Rules, Edicts, Bills, Is Maine on the move?

 A wonderful new executive order has been handed down. A Rule on Rules. You have to take a look at it: Six months without new rules, until the rules are reviewed. No rule shall make it to the public for review or comment, until it has been to the Governor's office and the said "rule has cleared the rule for publication." We may not see any rules for a long time and as far as public comment or review, I think it is safe to say there will be none. The Red Tape removal audit has already found around 200 rules that need to be removed according to Governor Paul Lepage. Lepage also stated that special interests had been making some of our rules. What? Who let them write the Laws? Did they sneak in at night? Is this going to end up being a Rulegate break in?  And if, as has been stated, our state workers have been making their own rules, they should be fired. But I cannot believe this is the case.  It's hard to say where all this is going, but it has been a long time since we looked at all the rules of every part of Our State Government. I just hope that when we finish with the shedding of rules, we still have the People's Laws in place to protect us. What I am getting at is the fine line between rules and laws in government, they are almost the same.
  Speaking of rules and laws, a new bill is being put before the Legislature.The sponsor of the bill is (R) Rep. Lance Evan Harvell, of Farmington. This bill is designed to reduce the size of the State House of Representatives. The bill (hp33) LD40 , an Amendment to the State Constitution, is a Republican sponsored bill designed to remove 20% of OUR representatives and put the politics and power further away from the people. This move might be sold to you as something that would save us money, so look out. It is a plain old power grab, and it is your power they want to take. The Idea is simple: remove Representatives, redistrict, add 1250 people or more to each new district, and you can see the republican eyes rolling back like an alligator at feeding time here, then you have expansively, consolidated your base to control more of the electorate. This is a waste of our money, and a lousy thing to even consider in these trying times. So, Please speak up for OUR state before this bill ever has a chance to pass. When politicians have all the power, we become powerless.
 (Rep. Lance Evan Harvell can be reached at home: 207-778-2981, at cell phone 207-491-8971.)
   Another recent bill being put before Our State is about the practice of Nepotism in the State of Maine. This bill would not make it illegal for the Governor to hire his Family and Friends, but it would force Our officals to prove the canidates are at least qualified for the positions they are appointed to. This bill has been put forward by (D) Cynthia Dill of Cape Elizabeth. She can be reached by phone at : 207-767-7197 or e-mail at: rep.cynthia.dill@gmail.com 
From what I read on the Nepotism link above it appears that this problem may go further than the Governor's office. It may just be that staffers' parties and many other functions are being done Family style in Our State, that is employees hiring their wives, husbands, friends and family to do work that should be open for all of us to bid upon. We shall see, and soon I hope.
Friends, we are moving as a state, but where is the question. Hang in there, things will start to sort themselves out in a couple of long months. In the meantime, this is Maine, we have snow on the way, go outside and play in it a little. Enjoy. All the best to you. Keep thinking and Please call the people above, let them know you are thinking and not just giving them the free pass that got us here.  
                                             Praying for the Great State of Maine, Ms. Paula Page