Ralph Chapman

Energy Policy [and Update on Education]

Most of Maine’s energy use derives from imported fossil fuels and three quarters of our homes are dependent upon heating oil. Consequently, every year we export (out of our economy) five billion dollars and we emit twenty million tons of carbon dioxide into our planet’s atmosphere. We know that the availability of fossil fuels will decline and the price will continue to rise. There are only two long-term solutions: use less (conserve) and switch to renewable resources. One method of conserving is to increase the efficiency of our energy use. Home weatherization investments provide very high rates of return.

During the previous administration, the Maine State Housing Authority recommended weatherizing all residential homes in ten years. The Baldacci administration defied that recommendation when it proposed what is now state policy to weatherize all homes and half of commercial buildings in twenty years. The several billion dollar cost (half for building materials and half for local labor – putting people to work) would produce energy savings of half a billion dollars per year, or a pay-back time of a half dozen years, or an annual return on investment around twenty percent.

Meanwhile, in the absence of a credible plan to implement the current policy, the state has struggled to weatherize a few thousand homes with outside federal stimulus funds. In order to implement the policy, we need to increase our rate of weatherizations by a factor of ten. One legislative proposal introduced last session was to tax heating oil about two cents per gallon to fund a revolving loan program to finance home weatherizations. New taxing proposals are called the “third rail” of politics, referring to the lethal-to-touch rail that carries electricity to subway trains. Naturally, the proposal was defeated as few Representatives wanted to go on record favoring a new tax.

Upon deregulation of the electric utility industry a dozen years ago, Maine instituted a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to encourage the gradual but continual shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Recently, a citizens initiated petition to double the RPS has circulated that will appear on a future ballot having missed the deadline to appear on this November’s ballot. The Governor has indicated his desire to roll back or eliminate the current RPS. I expect a specific bill on this issue will be presented this legislative session.
Update on Education

Shortly after I wrote on Education Policy last week, the Governor announced his education agenda: http://www.maine.gov/education/first/index.html

I had concluded by stating my intent to try to minimize partisanship related to educational policy. The significant controversy surrounding some of the Governor’s agenda will make that task more difficult. Hopefully it will be possible to find widespread agreement on at least some parts of his proposals. I would appreciate receiving your ideas, comments, or concerns when the written bills become available. Please contact me for any help you may need to present your testimony at the public hearings that will probably be scheduled soon.

–Ralph Chapman 326-0899 chapmanHD37@gmail.com ralphchapman.org

Education Policy

Policies affecting public education are generated at all levels of government, from local school boards to federal programs. At the state level, the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs oversees the Department of Education. The Commissioner of Education, like all Commissioners, is nominated by the Governor, recommended by the Legislative committee after a public hearing, and confirmed by the Senate. Commissioners serve at the pleasure of the Governor.

In his inaugural address last year, the Governor mentioned two areas of educational improvement that were priorities for his administration: boosting technical education, and easing the transitions from high school to higher education or trade certifications. He made mention of streamlining education so students could achieve an Associates’ Degree at the end of five years from entering high school.

I have been working with a group of more than a dozen people representing the University, a Community College, a technical high school, a regular high school, and others to design a practical student-centered system to implement the Governor’s proposal. Two months ago, we presented a 22 page draft “Bridge Year Project Plan” at the Summit to Connect Education and Business in Eastern Maine. Copies are available from me on request.

Three weeks ago, the Maine Department of Education released their 36 page strategic plan, “Education Evolving, Maine’s Plan for Putting Learners First. It is available at: http://www.maine.gov/education/plan/index.html

At the same time, the Education Committee voted LD 1422 ought to pass as amended. This bill provides for a standards-based education system to be phased in such that students earning a high school diploma in 2017 and beyond will have to demonstrate competency in eight content areas. The bill has not yet been reported out of committee, but will likely come to the floor of the House later this session.

A week and a half ago, the Department released the 13 page Interim Report of the Governor’s Task Force on Expanding Early Post-Secondary Access for High School Students in Maine, “Expanding Access, Increasing Participation: Post-Secondary Educational Opportunities During High School”, available at: http://www.maine.gov/education/earlycollege/ This report includes ten recommendations that may guide additional departmental or legislative action.

Other changes to public education involve on-line delivery of course material, and charter schools.

Last month, two business/educator groups, the Compact for Higher Education and the Maine Coalition for Excellence in Education merged to become a single entity, Educate Maine. One of the group’s beliefs is, “Maine must recognize the importance of educational efforts that span early childhood through adult learning, and provide a continuous pipeline of human talent for our economy.” Looking ahead, I believe we will have to devote further attention to the vitally important first years of a child’s life as this is the time of rapid brain development.

Fortunately, although there are always differences of opinion surrounding the complex issues of education reform, the matter has not had a partisan focus. I will continue to try to keep it that way.

–Ralph Chapman 326-0899 chapmanHD37@gmail.com ralphchapman.org

Budget Process

Last spring, Maine’s Legislature passed a biennium budget with a two-thirds majority. How is that possible, given the partisan nature of budgetary priorities? What is the likely fate of the supplemental budget being discussed this week?

I have often said that the legislative process can work effectively within the committee structure and that it does not work well on the floor of the House. In essence, when a committee (generally thirteen people) meets to find solutions to problems, they learn to welcome the various perspectives each member brings to the discussion because the final product of policy will have to work with the entire public, which, itself, has diverse interests. In contrast to committee work, when one hundred fifty one people take turns arguing about the proposed solution to a problem, the result is an entrenchment of positions, and a growing disrespect for some of the (ridiculous) arguments presented. I have observed that fewer than one vote is changed for every three hours of floor debate.

Last spring, the Appropriations Committee worked on the (FY12-13) budget starting from the Governor’s proposal. Although the Governor submits a recommendation (advancing the administration’s policies), the Legislature has the responsibility (and authority) to define the state’s budget.

A budget could be passed with a simple majority if completed in time. There is a potentially heavy political price to pay for a majority budget (which would accentuate the partisan divides) by making one party responsible for the outcome — which never has enough money for desirable programs, and always relies on taxes that are too high. Of course, each of us has differing views on which programs are desirable and which taxes are not. So a two-thirds budget is a “shared responsibility budget” wherein we all, of both parties, take responsibility for both the good and bad aspects of the final product.

The outcome, last spring, was acceptable to more than two-thirds of us: Democrats were able to prevent severe cuts to some programs they wanted and Republicans were able to achieve some tax cuts they wanted.

Now, the Appropriations committee is considering a supplemental budget request from the Governor which contains only cuts to the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS). Two immediate difficulties appear: the timing of the request has been delayed by the inability of non-partisan legislative staff to get information about how the department has been run this past year, and the massive proposed cuts (over two hundred million dollars) sit on the table alone, preventing the committee members with flexibility to find common ground.

In my assessment, there cannot be a two-thirds acceptable outcome from this situation. The DHHS shortfall is not due to either increased enrollment in MaineCare (about six percent of the shortfall) nor consumer fraud (an insignificant percentage of the shortfall). I will not be voting in favor of penalizing our elderly and infirm for the mismanagement of the department. Other solutions will have to be found.

–Ralph Chapman 326-0899 chapmanHD37@gmail.com ralphchapman.org

Running for Election

This year on Tuesday November 6th, Maine voters will elect public officials for national, state, county, and local offices including all of the one hundred eighty six state senators and representatives. Beforehand, on Tuesday June 12th, members of political parties may vote for candidates in their respective party primaries. Primary winners and qualified un-enrolled candidates appear on the general election ballot in November. Details of the process for getting on the ballot can be found starting with the Elections Division of the Bureau of Corporations, Elections, and Commissions at the Department of the Secretary of State’s website at: http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/

Particularly helpful is the “2012 Candidate’s Guide to Ballot Access” found by clicking on “candidates” in the left-hand column of the web site above. Roughly speaking, candidates for public office have to collect signatures on a nomination petition and file it along with a separate consent form with the Secretary of State by March 15th (for party candidates) or June 1st (for non-party candidates).

A significant decision for candidates is whether to run a campaign financed by the Maine Clean Elections Act (MCEA) using state monies with limitations on expenditures, or to run a traditionally financed (privately funded) campaign. Either way, candidates must comply with reporting requirements. Most state legislators (over three quarters in 2010) choose to run a publicly financed campaign through the MCEA. Details of the process and reporting requirements can be found on the website of the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices at http://www.maine.gov/ethics/

Qualifying contributions (each in the amount of five dollars) for MCEA-financed candidates are due by April 20th. Last year the US Supreme Court, in an Arizona case, outlawed a trigger-mechanism for matching funds based on outside (PAC or corporate) funding. Consequently, the Maine Clean Elections Act must be changed during the current legislative session. Therefore, details of the MCEA program for this year’s election campaigns are not yet finalized. Further information can be found at http://www.mainecleanelections.org

I encourage citizens to actively participate in our government in many ways, including by voting and by testifying before legislative committees. For those inclined, I also encourage you to consider running for election to public office at any level. If you would like to run in this year’s election at the state level, I would be happy to get the needed forms for you from Augusta (I already have mine!).

Additionally, for those interested to see, first hand, the processes in Augusta, I would be happy to schedule a time for you to accompany me there for a day. To be explicit, my offers stand for anyone, whether a member of one of the political parties or un-enrolled. Remember that eighty percent of the work of the legislature is accomplished by unanimous votes, and, while we conduct our arguments on the remaining twenty percent, it is intended for the benefit of all of the people. In the final analysis, we are all in this together.

–Ralph Chapman 326-0899 chapmanHD37@gmail.com ralphchapman.org