11/19/98
The Maine Senate Democrats had a sweet tooth caucus last week
in the State House amid their $18 million creation -
reconstruction rumble. It was their first get together since they
won re-election as a majority. And they did it by winning one
more seat than they had last session.
The head count now is 20 D's, 14 R's and one Independent, Jill
Goldthwait of Bar Harbor, who usually votes for Democratic
initiatives and spending bills.
No surprises in D-leadership. Mark Lawrence of Kittery Point will
return as president for his fourth Senate term (plus two terms in
the House). Rochelle Pingree of North Haven will again be
majority leader and Ann Rand of Portland re-ups as assistant
majority leader.
Perhaps the D's think their success involves longevity, but both
Lawrence and Pingree will be in their fourth and final terms
because of the term limits law. It could more the visibility
factor. Lawrence may have his eye on the First Congressional
District seat and Pingree on the Blaine House.
The Pingree scenario is interesting. She's practically a
sycophant of Gov. King. With two more years in the Senate
majority klieg lights, then as whatever King cabinet appointment
she wants two years hence, Pingree may see herself entering the
gubernatorial race in four years after King leaves.
Her problem, seemingly insurmountable, is John Baldacci who is
already posturing himself for the Democratic gubernatorial
nomination. The odds on Pingree defeating Baldacci for the
nomination are somewhat humorous.
Senate President-elect Lawrence already has announced the 2-year
program facing the Republicans - more of the same. That means, of
course, one-party state budgets in league with Gov. King
disenfranchising Republican legislators and their electors. And
rowdy sailors on shore leave with pockets full of tax cash and
more spinach muscles (King and the D's jacked up the state budget
half a billion dollars over the past four years).
The D's are admittedly savvy pols. They have appropriated
motherhood themes like education that resonate at the ballot box.
Nothing's too good for the kids stuff. Education unionists vote
heavily for the D's despite the fact that Maine taxpayers have
been pouring billions into education over the decades and the
kids are getting more incorrigible and dumber by the year. When
the kids get lower test scores the academics and educators lower
the test criterias and yell for more money.
The D's say they will reform education by making the fiscal
education formula even more complex and unworkable in the next
two years.
Pingree says the D's will be hawking for more funds to buy out
private land for public access. D's call it land conservation.
The public has said twice that enough is enough for land purchase
moneys. No matter say King and the D's we'll bond creatively like
we did with the $138 million no-public-referendum scam bond vote
to spruce up the State House and build a new bar hotel.
And the D-winner is, according to Pingree: "There will be
more focus on the rural economy." Translated that means a
sop to the northern lesser of the two Maine's which the D's and
King have been stiffing for four years except at vote getting
time.
The Senate R's are in a hang-dog mood. They will caucus on
Monday, November 23, to sort out leadership positions. Whether
minority leader Jane Amero and assistant leader Leo Kieffer will
be repeat candidates is not certain. If so or not there probably
will be opposition. Possibly mulling over a charge at leadership
are Senators Jim Libby, Rick Bennett and Phil Harriman.
The House R's fell short of majority but picked up a couple of
seats over last session. If re-counts don't change the numbers,
the tally stands at D79-R71 with one Independent. Look for Tom
Murphy of Kennebunk to be minority leader and Dick Campbell of
Holden as assistant.
The lock on House Speaker seems to be Steve Rowe of Portland who
would be in final term before term-limited. And will John Martin,
once canned as speaker by the Democrats for his
"ballotgate" association, elect him as majority leader
in a position to run for speaker two years hence when Rowe is
out?
The D's will probably re-appoint, as they have the majority votes
to do so, all incumbent constitutional officers (attorney
general, treasurer, secretary of state and auditor), House Clerk
Joe Mayo and Senate Secretary Joy O'Brien.
To the victor belongs the spoils, er, taxes poke.