A version of this story first appeared in the Morning Update newsletter. Sign up here to receive the Morning Update and other BDN newsletters directly in your inbox.
Happy Wednesday!
We’ve got another sunny day ahead, with temperatures in the low to mid-60s across the state.
A Tuesday report from ProPublica about an alleged pay-to-play scheme involving U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and other congressional lawmakers roiled state politics. Democrats, including Troy Jackson, immediately seized on the story to attack the Republican incumbent’s integrity, while Republicans called it “completely bananas” to think Collins would, after 30 years in the public eye, get involved in a “criminal enterprise.”
That report centered on allegations from the CEO of a Hawaii-based defense contractor, Martin Kao, who funneled an illegal donation to a Collins-aligned super PAC during her 2020 reelection bid. Kao alleged his company, Navatek, made donations to lawmakers in exchange for federal contracts. Kao made those claims as he faced prison time for making unlawful campaign contributions.
An FBI probe was quashed when President Donald Trump gutted its anti-corruption teams working the case. The New York Times confirmed the existence of the FBI’s probe but reported that the agency didn’t believe Kao’s story.
Collins has vociferously denied corruption and bribery, saying her association with Navatek came through its relationship with the University of Maine. Navatek was awarded a federal contract to make 3D-printed boat hulls with UMaine that the U.S. Navy neither bought nor used.
Waterfront property values just spiked 200% in this Maine town
It’s no surprise that property values have shot up in Maine since the COVID-19 pandemic. But tax assessments often lag blissfully behind the market. For those who already owned property, a sudden catch-up can be quite a jolt.
In the Moosehead Lake town of Greenville, waterfront assessments went up an average of 205% this year after the first market adjustment in decades.
At the same time, the town chopped its tax rate nearly in half — from $20.85 to $11.47 per $1,000 of property value.
The valuation shift will affect county taxes and state aid. And on balance, taxes will go up, which shouldn’t come as a surprise.
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From the Opinion Page
“The question is how Collins will vote on Overton’s nomination.”