Oysters on the Half Shell are Popular at Dry Dock, on the Portland Waterfonr. These are From the Damariscotta Area and are The Best Around!  Unfortunately, the Haddock Chowder Should be Renamed the Potato Chowder – It’s Awful! Says This Blogger.

Hours after the federal government shut down, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME). condemned Republicans’s refusal to work with Democrats to keep the government open — and stop millions of Americans from falling off a healh care cliff.  During a press conference at the Portland International Jetport on Wednesday after arriving back home from Washington, Pingree emphasized that the shutdown falls squarely on Republicans.

“No one takes a shutdown lightly.  The Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House.  When you’re in the majority, you have the ability to keep the government open or shut it down.  This is their shutdown,” said Congreswoman Pingree.  “Many of our Republican colleagues understand that these tax credits are just as important to their constituents as they are to ours, that the cuts to Medicaid will be just as devastating to their rural hospitals as ours.  So I’m not sure why they won’t come to the table and negotiate.”

Democats’ goal is to protect everyone’s health care during this fight, to restore the cuts related to health care and to make sure that Repulicans don’t break their promises going into the future,” said Congresswoman Pingree.  “I hear from my constituents every day that the cost of living is too hgh — whether it is housing, child care or the cost of food — and many of them are looking at these increased premiums and are devastated to try to imagine how they’re to get that paid for and how they’re going to keep health care for their family.”

“The enhanced premium tax credits help more than 50,000 Mainers to afford their health insurance.  But many of those who are self-employed — and we have a lot of then:  fishermen, farmers, people who work in the woods. people who have their own businesses — depend on this for affordable healh care,” PIngree said.  “Without these extended tax credits, they will be without coverage, largely because they’ll be priced out of the marketplace and 9,500 Mainers are looking at losing their subsidies altogether,” the Congresswoman’s statement ended.

Some may wonder why President Trump and his southern allies fail to negotiate on health care, but there can be no question in the minds of many others..  The South is still sore and sour about its loss to the north in the Civil War.  The south will never accept that fact and will always be the lesser for that failure to face its reality says this blogger.  Any pain the south can impose on its northern neighbors will be welcome, until it comes full circle..

Polls revealed today that 47% of Amerians blame the Republicans for the shutdown and 30% of Americans blame the Democrats for the shutdown.  No doubt that will have a negative impact on the 2026 Senate race in Maine.  Bye Bye Susan.