Good Idea: Maine GOP Counters Fake News With Their Own News

I think more State GOP parties and central committees should do the same thing.

Maine GOP Presents: News You Can Trust Here is a quick round-up of some key news items.  At the Maine GOP we plan on providing you with a periodic update of key articles and opinions from around the state on topics that matter to you.  If you are aware of a news article or event that should be included here, please email garrettmurch@mainegop.com with the link and information. News You Can Trust Video Edition

Top Maine News Leaked Email: Ben Chin mocks Pondridge Rd residents, “rich people” who complain about property taxes Even more came out this week on Ben Chin's thoughts about the people he hopes to govern. From Maine Examiner: In an email leaked to Maine Examiner by a campaign insider concerned about the direction of the campaign, Ben Chin mocks residents of Pondridge Road as “rich people” who complain about property taxes... The email, sent by Chin on July 19, 2017 and sent to his inner campaign team, says he “ Spent the whole night hearing rich people complain about property taxes out on pondridge rd” and then goes on to suggest that the residents of Pondridge Road make enough money to afford high property taxes. Less than a half hour later, a member of the Chin campaign responds to Chin, saying, “Did you tell those folks about your plan to sprinkle them with magic Norwegian dust so that they’d beg to have their taxes raised?” To which Chin responds the following day, “Ha! Good idea! I’ll try that next time.” What the heck, Ben? New leaked emails cast doubt on Chin’s defense of racism claims in Lewiston Today, Maine Examiner is reporting: Less than a day after Lewiston Mayoral candidate Ben Chin asserted to the Lewiston Sun Journal that he had never called the community or any neighborhood in the community racist, two new leaked emails are casting doubt on the honesty of Chin’s statement... One of the emails, written by Ben Chin on Wednesday July 19, shows Chin describing his work knocking on doors beginning on Old Chadbourne Road and ending at No Name Pond, Chin writes to his campaign team, “Some really racist people in the beginning, some really nice people in the end.” Another email, written on August 2, Chin describes his experience in “working class” neighborhoods around the South Ave that are off Lisbon Street by saying “Quite a bit of racism, anti-downtown stuff as well, including among supporters.” Lewiston Mayor 'Appalled' by Ben Chin Emails Also this week, twice-elected Lewiston Mayor Bob MacDonald told WGME Channel 8 he was 'appalled' at emails sent by liberal Lewiston Mayoral candidate Ben Chin in which the candidate refers to Lewiston residents as racists.   "He is insulting the people of Lewiston, calling everyone a racist," MacDonald said. "If you don't agree with him, you're a racist. Well, no you're not, okay, and I want to know what his definition of a racist is."   Click here to watch the full WGME segment. Governor LePage Appears with Republican Lewiston Mayoral Candidate, Shane Bouchard Yesterday, WGME and Fox 23 reported: Bouchard and Governor LePage first met at Simones' Hot Dog Stand in downtown Lewiston. They discussed school funding, then visited Argo Marketing to speak about the city's employment challenges alongside Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque. Bouchard says he wants to make sure the governor understands the challenges facing Lewiston. "You can't fully help the city of Lewiston and work for the city of Lewiston if you're not working with the governor's office and the legislature,” Bouchard said. “They need to understand what our unique challenges are and what we need to move this city forward."

Top National News Sen. Eric Brakey in the BDN: Angus King failed Maine on tax reform Yesterday in the Bangor Daily News, State Senator and United States Senate candidate Eric Brakey wrote: King’s actions in the days preceding the tax reform vote weren’t meant to help Mainers. Instead, they were meant to help Washington liberals advance their message and their never-satisfied goal of taking more of your money to stuff the government coffers. He showed his true colors once again, proving himself to be anything but independent. That’s no way to stand up for your constituents. One of my core beliefs is that your property is your property. You and your family worked to earn it, and it shouldn’t be taken for granted that a large chunk of it belongs to the government. The thinking in Washington is totally backward — politicians lay claim to your money before you’ve even earned it, planning pet projects and making promises to lobbyists. That’s why there’s an uproar every time we talk about tax cuts. We need to reverse that mode of thought, and start from the premise that tax cuts don’t mean something is being taken away from the government, but that Americans are able to keep more of what is theirs in the first place. To read Brakey's op-ed, click here. Op-ed: Tax relief effort will benefit Maine families, workers, and small businesses This piece I wrote for Maine Wire outlines some of the many benefits being considered in tax reform efforts in Congress--benefits you won't hear about from special interests wanting to maintain the status quo.