💻 CMP's ad blitz

Laden...

1 jaar geleden

Html
Tekst

View this email in your browser

By Michael Shepherd - April 17, 2023
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up.

📷 This screenshot comes from a recent ad shot in the A1 Diner in Gardiner for Maine Affordable Energy, a political committee funded by the parent of Central Maine Power Co.

Good morning from Augusta. The state and Legislature are closed for Patriot's Day. Yes, Maine celebrates one patriot. Here's your soundtrack.

What we're watching today

The parent of Maine's biggest utility funds a massive ad blitz. If you live in Maine and have a smartphone or computer, you have probably been bombarded by ads over the last few months on the proposed takeover of Maine's major electric utilities on the November ballot.
The reason is that political committees funded by the parent of Central Maine Power Co. dumped $2.4 million into social media and online advertising in the first three months of 2023 alone, swamping opponents who look to be in dire financial straits
These ads have featured Jim Wright, the famous lineman-spokesperson for Central Maine Power Co., as well as the owner of the iconic A1 Diner in Gardiner, who got backlash for his appearance. The staggering sum that went into the ads was disclosed last week to the Maine Ethics Commission.
This ad blitz has made up nearly half of the $5.1 million spent on this kind of advertising since 2022 began. Avangrid, CMP's parent, has been the sole funder of the campaign to date, spending nearly $12.3 million on the 2023 referendum efforts.
It is more remarkable when you consider that Our Power, the political group trying to put an elected board in charge of the electric system, has only raised $655,000 since its campaign began. The haul would have been effectively nothing in early 2023 had it not gotten $100,000 from the 128 Collective, a San Francisco-based organization that funds climate initiatives.
All of the ads from the CMP side have been essentially the same. They are trying to hammer home a utility estimate that the new government-like entity that would be formed to administer the power system would have to pay $13.5 billion to buy out the infrastructure, pitching it as a risk to the state.
This estimate is contested by Our Power, which says the real sum could be billions less. The takeover relies in part on lower public borrowing rates that could reduce utility rates over the long term. There is no certainty on the fiscal estimate, since passage of the referendum in November would likely kick off a long court and regulatory battle over these exact questions.
While huge and early ad purchases amplifying one line could be seen as a recognition of political vulnerability, CMP’s narrative is going unanswered in advertising so far. While its side also ran up a huge financial advantage in a losing bid to persuade Maine voters to uphold their $1 billion corridor in 2021, the opposition had tens of millions of dollars of their own from power companies that would lose regional market share if the project passed.
The takeover proponents have no such financial ally. As a result, they lack the money to tell their story. For now, they must rely on hope that the incumbent utilities are unpopular enough to give their efforts the juice needed to pass. Leaving your campaign to that can be a dangerous game.

🗞 The Daily Brief is made possible by Bangor Daily News subscribers. Support the work of our politics team and enjoy unlimited access to everything the BDN has to offer by subscribing here.

News and notes

📷 Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat from Maine's 2nd District speaks with supporters on Nov. 1, 2022, at the State House in Augusta. (AP photo by Robert F. Bukaty)

🪙 Maine's Democratic congressman lays out a budget plan.
◉ U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat from Maine's 2nd District, kicked off a new Substack newsletter on Friday by laying out a detailed plan to trim the nation's debt-to-gross domestic product ratio to to 100 percent by cutting $500 billion from the federal budget over the next two years.
◉ Golden's "reasonable approach" includes reduced spending, savings in government programs and new revenue. This includes limiting discretionary spending to 2022 levels, hiking corporate taxes for businesses with profits over $10 million and restoring top income tax rates for those making more than $400,000, among other major reductions.
◉ The Maine congressman, who runs the centrist Blue Dog Coalition of Democrats, is trying to lay the groundwork for a deal that can pass in a divided Congress. He criticizes President Joe Biden for a "no negotiations" line on the debt limit, while also dinging House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-California, for holding the debt ceiling and the economy "hostage."
◉ "The country would be better served if Congress skipped the standoff, cut to the chase, and negotiated in good faith," he writes.
🛼 Two powerful Maine politicians take in ... a roller derby bout?
◉ U.S. Sen. Angus King and Gov. Janet Mills were in Westbrook on Saturday to watch the The Ship Wreckers take on the The R.I.P. Tides in flat-track women's roller derby play.
◉ On Instagram, King said the action "seemed to be a combination of rugby, speed skating, and getting to the head of the line at a Taylor Swift concert." Here's your soundtrack.

📱Want daily texts from me tipping you to political stories before they break?
Get Pocket Politics. It is free for 14 days and $3.99 per month if you like it.

What we're reading

🚂 It was a "miracle" that a train crew was spared in a rural Maine derailment.
🏠 These inland towns are still hotspots for vacation homes. Meanwhile, cities and towns struggle to implement a landmark housing law.
⚫ A teen who fell to death in Acadia National Park was a well-liked athlete.
🚌 A regional high school in rural Maine may be nixed for lack of money.
✌️ George Mitchell was in Northern Ireland to mark a major peace deal.
⛺ Bangor tries a new approach on homelessness after dismantling encampments.

💰 Want to advertise in the Daily Brief? Write our sales team.

Copyright © 2023 bangordailynews, All rights reserved.
You're receiving this email because you opted in at our website, or because you subscribed to the Bangor Daily News.
Our mailing address is:
bangordailynews1 Merchants PlzBangor, ME 04401-8302
Add us to your address book
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Deel deze op

Laden...

Andere nieuwsbrieven van Bangordailynews.com

Breen hat trick, assist lead UMaine hockey team to win over RPI Bangordailynews.com
12 uren geleden
The plan to use hemp to solve Maine’s ‘forever chemicals’ problem hits a major snag Bangordailynews.com
20 uren geleden
Former home of ‘MASH’ author for sale in midcoast Maine Bangordailynews.com
Gisteren om 00:04

Meer nieuwsbrieven van Bangordailynews.com

Laden...

Gerelateerde nieuwsbrieven

Bekijk andere categorieën