During Monday’s U.S. Senate debate in Lewiston, BDN staffers looked into some of the statements and claims made by the candidates — state Sen. Cynthia Dill, a Democrat; Angus King, a two-term independent governor; and Charlie Summers, the Republican candidate and Maine’s secretary of state. Here is what we found.
Cynthia Dill
In her opening remarks, Dill said Maine has the highest level of seniors with food insecurity. AARP says Maine ranks 17th for seniors ’ risk of hunger. Meals on Wheels puts Maine at 17th as well, but its data is a bit dated.
Dill said DHHS has been dysfunctional since Paul LePage took over as governor, but most of the problems the LePage administration has encountered are a result of problems with computers systems, which were implemented or decided on years before LePage took office.
Dill said 97 percent of businesses in Maine are small businesses. According to the U.S. Small Business Association, in 2008, small businesses do in fact make up 97.2 percent of the state’s employers and account for 59.7 percent of the state’s private-sector jobs. Of the 147,484 businesses in Maine, only 33,962 are employers. The SBA considers any company with fewer than 500 employees to be a small business.
Angus King
King said Maine has the second-highest gun ownership rate in the country and one of the lowest gun crime rates. It’s hard to find hard statistics on gun ownership rates, but the numbers we found puts Maine in the middle — about 40 percent of Mainers own guns, according to a 2001 survey, as opposed to nearly 60 percent of people in Wyoming and about 12 percent in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Hawaii has the lowest gun ownership rate, at 8.7 percent.
Regarding King’s statement that Maine has one of the lowest gun crime rates, it’s hard to get reliable statistics on that because of the relatively low number of homicides in Maine. The statistics we have show that about half of Maine’s homicides are gun-related and that Maine does indeed have one of the lowest gun homicide rates in the country.
King mentioned students graduating college with more than $100,000 in loan debt. The national average student debt is $25,250. In Maine, students graduate with an average of $29,983 in debt. That’s the second-highest debt load in the country, but far below $100,000, which King seemed to imply was normal.
King said that Bath Iron Works was the largest employer in Lewiston. Central Maine Medical Center and St. Mary’s Health Systems are the largest nongovernmental employers in Lewiston-Auburn, according to the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council. What is unclear is how many Lewiston residents commute to BIW for work.
King attributed this quote to Mark Twain: “History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” While this quote is commonly attributed to Twain, scholars have been unable to find a record attributing this quote to him.
Charlie Summers
In responding to a question about job creation and unemployment, Summers said the nation’s regulatory burden amounted to a $1.7 trillion tax. He was citing a Small Business Administration study released in Sept. 2010. The study found the annual cost of regulations had grown to $1.75 trillion annually by 2008. Small businesses, the study found, shouldered the largest portion of this burden.
Summers twice asserted that the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, would cost the nation $2 trillion. That number is at best inflated — the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office stated in March, “the insurance coverage provisions of the ACA will have a net cost of just under $1.1 trillion over the 2012-2021 period” but stated that those numbers do not take into account money-saving provisions in the law. “CBO and [Congress’ Joint Committee on Taxation] have previously estimated that the ACA will, on net, reduce budget deficits over the 2012-2021 period,” according to the same release.
Summers, on capital gains, said people have already paid taxes on that money when they invested it. This is not true. Capital gains is the money earned on an investment — the money that is taxed is the money that is earned, not the money that is invested.
Summers said there are “literally tens of thousands of gun laws” on the books. A Brookings report says that number is inflated. The number is 300 major state and federal laws as of 2002. More than 9,700 would have had to pass in the last decade in order to make that true.
In his closing statement, Summers said King, as governor, took a $300 million surplus and turned it into a $1 billion deficit. The MaineToday papers have rated these numbers true. The term deficit, however, is inaccurate. Maine’s constitution requires a balanced budget. The $1 billion figure refers to a structural gap: Had the Legislature that took over as King left office in 2003 funded all services at the same level, the state would have spent about $1 billion more than it was projected to take in in revenue.
It is no wonder that Dill is so far behind; she seems to have the disease of terminal honesty when citing statistics. King seems to like to hyperbolize his numbers, while Summers uses the hollow talking point numbers given to him by the party which, though accurate on the one hand, distort the truth by omitting the numbers that contradict his position, no doubt learned from the number manipulator in the Blaine House.
Two career fact distorters versus one neophyte who has not yet learned the political double-speak necessary to win office.
2/3 of the statistics they fact checked were wrong.
I couldn’t watch the debate. It is hard to stay sane watching people sling bull crap at people who eat it all up, swallowing everything without spilling a drop.. I don’t vote for liars even if they are on my team. I’m impressed with Summers for being a war vet and I think that training will carry well as a senator and representing the people who elect him… King has his own agenda. Dill is pandering to too many groups..
Don’t get to warm and fuzzy over Summer being a War Vet.
He was a Public Relations officer, nothing more than a Military Politician.If you ask him if he fought he may well give you the answer ( No, but I ordered the “Other” guys to)!
Pretty sad to denigrate someone’s (ANYONE’S) service to the country.
So Benedict Arnold should be exempt from critisism?
Charactor is everything when you run for office!
Is deserves question.
So you are saying Summers is nothing more than a Benedict Arnold?
But..Served needs to be actual service not dabbling ..
So i assume you also voted for John Kerry instead of draft dodging Bush in 2004?
Bush did not draft dodge as you suggest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush_military_service_controversy
really ? nat’l guard service that your daddy got you is equal to going to ‘nam? i guess you’ll forgive a republican for anything.
HAHAHA really? Going AWOL from the Guard is close enough!
Bush served. What have you done?
in the nat’l guard , thanks to daddy , and avoided ‘nam.
Served? The only “Mission” Dubya accomplished resulted in over 4,000 USA Troops dead and too many wounded to count! This does not include whats happening now in Afghanistan and the Civilian Dead and wounded!
The fact checking was great with the exception of the capital gains line. Maybe add a little more of his comment for clarity.
Thanks for this article. Things like this are really what voters should be looking at before they make decisions. From here you can google all the answers you need to get to the truth. This is good journalism. This empowers people.
” the money that is taxed is the money that is earned, not the money that is invested.”
Ok, one must earn money before it can then be used to” invest” That invested money did not just appear out of the ether.
Amd that amount that was invested is NOT taxed again. Only the newly earned profits are. Summers flat out lied.
Remember what George Costanza said? “It’s not a lie if you believe it.” Give Charlie a break.
Actually not; investments are taxes as capital gain dividend and principle taxed as a unit.
Is it not true that if one chooses to invest discretionary income in a business which makes a profit, that profit is new income which ought be subject to income taxes? If one chooses to invest discretionary income in bonds or stocks which are later sold for a profit – or capital gains – shouldn’t that profit be taxed – and at the same rate – as well? As it stands, isn’t that the rub when it comes to the income taxes paid by Mitt Romney and his ilk, that they make most of their income from capital gains which, through the labyrinth of credits and other breaks they managed to get passed, they pare those gains to practically nothing when it comes to being taxed?
Angus is to Old, Dill is to Ugly, and Charlie Summers is just plain Dumber than a bag of Rocks!
Irony alert: A guy who doesn’t know the correct use of “to” and “too” calls someone else ” just plain Dumber than a bag of Rocks!”
Petty Error?
We all have our shortcomings but anyone who signs a Tax Pledge to a Miscreant who’s goal is to undermine Government and then Runs for Government with the Mantra that Government needs to get out of the way is just plain dumber than a bag of rocks!
Either that or he thinks that his “constituency” is!
Is that “YOU” Charlie ?— Or one of his constituency?
To: Used as a function word to indicate limit or extent!
TOO; Besides / Also
LOL
to: direction, as in to the north, back to the future, to what do we owe this honor,etc.
too (in your cases): excessive, as in too smart, too cute for words, etc.
Don’t be bothered by your critics – your point is clear enough.
I’m willing “to” forgive his punctuation error and look at the fact that his statement about Summers is completely right.And if we’re going to insist on female beauty as a governing standard in Maine,all I can say is- Snowe and Collins.Both smart but no contenders for any beauty contest except the Monopoly $10 prize one.One of the three listed candidates will win.
Ugly as in Disposition,
My error should have said mean!
No problem
Why make remark about them they aren’t in a beauty contest
The candidate most representative of Mainers – God’s chosen people – would probably be an even blend of all three qualities you’ve mentioned. Alas, that’s not the case, so we get to choose the “attribute” we like best. Age and practice have helped Angus King learn to be far slicker than the other two, hence he’s best fit for the senate we know. Mind you, that isn’t saying much, but that’s what we’ve come to allow throughout the history of our republic.
Good call DW base a woman’s worth on her looks. That’s probably a good predictor of how they will do in Office…. BTW I’m supporting Charlie.
Gee its obvious who the BDN is going to supprt
Summers is such a lousy candidate that the GOP Super PAC is touting Dill in hopes of a split ticket. Maine has been there, done that…Never again !
Exactly no more Kings and Baldacci’s been there done that!
Summers is probably closer to the truth since the report from the CBO includes taxation for the entire period but no payments are made under the plan for the first 4 years. This is known and was extensively publicized by the Obama administration prior to the vote approving the plan. I do note that this is also known by the BDN yet is conveniently left out of the report. Furthermore, Summers statement about the spending of former governor King is accurate. We can easily foresee that the leopard will not change it’s spots and that deficit spending will easily be approved by King on every account thereby worsening the ability of the country to support the value of the dollar. The weakening of the dollar and it’s possible failure on world markets injures everyone and their ability to purchase products. The AS an example: the cost of the original VW Beetle was priced at $1295.00 in the 60’s. Assuming that the new Beetle is approximately the same as the old; price out a new one in today’s market and one can easily see the decrease in the value of the Dollar. The same can be done on any comparable motor vehicle. Fuel oil, etc.etc.
If only everyone would just stick to the facts & not listen to Party Generals who say if you want our money here is what you must say. Honesty – anything else will not get my vote
Fact checkers? Check this one.
Summers, on
capital gains, said people have already paid taxes on that money when they
invested it. This is not true. Capital gains are the money earned on an
investment —
the money that is taxed is the money that is earned, not the money that is
invested.
Fact checking means connecting a few dots. Before capital
gains can be taxed the money that was invested had to be earned by someone and
therefore already taxed. Contrary to liberal beliefs, money doesn’t fall out of
the sky; someone must earn it before the government can take it from
them and redistribute it in the form of socialist programs.
Capital gains is assessed on the gross, not the net. When money is removed from investment status it is taxed at (around depending on income and nature of securities) Capital gains is NOT assessed on dividend alone, UNLESS the money is in an F.D.I.C. insured bank account, or munis.
Your West Broadway Publisher no doubt knows this.
Selective “fact checking” reveals the BDN agenda.
Yes we wouldn’t want anyone confused by facts during the election….
Goodbye, Charlie. Angus, too.
Charlie’s nothing but Tea Party caddy , like that other man in Augusta. Charlie’s out to make life even more miserable for oldsters and poor people. It’s the Tea Party manifesto. Attack state workers, police, fire, teachers, and even students. As a candidate to replace Olympia Snowe, he just can’t even begin to walk in her shadow.
Angus is for Angus. He’s another rich kid with a big pair of scissors who loves to snip and show off a balanced budget with a pool of tears around it. Not even his windmills will begin to dry them up.
Dill is new. Barely heard of. But in her short life she’s stood for the working people and the downtrodden. She’s a fighter. Ready to take on anyone. Her record shows that no municipality, state or even the feds are beyond her reach when they screw up.
If BDN is going to start fact checking they need to do more than google the assertions made and provide easy answers. I had more questions from reading their conclusion than I did from the original candidates’ statements. Generally speaking I like the BDN but this is definitely not their forte and they should either put more effort into it or not do it at all. Superficial fact-checking is not worth the paper … err … electrons used to publish it.
Folks, Angus King looks like he can barely stand up and walk around. No offense, but why does someone so far into their golden years need to have a paycheck from the taxpayer?
Why is the CBO allways refered to as the”nonpartisan CBO” or the “nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office”?
Both partisan political sides say that it is both partisan and nonpartisan.
Maybe it should be ignored since no one seems to know where the CBO is coming from, and maybe it should just be abolished.
I weep for Maine..Since the GOP got their talons into the Government of Maine the people have been lied to..sold out and held hostage!
ROMNEY / RYAN 2012 !!!
No.