEP’s first concern.
The Maine People’s Alliance is a very left-wing “social justice” organization that has many alter-egos, one of which is the fourth named organization, “Maine Can Do Better” a coalition of the very same non-profits just mentioned. MCDB is a project of the Maine People’s Resource Center, a MPA affiliate. MPA, on the other hand, is a local affiliate of USAction, which bills itself as “the nation’s largest progressive organization”. It and approximately 25 other affiliated organizations operate out of the same address on K Street in Washington, DC. As we shall discover in an upcoming post, USAction has questionable origins and affiliations. Jesse Graham, MPA’s executive director, sits on USAction’s national board.
TABOR Now’s complaint requested an investigation to determine whether the four organizations were required to register as “Ballot Question Committees” under Maine law. Under Maine campaign law, once an organization expends more than $5,000 to defeat a ballot question, it must register and expenditures can include staff time as well as monetary expenditures.
Prior to the hearing, of course, the four organizations filed responses. Based on their submissions – which the TABOR Now campaign accepted – the Commission staff recommended that the Commission find the Maine People’s Resource Center and CBPP in violation of Maine law for not timely registering as a ballot question committee. MECEP got off with a slap on the wrist: amend their reporting and don’t do it again. Based on their submission – again, accepted by TABOR Now – MPA was not found to be in violation of Maine campaign law.
As I told the Commission, we were willing to accept our opponents representations, which is more than can be said for certain determined leftists who dog the heels of The Maine Heritage Policy Center and Maine Leads. As I explained to the Commission, unlike certain accusers, we have no intention of impugning anyone’s integrity – only in pointing out a violation of law.
Would that certain leftists follow the same generous path.
For more information on the Maine Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), please visit the TABOR NOW website.
Related posts:
Twitter
Facebook
RSS
LinkedIn