State Sen. Peter Mills, R-Skowhegan, came close to carrying the GOP standard in the gubernatorial race. He was bested in the Republican primary by Chandler Woodcock for the nomination.

Over the weekend, Mills again made his voice heard. In a column in the Kennebec Journal, Mills staked out a forceful position on the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, saying it threatened the state with senseless paralysis and would do nothing to control state spending.

Instead, he warned, it could encourage the state to defer present obligations into future years.

“This is exactly why it failed in Colorado,” Mills said.

If TABOR passes, “Hang onto your saddle while we repeat the same wild bronco ride that Colorado is recovering from after 14 years of senseless and damaging turmoil,” Mills wrote.

Other side of coin

TABOR might not be short of detractors, but is also has a number of supporters.

The Maine Restaurant Association and the Maine Motor Transport Association have endorsed the plan, which would place strict limitations on state finances.

“We need to send a message to our legislators in Augusta who don’t understand that there is a problem,” said Dick Grotton of the MRA. “The Maine Restaurant Association decided that we had had enough.”

In addition, selectmen in the towns of Sebago and Wales have also endorsed the proposal, which will appear on November’s ballot as Question 1.

Kissing babies

Green Independent Pat LaMarche says, as governor, she would provide day care at the State House as a way to encourage women to run for the Legislature.

According to LaMarche, a number of progressive businesses offer on-site day care, and it’s time the state join them.

LaMarche made the suggestion during the Women’s Policy Center “Breakfast of Champions” last week in Portland. She drew a round of applause and general agreement from the other candidates at the forum.

“Keeping our children close will also help remind leaders what is truly important for state government,” LaMarche said.

Left behind

Former state Rep. Joanne Twomey, a four-term legislator from Biddeford, has endorsed anti-war independent Dexter Kamilewicz in Maine’s 1st Congressional District.

Kamilewicz is challenging Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Allen and Republican Darlene Curley in the race.

Twomey was elected four times to the Legislature as a Democrat. She left the party last year because she felt that it had moved too far to the right. She rejoined the party after Democrat Barbara Merrill left, saying the party had moved too far to the left, especially on fiscal matters. Merrill’s defection, would have left Democrats and Republicans with equal numbers in the House. Twomey then rejoined Democrats to protect the party’s slim numeric advantage while Merrill went on to launch an independent gubernatorial bid.

Twomey, who was termed out, lost a primary challenge against Democratic state Sen. Nancy Sullivan.

“I am tired of politicians who cannot get single-payer health care out of their mouths. I am tired of politicians who vote to fund the occupation of Iraq. The time is now to stand up for what we believe in and if the person running for office is not a Democrat, then shame on us,” Twomey said in a prepared statement.