This attempt at intimidating think tanks by requiring them to comply with regulations imposed on no other nonpolitical organization will doubtless please those interested in probing the innards of the more conservative of these groups to find out where they get their money. But, as Tony Payne of the Alliance for Maine's Future pointed out in his e-mail newsletter, the bill's definition of the sort of institution covered — any "nonpartisan, independent, not-for-profit organization formed to conduct research, analysis and reporting on economic issues" — could be construed by compliant bureaucrats as applying to everything from Bowdoin College to the Maine Public Broadcasting Network.
Tuttle's bill seems to be a solution in search of a problem. Maybe he should form a think tank of his own (possible name: Tuttle's Rebuttal) to find one.
I'd offer the services of the Hernia Hill unquantifiable econometricians (see, that's really funny), but we're currently investigating the merits of minibars, and the resulting disagreements are expected to keep us occupied until long after the current legislative session expires. There are, after all, vast philosophical differences between the bring-a-travel-flask faction and the even-the-hotel-bar-is-cheaper crowd.
If you have a thought in your tank, e-mail me ataldiamon@herniahill.net.
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