My work takes me to apartment buildings like this one on a fairly regular basis, in fact, I have been to this one twice before. I am actually thinking about getting a permit to carry. Times are definately changing.
Obviously, we can't keep raising the debt ceiling year after year or keep raising taxes on anyone defined as "rich" in order to keep all the money flowing to Washington so our politicians can squander it as they see fit. We need leaders on both sides of the aisle to come together and fix this mess, and right now, those people aren't there. We have problems.
Supporters would have been there, too, but they have to be at work to earn the money that pays the taxes to fund all of these programs. That leaves those that either earn money supplying these services or those that receive these services directly all the time in the world to "protest". Free rides to the protest on taxpayer paid gas, anyone?
The Lepage tax cuts are intended to conform with federal guidelines and reduce the top bracket from 8.50% to 7.95%. They also eliminate taxes for an estimated 70,000 low income Mainers. I suppose if someone already isn't paying any taxes and is 100% on the receiving end of all the programs available out there, then they are tax cuts for the "rich" . Will someone please define "rich"?
As good as it sounds, I think Maine should be sure it can cover its' existing debt before taking on any additional. There is nothing wrong with not being one of the highest leveraged states in the country, given that Mainers are nowhere near the top in personal income and we have an aging population. Construction jobs are good, and infrastructure work needs to be done, but in the past, some construction bond money has indirectly found its' way to other places in state spending, and Cianbro, Pike, and the other players in these projects will still survive.Everyone wants everything. No one wants to see any existing program cuts, so heaping on more debt isn't a wise move at this time in my humble opinion.
When Paul Lepage called the Legislature the State's largest daycare center, he may have upset a lot of people but I don't think he was really off the mark. These clowns and a bunch just like them are the folks we rely on to run our State. Scary!
I'm not surprised by this. It pretty much follows the same pattern that Baldacci, as we have learned in other situations, followed for 8 years, which is reward all your cronies with well paid, taxpayer funded jobs whether they are the best suited for them or not. Very smooth character.
Good question Ernest. I would guess based on past history however that after a bunch of behind the scenes arrangements, this will all be swept away. From what I hear "incidents" of this general nature occur quite frequently at the middle and high schools.
The notion that something is "Free" is a joke. Nothing is "Free". At least the article could state that state and federal dollars are footing the bill..(Taxpayers).
This is just another spoke in the wheels of the welfare wagon that year after year gains happy passengers while the number of people doing the pulling slowly dwindles. No wonder government at all levels is cash starved and constantly looking to dig deeper into the
pockets of the few that are feeding this monster.
Take an hour or two and spend it in the second floor lobby at the City Building. Notice that most of the comers and goers to the general assistance office are-
A. Relatively young and generally healthy in appearance.
B. Relatively new arrivals to the area by way of having assorted belongings in tow.
C. Very rarely retired persons on fixed incomes that have worked hard all their lives.
If you see what goes on day in and day out and just how many people exploit the system you would understand Bob Macdonald's rationale when it comes to welfare abuse...and why enough of Lewiston's residents agreed with him to elect him Mayor.
Keep raising taxes, but heaven forbid we cut back on all the free services we provide to everyone whether they need it or not. Social Services are one of the largest industries in this state, and in Lewiston as well.
Tighten up GA guidelines so that Lewiston taxpayers pay only for Lewiston residents that have been here for at least six months and that are really in need of help and not just lazy. That would be a good start and in line with what Gov. Lepage is trying to do at the State level. Currently, we have basically same day service for GA. Off the bus and a few hours later, a pocket full of handouts. This is a broken system that many people know very well how to play.
Frank, I believe we get E-mail notification from the SJ whenever someone posts on a subject we have posted on, whether or not the poster was replying to us.
What, no howls from Crave and Rotundo and the other good little party soldiers on this one? By now I would have expected the little sheriff Mark Dion to have petitioned the Maine Supreme Court for a ruling on this bill. What a farce! John Martin is like a bad penny.
Just remember that the DHHS problems largely trace back to a $25 million computer system put into operation when Baldacci was governor and rubber stamped by Rotundo and Craven. On another point, Lepage's tax breaks also go to some 70,000 Mainers that are far from "wealthy", not just those in the highest tax bracket, who by the way, still pay far more to the State in taxes as a group than anyone else.
NFL players making millions a year breaking the rules and going out to end another player's career for $1000 to $1500. Insanity...but then some of these same guys end up in prison for things like drug dealing, dog fighting, and even manslaughter. And to think, they all went to college!
Geez, this two year cap is going to push a thriving industry that sucks up tax dollars like a vacuum into near extinction. A lifetime on Methadone or Suboxone at taxpayer expense, plus taxpayer funded travel to and from the "clinics" is what makes these entities tick. I would think that if someone is on Mainecare and they have a 24 month window to clean up their act, then they and their pill pushers would coordinate their efforts to get that accomplished. The other choice is to do it the old fashioned way and actually pay for the treatments themselves. As a last resort, they could go out and get a job that might include some employer assisted medical insurance.
So what's fair, Jon? Tax the guy with the Harvard bankroll enough so that in the end both families can send their kids to a state or community college? Why bother then to pull the wagon when you can ride on it for free? I don't like loopholes, but I'm not in favor of a Robinhood style tax system, either.
With your bare hands, Ron, or did you have a gun as well? There will always be disagreeable characters and there is nothing wrong with people being prepared to defend against them. Remember, when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
Maybe 19th century dams were built with outdated technology, but new hydro projects certainly come with better environmental safeguards than, say, the old Edwards Dam in Augusta had. Hydo power is renewable energy that is reliable 24/7, as compared to wind power that has low to mid 20% range efficiency, a relatively short economic life span, and which comes with it's own environmental baggage, such as blasting scenic and wildlife habitat ares for towers, access roads, and transmission lines. An additional problem with wind projects appears to be factors related to noise. Hydro is as green as wind, so it should be included in the green calculations, in my opinion. NRCM and HRC are not actually "unbiased" sources of data. That's kind of like saying "according to Fox News, or according to MSNBC"...it depends on which slant you want to promote, but that's about all those sources are worth. If I didn't know better, I would get the idea from this editorial that the SJ might be attempting to gloss over all the negative wind power issues in order to pave the way for their coming endorsement of Angus King, Mr. Independent/Democrat, and a captain of the wind industry here in Maine, for the U. S. Senate.
I'm in favor of free choice. It appears that the money sucking machine that is the Lewiston School Department is worried that without a monopoly on students, it will suffer. That's life. If Lewiston is spending X amount of money to educate a student, which is paid by local and state taxes, then that amount should be able to follow that student to any accredited school of choice. Of course, teachers' unions and anyone feeding off of the current system will fight this to the bitter end.
Paul the Pirate, I agree with you totally. Our office used to be in the Dube Travel building next door to Mahamud's establishment, and he is a personable, apparently self-supporting man. He gets bounced out of the Country, while we keep our doors open to folks that are only here because we are stupid enough to support them.
Bruce Brown is currently a tenant in our office/ mixed use building, and I can safely say that he is a lawsuit in the making from the time he gets up in the morning until he gets up the next day. Professional POS.
I won't argue that point, however, I will say emphatically that when the Maniacs were in town the vast majority of ticket buyers were the parents and grandparents of LAYHA players, and the sponsors who bought advertising recognized this 100%. Firland Management has the right to do whatever they want to do, because they own the Colisee, including comitting financial suicide, which, as far as I'm concerned is exactly what they are doing. Think such great ideas as "New Coke" and "Pepsi Clear". Most people remember being crapped on.
From what I understand, this "Great Deal" is going to make Lewiston-Auburn youth hockey homeless after being around for 40 years. If this is indeed the case, and Lewiston and Auburn kids lose access to the Colisee, Mr. Cain will need a heck of a lot more than a USHL team to fill his building, unless the fans all come up from Cumberland County.
I voted for Angus King when he ran for Governor on both occasions, simply because I felt he was the better of the choices we had. Since his money grab over wind power, however, I will never vote for that man again even if he were running for dog catcher of Whoville, unopposed. If he can sell Mainers a boatload of crap regarding wind power with a straight face, what will he try to sell us in an effort to get elected to the U.S. Senate?
Career political hacks from all sides are flocking to this soon to be open U.S. Senate seat like crows to a fresh March road kill. The plot thickens by the hour. It would be nice if C. Pingree runs for the Senate seat because that would be an easy way to send her packing.
Tina, stores don't get cards, individuals do. For a store to commit fraud, I would assume they need people that get the cards to launder them through their accounts for some type of financial gain. Targetting a store makes sense, because there may be several card recipients at that one outlet involved in fraud. Why are people so afraid of admitting that fraud is a problem in the welfare system, anyway? Fraud is a problem nowadays in every program and financial system known to man.
There's also a good article in this same edition from The NE Administrator of the USDA Food Stamp program that says fraud is an issue that they are constantly working on, while trying to stay on top of all the new angles perpetrators come up with to game the system. So, is fraud an issue, or not? The USDA administers the program, so if they say fraud is an issue, I guess I will go along with that.
Obviously an over the top liberal with no room for discussion . Exactly the problem at both ends of the spectrum. People who think one way and one way only with no compromise in their vocabulary. Guess what, Kim, there are people on the other side that are just as passionate about their views as you are about yours...and they won't budge either. Name calling doesn't change anything, either.
Kim, you mean like Michaud and Pingree? Whatever the Obama administration and the D.C. dems want, they can always count on the votes of Maine's two house members. I'll take a 20% crossover over that any time and yes, I'll give Snowe and Collins a "Moderate" label. I guess it depends on how you look at it.
Ron, your comment is a perfect example of what Senator Snowe is fed up with. You have very liberal views, and anyone who does not share those views with you is "crazy". Compromise is not a word in your vocabulary, and it's what's missing in D.C. as well. What we need are more moderates like Snowe and Collins instead of lock-step party followers. Maybe then we could move the country forward. Smewhere between the two extremes is very likely where the right direction for our country will be found.
Maybe now GM will buy back the 34% or so interest in the company still held by the American taxpayer. I'm sure B. Obama could use the money. Solyndra needs to be cleaned up of toxic waste it left behind when it headed down the crapper with half a billion dollars of our tax money.
We have freight rail service now, to the point where some lines have been abandoned because they weren't self supporting. As for passenger service in a rural state like Maine , there will not be enough ridership to make that self sufficient, either. Tax dollars to build, and more tax dollars to subsidize operations.
Funny, Veritas and Tron doing the battle of wits. It makes for entertaining reading. So Ron, you weren't involved in the Capone takedown? I would have guessed Sean Connery was playing the part of Ronald Riml in " The Untouchables". Just kidding! Have a nice spring like day!
Maine could save quite a lot of money by reducing the size of the legislature, and at the same time improve on the quality of the people elected to serve. We are still dealing with an antiquated system that hails back to a time when many communities in Maine were relatively isolated from each other and all needed a voice in the legislature in order to be represented fairly. This changed a long time ago. Maine is now pretty much regionalized, and Augusta should adjust accordingly. As Judy Meyer says though, it isn't likely to happen.
I'm not necessarily sold on the idea either. What's good for one is good for the other. Emergency personnel, police, etc. have sufficient on board equipment to satisfy their public safety needs without resorting to text messaging. Exempting this group from the new law is basically telling the public that these groups of people are so much better at multi-tasking than the rest of us that they are above the law they supported when it was introduced for consideration in the first place. More crapola from Big Brother...Do what we say, not what we do.
However you want to cut it, Tony, Maine doesn't have the money to fund all of these programs, period. Face it, there is no more of other peoples' money for Augusta liberals to spend . That is painful, but it is the truth. Some facts can be twisted, but not all, as hard as you might try. Painful yes, but avoidable, no.
We should have a low uninsured rate... more Mainers are on publicly funded healthcare than people in 45 other states by percentage. I agree that this didn't just happen willy nilly, we can thank Baldacci and company for dumping this crap on our heads. The fact that it is not affordable and can't be sustained has no bearing on this issue whatsoever, though, according to the democrats who supported the expansion of this mess. Say what you want about Paul Lepage, I admire the man for having the courage to face the issues head on. In the past, it was just so much easier to play the old shell game with the bills than to face reality.
Open road tolling will be of extra benefit to commercial trucks, because many already use E-ZPass, and it takes them much longer and they use more fuel gearing down and then back up to go through a toll plaza at 10 MPH. It may not mean much to passenger car drivers, but all in all, I think the system will be beneficial.
I drove by there yesterday, (Wed. 2/15/2102), around 3 P.M. coming back from working in Rangeley and some were spinning very slowly while others were not spinning at all. No noise of course, but also little or no power production. Our tax dollars at work to make a few companies and individuals a lot of money. What a waste. To Mr. Woodbury I would say that ski areas aren't built on every mountain range in Maine with taxpayer funding and they bring far more economic return to their communities than these wind farms ever will. Maybe your bias is showing?
Good for heating bills, snow removal budgets, but not much else. I am definately ready for spring, and hopefully it comes early. Last year we basically had no spring season, which makes for what seems like a very short summer.
Coyotes are filling the void left by the extinction of wolves??? Quite a stretch Robert. The long and short of it is that coyotes have no natural enemies in Maine except humans, and as such, it falls to us to control their population by the most effective means necessary. As far as wolf re-introduction into Maine goes, that's another story that HSUS and PETA can play out with their donated millions. I agree with you that habitat destruction is a major player in the decline of northern Maine deer, and I stated that in my first post, as you can see. That is an issue that needs attention by the appropriate state agencies that can deal with the large landowners. As far as my "crack" about Southern Maine, I stand by my comment because for many businesses in the "Other Maine", hunting is a major source of income for them and the folks they employ. If you haven't lived it, which you obviously haven't, then you shouldn't be so quick to condemn it from the viewpoint of the county with the lowest unemployment rate and highest per capita income in Maine. BTW, my tent is heated...with wood.
Opinions, both pro and con, on any issue should not be censured in the name of "cleaning up". Some of these opinions are based on facts to be found while others are not, yet they all represent a point of view from someone intersted in the issue enough to post their thoughts on it. Freedom of Speach.
The article says $68,000 is medium income, Dan. Regardless, this is indeed another example of a connected development agency making money on a project with taxpayer dollars, because the project is not viable otherwise. And this goes on all over the country. No wonder we have a huge deficit in our federal budget.
The city is slowly losing population, yet we are gaining on average 100 students per year. When does the City of Lewiston reach the tipping point? You can only tax property owners so much before you start to add them to the welfare rolls, especially retirees and others on fixed incomes. When it comes to the school department, we never seem to have enough money, no matter where it comes from.
Yes Dan, by all means, let the people who get up and go to work every day pay for anyone and everyone that can't or won't support themselves, whether they need/deserve it or not. Tax the crap out of them...until, of course, it reaches into your own pockets, then you'll howl about that, I'm sure. Our current system of welfare is not sustainable, plain and simple. We need too fix it. We can't tax our way out of it. NOTE: Even Baldacci, your main man, couldn't pay the bills on these programs.
Many complaints, but no suggested solutions other than the same old "RAISE TAXES". The DHHS problems have to be fixed because we are spending way more than we can afford. Jobs will disappear in the process, but many are jobs that probably shouldn't have been created in the first place.
There seems to be a problem in Augusta with folks not understanding that our welfare system as it stands is not sustainable. It hasn't been for a while, either. John Baldacci used one time money and delayed payments to providers to balance his budgets and he left with hospitals owed millions of dollars. The DHHS problems have to be resolved, and I give Lepage credit for facing that problem and taking the heat that goes with it. We can't ignore the problem and we can't tax our way out of it, either.
My guess is that they will bring in experienced people to train and supervise initially, and then promote from their employee base and hire local people to replace turnovers going forward, which makes sense both practically and financially. Dennis Bailey is such a drain...but, he makes money while he's at it!
Dan, the Attorney General, Steve Rowe, got the money back from Merrill Lynch. My point is that both democrats and republicans have their share of stinkers. You, of course, are totally blind to any viewpoint not entirely in agreement with your own, so once again, here we are.
Ron and Al, for starters, do you remember a guy named David Lamoine? He was Baldacci's pal who was entrusted with investing state revenues in order to earn interest on the money. He put $20 million of those funds into a Ponzi Scheme investment because he didn't know what he was doing. Then we have the MTA, likely Maine Housing, Maine Green Energy Alliance, and I'm sure I'm missing some here. It must be nice to have selective memories. My point is, you can find garbage on both sides of the aisle if you are open minded enough to look at the whole picture.
Gerry Lavigne, retired biologist and foremost authority on Maine's Whitetail Deer, having headed that program for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife for years, blames Coyote predation as one of the major factors contributing to the deer herd decline in Maine, secondary to habitat destruction and weather. To introduce another predator into the mix for no apparent good reason whatsoever makes no sense. Deer and deer hunting support jobs and businesses in areas of the State that do not have many other options, and deer hunter license fees help support IF&W, which protects ALL of our wildlife. Anti-hunters and ill informed folks that support introduction of wolves in Maine should spend some time visiting these areas of the state whose economies have taken a hit from loss of business due to the decline in the deer population and get some first hand information instead of spouting off from the comfort of their southern Maine homes.
Obama may drive us into the poor house, but he won't be able to destroy us. Other lousy presidents from both parties have preceeded BHO, and left us bruised but still standing.
I guess I must know all the people that comprise the 6% that are strongly opposed. Wind power, from what I have read, based on data from various operating facilities in other states is very erratic. The "investment" of billions will end up making a few individuals a lot of money and will end up costing ratepayers in spades for years to come. Before we plant these jewels all over the state, we should at least wait long enough to measure their economic viability by studying those already built for a bit. Personally, I think the race is on to get as many projects completed before people wake up to find out they have been greased. Hydro makes so much more sense. Power is produced 24/7 365 days a year, and it's as "green" as wind.
DHHS has been an elephant in the State's living room for years, and in the past our fearless leaders have managed to get around that elephant by not paying bills to hospitals, using one time federal money, and other shell games. A major overhaul of programs provided by DHHS is needed, and now, not later. The federal government, thanks to people like Obama, Pingree, and Michaud, et. als. has tied states to unfunded mandates that there is no money to pay for. Maine is far from alone in this sinkhole, and the fight to fix these problems is far from over. This editorial suggests, once again, raising or creating new taxes on select items to pay the bills. This to me is an over simplistic reaction to the core problem, and will not solve the problem even in the short term. How high and how many items need to be taxed to raise $220 million? Then what about the next budget cycle, when the shortfall looms up again? Raise taxes again? Add more new ones? There is no simple solution to a problem as complex as this one is, and to suggest that raising taxes once again is a major part of that solution is reverting back to the same simple minded thinking by past leadership that got us into this mess to begin with.
WOW!!! I apparently missed all that good stuff BHO accomplished during the past three years! Alas Jon, I'm not alone because even the Prez is campaigning for re-election based, once again, on all the good things he wants to do for this country...He IS NOT campaigning on his record as the most effective president in the past 50 years. You rant so.
Dan, I think the police figured it out back in December. What they need to make an arrest or arrests is enough evidence to convict the guilty. Finding Ayla is the key I think. This is why they have been searching woods and water all over the place for weeks. In the real world, you need proof, not just an opinion, like most of us have in these comment threads. Later.
I was at the Lewiston city building yesterday on business for all of 15 minutes, and in that time going to the second floor and back, I passed by a young man in his early 20's and a young couple appearing to be in their early thirties all decked out with baggies and lip and nose jewelry carrying their appropriate paperwork for public assistance. Since the assessor's office is adjacent to the welfare office, it's easy enough to know what business these folks were transacting. Anyone that thinks people don't come here for the welfare has their heads in the sand. BTW, sugar coat it all you want with fancy names, it's still public assistance, i.e., welfare.
There are jobs out there Ron. For starters in Lewiston we have the Wal-Mart Distribution Center that is typically always hiring. Hard work but pretty good money. If people have no job skills, they should expect to find jobs that pay accordingly in most cases. The problem arises when welfare benefits are sufficent for the layabouts to get by without having to work hard at earning their own way. It's so damned easy to snipe at people you don't agree with when you don't have to back up your BS with facts.
Ron, I think what David was implying is that he and his work and live within their means and do not rely on public assistance for their basic necessities. There is pride in being self supporting, and some people still have some self respect left. Everyone who pays taxes pays for the costs of public infrastructure, and we share that cost for the common good. We don't, however, have to like seeing that tax money spent to support those who choose to live off of public assistance because they are too lazy to work do so just because they can. Of course, you knew this already, your comment is just you being you.
I would suggest that liberals get over having lost the last election and move on. Conservatives have had to stand by and watch the liberal democrats basically strangle the State with expanded entitlement programs for three+/- decades, and now we are flat broke and the Federal Government is as well, so no help from D.C. We need to cut spending by hundreds of millions of dollars, and since DHHS and schools consume most of the state budget, where else are you supposed to look for significant cuts? Oh wait, I forgot, we don't have to cut any programs, just raise taxes, that always worked before! What a joke!
NOTHING deters a bully better than a good dose of the same crap they are dishing out, Tina. Crude, but effective, up until about one liberal generation or so ago.
I have been of the opinion since day one that Baldacci & Co. sold us out to the wind power industry, a/k/a Angus King and cohorts, and the more that comes out on the good and bad sides of wind power, the more I'm convinced I'm right. If Governor Lepage and the Republicans had stuffed wind energy down our throats like this, Douglas Rooks' weekly liberal rant very likely wouldn't be about the LURC.
Unfortunately, "The rules of war" are written by politicians and bureaucrats that don't actively participate on the battlefields. Therein lies the problem. When only one side is expected to play by the "rules" and these young soldiers witness this first hand, anger and frustration are bound to set in. Things like this happen. It is, after all, a war, not a Peace Corps. mission.
We do not have enough money to go around. Maine can not fund all of the programs as they exist. The money has to come from somewhere. Unlike Obama, Lepage can not print it as needed. Lies...All lies. Some people just refuse to believe that we are out of other peoples' money and the spending party is over I guess.
If someone in Auburn is having a medical emergency, then I would guess all other things aside, they would be very grateful Lewiston, with its' two regional hospitals, exists. I think this letter is more bad attitude than anything else. Both Cities have issues, but Lewiston and Auburn feed off of each other and that's just the way it is.
As I posted previously when the news first broke that Kestrel was headed to Wisconsin, this isn't the first time a developer with a big idea and no money waves the promise of a few hundred good paying jobs around to see which town or state is willing to pull their pants down the lowest to get in on the "deal". It's an old game, but it works often enough to be worth playing. A risky business venture is what this boils down to, period. If Kestrel's business plan were really solid enough to support a $100 million investment, there would be bankers and investors courting them and they would not have to be playing this game.
It must be lonely up there all by yourself...the only one who "knows" anything. This cat's out of the bag, Mr. Albrecht, and it doesn't matter who opened it.
Yes Margaret, poor Dale McCormick is being targeted, just like the Maine Turnpike Authority was before her, and of course we all know there was nothing going on with that entity that was not totally above board! Laughable blabber from the entrenched but suddenly threatened Democrats that have been having their way for years.
I'm not saying this is the case with Kestrel, however, I'm sure that I am not the only one here that has watched developers with big imaginations and no funding sources play the "we'll bring hundreds of good jobs to the area" game in an attempt to get financial assistance for their projects. $100 million is a lot of money to throw at the wall. If this were indeed such a sure bet, there would be bankers knocking on their door.
Obama's Affordable Care Act is a perfect example of the irresponsible governing that has been a trademark of his administration. In three years he has pissed away Trillions of dollars we don't have, and then passed laws such as this one that mandates that States pick up part, and in a few years, all of the tab, with money they also don't have. All of this in keeping with his concerted effort to mine democratic votes from anywhere they can be dredged up.
When juveniles commit adult crimes I think it would be appropriate for their names to be made public. When these people turn 18, then it's O.K., and then all of a sudden it can also be disclosed that they have priors as juveniles. The public has a right to know if "Billy the Kid" lives next door to them.
First the Turnpike Authority, now this. No wonder the "good ol' boy" establishment in Augusta has been going after Governor Lepage's throat since election night. His election obviously upset the apple cart. Life for them would have been sooo much better with Cutler or Mitchell in the Blaine House. This kind of stuff may be legal, but it sure smells.
Symbolic is not the same as a solution. Of course Peggy Rotundo's first choice as a solution to any problem has always been "raise taxes on anyone still standing". It's a joke, but it's on us because we keep sending her back to Augusta.
This is good news, however, welfare fraud in this state is so prevalent that if it could be whittled down to a minimal level, much of the DHHS shortage could very likely be eliminated with those funds. You can't convince the liberal democrats that this is a major problem, but many people are aware of it, including, fortunately, Governor Lepage and new Lewiston Mayor Macdonald. Until Maine stops being a haven for people living on the backs of working people, this will continue to be a problem.
Note to Dan: Read the article in this issue of the SJ about undisclosed money obtained by our beloved Augusta bureaucrats for personal gain and you will find that there are thieves on both sides of the aisle.
"We must demand that those that can work, do work and contribute to our economy and community"? Wow! I was under the impression based on Lewiston's direction over the past 20+ years that we couldn't do this because it would violate our City Charter or something. I've often thought Lewiston was doing just the opposite. Mayor Macdonald has my full support on this!
If public sector jobs netted a benefit to the economy whether necessary or not, local, state and the federal governments could have solved our economic woes by hiring all of the un-employed to sharpen pencils or whatever. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
Dan, can you please define "wealthy"? Is it any individual making over X amount of dollars per year? Is it anyone that makes more money than you? What is "wealthy", anyway? A lot of people that make good money are already paying more than most in taxes. I agree with closing loopholes, etc. that allows some individuals and businesses to escape their tax obligations. I do though have a problem with the goverment taking on the role of Robin Hood.
Yes, responsible people like former Governor Baldacci and his minions that managed to grow DHHS to a totally unsustainable size while kicking the debt can down the road. Some people think that if you ignore a problem it will go away, or that if you pretend it doesn't exist, then it really doesn't.
I totally agree with you Michael. It's a good thing the government isn't involved. By the time administrative costs and "earmarks" got factored into the equation there would be nothing left to pay off the layaways.
Personally I'm fine with a green Christmas. Cold, bare ground is about the only way we can reduce the number of ticks that are now infesting most areas of the state. I also prefer New Balance walkers to Bean boots. Much lighter and less cumbersome. Anyway, Merry Chrismas, white or green!
Baldacci paid the DHHS bill with stimulus money for what, three years? Even then he left a bunch of IOU's to hospitals and other providers. Don't blame this mess on Lepage tax cuts because it started a long time ago, like when the democrats decided to use Medicaid as our state insurance program knowing full well the bills would come back and bite SOMEONE in the butt.
The 50% or so of Maine's population that pays income taxes to support the other 50% or so of the population that pay no income taxes but receive various taxpayer funded entitlements may just decide to pick up their marbles and go somewhere else to play. This has been going on for some time already and when there aren't enough people left to squeeze, then what? I can't get over just how many people have been living in this bubble and have no clue as to how un-sustainable our current welfare system is. Call governor Lepage anything you want, but at least he's being honest about the DHHS problems, which is more than you can say for former governor Baldacci. I'm sure Peggy Rotundo's solution is the same one put forth by democrats time and time again when faced with financial problems, that being to raise taxes on everything in sight.
I think mayor elect Macdonald is over the frustrations that resulted from an organized campaign by the local media and liberal democrats that made every attempt to insure that he wouldn't win this election. Even with the solid push by his opponents, playing all the cards in the deck that gave them an edge, Bob Macdonald won the election. The bottom line is that there are enough voters in this City that support Bob Macdonald's vision for moving Lewiston in a different direction and ultimately change things for the better. I suspect that Bob Macdonald will do some good things for Lewiston.
This election is not between Bob Macdonald and Mark Paradis. Mr. Paradis passed away last Friday. This election is between a man who sees some of Lewiston's problems and wants to shed light on them and between the same democratic machine that brought us where we are today and doesn't want to change a thing. Your choice. One way or the other though, go vote, please.
It is painful to be broke, but the Country is broke, the State of Maine is broke, and these groups that have been feeding at the public trough for years will have to adjust to that fact because we're not coming out of this mess any time soon. The shear magnitude of people that are on these programs boggles the mind, anyway. We apparently have gone way beyond helping the helpless to the point where we avail these services at taxpayer expense to anyone at any age, with the only qualification being that they be too lazy to support themselves in many, many cases. At least Governor Lepage has the courage to tackle this beast and not just kick it down the road like our previous governor.
What I find kind of silly Paul is that if this kind of stuff enhanced the liberal agenda of our civic leaders and our media, we'd know more about this guy than his own mother probably does. Lack of information goes on often around here it seems, but let the governor or a conservative politician say two sentences that can be spun to an advantage by the other side and it's headline news. Speaking of spin, a great example is last Saturday's editorial. Don't forget to vote tomorrow if you live in our fair city!
I'm curious as to how long this guy has been a resident of Lewiston. Has he been here all his life or is he a recent arrival? Things I'd like to know about my City.
I am in complete disagreement with this editorial and its' lame attempt to disguise partisan political views as rational thinking. I must say though that I'm no more surprised to see it than Doug Rooks' weekly rant on all things conservative. Common sense says that next Tuesday voters will go to the Multi-Purpose Center to vote for Lewiston's next mayor, and at that time we will definately have a clear choice. If you agree with the vision Mark Paradis had for the direction of our City, then you cast your vote for Mr. Paradis. Should he be declared the winner then we have the so called "do-over", and it goes back to square one and anyone can file nomination papers and run for the mayor's office. If, on the other hand, you support Bob Macdonald's views regarding the issues facing Lewiston, then vote for the candidate you were going to vote for in the first place and get it done. A "do over" simply to give Macdonald opponents a chance to find a candidate that they feel might be even stronger than Mr. Paradis would have been doesn't make sense financially or otherwise except to media outlets that sell political advertisements. The fact that over 1000 absentee ballots have already been cast has absolutely no bearing on who voters select on Tuesday, either, although the editorial implies that
unless you vote for a "re-do" they will be wasted. The paper's editorial board has no more of an idea than any of us do as to which direction those votes were cast.
I have known Mark for over 40 years. He was always so easy going and likeable. My deepest sympathies to Ronella and the family. With his untimely passing though comes this thinly veiled scramble by Lewiston's entrenched politicos to rework the mayoral election to their every advantage. This begs the question of why are they so afraid Bob Macdonald might actually win the mayoral election?
Dan, you brought up the 39% business so what does that have to do with this discussion? The only thing I can think of is that you really loved Baldacci and really hate Lepage because you can't stomach a conservatively oriented agenda.
The real point is that ANY agency that is charged with spending taxpayer money has to be scrutinized periodically to insure that it is being managed properly and that no misconduct is going on. These projects are extremely expensive, and there is definately room for fraud and misconduct. One only has to look to the Maine Turnpike Authority for an example of how things can go sour within a "reputable" entity. The only way these projects can get completed is with the injection of a large dose of tax dollars, because when you spend over $300,000 to create a housing unit with a market value of under $50,000, investors and bankers tend to not have much interest in participating. That being the case, I think it's a good thing to perform due diligence periodically, and during that process, agency heads should be prepared with a thick skin and good documentation regarding their processes. It really shouldn't be viewed as a partisan agenda,but more like a sound business practice.
Very well said Glenn. I too feel that all of these community bans on fireworks are over the top. People use potentially dangerous things every day, like woodstoves, snowblowers, lawnmowers, chainsaws, ATV's etc. and yes, sometimes accidents happen and people get badly hurt or worse. Should we expect community leaders, in their apparent effort to save us all from ourselves, to ban these dangerous things as well?
For a people so centered on their personal rights, I often wonder why the Somalis lost control of their own country to home grown war lords. I would think that they would have fought the good fight for their rights and freedoms...or..at least retained a good lawyer? What garbage.
The Pirate probably also remembers people buying groceries with their own hard earned money and paying the oil man with same, too. I went to an inner city elementary school here in Lewiston in the 60's for eight years, and you could count the students who got "free" lunches on one hand each and every year. Times change.
The city's population hardly budges from year to year, yet our student population is growing at a very fast pace. I can hardly wait until we have to build a big new inner city school to keep up with demand for space to see what happens to my property taxes.
Part of the problem has to be that Governor Lepage paid a ton of money owed Medicaid providers like hospitals that the Baldacci administration chose to "defer". Whether we provide services we don't have the money for or whether we eliminate those services, in the end, it's still the same working taxpayers and businesses that foot the bill. First and foremost, we have to fix a broken system that gives little to no incentive for people to get ahead a bit in life. If someone chooses to not get an adequate education, then they don't have to work the rest of their lives at a menial job, we, the taxpayers, will buy them food, pay their rent, pay their medical expenses, heck, we'll even buy them oil or give them money to pay for other heating sources. I firmly believe this is why Maine and the Country as a whole are in such a financial squeeze. The only thing that seperates many people from the welfare class is pride, and apparently, there isn't enough of that to go around. We have to take care of our elderly and those that are incapable of taking care of themselves, such as those with physical or mental handicaps and children, but I can not be convinced that I have to pay for the health care of apparently healthy people who are too lazy to work and at the same time, help pay for a "debit card" that allows them to buy a sanwich, soda, and a bag of chips at the corner store because they don't have time to cook at home in their cozy little subsidized apartments. That's my rant for the day, now I have to get down to work.
I post on the BDN and I can safely say that it's the wild west on there. No holds barred. Very seldom is there civil and informed disagreement among the posters, they either agree with the post or go for the jugular of the poster. It's a rough place to play, but the upside for the BDN is that they can end up with over 300 comments on a single article.
Having lived in Lewiston for all of my 59 years, I don't think going back to the way some things were 30 or 40 years ago is all that bad compared to the way some things are today. One example that often comes to mind is in 1970-71, my senior year at St. Dom's, students could walk safely back and forth between the Bates and Bartlett Street buildings, or to the "Arena", even after dark. Today you likely wouldn't do that unless you were in a large group of people. Sometimes, you have to back up a bit in order to keep moving forward, and sometimes, you have to turn in a different direction to get where you want to go. It's a matter of choice, and to some extent in this mayoral election, we have that.
Melissa, I agree that we need affordable housing units for seniors and others in need of assistance, but on the other hand, if Lewiston is to improve the urban core, we need to stop using subsidized apartments and entitlement programs as a tool to attract new residents to the City. There's a big difference between taking care of our own and taking care of anyone who can afford a bus ticket to Lewiston. Lewiston taxpayers can only afford so much, and then they pack up and move out and pay their taxes elsewhere if they can...and obviously, many can, because they have.
We gave our City gravel pit and other land we bought from abutters to Wal-Mart to get the distribution center here in addition to the TIF. While it's nice to have the facility and the jobs in Lewiston, it is not very pleasant to think that we pulled our pants down in order to lure the largest retailer in the world to Lewiston so that they could build a facility that they absolutely needed in order to keep making huge profits. Having the right location and the labor force to man the facility should have been the bones thrown at Wal-Mart along with the TIF, if necessary to finalize the deal, but our leaders of the day decided to give away the store instead. As for low income housing history tells us that "If you build it, they will come". The faces change, but the story stays the same. Upscale housing in our urban core will never happen until we eliminate some of the marginally livable units we have in the area and change the landscape in general.
"The state's billing system has failed to meet federal standards since 2005. The substandard system has also resulted in a federal reimbursement rate that's 25% lower than states with billing programs in compliance". If this represents "competent administrators" in action, I can see why they were let go. The problems are largely inherited, and that's not easy to refute, even by the most ardent Lepage bashers.
Governor Lepage needs to employ the same shell games previous administrations utilized to come up with money the State didn't have to pay for all of our "entitlement" programs. And...when in doubt, just heed the advice of the good little taxers and spenders like Margaret Craven and Peggy Rotundo.
In other words, your guess is probably as good as Mr. Colgan's when it comes to Maine's economic forecast. There are so many variables that can influence the health of the economy that no one can really predict anything with any degree of accuracy.
I agree with the posters here that it's time to focus on other issues, however, to pretend that what the republicans in Augusta are focusing on here is something the democrats never did when they had Augusta in their grip, that being to try to shove issues that played to their agendas through the legislature, is pure horse manure.
The problem is, all funding is critical to one group or another, and we as a country are funding more programs than we have money to fund with. I don't disagree with Ms. Miles, I'm just making a point of fact.
Tony, 38% didn't do well for Baldacci & Co., either. They got slammed several times by peoples' vetos. Wow, I said this without resorting to name calling!
Tony, you are overlooking the peoples' vetos of laws passed by Baldacci & Co. when they ruled Augusta, like the snack & beverage tax, the gay marriage legalization, and the infamous income tax overhaul that added sales taxes to almost everything but golf. Near sighted or selective memory?
As long as these referendums pit different geographic areas of the state against each other, there will be winners like Oxford County and Bangor, and losers. The "I got mine and you can't have yours" philosophy is alive and well. The legislature needs to get Dennis Bailey out of their butt and set some statewide ground rules for gambling facilities.
One of the problems with social security is that when it was first started, life expectancy was about five years beyond retirement at age 62. Now many people live into their 80's and beyond, and their medical costs over the extended term coupled with the monthly SS checks are a fraction of what they paid into the system during their working years. This has been the case for years now, and until DC politicians have the nerve to face it head on, it will eventually blow up. To put this problem on the backs of younger workers struggling to raise families, though, isn't fair because today's retirees actually paid less in SS as a percent of their paychecks for many of their working years than do present day workers.
Terry, if, as you imply, this is President Obama's way of "getting even" with Paul Lepage for a remark made on the campaign trail, then his Chicago style politics would make Al Capone look tame. Your comment makes absolutely no sense.
The 6% who registered to vote on election day did so because it is available. To say that those people would not be able to vote if they had to register 48 hours before the election is like saying that 6% of people do their grocery shopping on Sunday, but if we go back to the days when large grocery stores were closed on Sunday, then 6% of the population would starve.
Plain and simple, if it's going to cost a lot more money to renovate/refit something than it will cost to raze it and build new, then the obvious choice is to build new...unless you are playing with taxpayer dollars and not your own, of course. I would guess there's a lot more room to play "hide the cash" on a rehab project that keeps evolving as you go along than on a straightforward new construction project.
If 41 other states have similar or more restrictive voter registration laws on their books, then just maybe there is a reason for such laws. Last minute registration opens the door to voter fraud and a two business day deadline before an election isn't going to hamper anyone's voting ability if that person really wants to vote.
I'm sure most democrats will be voting Yes on 1, Kris, and likely for the same reasons most republicans will be voting No on 1. It's to protect their best interests in each case, regardless of the crap tossed about regarding voter rights, voter fraud, etc. by both sides.
Obviously, there should not be any food left about during these parties for health reasons. Serve a light buffet at closing time or something. Problem solved.
I didn't read where they said the guy who owned/registered the truck was the driver. I guess I missed that. I agree though that as we get older, medical issues are more common occurances and our senses get less acute...but try telling your 80 year old, otherwise relatively healthy mother or father that you are taking the keys away and their sense of independence along with it at the same time. It may be the sensible thing to do, but it's a lot easier to talk about here on line than to actually accomplish.
Sometimes, it is inevitable that people have no choice but to either take some personal responsibility for themselves or lose out. This happens all the time, and used to be much more prevalent before welfare for all became a liberal mantra. Now people expect all things from their government...God forbid any attempts at hoisting personal responsibility on them. I guess it basically boils down to how you view yourself...self reliant... or reliant on others to carry the load.
I don't understand all the fuss over something as common sense as thinking ahead a couple of days in order to insure one's ability to vote. If a person has such strong feelings about their voting rights, I would think that registering on time and not at the last minute would be easy enough. We make appointments ahead of time, (forward thinking), for everything from auto repair work to doctor visits, and that doesn't "deprive" anyone of their rights. The majority of the States have registration requirements, so why not Maine?
Many people from Lewiston-Auburn, including myself, voted for the Oxford Casino...that's a large part of the reason it passed. I think most voters felt that everyone should have a shot at bringing in money and jobs if they chose to, not just Bangor with its' monopoly via Bangor Slots. As expected, the Central Maine Newspapers group and others now want to have theirs and close the door behind them. Hypocracy is grand, isn't it?
Government subsidized rape of natural resources to enrich a few people and keep several large companies busy = Wind Power. In the end, this will be proven out but by then the rich will be richer and the damage done. Life in America today.
Dan, these cuts are due to federal regulations, it has NOTHING to do with Governor Lepage or anyone else in Augusta. Of course, you knew that already, I'm sure.
Margaret Craven says that because it's all federal dollars, MaineHousing is under constant scrutiny by the feds. Did she just fall out of a tree? More federal money is wasted by fraud and abuse in various programs than can be counted.
Funny how people that either have jobs or are on welfare feel they have the right to decide what qualifies as a "good" job or not. To me, anything that is't funded with tax dollars and creates employment opportunities is a good thing, providing it's legal. If we all worried about everyone's morals there would be a lot less employment in this state, because very few businesses make everyone happy.
Is it a requirement that in order to be on a school committee a person has to have a total disconnect with anything else to do with their municipality, or is it just coincidence?
Dan, Ed Barrett is an excellent City Administrator. I haven't heard one peep against him, and I'm at City Hall most every week. As for when we let Jim Bennett go, I totally agreed with that decision. Not being a citizen of Auburn, I won't weigh in on the Aho firing as I'm not sufficiently informed to do so.
The transfer of wealth from primarily non-residents to local coffers is a concept I find favorable. As for sending profits out of state, that's no different than what goes on here every day when we shop at Hannaford, Shaws, , Wal-Mart, K-Mart/Sears, etc. The casino will create many unskilled labor job opportunities, but, if you look at how many unskilled workers can't find employment since our local manufacturing base has evaporated, that's not a bad thing, either. Tops on my list of favorable factors is that taxpayers don't have to share in the risk of the venture by putting tax dollars into the project. I don't know how much we'll win from this project, but I'm comfortable with the fact that we won't end up losing anything since we will not have invested anything.
Thank God I have Dennis Bailey looking out for my best interests! If we do end up with a casino in Lewiston, I suggest that the casino's playing cards have a photo of Dennis Bailey on the Jokers. It would be very appropriate.
At least it's better than wind power. We are crapping all over our environment to put up wind farms that taxpayers are subsidizing, and their power production capabilities are inconsistant and marginal, at best. If we can spend a million dollars a mile to expand passenger rail service , I would think it makes at least as much sense to expand natural gas availability. In the long run, more people and businesses will utilize the natural gas than will ride the rails. Hydro power is still the best deal for Maine, but somewhere along the line, it was decided that dams are not a good thing. Gotta love those wind farms, though!
Since none of these operations require taxpayer dollars to get going, why close the door on areas of the state that want to persue casino facilities? When enough is enough, investors will stop wanting to build new facilities, and if there end up being too many, some will close down. That's how free enterprise without government interference works...and it has served us well for over 200 years.
Until the economy can create private sector jobs that are not funded by tax dollars, "stimulus" programs are very expensive band-aids, at best. Any business will hire people if they need them, tax cut or not. Conversely, adding people you don't need to the payroll simply to take advantage of tax breaks is something no business that expects to be around for a while is going to do. Infrastructure projects are great also, but federal money usually comes with many strings attached, and expecting financially strapped state and municipal governments to join in the spending party is a tough sell. If and when a compromise is reached on this package, I hope some of these issues are addressed. The Feds are out of money, too.
Robert McDonald probably won't get elected mayor, but he does make some very good points. With ample low cost housing, a full boat of social services, and in a State with very liberal entitlement, (welfare), programs, Lewiston, just like every other city of any size in Maine, attracts elements from away that we could definately do without.
$278,000 would have bought quite a few votes. I hope it wasn't wasted! BTW, where did all that money come from? A dollar here, a dollar there, from all the "little people"?
This is probably a wise move on Mr. Small's part. Good Shepherd needs to re-examine its' priorities. Bigger is not always better in cases like this when mostly donated food ends up costing $2 per pound to distribute. The last I knew, food banks and food pantries were supposed to help feed those in need, not compete with major retailers on prices.
How about "Spend if you must, but spend wisely"? This is a common sense fact of life that most of us learned as youngsters. Apparently, our elected leaders, if that's what we can call the inept crew we now have in D.C., either never had responsible parents to teach them this lesson, or they were too busy figuring out how to screw their classmates out of their lunch money to learn it.
It wasn't complicated at all as long as it was being ignored. And as for local issues, if you live here, I'd say you're a local, and if you don't, then I'd say you're not a local. Complicated, isn't it?
Dan, you're right of course. Brian Williams and the rest of the liberal media aren't playing mind games, they're being honest, un-biased reporters. This Country is being robbed to death by Obama and his Chicago sidekicks, and liberals like you are either are too blind or just plain too naive to see it. Why didn't Williams ask Lepage what his thoughts were on the SOLYNDRA debacle and Barry O's photo- op session at their HQ shortly before they went down the tubes with over half a billion dollars of taxpayer money. More money than Maine and 34 other states got in "stimulus" money? The reason is, he isn't a news person, he's a front man for his liberal leaning organization.
Personally, I have always felt that everyone should vote in the State where they claim permanent residency, period. In so doing, NO ONE would be denied their right to vote, because absentee ballots are always available, and people would be voting on/for people and issues that actually will have an effect on them going forward, and not simply based on passing whims. Why should temporary residents such as college students be able to weigh in on local and state issues that they certainly will not have to live with after their school time is done? On the flip side, unless these students are voting both in their home state and in Maine, they are missing the boat on their own local issues. When somthing so basic as voting gets this complicated, it's time to apply common sense and fix the problem. Most 5 year olds could see that.
Bashing Bush and Hillary Clinton with no plan to solve our problems got Barack Obama elected President...so as dumb as this strategy appears, it has a historical basis as being successful. That's the problem. It works.
Are these individuals on public assistance or do they commit crimes for a living, like drug dealing? There is NO WAY "Spook" is gainfully employed. I am curious.
Roxanne Quimby and her plan to turn the North Maine Woods over to the federal government is like a bad dream. If she doesn't want it and has no use for it, she shouldn't buy it. Just because she has a ton of money doesn't put her in a position to dictate how other folks in northern Maine should live. She can twist arms over access all she wants, but I don't think the majority of the folks affected by her actions or our DC delegation are ready to cry uncle.
I go shopping and do groceries on Sundays sometimes because the stores are open, but back when there was no Sunday shopping in department stores or large grocery stores, I didn't starve or go without necessities, I did my business when these stores were open, and I doubt this law will deny anyone with any common sense the right to vote. Baldy is now in D.C. and David Farmer should follow him there.
I firmly believe wind power is a government subsidized scam being perpetrated on the general public. Once again, the average person in this country is being screwed by the crooks and thieves that run it and make millions off of our tax dollars.
Pettingill school would probably be a very good place for seniors and veterans to use. Good location, some parking, and available. The multi-purpose center isn't in a great location and it's always a crowded place because of the school children and their parents.
Dan, either way you look at it, it's money that these folks are stealing from those that really need it because they are too lazy to take responsibility for themselves. That's what the editorial is about. Too deep for you, though, I guess.
Just because some people can BS their way into leadership roles doesn't necessarily mean they will be effective once they land them. This is especially true in politics, where BS is both expected and accepted on the campaign trail at almost all levels. The "leadership" we have in Washington right now proves this point quite clearly.
Technology is something all students should become familiar with during their school years, but in my mind, they should first learn how to read, write, and do at least basic math before being handed over electronic gadgets. These children are 5 or 6 years old. By the time they're 10 years old, I-Pads will be relics of the electronic age, and by the time they are 18 or so, they will not have the capability of making change from a $20 bill on a $11.57 purchase without the cash register telling them the amount. Sad joke played on Auburn taxpayers.
After posting my initial comment, I found a copy of the photo I took back when I came upon the monument. The girl's name as it appears on the stone is M. Louise Greene. (The M. could be short for Miss?) The "Hazel Green" I first referenced has to be based on my memory of a restaurant in Augusta along the Kennebec. I'm getting old!
I ran into this monument about 20 years ago while appraising a tract of land. The Androscoggin Historical folks in the county building in Auburn gave me a printed account of the monument's reason for being. According to what I recall, Hazel Green was a student at Farmington Normal School and was accused of theft by an instructor, and ultimately, expelled. Apparently, she died on her trip back home from Farmington, broken in spirit, etc. Per the article, Ms. Green was ultimately exhonerated, but too late for her, obviously. The monument and the verse referring to "The lies of man"", or close too as I recall was erected by her father. I don't thing this is Hazel Green's burial site however. Gary Savard, Lewiston, Maine.
It looks to me like the redisticting plans are attempts by two differing groups of thieves to leverage their respective parties ability to steal an election. I'm curious to see the final outcome.
Florida sounds like a nice place to live when one is faced with having to survive a Maine winter without "free " oil or whatever, and before freezing to death, that would be my choice. While there are plenty of people in Maine that really need LIHEAP assistance, there are many that work harder to make sure they qualify for the program than if they actually went out and got a job. Hopefully, if the cuts stand, only those in real need get the funds Maine ends up with. Last year there was enough money around that one person I know got a fall check for about $750, and then a winter check for about $1500.
Does this mean Senator Snowe will have to change her first name? It's a sad state that we are in when frivolous BS like this is allowed to take place on an almost daily basis. I'm sure Harold Brooks' Redneck Olympics aren't going to infringe on the IOC's ability to raise money or attract sponsors. The problem is that the IOC has money, (likely tax exempt), to retain lawyers, probably already on staff, and Mr. Brooks will have to fork over hard earned, ( and after tax), cash to fight the fight.
If landlords could simply give tenants who don't pay their rent the instant boot, maybe things like this wouldn't be so common. Since that's not the case and evictions tend to be both costly and time consuming, landlords have to cover themselves as best they can within the law. With heating costs the way they are, I really doubt that there are many landlords out there getting rich on their real estate investments. The economy hits both ways, not just tenants, but also landlords. Let's be honest, good references and a good credit rating are necessary in order to accompish many important transactions in life.
Harold, just call it "The Redneck Games" or some such thing, enjoy the publicity that the USOC gave you at no cost to you, and have fun with the event going forward. If nothing else, this just goes to show how far we've come in the frivolous and stupid category since our country was founded. BTW, if you don't think this country is headed south, you just might NOT be a redneck.
I'm constantly amazed by people that think more debt can solve financial problems. Debt is the cause of our financial problems, and even a first grader could understand that concept. Some debt is unavoidable at all levels, in both the private and public sectors, but it is never good. I'm not a banker or a financial adviser, but I can figure out that when about 40 cents out of every dollar the U.S. spends is to cover interest on debt, it's not a good thing. Stopping the free for all will be painful, but it has to be done before it's too late.
Doreen, both parties are to blame for the economic mess we are in. We need to replace most encumbants in D.C. with new blood. Your view that it's all the fault of the Republican party is exactly why we are where we are. Democrats blame Repulicans, and Republicans blame Democrats, and most people, at least so far, are gullible enough to believe their lines of BS. We need to change direction, and neither party appears to have the ability to do that. As an example, for two years the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress and the Whitehouse, and they accomplished nothing other than pushing through crappy socialist programs like Obamacare.
Kris, these people are Muslims, so how much influence does the Vatican have on their reproduction rate? None, really. Even locally, these folks tend to have children about as often as nature allows, and again, I doubt it's the Vatican's fault. Bush, maybe, but not the Vatican.
Dan, good point, but two wrongs don't make a right. For years I have been disgusted with the fact that students at Bates College could come out in force and vote on local issues, knowing full well that they are only here to attend school and that Lewiston will never play a part in their future after they graduate. Do many of these students vote back home as well? I'll bet that many do.
Public perceptions being what they are, incidents like this do not go very far in helping the Somalis assimilate into the community. Even the court system walks on eggshells so as not to appear discriminatory, and that just affirms the value of the whole card these folks are so adept at playing.
This is the same scenario that is being repeated in towns all over the State, and probably in many parts of the country. Our manufacturing base has been extensively eroded by NAFTA and other free trade agreements, to the point where we may be looking at a "new normal" unemployment rate in this country of near 10%. Another problem is that many lost manufacturing jobs paid well, and replacement jobs in retail and such don't pay even a living wage. I too have memories of Webster Rubber. Back in the late sixties and early seventies, I had several relatives that were working there. The employees of that factory made Sabattus Village a bustling little town center, with a diner, AG grocery store, variety store, hardware store, credit union, post office, and other small businesses. Now the Village is almost a ghost town. Too bad.
There will always be injuries caused by carelessness, and to ban anything that might cause injury if used carelessly in order to protect people from themselves tends to be a common reaction and an over simplification of the underlying problem, which is, you can't regulate ignorance or carelessness. ATVs and snowmobiles cause injuries and death when used improperly. Should they be banned also? They're about as necessary as fireworks, actually, so why not?
Joe, reality has to come into the picture at some point, and both sides of the issue have to do some bending. Each side takes a stance, a line in the sand, so to speak, and then they negotiate from there. Everyone has the right to make good wages with great benefits, however, in this economy it's hard to do. Believe it or not, businesses, including governments, are having it tough. You can't keep digging into the same pockets over and over again because sooner or later they become empty. BTW, I think unions are a good thing to a point, but over the years, many have gone from helping workers make descent wages to helping workers put their employers out of business and thereby killing their own jobs in the process. Again, it's about balance.
Good move by the company. Not only does it seem from what has been made public that it's the morally correct thing to do, but it's also a smart PR move. No one likes to do business with a company that craps on their employees.
As long as it's legal, I agree with you 100%. On the same train of thought, If the majority of the people find it offensive, then it probably shouldn't be legal. This rationale can be applied to many, many things that groups of people advocate for that aren't legal for various reasons.
I wonder how many people who "cancelled" planned vacations to Maine were actually planning to come here in the first place. . Threats like that make great E-mail fodder, though. The mural is gone, and so should the never ending rehashing of it's removal.
I agree with Ellen and Jim. After fixing sections of the pike that badly need it instead of pissing money away on trips around the world, fancy restaurants, and hotels, cut back on tolls to make the pike a self supporting but basically break even operation. Using pike toll money for spending as you please by the politicians in Augusta is wrong. As in the past I seriously doubt that any funds earmarked for DOT will actually end up in road and bridge repairs.
Wind power has been proven to be relatively inefficient, and the harm to the environment caused by the wind farms far outweighs their benefits. Just because taxpayer dollars support construction jobs for a handful of big companies and make rich people like Angus King richer doesn't make it right. After the construction phase is completed, all of Maine's wind farms won't supply as many permanent jobs as will one Tractor Supply store. BTW, we will still need fossil fuel generated power to supply electricity the 60% of the time the wind turbines are not productive. We have more reliable choices like Hydro or Nuclear...but Baldacci's friends aren't involved in those industries, so here we are.
Very good editorial! Another large problem that might be improved upon with a smaller legislature and shorter sessions is that the number of quality people able to serve might increase because the time required when the legislature is in session would be less. Currently, many capable people are not able to commit to serving, and in some cases, that is painfully obvious.
The democrats never rushed anything through when they were in control? I remember a shell game called "tax reform" that had to be killed by a peoples veto, for one...Snack Tax...Dirigo...Expedited wind power permitting for Ol' Angus...Those darn republicans!
Bluntly stated, if things were to continue as they are now, every year sees less Mainers able to afford health insurance, less businesses able to offer partially paid health insurance as a benefit, and crappier plans being purchased by those still hanging in there because that's all they can afford. The democrats had years to fix this by opening up competition, and instead they promoted Baldacci's Dirigo and farmed Medicaid as "Mainecare" to work the federal system. ANY attempt to lower costs is welcomed by those of us who actually pay for health insurance. I don't see how this can be a bad deal unless you have interests in Anthem or Aetna.
Trish Riley, former head of the Office of Health Policy and Finance under Governor John Baldacci said " there is a way to lower costs without completely dismantling the consumer protections in Maine law". If indeed this is so, then why the heck didn't this get done when Baldacci and the democrats were running the show? Either her statement is BS or they were asleep at the wheel for 8 years.
Ronald, there are many things people do that aren't necessities, they are elective. That includes anything from eating ice cream to going out to eat to alcohol and tobacco use. Your idea of "it's not my vice, so it's not my problem", is EXACTLY why flunkies like Ms. Bar Harbor get away with minority interest tax hikes. Smoker or not, I would be wary of any attempt by these taxers and spenders to create more revenue from the same people already overtaxed simply because they figure they can get away with it. Who knows, your elective "Vice" might be next on the hit list...if you feel you actually have any, that is.
Robert, maybe we should initiate a petition to create a surtax on cruise ships. We could then see how Ms. Flemings feels about singling out small segments of the population for "special taxes". To promote the cause, we could claim that the crowded conditions in Bar Harbor caused by all the cruise ship passengers scurrying about and spending all that money actually harms the environment, and the money we collect from the surtax could be used to fund environmentally friendly programs and the like as an offset. Makes about as much sense as her BS bill.
Bob, what Mr. Lamoine did doesn't make what Mr. Congdon did right, and Paul Lepage fired Congdon on the spot, unlike John Baldacci, who covered Lamoine's butt with excuses and whitewash. That is my point. The point was made in answer to a post that held up Baldacci as career politician with impeccable credentials as compared to Lepage, mayor of a small city with no real experince for the job. Kind of like B. Obama, I guess.
Terry, Paul Lepage fired Congdon as soon as this came to his attention. What's wrong with that? Do you remember when Baldacci's pal, David Lamoine, lost about $20 million of taxpayer money he invested in a Ponzi Scheme? Was he fired? Did Baldacci apologize for appointing a crony to a job he wasn't qualified to do? Ah, but selective memory is nice, isn't it?
I almost never agree with Mayor Gilbert, but I do on this issue. The parents of these children pay the same tax rate as the parents of children attending public schools in Lewiston. The City supplies schooling and transportation to any child of a resident. If the resident chooses to send their child to a public school but not to avail themselves of the "free" transportation, that's fine and dandy, but if that same parent chooses a parochial school instead of a public school, then the "free" bus transportation is not available. It appears to me that councilors Butler and Morgan have a narrow scope regarding what constitutes fairness on this issue. BTW, the safety issue is also a major factor in this decision process.
These folks must be part of that small minority of people that, according to Baldacci's DHHS Commissioner, actually commit fraud. There isn't a problem with our welfare system so any reform proposals will only hurt our "most vulnerable". I think that includes the thousands of people around the state that make a living enabling people like Schidzig to milk the system. We definately need tougher guidelines and better enforcement.
Roberto, it's 2011, and it's not about "us against them", meaning employees Vs. employers. The two sides need each other and in this day and age, with global competition on everything from goods to services, this is even more pronounced. Only the fringe elements on both sides of this coin are still waging war, and I really think Governor Lepage was attempting to neutralize that in having the mural moved and the room names changed. Without businesses, there are no jobs, and without employees, there are no businesses. Yes, he could have handled the situation better, and it would be very nice if he were a more polished communicator, however, he is honest about his goals for the state, which for all but those that didn't agree with him in the first place, is a good thing.
Can you read simple engish Ron or is this your childish attempt at making yourself out to be the smart guy in all things political? My posts are not complex, so when you try to twist them around it only makes you look good to the people on here that might not be able to read and comprehend two paragraphs.
Joyce, any energy source has risks. Ask the folks on the Gulf Coast how safe oil is, for example. I would say that all options should be on the table regarding the various potential sources of energy and that choices be made based on multiple sets of criteria, including but not limited only to worst case scenarios.
Ronald, do we have the Iwo Jima memorial at the Japanese consulate or at the U.N.? Why not? It's not only Japanese people that frequent these facilities.
Mark, Baldy got in with 1% less than Lepage, but that doesn't count, right? Why? Because he was a liberal, of course! Fair is fair, but hypocracy is what it is. Sour, sour grapes!
Tony, the problem is that these media outlets focus only in one direction, that being crucifying the conservatives while marginalizing any wrongdoings by the liberals. As an example, Obama the great is getting us involved in a third conflict in Libya, the very thing he constantly harped on about G. W. Bush and the republicans while campaigning for "change" in his famous run for the presidency...and those headlines take a back seat to a mural in Augusta and anything else that can occupy newsprint that amounts to bad press for their "opposition party". If Libya were Lepage's doing, the media, and probably folks like you, would be calling for his head. That simple.
Mike, who are "most mainers"? The liberal media? Union heads and some of their membership? People on or living indirectly off of our magnanimous social services programs? Governor Lepage has not dissed workers by removing the one sided murals. He recognizes that without businesses in this state, there aren't going to be any workers. Just follow the trail in and out of this state over the past 20+ years made by businesses, which equal jobs, and the path leaving Maine is well worn, while the path coming into Maine is growing over from lack of traffic. BTW, the reduced wage bill for teenage employees IS NOT a proposal submitted by Governor Lepage.
Funny, when Baldacci's scheme to have one of his lawyer buddies set up the Maine Green Energy Alliance and load it up with democrats that were owed political favors in order to administer a multi-million dollar no bid contract to make Maine homes more energy efficient was uncovered, it received very little publicity, and hasn't been revisited since by the media. (After all, when they were caught, they gave back the unspent money). If this had been Paul Lepage, the democrats, backed by all the media sources, would be on a daily rant for his recall, impeachment, or arrest if as in Baldacci's case, he were already termed out of office when it surfaced. After having their way for decades, the tax and spend liberals are not taking their losses very well. Too bad!
These people have been running the show for so long they can not accept the fact that at least for now, it's over. Welcome to the world I've lived in for 30+ years. Ms. Dill.
Joan, does moving the mural constitute changing the mural? I don't see how it does, any more so than cleaning it would. I think you are stretching here. The artist was paid for the mural, and when the money changed hands, it no longer belonged to her alone.
John Butler wants to shift the school bussing costs to the school side of the budget instead of the City's side because by doing so the city council will have no real say in his campaign to eliminate St. Dom's students from using the busses for transportation. This is purely a shell game on his part because the same taxpayers fund BOTH the city and school sides of Lewiston's budget so there will be no savings in the end. The people who send their children to St. Doms are Lewiston taxpayers that share the same tax burden for funding Lewiston schools and busses as those that avail themselves of the whole school system. Each student NOT in the system saves taxpayers in the near range of $6,000, so if 22+/- children shift from private to public schools, the $130,000 estimated savings from dropping the service is not only wiped out, but we might need another bus to boot. Every resident of Lewiston can avail themselves of the public school system and related transportation services. If a public school parent chooses to give his/her children a ride to school each day instead of using the bus service, that's fine, so then the taxpayers who only choose to use the bus service should have that same choice. We can spend $30,000 to baby sit children at Montello School who have behavioral disorders with an in-house suspension program to keep them off the streets due to lack of parental supervision because that's a great idea, but on the other hand, leaving the parents of St Doms students and their children to fend for themselves as far as transportation goes is..well... a great idea also??
The President of the United States spoke to the World last night about our involvement in Libya, and the SJ headline this morning is about a mural that has been used to cause dissention between liberals and conservatives for over a week, over and over...and over, again. Nice bit of prioritizing, I would say.
Tom, I see your point. The mural was commissioned by Mr. 38%, John Baldacci, who spent 60K on the thing, and now, the audacity of Mr. 39% Paul Lepage, having it removed. Yes, all good union soldiers should be outraged. The election percentage only counts when it doesn't work in your favor, I see. That's a common theme used by both sides of the aisle over the past 9 years.
More often than not, anything, animal or fish, left on the ice is gone in a day or two at the longest, eaten or taken away by coyotes, eagles, crows, turkey vultures, etc. Nature tends to clean itself up in pretty good fashion. This is an un-informed proposal, and unfortunately, just one of the many that come up every legislative session.
Ronald, I'm self employed. I pay both ends of SS, and I have invested in Real Estate with a small amount in a TD Ameritrade account. Sorry, I'm not connected to any big corporations in any way, shape, or form. You can sleep well tonight knowing you haven't funded one penny of my retirement.
Ronald, public art vs. the lobby of the DOL building isn't the same. Both business and labor conduct affairs in that building, so I don't think it needs to be a shrine to unions or labor any more than I would think it should be a shrine to business interests. Portraits of Harold Alfond, Benjamin Bates, and Hugh Chisholm don't belong there either.
Mark, I,m sure that the fact that GE made over FIVE BILLION DOLLARS in profit last year and didn't pay ANY taxes riles you also, but then OBama and company could have closed those tax loopholes in the two years they had 100% control of D.C. but they were too busy with America's social restructuring to bother. But, they are democrats, so we'll just lay all that on Bush, right?
Al, you're right, I forgot about the cell towers, and I don't know why because since last spring, for example, anyone boating on Moosehead Lake in the Rockwood/Mt. Kineo area now has a first class view of the new cell tower on Blue Ridge. Of course, the offset to that is that anyone out there fishing can while away the time doing all those fun things on their phones. It is a very picturesque tower though!
The latest version of "Maine Invites You" doesn't include photographs of huge windmills spread out accross our hills and mountains? Shame! How about a picture of the quaint village store with their 6' X 6' glass display rack of the various lottery tickets Maine is willing to sell you? I guess the "Maine Brand" can be as flexible as one's hypocracy, or money, will allow it to be.
David, when State employees start putting money into my retirement account, then maybe I will feel that I should return the favor, but not before. BTW, the unfunded pension liability problem has been floating around for a while. The Lepage administration didn't just invent it. The difference is that the current Augusta crowd is willing to deal with it instead of kicking it down the road for the next adminstration, as unpopular as that is proving to be.
I can move here from Georgia or wherever and throw as many children as I want, (have), into the school system and get all the perks, like ESL, free breakfast and lunch, and on it goes, almost overnight. If, however, I choose to send my children to St. Dom's and pay tuition instead of going with the taxpayer funded public system, thereby saving the city money, they can't even get a bus ride to school. Why? Because John Butler, head cheerleader for, ( from), the Lewiston School Committee and now Councilor for Ward 1, says so. I would remind John Butler that the parents of these children are Lewiston taxpayers that help float the boat for the Lewiston School Department whether they choose to avail themselves of the full system or not.
You would think that there would be more concern about what effect the pending AT&T buyout of T-Mobil will have on the Oakland call center and it's seven hundred jobs, but this is Maine, so every media outlet focuses on a mural in a state agency building...days on end. No wonder we are where we are today. No priorities on important issues...like little kids, they focus on marginally relevant crap and make that as big an issue as one can to bolster their position and stir the pot.
I think this is a very good editorial . Obviously, there are those that will always believe that business and labor must constantly be at odds but in reality neither can survive without the other and the Department of Labor should be promoting that instead of being a showplace for various low points in the history of business/labor relationships.
Jonathan, democrats have ruled the roost in Maine for over 30 years. If, as you say, they fixed the unfunded pension liability problem, then why is it here now? Even allowing that your ramblings are from a liberal blogger, they are a stretch when trying to make them seem credible.
A mural depicting periods of strife between labor organizations and business isn't a very neutral viewpoint on Maine's labor history, however, this appears to be not as big a deal as some folks are making it out to be. It is, however, another excuse for liberals to vent.
H... of a situation! Tax people out of their homes in order to support an out of control school department. Especially people on fixed incomes. Tying how much money is spent to the quality of a school system is BS. There is no correlation.
The truth is, Mr. Nutting, that regardless of who caused the problem back whenever, no one since then has had the stomach to deal with it until now, and that's a fact, also.
The proper thing for those three councilors to do would be to politely tell Tom Morrill and David Das and company to take their proposed budget and cram it where the sun doesn't ever shine, and then come back with a budget that isn't based on a scene out of Fantasyland. When will these people realize that most taxpayers simply have no money left to be squeezed out of?
For 22 years the question of Dechaine's guilt or innocense has come up time and again. I would think that for all concerned, especially Sarah Cherry's family, any mechanism that resolves this issue once and for all would be worth the effort. If Dechaine is guilty then so be it, but if he's not, then for a fact someone else is.
Dan, I thought food stamps were part of a federal program and that setting or altering guidelines for qualification and quantity had nothing to do with the states. LIHEAP and other programs, incuding medicare and social security are also federally controlled. I don't see how Lepage can be blamed for cuts to those programs because he can't do it.
Dan, if we lose two welfare cases moving out for every one that comes in, yet we constantly expand the welfare rolls, then we have a major problem, because soon there won't be enough working people left in Maine to support the ever increasing number of Mainers on welfare. Either way, it's not sustainable.
Maybe it's time to reign in the runaway horse that is Maine's education system. Falling enrollment overall across the state yet no end in sight to cost increases. I guess though that if we want to have a Cadillac system, then we have to be prepared to buy the gas to run it. The problem is that there isn't enough money to go around, period. The solution, as Dan Breton stated, is to go get more from anyone that has any money left to take because they must be "rich".
If we lose two welfare cases for every new one that comes in, then why is DHHS still the money sucking behemoth that it is? Maine as a whole may have seen a 7% decrease in children of immigrants, but Lewiston specifically has a growing student population that bucks the trend of most of Maine's other school districts. That's odd because it doesn't fit the data as reported by this article. If these reforms are not needed because Maine really doesn't have the problem of attracting people looking for welfare as a lifestyle, then they shouldn't bother folks like Beth Stickney, who make their living stuffing people into the various taxpayer funded entitlement programs. "Anecdotes"?
Peggy "Rotondo" has been in lockstep with unions and liberal policies since her days on the Lewiston School Committee. Of course she'll gripe, after all, she is fully aware of her support base. So far governor Lepage is doing what he promised to do if elected, and he was, by about the same margins as Baldacci and King. Sometimes, doing what needs to be done can be painful.
As Bill Diamond so aptly put it, this is more about losing 1.1 million dollars in the next two years in fines than it is about safety. Most folks buckle up when going any distance, and my guess is that most fines occur around urban centers where it's easy to spot an unbuckled person due to slow speeds and where folks running errands are most likely to not go through the process over and over again for short distance, low speed driving.
Fortunately, governor Lepage is there to solve problems and not win a popularity contest with all the special interests that have been having their way with the State's tax dollars for years. Time will tell how successful he is or isn't in his quest, but until then his opposition will have plenty to complain about.
Welcome to my world, Crystal. The private sector, that being the taxpayers that underwrite your paycheck and employer's share of your benefits costs, have been taking hits on all fronts for quite some time now. As an educated person I'm surprised you aren't aware of that. While I can feel your pain from personal experience, I have no sympathy for your situation as it is no different than that of most people in this economy. Whining won't help, either, because there simply isn't any "grease" to throw at the squeaky whell this time around.
Sour,sour grapes. Baldacci screwed any Mainer not on the public dole over for 8 years and his party has been doing so for over 30 years. I guess to you that was a good thing, though. Too bad it's over, and ranting and whining won't change a thing.
Doreen, the 15 year statement is based on no more money going into the system than what is currently going in, not no money at all. And with the looming surge in retirees coming up, it is a problem. Maybe we could keep putting it off until the last dime has been spent, though, and until then just kick the can down the road and make believe the problem doesn't exist, like Baldacci and his pro union democrats have done for the last 8 years. Broke is broke.
For the many non-profits that feed off of this endless entitlement stream, these cuts will hurt. This industry has grown to surpass paper making as a source of employment in Maine and is a close rival to tourism. Time to inject some sanity into the program. I agree that we need to take care of people that need help, but at the same time, we don't have to import them to maintain and grow the business of welfare services. A little seperation between career layabouts and the working class would be nice, if not PC to some.
Terry, you're right. Instead of dealing with this nastiness, Lepage should do like his predecessors, the democrats, and ignore the problem. All in all it worked for them. You are blasting Lepage for dealing with it, while you apparently harbor no ill feelings for the folks before him who ignored the problem completely. His way may not be your way, but it is better than Baldacci and King's no way.
Tim, if the last few administrations in Augusta had paid the bills and not kicked this can down the road, we wouldn't be in this position. We are now in the 11th hour and finally something is being done to deal with the unfunded mess. Baldacci and King should have gone to the bargaining table, but all Baldacci did is grow the government, create more welfare, and avoid paying the bills. Maine is in a big hole, and unfortunately, digging ourselves out will not be pleasant for anyone.
This unfunded liability has been basically ignored by the past several administrations, and democrats sure weren't about to give up some of their social programs to pay bills like this. Now we have a governor and legislature that aren't indebted to the unions who are willing to tackle the problem. It's not as if we can ignore it and it will just go away.
Jane Knapp, like many other legislators in Augusta, apparently likes to submit bills designed to save us all from ourselves without giving much thought to their practicality.
What is being asked of retired teachers is no different than what's happened already to retired folks from the private sector, who have had to forego cost of living increases and medicare changes. Also, the retirement age may be raised by congress because Social Security is underfunded. There is even some debate about not paying SS to retirees who have enough income to live without it. I agree that it's not their fault the stock market crashed and past politicians in Augusta made promises they could't keep, but it's not my fault, either, so why should I have to have my pockets picked a bit cleaner than they already are to help pay for retirement plans like I'll never see in my wildest dreams?
This bureaucratic BS is far more of a problem than would be addressed by new proposals being brought up by the anti-firearms folks. Complying with existing laws will do more to keep guns out of the wrong hands than creating new ones that are also subject to moral interpretation by state officials.
Just like Baldacci and King before him, Lepage is bringing in people that share his views on departmental operations. Dora Mills had a lot of experience, but where did she acquire it? On the job. This is all good fodder for people that don't like Lepage, though.
The problem is that the politicians who made these promises that couldn't be kept are long gone from the scene, and the bell is now tolling on the reality that we can not meet these obligations, and in reality never could have to begin with. It's too bad for all concerned, but no money is no money, and as painful as it is, everyone needs to understand that.
I know several families that get LIHEAP money every year becaiuse they make sure they set themselves up to qualify, yet they have money for tobacco, alcohol, and take out foods and such. Tighten the program to make sure the folks that get the money REALLY deserve it, and a large part of the problem will be solved. Whether someone qualifies for heating assistance or not, when oil goes for over $3 a gallon, most people end up making budget related choices. LIHEAP, like other "entitlements", has been the victim of fraud and abuse for some time.
If the canal system is such a great economic development tool, then why not let FPL "give" them to someone like George Schott. I don't think George would want the cost and liability, that's why. Our city staff, past and present to some extent, as was pointed out in the earlier post does not have a great track record when it comes to smart real estate moves, but I guess it is fun to play with other peoples' money. You can afford to take bigger risks that way. I sincerely hope that we do not end up liable for the upkeep of the canal system because it will cost Lewiston taxpayers in the long run, I'm sure.
I too believe Maine should join the Compact. If we can do this with drivers licenses, which, while being a priviledge, are often needed to get to and from work and so on, we can do this with hunting and fishing licenses. Not many people will lose their ability to support themselves, (legally), by losing their ability to hunt and/or fish. Poachers are criminals, period. No different than drug dealers or any other thieves that steal from us.
Shauni, get over it. Governor Lepage will do fine, in fact, I think he'll probably fix some of the mess that democrats...like Eliot Cutler, have created over the past three plus decades. While the majority of Mainers didn't vote for Paul Lepage, just like Baldacci before him, remember that the same goes for Cutler, plus a little bit more.
Going to school in Lewiston back in the late 50's and 60's, our bus had children from K through 9th grade, and somehow, we all survived. It's too bad this is happening all over the state, but less students more or less forces consolidations and some closures of schools.
Jason, I'm not talking about the technology, I'm talking about the fact that when the wind isn't blowing, the windmills aren't spinning, therefore, no power generation. What type of technology will overcome that? As I said, inefficient, and, beyond the construction phase, almost no jobs. Anyone not yet aware that this is a money grab that is being paid for by the taxpayers should look at wind power already established in other places.
Ms. Lysen, John Baldacci and his buddies, like Angus King, are raping mountaintops all over the state with "expedited" wind farms. These wind farms are very inefficient producers of power, and beyond the construction phase, produce about as many jobs as an automated car wash. The developers are using our tax dollars to build them and pocketing millions in the process. When the dust settles and people get wise to the scam, we will be left with ugly steel giants, noise pollution, and other environmental problems that will impact people, animals, and plants for decades, and in 25 or so years, Mainers will be left with picking up the tab, likely via rate hikes on electricity, to dis-assemble the then obsolete wind mills and try to restore as best as possible the project sites. Your concern about condos in the north woods and not giving a vernal pool a year or so to be studied while killing a development project is admirable, but in my opinion, misplaced in the overall scheme of things.
From day one I have been opposed to Maine's wind farms as being corporate welfare put into high gear by Governor Baldacci to help his cronies acquire as much taxpayer money as possible before reality sets in and people realize they're being screwed. These wind farms are environmentally unfriendly, extremely inefficient sources of electrical power generation, and as already said, after construction, will employ less people than a self service car wash. Also, when these windmills become useless in 20 or 25 years, who will be stuck with their removal costs? I would guess the taxpayer, one way or another.
It appears that Baldacci and his cronies had found yet another way to screw Maine taxpayers for their personal gain. If this were Paul Lepage's doing, the newspapers and other media outlets would likely be hyping this to no end. Instead though it's smooth John the career politician who always says what the folks he's addressing want to hear, so I guess it's O.K.
We can hold up a development project for a year while deciding just how valuable a vernal pool on the site is or isn't, but we can expedite the blasting of a mountain top to install windmills with no thought given to the potential long term impact on human, animal, and plant life. I think the bottom line here is about money and who's connected and who isn't. Not the environment.
It is ironic that any proposed changes to existing environmental or other regulations that impede development or business expansion draw howls from environmental groups who preach about the Maine brand and sense of place and the state's rugged beauty being enough to attract business, (which sure hasn't been the case so far), yet these same groups mostly stayed quiet while Baldacci and his pals set in motion a plan to rape most of Maine's elevated wilderness areas with wind farms that, after construction will have added almost no jobs on a permanent basis, will provide an in-efficient form of energy, and that will have a shelf life so short that it's likely anyone under 50 years old will get to pay to help remove them. Oh, and Mark, it is Sooo obvious that you harbor a great dislike for Governor Lepage. It gets in the way of good reporting. Too bad.
Not to change the subject, but the person plowing the outer Sabattus Street area yesterday was going so fast that the snow was blasted from the plow back at such force it took out a pile of mailboxes, mine included. It even crippled my SJ tube. This can be dangerous to anyone in the line of fire...not just mailboxes. I did call PW to let them know.
They are appointed is my guess and the composition of the board is basically a who's who of politically connected bureaucrats that have zilch knowledge about toll highways and transportation issues. Political favors repaid via appointments, period.
If the Lepage administration can curb abuse of our welfare system and make Maine's no more or no less attractive than those in other states, much will have been accomplished in the way of system reform. There will always be people that for whatever reason need assistance, and I think most people understand and accept that. It's the abusers of the system that make people upset, and as it sits, Maine's programs are geared to be attractive to prospective career welfare recipients, regardless of what the "experts" in that field shovel at us by way of distorted facts and figures.
I don't recall seeing any comments from fatandhappy that would fall in the crude category and my earlier post wasn't meant to lump all posters into a single profile. I just think that overall, the good points of the verification process will outweigh the bad. I could be wrong...we'll see.
Right Phyllis, I really miss "honest John" Baldacci and his cronies too. But hey, we can't have it all, can we? All in all, despite a lack of polish, I think the people we now have in Augusta will do a better job for this state than the folks they replaced did. We'll see.
I'm fine with the verification process and I also believe the comments will become a bit more civil, as they should be. It's one thing to disagree with a person's opinion, but in doing so there's no need to be obnoxious.
ronh66 nailed it. If there aren't any problems of any size with our current welfare system as it is, then why all the talk about all of the people that will be impacted by changes that would add accountability to the various programs? To be perfectly honest, I highly doubt that even one in ten Mainers that have any interaction with the general population of this State can't come up with at least one example of fraud or, certainly, abuse of the welfare system. The biggest problem is that the service providers are encouraged to grow the rolls on these programs as a way to insure job security, and that's why DHHS is Maine's largest employer. Changes are long overdue. We're at the point where there are more people riding on the wagon than there are available to pull it. BTW, this may be anecdotal, but it isn't fiction.
Bob, when State workers get a snow day, they get paid to stay home or do whatever it is they choose to do. It reportedly costs the State nearly a million dollars for a paid shutdown. When you look at it that way, Mark Laflamme's idol, Governor Lepage, has a point. BTW, just man up Mark...Lepage, a former street kid from Lewiston, is tougher than you'll ever be, even in your wildest dreams. Yea, he's a real butt kicker.
I watched the workshop on Great Falls TV. Mayor Gilbert was about as transparent as glass. (Linda Glass) . I doubt that this clinic will be any different than many other programs we already provide in this City. These people are addicts getting supervised treatment by trained staff. They are not any different than any other group of people assembled someplace for services. I see no reason to oppose the licensing of this clinic.
I have a well at my camp in Rockwood that because of ledge has shallow piping going from the well to the camp. We installed self regulating heat tape along the pipe several years ago and have not experienced any freeze ups since, despite sometimes going two weeks or more without use. I also make sure the batteries in my vehicles are good and can hold a charge even in cold weather. Hey, like northwoods said, it's Maine, it's winter, and it will get VERY cold at times. Time to feed the woodstove!
The perfect storm got Paul Lepage elected as governor, and all the bottom feeders are nervous, incuding the liberal " Eliot Cutler for Governor" media, and rightly so. For the first time in a long time, being PC in Maine state politics may not buy you squat. The average working persons and small businesses in this state finally have an ear in Augusta. The whining will not end because the powers that have been driving us down the road to government depnndency for survival over the past 30+ years haven't even been able to digest this yet. It's still all a bad dream to them.
Veterans day is Veterans day, period. It is a day set aside to honor ALL of our veterans. If we start breaking this out into seperate wars and conflicts and so on it will be become a meaningless day of mention...probably used to promote car sales or such, and that's about it. Leave it alone.
While I respect Dr. Walworth's opinion, I would point out that when prohibition came into play nearly a century ago, organized criminals manufactured and supplied alcohol to all comers despite all the money spent to combat the problem, and profits from these enterprises were used to expand their influence into many other areas open for opportunistic "entrepreneurs" . We lost that war and repealed the ammendment. The same can be said today for illegal drugs, firearms, and on it goes. Unfortunately, tougher laws pertaining to firearms, drugs, whatever, while looking good "on paper" do little to solve the problem of criminals, lunatics, or terrorists that are hell bent on their missions, they only hold back the ability of law abiding citizens to at least feel like they have the ability to protect themselves and their families without breaking the law in the process. BTW, I have no problems with attempts to promote seat belt use, curb smoking, fight obesity, etc. despite being a child of the early '50's, but I can also sort what is likely to be fact from "feel good" fiction.
Adding 30 million people to the system without addressing costs is exactly why the democrats got big pharma to support the bill. Obamacare as it is constitutes a farce played on the American people served up like a Chicago style pizza. Any program that does not balance cost controls with services delivered is a sham, but it does play well with people that are in dire straits pertaining to their health care coverage and the ever growing segment of the American public that believes that the entitlement programs that support their butts are really "free".
George Schott has the financial ability to get the site ready for redevelopment and pay taxes and liens on it while holding it in the interim. George is also capable of attracting a tenant or tenants to this site, which at that point will generate even more tax revenues. It's not "free" land, but really a good business deal for both him and the City. ( We the taxpayers).
If Mainers had wanted Mr. Smoothie for governor, then Eliot Cutler would be in office, not Paul Lepage. We elected a governor who campaigned on running Maine in a fashion that would attract jobs and pay the bills without robbing every taxpayer in the process. I agree that the governor could be more tactful, but his comments aren't a hanging offense, unless of course, you are one of the many that wanted to hang him in the first place.
tron, the"rich" are already paying taxes at a higher rate than any other income group...so what's fair to you, an even higher rate? It's not anyone's fault, except maybe yours, that you are not in the highest tax bracket, so you have my sympathy there.
tron, left or right, it doesn't matter when you have lunatics out there willing to kill for their political views. Blaming Sarah Palin for the Arizona massacre is really a stretch, even for you.
Steve, I respect your opinion here, but don't you find it a bit scary when we would allow the government to set pay scales? When would enough be enough? To say business executives can only make X amount of money, police officers can only make so much, firemen, so much, plumbers and electricians, so much, and on it goes. I guess the bottom line is that there should be no monetary compensation for skilled labor or added responsibility out there. The guy mixing paint at Home Depot shouldn't make any less, (or at least not much less), than the person managing the store...and we the people should legislate by law what exactly these folks should make based on our personal views of fair compensation. Free markets and supply and demand are the best measures of pay scales, providing the businesses are operating within the law.
I believe that you can have responsible oversight without giving up environmental protection and still get it done within a reasonable period of time and at a realistic cost to the parties involved. The current process is both time consuming and overly expensive. Many projects are time sensitive due to financing and economic conditions and the DEP marching to their own out of step drum in these respects has not been good for development . Just imagine having to wait a year or longer to get approval to buy a house or a vehicle and it's easy to see why the current process is not business sensitive. Yes or no on a project shouldn't take that much time. This is another example of the various problems that Maine currently has with keeping existing jobs or creating new ones. Good move by Governor Lepage.
If welfare reform isn't really necessary and most people who think people move to Maine for our overly generous benefits system are wrong, then what harm can come from the proposed changes? If indeed that's the case, then the residency requirements and lifetime caps won't really affect anyone while at the same time they will make many Mainers feel more comfortable that the system is fair. If, however, that were really the case, then the question I have is why are these agencies that feed off of the system whining about proposed changes that supposedly won't change anything?
George, the "rich" aren't tax exempt, they are paying taxes at about a 35% rate as it is, instead of being at about 39.5% or so. I would guess that they are paying their share of the load, given that about 47% of Americans don't pay any taxes at all, and out of that number, a good percentage also get government paid "entitlements", the PC word for welfare. BTW, sorry about the K-1 prices, but that's about the most expensive source of heat available. Time to rethink your heat source. Good luck!
Personally, I think it's pretty sad that the majority of Americans are forced to kiss butt to a vocal minority that is h... bent on forcing their ideas of political correctness on them. If you can have a quiet place to go and pray in schools to satisfy one group of people, then you should have the ability to follow other customs as well. Merry Christmas!
If Ms. Solomon had robbed a bank of a few thousand dollars, or a pharmacy of prescription drugs, she would be facing a longer prison sentence than she is now. White collar crime does pay, I guess. BTW, she may have been ordered to pay back $4 million but if she doesn't have it, Mainecare won't get it, period.
I am in total agreement with this editorial. Ethanol is a big mistake, just like on shore wind power, but in both cases, government subsidies and fast track permitting are all about power plays, and have nothing to do with economic feasibility or the common good.
MaineGrad, I don't think it's so much about kicking around a certain class of people as much as it's about what appears to be special treatment for said certain class of people. Most people have drivers licenses, and I would guess they remember what they had to know and do to prove themselves worthy of getting them. When, over and over, you see the obvious, that being that many of our refugee class didn't get drivers licenses under very strict circumstances, it makes one wonder.
Until we stop being PC and handing out drivers licenses to people that have no understanding of or regard for traffic laws and the rules of the road, this is going to continue being a common occurance.
Pirate, now that the Kittyhawk article has been revised, the question I asked has been answered as I thought it would be...and I would guess, as you also thought it would be. Nothing new, is it?
Medicare as it stands is a broken program . There are so many folks and businesses ripping off the system, for one, that it's bankrupting the country and of course the program along with it. AARP, to which I refuse to belong to, is a major part of the problem. Just one example of waste can be seen on television every weekend when companies advertize their wares that include everything from diapers to motorized wheelchairs 24/7. Just the cost of advertizing for these"medicare re-imbursed" products and delivery services gives one a sense of how high the profit margins are. Unfortunately, Medicare is viewed by many in this country as a giant cash cow. The program needs to be redefined. There's got to be some middle ground between helping people to be able to afford life saving medications and such and buying $7500 scooters that don't even function inside 99% of the homes their recipients live in.
The democratic party has firmly established itself as the party of the people that feel entitlements and special treatment are a constitutional right. The party mantra seems to be that, whether you choose to be a self-sufficient, productive member of society or to live off the public dole, you shouldn't have to put up with a different standard of living. That buys them a lot of votes, but this time around, for many of them, not enough.
Why are the names of these three people released, while the name of the minivan driver involved in the Kittyhawk Avenue, Auburn crash is withheld "pending further investigation"?
Jonathan Albrecht, as usual, supplies us with an excellent example of the liberal viewpoint, that being that if you disagree with their point of view, you are an ignorant, ill informed idiot. I guess that takes a lot of intellegence.
I agree with most of the posters here so far. If Maine does not at least make it's opinion known, then we as a state have no standing on the issue except to follow as one of the sheep. That's like not voting on election day due to "what difference will one vote make in the end" kind of thinking. Doug Smith has it right about moving with care on this...but we should definately move on it and not bury our heads in the sand like Janet Mills and the other good little democrats like Pingree and Michaud did.
His view was blocked by a light pole...so he pulled out and knocked the darn thing out of the way. I like that. Hey, the light poles are made to be knocked down, anyway.
This fix would be a good test for the resolve of our newly elected congress to cut wasteful spending indeed. All farm subsidies should be reviewed annually to insure that only those that are absolutely necessary are active. The agri-markets change significantly from one year to the next.
For people that talk about respect, or lack of same, being such an important part of their culture, the Somalis are not a people that appear willing to return the favor in many cases. One way street. BTW, I think Mr. Therriault did what most armed citizens would have done by showing the two trespassers that he wasn't backing down, and that's a good thing. If more Somalis had the same mindset, they might just still have a country that they would want to live in.
This is not good PR for the Somali community, but then again, from my experiences with them on Lisbon Street, where I worked for 20+ years until we moved in 2008, I don't think it's in their mindset to care. They have a 100% focus on their rights, though, and know how to play the race card to their advantage. Sadly, our city officials go along with this BS instead of treating them as they would anyone else, which in the end actually makes things worse. Everyone wants to be treated the same. No preferential treatment.
Too many sightings to be bogus. I think the state is in denial because if they admitted we had any cougars in our woods, the environmentalists would make sure that earning a living working in those woods would basically become a thing of the past.
Rushing people through driver exams and learners permits in order to be PC is dangerous. As witnessed here , not all accidents happen on intown streets like Knox and Bates.
This is typical ranting by a career liberal that has fed at the public trough for years. The party is over. Maine is broke, the country's broke, and the current system needs to be fixed. Jonathan, your grandchildren will thank us for this.
If , say, 5 people can be on a ballot, then I think the person that garners the most votes, (i.e., the most popular choice of all), is the winner. Only because it cost the liberals an election is this now coming up. Baldacci won with 38% or so of the votes, and that was O.K. with them...but not now. Also, as far as us having a governor which 62% of voters did not vote for, had Cutler, the darling of the media won, he also would have had about the same percentage of voters that didn't vote for him as Lepage. Personally, I think all the whining is kind of exhilerating.
Funny, Eliot Cutler, the "other guy" in the race for governor, also touted Dirigo as a failed program and promised change/elimination of it. These two, (Lepage and Cutler), got 75% of the votes. Even if 75% of Mainers are wrong in their belief that Dirigo is a failure, at least the Lepage administration is paying attention, unlike other administrations I know that firmly believe that the majority of the people are idiots whose opinions don't count.
Brian' MSNBC is as guilty as sin about distorting the news to the liberal agenda, as is FOX on the conservative side. Jeez, at least take of the blinders before you post.
So, FOX is conservatively slanted. I agree. What about MSNBC with Chris Matthews and Ed Shultz or whatever, they are so far to the left it's a laughable show, kind of like Hannity on Fox in reverse. No slant toward the left from the SJ, though, fair and balanced. All in all, I wonder what these "newshounds" think about their abilities to really sway people that do not already lean in their direction, because most people are not as stupid as they might like to think.
Voisine, I understand that you suffer from inverted cranial-rectal syndrome, but it's over. The republican party has the governor's office, the house and senate majority, and finally, we can start moving forward. I do admire your gentlemanly acceptance of defeat, though!
This just proves how far to the left Maine is when, even in these tough times, it takes a "perfect storm" like two democrats running for governor and beating each other up for votes to maybe get a conservative to squeek by and actually get elected governor. Most of the other states in the country crapped their versions of Pingree and Michaud, but not Maine. In Lewiston-Auburn, we also returned almost all of the same taxers and spenders to Augusta that we've been sending there in the past. Very nice!
What a childish ploy by Cutler's camp. But then again, he's been whining about one thing or another since day one, so this BS is par for the Cutler course.
State government promised us money for education when they brought in the lottery, then, like every other dollar raised, they stole it for their own entitlement programs. The casino will not cost taxpayers one lousy cent, and it will create jobs, both directly and indirectly. People are already spending at casinos, but out of state. I think we are overdue to get in on this, before it's too late.
At least if all these wind power projects were actually economically viable, there would be an argument for their development. All this is is a chance for Baldy and Angus to line their pockets at taxpayer expense. Our electric bills in Maine won't go down by 2 cents a month as a result of all these projects, and in 20 years, we'll have junk strewn all over our mountains as payback. Mainers are being raped on this along with their mountains.
So, the editorial boards of Maine's major newspapers all have endorsed Eliot Cutler, which is a seemingly "safe" position for them. Now is the time for everyone who plans to vote and has a mind of their own to make a decision. Personally, I think I'm capable of doing that without the help of the SJ, PPH, or BDN. I also have the ability to cut through all the crap commercials being thrown at us from all sides, and I'll bet the vast majority of Maine voters do too.
The problem I have with Eliot Cutler is that all or most of his "team" is made up of career bureaucrats from the "good ol' boy" network. The same people that have been getting political favor appointments to various boards and committees for years under the democrats. With all his polish, Cutler howls like a coyote on a full moon night when someone takes a swipe at him, instead of standing his ground. The changes we need to make in Augusta will definately cause quite a stir with the special interests and unions, and to get them through, we need a fighter, not a someone that is crying fowl at every turn. I disagree with the editorial board, and I support Paul Lepage. We don't need Mr. smooth, we've had him for the past 8 years. Desperate times call for tough measures, and I believe Paul Lepage can get it done.
Leadership qualities require conviction and the willingness to do the right thing for the good of the state as a whole, and not just the unions that support you. If nothing else, Paul Lepage has those qualities.
In my opinion, Eliot Cutler is nothing more than a career bureaucrat with some less than stellar business ties that have made him millions , and now the Cape Elizabeth millionaire wants to cap off his resume by buying the governorship of the state of Maine. That might very well be why his polling numbers are at about 10%...because a lot of other voters think that way as well.
As a lifelong Mainer, I can tell you that this beautiful state you now call home has been run into the ground by "refined politicians" like Baldacci and Mitchell, and we desperately need a change in direction, like the un-refined Paul Lepage offers. As for President Obama, hasn't he been lying to us about " hope and change" and telling the majority of americans, who disagree with all his liberal programs, to "go to hell", in his own charming way? BTW, this is America, the president is not God, he's a successful politician who has four years at the helm to convince the majority of us he deserves four more, period.
The democrats have been "farming" federal money by promoting welfare in this state for years, that's why one in three Maine households gets some type of assistance. We need to start being more business friendly and "farm" for jobs, instead of making Maine a mecca for people looking to feed off of public assistance. More jobs will equal less public assistance, and combined with welfare reform that puts a stop to migrant welfare seekers that come here because we never say no, our reliance on excess federal funds would be reduced, while our standard of living would improve. I think that's the message Lepage was sending. It's not really a complicated message, either, so I'm surprised the SJ didn't get it...or did they?
If Maine FINALLY caps welfare benefits with a lifetime limit like Georgia and other states, guess what?! All the liberal BS aside, they're here for one reason only, lifetime benefits. In all fairness though, the Somalis are not the only ones that are drawn here for our generous and un-ending "entitlements". Maine needs new blood in Augusta, and a good start would be Paul Lepage.
Where do the numbers come from? $4 million...could end up as high as $8 million...I didn't realize the Bedard folks were also real estate appraisers. It looks good on paper, though.
thinkingman, Camden National has an ATM, to name one, which is the one I referred to in my earlier post. I see you are VERY familiar with the neighborhood and it's people.LOL, go down there sometime, then you can post from at least some brief experience.
thinkingman, I can assure you that I know enough about Somali culture to realize that when they stack up in front of the neighborhood bank ATMs on the first of the month it's NOT because they all have direct PAYROLL deposits and employers who pay monthly. I had an office on Lisbon and Chestnut Streets for 22 years until mid-2009. I could go on, but I won't.
Lisa, why then are unions allowed to piss away hard earned membership dues in support of candidates that lean to their way of doing business? Don't both sides have "equal rights"? My problem with the clean election law is that no matter how hard privately funded candidates work for funding, we the people keep dishing out matching funds to the candidates that chose "clean", regardless of whether they have a legitimate shot at winning or not. Some changes need to be made to this law.
Westminster street has a speed limit of what, 30 MPH or so? It's in the Lewiston Indusrial Park. I would have to guess maybe excessive speed was a factor.
John is a nice guy, but Maine will need a lot more from the next governor than a public relations promoter can bring to the table. This does fill newspaper space, though.
This is a very nice gesture by the Maniacs, and of course it doesn't hurt to be young, healthy, and in great physical condition, either! Thanks guys, and good luck this coming season!
Nice to see who supports Eliot Cutler. A VERY liberal mayor and a career bureaucrat. Cutler would be the same type of governor if elected as we have now...even the same cronies. Not much different than Libby Mitchell.
Why do I get the feeling that if that vehicle were registered to me, the driver/owner's name, and probably a lame picture of me as I was being booked for leaving the scene of an accident with PI, would have somehow been included in this article. I also find it hard to believe that the passenger, Anini Hassan, had no clue as to the driver's identity. That's very helpful. Unfortunately for the driver, witnesses got the license plate number. Thankfully, the girl will be O.K.
A nuclear power plant would be so much less intrusive and so much more efficient. This whole wind energy push is designed to make a few people a lot of money fast in a down economy. When the dust settles, Maine will be no better off as far as electric rates are concerned, the carbon footprint won't have been reduced by any significant amount, and our reliance on oil will be close to the same as now. Bad joke on Mainers by Baldy and company.
There are way to many unanswered questions regarding the construction of this mosque. Where is the $100 million coming from? Why, when it is obvious that this project strikes a raw nerve with many, including the families and friends of those who died on 9/11, are these people so adamant about building there? This mosque will heal nothing, and cause further distrust and animosity between Muslims and non-Muslims. A real jesture of understanding would simply be to locate the mosque in a more palatable place. We'll see.
The whole wind power process is flawed, because all aspects of development were not considered, like transmission of generated power, for one. Kind of like Dirigo Health Insurance.
What really puzzles me is that no one from either side of the isle ever bothered to get a legal opinion on Prop 8's constitutionality before millions were spent on the campaign and millions of people had to go to the polls to cast their ballots. Why didn't they just ask a constitutional law expert like judge Walker to render an opinion before hand? I'm sure judge Walker's being gay had no bearing on his decision whatsoever, but this issue will not be decided in his court, in any case.
Interpretation by convenience as relates to the U. S. Constitution is becoming more and more common today, especially among liberals. That's why the fundamental principles upon which this country was founded and which kept us strong for the past 234 years are being eroded from all angles on a daily basis. Had the California judge upheld Proposition 8, Mary Bonauto would be screaming bloody murder.
$600,000 total to renovate a 2100 s.f. building comes to $285 per s.f. which doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Thank goodness this is mostly funded with "free" money! This kind of crap goes on all over the country, so it's no wonder our deficit is out of control. We the people are being sold out by bureaucrats that are either crooked as h... or totally inept, or maybe a combination of both.
I think Mark's pieces are basically an exageration on realty, (sometimes), intended to lighten up a bit the harder side of life, (low). Although different, his stories are not significantly more fictional than some pieces concerning the saving of our city by a group immigrants, for example. I think it's in the, (black), eye of the reader more often than not as to how Laflamme's stuff is digested...or regurgitated.
Take the "free money" out of the equation and wind power is exposed to the elements. Another great Baldacci moment, supported by Pingree and her clueless cohorts. Before we permanently transform our landscape and disrupt peoples' lives, it would seem to make sense that we are darn sure what the end result will be. Idiots on parade for all to see.
My belief on this is that the reason they want the mosque in that particular area is to symbolize what muslim extremists view as a great victory over their enemy, the United States. If that were not the case, then after realizing that many people were offended by this proposal, they would have backed off. I think that many people are just too gullible to see through the BS.
Speed caused this tragic accident more than anything else. The speed limit on that stretch of Lisbon Street is 35 MPH for a reason. I feel sorry for both families of the victims.
Maybe the victim in the Bridgton crash was Loonie also. Very needless way to die. Too bad for their families and other loved ones that are left to mourn.
Robert, in November I also will be voting for Paul Lepage, and for similar reasons. Maine has been headed in the wrong direction for quite a while under the leadership of career politicians that have very liberal leanings and absolutely zero real world experience. You can't be a state that farms welfare for matching federal bucks as a way of life and at the same time be an attractive place to operate a business.
Libby Mitchell should have the most cash on hand. We the taxpayers gave her $660,000 to spend...and, there are various loopholes and such that will enable her to get some contributions and advertising on the side. Ain't life grand?
My driveway is sitting on the side of Sabattus Street this morning, but compared to what a lot of other people have to deal with, I think I'm fortunate. Global Warming?
Based on the reasoning that loud pipes save lives, that would mean that if I had an illegal exhaust system on my truck and couldn't "hear" the motorcycle, the excessive noise as a safety mechanism excuse would be pointless. I guess as long as only bikes can be loud, though, the argument stands...even if it is on a wooden leg.
My grandchildren have a Play & Freeze, and it works EXACTLY as advertised. The fastest method for making ice cream is rolling it back and forth right on the lawn.
Until we send people to Augusta who have the business sense to run State Government in a responsible way, this problem will only get worse. Most of our career politicians that oversee Maine's finances have never had to manage any type of business where income dictated expenditures. These people prepare budgets, then dig into taxpayer pockets to fund them. That's why I will be voting for Paul Lepage in 2010. There simply isn't any more time to keep going in the direction we've been headed in for the past 30 years.
I can't believe I'm actually doing this...But I totally agree with tron. If it weren't "free" money from our other pocket, the City wouldn't even consider this idea. Of course, the canopies will require LPW labor to install, maintain, dis-assemble at the end of the season and store...and vandalism???
I agree with the editorial. Maine can't currently pay it's obligations to Cities and Towns, which has caused all kinds of budget problems on local levels statewide. The next governor needs to be capable of fixing our out of control taxing and spending, and making State government more compatible with job creation by the private sector. These factors far outweigh personal beliefs on evolution or creationism, abortion, and gay marriage. As a catholic, I have my beliefs on these moral issues, but that doesn't diminish my capacity to function as a person or licensed professional. Let the real issues, not the BS, be the deciding factor in electing our next governor and legislature in November.
Albrecht, Obama's administration was in charge of overseeing BP. You are an idiot! Won't it be terrible when the liberal tax and spenders that have been financing your living for years get tossed on their butts out of office?
cranky, the democraps have been in the majority in this state for 35 years, and look where we are. Top 10 nationally in taxes, aging population because our young people have to go elsewhere for jobs, and a mecca for people wanting welfare or disability benefits. Tax and spend is the democratic mantra. Look at Obama as an example, using the oil spill disaster to push his cap and tax BS. I do have a clue cranky, that's apparently why I piss you off!
SSDD, your comments are a joke! Maine has been controlled by democrats for years, and we're in the financial crapper. Tax and spend, period. On the national level, King Obama with the help of his minions, Pelosi and Reid, is on a fast track to breaking GWB's record as worst president ever!
I will vote for Paul Lepage because his idea of how Maine's government should be operated coincides with mine. Libby Mitchell has been part of the tax and spend problems in Augusta for 35 years and we need change. I will not be voting based on their religious beliefs, since I will be voting for a governor, not a religious or spiritual leader. On that end, I don't care what any of the candidates think.
The State balanced their budget on the backs of municipalities, and now, being at the bottom of the hill, taxpayers will pay the price at the local level. The blame for this belongs to the taxers and spenders We The People have been sending to Augusta for years, like Baldacci, Mitchell, and Pingree and their cohorts. We need to change that scenario in november, and it starts with electing Paul Lepage governor and electing a majority legislature willing to actually work with him to cut wasteful spending on bloated programs and entitlements for people that don't want to pull their own weight.
If question 1 does not pass, how long will it take before the legislature decides to raise the income tax rate back up because we need the money? Two or three years. I'm also sure they won't waste any time adding new services to the list of taxable items, either. I am voting yes on Q-1.
This bill will not save anyone any money, but I think in a way it's funny that the 53% or so of Mainers who don't pay any income tax will now get bit in the butt with sales taxes on many services that are now tax exempt, such as car repair labor, movies, higher meal taxes...and on it goes. Many of these people will fall for the false ads promoting the bill and vote to keep it, unfortunately. Then again, that's how the same taxers and spenders keep getting elected to run our state year after year.
By pleading "Not Guilty", her court appointed lawyer will get to bill the taxpayers for more hours than would have been the case with a "Guilty" plea or a " No Contest" plea. BTW, Ugh is spot on with his comment, but then, if you read the police accident reports, and not just the ones that make this paper, the answer to his question may very well be yes.
I would suggest starting with the Public Works Department, where we now have two well paid heads doing what Chris Branch used to do by himself, and then eliminating the games they play in that department to purposely work on overtime and holiday pay as much as possible. Chewing up the remaining budget after a quiet winter by sweeping Sabattus Street on a SUNDAY in late March is certainly not in the best interests of the taxpayer. Roll some heads where it counts. We'll see. Usually, it's government 101, where proposed cuts aren't to the fat and waste, but to the bone, like trash pick-up, police, and firefighters. Childishly simple, but so effective.
Bob, I also think Bates College could absorb some of our "new residents" into some of their classes as a show of good faith and to help equalize educational opportunities for these folks. Fair is fair.
Nathan, if you have a mortgage, under this reform package you will no longer be allowed to deduct the interest, among other things. We will pay sales tax on labor for car and other services, and the list goes on. Foremost, you can bet that in a short time, the legislature will revisit the tax structure when they need more spending money for entitlements, realize that we are lower, at 6.5%, than many other states, and raise it back up to 8.5% or worse depending on what the market will bear. If you don't believe that, then just check up on Maine's legislative history over the past 30 years. This tax restructuring is nothing but a shell game.
Dan, I agree with you 100%. Follow the money, like Ethanol blended gasoline, and the answer to why wind power is being crammed up our butts will become plain. Maybe in 1850 wind power made sense, but in 2010, when we run ships on nuclear power, we're running around planting windmills all over God's creation. At least if wind power made economic sense, it would be easier to overlook all the unpleasant side effects.
It's O.K. Mark, you don't have to be afraid to take a position. This is America, and at least for now, you have that right. You can even shift from one side of the road to the other if the urge strikes. I for one prefer someone with convictions, even if they are contradictory to mine, over someone with no convictions at all...especially writers. Notice that I said writers, not reporters. It does depend on which hat a person is wearing.
It's O.K. Mark, you don't have to be afraid to take a position. This is America, and at least for now, you have that right. You can even shift from one side of the road to the other if the urge strikes. I for one prefer someone with convictions, even if they are contradictory to mine, over someone with no convictions at all...especially writers. Notice that I said writers, not reporters. It does depend on which hat a person is wearing.
Pay per bag will only result in illegal dumping, and in the high density residential areas, bags left a block down the street. Then what, pay a "trash guru" to identify the perpetrators? ( That would be a good source of overtime for some of the boys at PW, though). Trash pickup is one of the few services every taxpayer uses on a weekly basis, why rob us of this. A better idea would be to tighten up on the welfare traffic at City Hall. It would save tons of money and a lot of wear and tear on the Park Street entrance.
Nice to see how Paul Boudreau sidesteps the savings question. I'm sure he and his "boys" ate up as much of the snow cleaning/removal budget as possible, even though we had a near record mild winter. The PW crew depends on the OT, after all. It's so easy to spend other peoples money.
I guess the moral of the story is that criminals who want guns will get them one way or another. Since what they are doing to get them now is illegal, more laws won't change that fact.
All those visibility problems! Maybe a fluorescent orange vest would help. Excessive noise is quite a stretch. If everyone on the road made a lot of noise using being seen by other motorists as an excuse, they would cancel each other out and NO-ONE would benefit. I do agree that loud bikes get peoples attention, but I don't agree that it is for safety reasons that the minority of bikers do it.
Tron, why do you feel compelled to call anyone that does not share your views a "right wing whacko"? I find that a bit immature. I don't carry a gun, but I know people that do, and that includes a number of professional people that you would never expect to be packing. To me this issue is about personal freedom. The SJ editorial board doesn't like guns, but whoa! They sure can piss and moan about freedom of access issues, can't they. I guess to some people how important a particular freedom is boils down to whether it affects them or not. Hypocrites.
Robert Reed is 100% right on this issue. This decision by the City Council will end up costing us probably half a million dollars BESIDES what we spend in the interim to keep Old #5 standing. More crap from our enlightened leaders.
If the worst thing that comes from this law is that cyclests end up having to invest in a bottle of Goo-Off every so often, it's not a bad trade off given that people won't need hearing protection to be outdoors in the summer or even to be able to sleep at night. If bikers had't pushed annoying illegal exhaust system noises way beyond the limit that most sensible people can tolerate, this wouldn't even be an issue.
Glad to see the new Lewiston City Council is fiscally responsible! We will eventually end up tearing the building down because it's basically had it. Meanwhile we'll keep spending $350K+ a year to hang on to it, throw at least $70K to abort the pending demolition, and next year get a new demo quote that is much higher than the one we just crapped. The scary thing is, these councilors actually believe they're intelligent.
If the rationale here is to raise taxes on tobacco as a way to promote better health, then the discussion should include alcohol, fast food, fried any food, and just about anything else that causes potential health problems. Let's pick on smokers is getting really f'n old!
Honey, you obviously aren't very informed. My work brings me into numerous area apartment buildings on a regular basis. I can tell you for a fact that MANY more tenants crap all over their landlords than vice-versa. deimos is dead on with what he says.
Candiceanne, Oxford County's October unemployment rate is 10.3%, not 19%. Androscoggin County's October unemployment rate is 8.1%. Source: Me. Dept. of Labor. Stop pulling numbers out of your @$$.
Holiday Tree is a joke, and it's a total shame this country has come to this. The "holiday" is Christmas, and it's a Christmas tree. Channel 13's web poll is running over 96% in support of the "Christmas Tree" vs. "Holiday Tree" label. How do we end up with 96% of the people having to appease the idiotic whims of the other 4%. Spineless bureaucrats calling the shots, that's how. Time to take a stand on some of these issues. Merry Christmas to all!
Wgme 13 has a poll running this morning on whether their Monument Sq. tree should be a Christmas or Holiday tree. Over 96% of responders chose Christmas, and less than 4% chose Holiday. It's Christmas, therefore, it's a Christmas tree. Don't like Christmas? Then don't celebrate it
AND...That's after every non-resident Bates College student was recruited by the No on #1 camp to register to vote in Maine to help tip the scales in their favor.
Even if "gay" marriage stands after next tuesday, homosexuality will not be normalized. Just because you change the laws of man doesn't mean you have changed the laws of nature. THAT, you can't do. YES ON #1!
I have passed by this guy quite a few times since he started camping at the Wal-mart entrance in Auburn. I have not given him a dime, and will not going forward. In Maine of all places, whre people move to for the easy public assistance, if you can't qualify for help, it's highly likely you don't really need it.
Michael, who pushed the sale of the Colisee for pennies on the dollar to satisfy a campaign pledge. I think it was mayor Gilbert, the man who would be king. I will be voting for Marc Paradis.
Albrecht, are you saying that anyone who pays taxes but isn't feeding either directly or indirectly off the public teat is a complete idiot? Are you scared of losing your revenue source because useless programs will be eliminated? Guess what, the state's dead broke and whether TABOR II passes or not, it may still happen.
Let's face it, the mayor's job in Lewiston is a low paid position that will attract very few candidates that are both qualified and available to make it the type of power position envisioned by Mr. Gilbert. The mayor is elected by the people, but so is the city council. Time for a change.
Tragic. The article didn't say, but The young lady had a learner's permit, and not a license, so then did her passenger have a driver's license as required by law?
Recent Comments
My work takes me to apartment
My work takes me to apartment buildings like this one on a fairly regular basis, in fact, I have been to this one twice before. I am actually thinking about getting a permit to carry. Times are definately changing.
Obviously, we can't keep
Obviously, we can't keep raising the debt ceiling year after year or keep raising taxes on anyone defined as "rich" in order to keep all the money flowing to Washington so our politicians can squander it as they see fit. We need leaders on both sides of the aisle to come together and fix this mess, and right now, those people aren't there. We have problems.
Supporters would have been
Supporters would have been there, too, but they have to be at work to earn the money that pays the taxes to fund all of these programs. That leaves those that either earn money supplying these services or those that receive these services directly all the time in the world to "protest". Free rides to the protest on taxpayer paid gas, anyone?
The Lepage tax cuts are
The Lepage tax cuts are intended to conform with federal guidelines and reduce the top bracket from 8.50% to 7.95%. They also eliminate taxes for an estimated 70,000 low income Mainers. I suppose if someone already isn't paying any taxes and is 100% on the receiving end of all the programs available out there, then they are tax cuts for the "rich" . Will someone please define "rich"?
As good as it sounds, I think
As good as it sounds, I think Maine should be sure it can cover its' existing debt before taking on any additional. There is nothing wrong with not being one of the highest leveraged states in the country, given that Mainers are nowhere near the top in personal income and we have an aging population. Construction jobs are good, and infrastructure work needs to be done, but in the past, some construction bond money has indirectly found its' way to other places in state spending, and Cianbro, Pike, and the other players in these projects will still survive.Everyone wants everything. No one wants to see any existing program cuts, so heaping on more debt isn't a wise move at this time in my humble opinion.
When Paul Lepage called the
When Paul Lepage called the Legislature the State's largest daycare center, he may have upset a lot of people but I don't think he was really off the mark. These clowns and a bunch just like them are the folks we rely on to run our State. Scary!
I'm not surprised by this. It
I'm not surprised by this. It pretty much follows the same pattern that Baldacci, as we have learned in other situations, followed for 8 years, which is reward all your cronies with well paid, taxpayer funded jobs whether they are the best suited for them or not. Very smooth character.
Good question Ernest. I
Good question Ernest. I would guess based on past history however that after a bunch of behind the scenes arrangements, this will all be swept away. From what I hear "incidents" of this general nature occur quite frequently at the middle and high schools.
The notion that something is
The notion that something is "Free" is a joke. Nothing is "Free". At least the article could state that state and federal dollars are footing the bill..(Taxpayers).
This is just another spoke in
This is just another spoke in the wheels of the welfare wagon that year after year gains happy passengers while the number of people doing the pulling slowly dwindles. No wonder government at all levels is cash starved and constantly looking to dig deeper into the
pockets of the few that are feeding this monster.
Take an hour or two and spend
Take an hour or two and spend it in the second floor lobby at the City Building. Notice that most of the comers and goers to the general assistance office are-
A. Relatively young and generally healthy in appearance.
B. Relatively new arrivals to the area by way of having assorted belongings in tow.
C. Very rarely retired persons on fixed incomes that have worked hard all their lives.
If you see what goes on day in and day out and just how many people exploit the system you would understand Bob Macdonald's rationale when it comes to welfare abuse...and why enough of Lewiston's residents agreed with him to elect him Mayor.
Keep raising taxes, but
Keep raising taxes, but heaven forbid we cut back on all the free services we provide to everyone whether they need it or not. Social Services are one of the largest industries in this state, and in Lewiston as well.
Time to go over the heads of
Time to go over the heads of the PUC. They obviously have been "bought" by the taxpayer funded Wind Energy Industry.
He murdered three people,
He murdered three people, including a ten year old boy...Hang the Bastard.
If I didn't know better, I'd
If I didn't know better, I'd say that the major oil companies are putting the fix on their consumers, but no, that can't possibly be.
Dan, I think Allisa is a
Dan, I think Allisa is a "Ms." not a "Mr."
Tighten up GA guidelines so
Tighten up GA guidelines so that Lewiston taxpayers pay only for Lewiston residents that have been here for at least six months and that are really in need of help and not just lazy. That would be a good start and in line with what Gov. Lepage is trying to do at the State level. Currently, we have basically same day service for GA. Off the bus and a few hours later, a pocket full of handouts. This is a broken system that many people know very well how to play.
Frank, I believe we get
Frank, I believe we get E-mail notification from the SJ whenever someone posts on a subject we have posted on, whether or not the poster was replying to us.
What, no howls from Crave and
What, no howls from Crave and Rotundo and the other good little party soldiers on this one? By now I would have expected the little sheriff Mark Dion to have petitioned the Maine Supreme Court for a ruling on this bill. What a farce! John Martin is like a bad penny.
Just remember that the DHHS
Just remember that the DHHS problems largely trace back to a $25 million computer system put into operation when Baldacci was governor and rubber stamped by Rotundo and Craven. On another point, Lepage's tax breaks also go to some 70,000 Mainers that are far from "wealthy", not just those in the highest tax bracket, who by the way, still pay far more to the State in taxes as a group than anyone else.
NFL players making millions a
NFL players making millions a year breaking the rules and going out to end another player's career for $1000 to $1500. Insanity...but then some of these same guys end up in prison for things like drug dealing, dog fighting, and even manslaughter. And to think, they all went to college!
Geez, this two year cap is
Geez, this two year cap is going to push a thriving industry that sucks up tax dollars like a vacuum into near extinction. A lifetime on Methadone or Suboxone at taxpayer expense, plus taxpayer funded travel to and from the "clinics" is what makes these entities tick. I would think that if someone is on Mainecare and they have a 24 month window to clean up their act, then they and their pill pushers would coordinate their efforts to get that accomplished. The other choice is to do it the old fashioned way and actually pay for the treatments themselves. As a last resort, they could go out and get a job that might include some employer assisted medical insurance.
Another Baldacci era
Another Baldacci era political hack out the door.
So what's fair, Jon? Tax the
So what's fair, Jon? Tax the guy with the Harvard bankroll enough so that in the end both families can send their kids to a state or community college? Why bother then to pull the wagon when you can ride on it for free? I don't like loopholes, but I'm not in favor of a Robinhood style tax system, either.
With your bare hands, Ron, or
With your bare hands, Ron, or did you have a gun as well? There will always be disagreeable characters and there is nothing wrong with people being prepared to defend against them. Remember, when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
I think his hacks told him
I think his hacks told him the truth...John, if you run, you will lose, game over.
Maybe 19th century dams were
Maybe 19th century dams were built with outdated technology, but new hydro projects certainly come with better environmental safeguards than, say, the old Edwards Dam in Augusta had. Hydo power is renewable energy that is reliable 24/7, as compared to wind power that has low to mid 20% range efficiency, a relatively short economic life span, and which comes with it's own environmental baggage, such as blasting scenic and wildlife habitat ares for towers, access roads, and transmission lines. An additional problem with wind projects appears to be factors related to noise. Hydro is as green as wind, so it should be included in the green calculations, in my opinion. NRCM and HRC are not actually "unbiased" sources of data. That's kind of like saying "according to Fox News, or according to MSNBC"...it depends on which slant you want to promote, but that's about all those sources are worth. If I didn't know better, I would get the idea from this editorial that the SJ might be attempting to gloss over all the negative wind power issues in order to pave the way for their coming endorsement of Angus King, Mr. Independent/Democrat, and a captain of the wind industry here in Maine, for the U. S. Senate.
I'm in favor of free choice.
I'm in favor of free choice. It appears that the money sucking machine that is the Lewiston School Department is worried that without a monopoly on students, it will suffer. That's life. If Lewiston is spending X amount of money to educate a student, which is paid by local and state taxes, then that amount should be able to follow that student to any accredited school of choice. Of course, teachers' unions and anyone feeding off of the current system will fight this to the bitter end.
Paul the Pirate, I agree with
Paul the Pirate, I agree with you totally. Our office used to be in the Dube Travel building next door to Mahamud's establishment, and he is a personable, apparently self-supporting man. He gets bounced out of the Country, while we keep our doors open to folks that are only here because we are stupid enough to support them.
Bruce Brown is currently a
Bruce Brown is currently a tenant in our office/ mixed use building, and I can safely say that he is a lawsuit in the making from the time he gets up in the morning until he gets up the next day. Professional POS.
I won't argue that point,
I won't argue that point, however, I will say emphatically that when the Maniacs were in town the vast majority of ticket buyers were the parents and grandparents of LAYHA players, and the sponsors who bought advertising recognized this 100%. Firland Management has the right to do whatever they want to do, because they own the Colisee, including comitting financial suicide, which, as far as I'm concerned is exactly what they are doing. Think such great ideas as "New Coke" and "Pepsi Clear". Most people remember being crapped on.
From what I understand, this
From what I understand, this "Great Deal" is going to make Lewiston-Auburn youth hockey homeless after being around for 40 years. If this is indeed the case, and Lewiston and Auburn kids lose access to the Colisee, Mr. Cain will need a heck of a lot more than a USHL team to fill his building, unless the fans all come up from Cumberland County.
Best joke of the day, Jason!
Best joke of the day, Jason!
I voted for Angus King when
I voted for Angus King when he ran for Governor on both occasions, simply because I felt he was the better of the choices we had. Since his money grab over wind power, however, I will never vote for that man again even if he were running for dog catcher of Whoville, unopposed. If he can sell Mainers a boatload of crap regarding wind power with a straight face, what will he try to sell us in an effort to get elected to the U.S. Senate?
Career political hacks from
Career political hacks from all sides are flocking to this soon to be open U.S. Senate seat like crows to a fresh March road kill. The plot thickens by the hour. It would be nice if C. Pingree runs for the Senate seat because that would be an easy way to send her packing.
Tina, stores don't get cards,
Tina, stores don't get cards, individuals do. For a store to commit fraud, I would assume they need people that get the cards to launder them through their accounts for some type of financial gain. Targetting a store makes sense, because there may be several card recipients at that one outlet involved in fraud. Why are people so afraid of admitting that fraud is a problem in the welfare system, anyway? Fraud is a problem nowadays in every program and financial system known to man.
Pingree ain't Mitchell, and
Pingree ain't Mitchell, and she sure as heck ain't Muskie. Great liberally slanted spin, though.
Very interesting article on a
Very interesting article on a piece of Maine history. Thanks Paul.
There's also a good article
There's also a good article in this same edition from The NE Administrator of the USDA Food Stamp program that says fraud is an issue that they are constantly working on, while trying to stay on top of all the new angles perpetrators come up with to game the system. So, is fraud an issue, or not? The USDA administers the program, so if they say fraud is an issue, I guess I will go along with that.
Obviously an over the top
Obviously an over the top liberal with no room for discussion . Exactly the problem at both ends of the spectrum. People who think one way and one way only with no compromise in their vocabulary. Guess what, Kim, there are people on the other side that are just as passionate about their views as you are about yours...and they won't budge either. Name calling doesn't change anything, either.
Kim, you mean like Michaud
Kim, you mean like Michaud and Pingree? Whatever the Obama administration and the D.C. dems want, they can always count on the votes of Maine's two house members. I'll take a 20% crossover over that any time and yes, I'll give Snowe and Collins a "Moderate" label. I guess it depends on how you look at it.
Ron, your comment is a
Ron, your comment is a perfect example of what Senator Snowe is fed up with. You have very liberal views, and anyone who does not share those views with you is "crazy". Compromise is not a word in your vocabulary, and it's what's missing in D.C. as well. What we need are more moderates like Snowe and Collins instead of lock-step party followers. Maybe then we could move the country forward. Smewhere between the two extremes is very likely where the right direction for our country will be found.
There is a lot of "not much"
There is a lot of "not much" in that list. Hopefully it will get a bit better.
Maybe now GM will buy back
Maybe now GM will buy back the 34% or so interest in the company still held by the American taxpayer. I'm sure B. Obama could use the money. Solyndra needs to be cleaned up of toxic waste it left behind when it headed down the crapper with half a billion dollars of our tax money.
Whoever paid this guy to
Whoever paid this guy to transport the Pot should have probably hired someone with a little more intelligence. Good job by the PD, though.
We have freight rail service
We have freight rail service now, to the point where some lines have been abandoned because they weren't self supporting. As for passenger service in a rural state like Maine , there will not be enough ridership to make that self sufficient, either. Tax dollars to build, and more tax dollars to subsidize operations.
Nothing new here. Margaret
Nothing new here. Margaret Craven willing to spend other peoples money whether it makes economic sense in our current economic environment or not.
Funny, Veritas and Tron doing
Funny, Veritas and Tron doing the battle of wits. It makes for entertaining reading. So Ron, you weren't involved in the Capone takedown? I would have guessed Sean Connery was playing the part of Ronald Riml in " The Untouchables". Just kidding! Have a nice spring like day!
I agree with the mother. I
I agree with the mother. I don't think Hope was ever really "alone" on her journey. Baileyville...It's a Wonderful Life!
Maine could save quite a lot
Maine could save quite a lot of money by reducing the size of the legislature, and at the same time improve on the quality of the people elected to serve. We are still dealing with an antiquated system that hails back to a time when many communities in Maine were relatively isolated from each other and all needed a voice in the legislature in order to be represented fairly. This changed a long time ago. Maine is now pretty much regionalized, and Augusta should adjust accordingly. As Judy Meyer says though, it isn't likely to happen.
Steve, I didn't even see your
Steve, I didn't even see your post until I hit the save button. Obviously, you had the same reaction to this bill that I did.
I'm not necessarily sold on
I'm not necessarily sold on the idea either. What's good for one is good for the other. Emergency personnel, police, etc. have sufficient on board equipment to satisfy their public safety needs without resorting to text messaging. Exempting this group from the new law is basically telling the public that these groups of people are so much better at multi-tasking than the rest of us that they are above the law they supported when it was introduced for consideration in the first place. More crapola from Big Brother...Do what we say, not what we do.
However you want to cut it,
However you want to cut it, Tony, Maine doesn't have the money to fund all of these programs, period. Face it, there is no more of other peoples' money for Augusta liberals to spend . That is painful, but it is the truth. Some facts can be twisted, but not all, as hard as you might try. Painful yes, but avoidable, no.
We should have a low
We should have a low uninsured rate... more Mainers are on publicly funded healthcare than people in 45 other states by percentage. I agree that this didn't just happen willy nilly, we can thank Baldacci and company for dumping this crap on our heads. The fact that it is not affordable and can't be sustained has no bearing on this issue whatsoever, though, according to the democrats who supported the expansion of this mess. Say what you want about Paul Lepage, I admire the man for having the courage to face the issues head on. In the past, it was just so much easier to play the old shell game with the bills than to face reality.
Open road tolling will be of
Open road tolling will be of extra benefit to commercial trucks, because many already use E-ZPass, and it takes them much longer and they use more fuel gearing down and then back up to go through a toll plaza at 10 MPH. It may not mean much to passenger car drivers, but all in all, I think the system will be beneficial.
I drove by there yesterday,
I drove by there yesterday, (Wed. 2/15/2102), around 3 P.M. coming back from working in Rangeley and some were spinning very slowly while others were not spinning at all. No noise of course, but also little or no power production. Our tax dollars at work to make a few companies and individuals a lot of money. What a waste. To Mr. Woodbury I would say that ski areas aren't built on every mountain range in Maine with taxpayer funding and they bring far more economic return to their communities than these wind farms ever will. Maybe your bias is showing?
Good for heating bills, snow
Good for heating bills, snow removal budgets, but not much else. I am definately ready for spring, and hopefully it comes early. Last year we basically had no spring season, which makes for what seems like a very short summer.
Coyotes are filling the void
Coyotes are filling the void left by the extinction of wolves??? Quite a stretch Robert. The long and short of it is that coyotes have no natural enemies in Maine except humans, and as such, it falls to us to control their population by the most effective means necessary. As far as wolf re-introduction into Maine goes, that's another story that HSUS and PETA can play out with their donated millions. I agree with you that habitat destruction is a major player in the decline of northern Maine deer, and I stated that in my first post, as you can see. That is an issue that needs attention by the appropriate state agencies that can deal with the large landowners. As far as my "crack" about Southern Maine, I stand by my comment because for many businesses in the "Other Maine", hunting is a major source of income for them and the folks they employ. If you haven't lived it, which you obviously haven't, then you shouldn't be so quick to condemn it from the viewpoint of the county with the lowest unemployment rate and highest per capita income in Maine. BTW, my tent is heated...with wood.
Opinions, both pro and con,
Opinions, both pro and con, on any issue should not be censured in the name of "cleaning up". Some of these opinions are based on facts to be found while others are not, yet they all represent a point of view from someone intersted in the issue enough to post their thoughts on it. Freedom of Speach.
The article says $68,000 is
The article says $68,000 is medium income, Dan. Regardless, this is indeed another example of a connected development agency making money on a project with taxpayer dollars, because the project is not viable otherwise. And this goes on all over the country. No wonder we have a huge deficit in our federal budget.
Fortunately for them, they
Fortunately for them, they didn't have to get up the next morning to head off to work!
The city is slowly losing
The city is slowly losing population, yet we are gaining on average 100 students per year. When does the City of Lewiston reach the tipping point? You can only tax property owners so much before you start to add them to the welfare rolls, especially retirees and others on fixed incomes. When it comes to the school department, we never seem to have enough money, no matter where it comes from.
Yes Dan, by all means, let
Yes Dan, by all means, let the people who get up and go to work every day pay for anyone and everyone that can't or won't support themselves, whether they need/deserve it or not. Tax the crap out of them...until, of course, it reaches into your own pockets, then you'll howl about that, I'm sure. Our current system of welfare is not sustainable, plain and simple. We need too fix it. We can't tax our way out of it. NOTE: Even Baldacci, your main man, couldn't pay the bills on these programs.
Many complaints, but no
Many complaints, but no suggested solutions other than the same old "RAISE TAXES". The DHHS problems have to be fixed because we are spending way more than we can afford. Jobs will disappear in the process, but many are jobs that probably shouldn't have been created in the first place.
There seems to be a problem
There seems to be a problem in Augusta with folks not understanding that our welfare system as it stands is not sustainable. It hasn't been for a while, either. John Baldacci used one time money and delayed payments to providers to balance his budgets and he left with hospitals owed millions of dollars. The DHHS problems have to be resolved, and I give Lepage credit for facing that problem and taking the heat that goes with it. We can't ignore the problem and we can't tax our way out of it, either.
My guess is that they will
My guess is that they will bring in experienced people to train and supervise initially, and then promote from their employee base and hire local people to replace turnovers going forward, which makes sense both practically and financially. Dennis Bailey is such a drain...but, he makes money while he's at it!
Dan, the Attorney General,
Dan, the Attorney General, Steve Rowe, got the money back from Merrill Lynch. My point is that both democrats and republicans have their share of stinkers. You, of course, are totally blind to any viewpoint not entirely in agreement with your own, so once again, here we are.
Ron and Al, for starters, do
Ron and Al, for starters, do you remember a guy named David Lamoine? He was Baldacci's pal who was entrusted with investing state revenues in order to earn interest on the money. He put $20 million of those funds into a Ponzi Scheme investment because he didn't know what he was doing. Then we have the MTA, likely Maine Housing, Maine Green Energy Alliance, and I'm sure I'm missing some here. It must be nice to have selective memories. My point is, you can find garbage on both sides of the aisle if you are open minded enough to look at the whole picture.
I sure as ....didn't say give
I sure as ....didn't say give him four more years Paul, IMO, he's had three too many as we speak!
Gerry Lavigne, retired
Gerry Lavigne, retired biologist and foremost authority on Maine's Whitetail Deer, having headed that program for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife for years, blames Coyote predation as one of the major factors contributing to the deer herd decline in Maine, secondary to habitat destruction and weather. To introduce another predator into the mix for no apparent good reason whatsoever makes no sense. Deer and deer hunting support jobs and businesses in areas of the State that do not have many other options, and deer hunter license fees help support IF&W, which protects ALL of our wildlife. Anti-hunters and ill informed folks that support introduction of wolves in Maine should spend some time visiting these areas of the state whose economies have taken a hit from loss of business due to the decline in the deer population and get some first hand information instead of spouting off from the comfort of their southern Maine homes.
Obama may drive us into the
Obama may drive us into the poor house, but he won't be able to destroy us. Other lousy presidents from both parties have preceeded BHO, and left us bruised but still standing.
All the more reason to live
All the more reason to live within the law. Personally, I wouldn't really care for either the prison sentence or the flogging.
I guess I must know all the
I guess I must know all the people that comprise the 6% that are strongly opposed. Wind power, from what I have read, based on data from various operating facilities in other states is very erratic. The "investment" of billions will end up making a few individuals a lot of money and will end up costing ratepayers in spades for years to come. Before we plant these jewels all over the state, we should at least wait long enough to measure their economic viability by studying those already built for a bit. Personally, I think the race is on to get as many projects completed before people wake up to find out they have been greased. Hydro makes so much more sense. Power is produced 24/7 365 days a year, and it's as "green" as wind.
I agree with Bob Stone, the
I agree with Bob Stone, the old McDonalds lot would have created traffic issues and a much higher potential for accidents than the motel parcel.
I'm sure Bob Stone will be a
I'm sure Bob Stone will be a great asset to the MTA Board. He's very well qualified for the position and most importantly, he has integrity.
Robert, well said.
Robert, well said.
DHHS has been an elephant in
DHHS has been an elephant in the State's living room for years, and in the past our fearless leaders have managed to get around that elephant by not paying bills to hospitals, using one time federal money, and other shell games. A major overhaul of programs provided by DHHS is needed, and now, not later. The federal government, thanks to people like Obama, Pingree, and Michaud, et. als. has tied states to unfunded mandates that there is no money to pay for. Maine is far from alone in this sinkhole, and the fight to fix these problems is far from over. This editorial suggests, once again, raising or creating new taxes on select items to pay the bills. This to me is an over simplistic reaction to the core problem, and will not solve the problem even in the short term. How high and how many items need to be taxed to raise $220 million? Then what about the next budget cycle, when the shortfall looms up again? Raise taxes again? Add more new ones? There is no simple solution to a problem as complex as this one is, and to suggest that raising taxes once again is a major part of that solution is reverting back to the same simple minded thinking by past leadership that got us into this mess to begin with.
WOW!!! I apparently missed
WOW!!! I apparently missed all that good stuff BHO accomplished during the past three years! Alas Jon, I'm not alone because even the Prez is campaigning for re-election based, once again, on all the good things he wants to do for this country...He IS NOT campaigning on his record as the most effective president in the past 50 years. You rant so.
Just Dan Being Dan. I know
Just Dan Being Dan. I know he's a real softie at heart.
Dan, I think the police
Dan, I think the police figured it out back in December. What they need to make an arrest or arrests is enough evidence to convict the guilty. Finding Ayla is the key I think. This is why they have been searching woods and water all over the place for weeks. In the real world, you need proof, not just an opinion, like most of us have in these comment threads. Later.
One thing for sure, guns do
One thing for sure, guns do not commit crimes. People do. With or without them.
I was at the Lewiston city
I was at the Lewiston city building yesterday on business for all of 15 minutes, and in that time going to the second floor and back, I passed by a young man in his early 20's and a young couple appearing to be in their early thirties all decked out with baggies and lip and nose jewelry carrying their appropriate paperwork for public assistance. Since the assessor's office is adjacent to the welfare office, it's easy enough to know what business these folks were transacting. Anyone that thinks people don't come here for the welfare has their heads in the sand. BTW, sugar coat it all you want with fancy names, it's still public assistance, i.e., welfare.
There are jobs out there Ron.
There are jobs out there Ron. For starters in Lewiston we have the Wal-Mart Distribution Center that is typically always hiring. Hard work but pretty good money. If people have no job skills, they should expect to find jobs that pay accordingly in most cases. The problem arises when welfare benefits are sufficent for the layabouts to get by without having to work hard at earning their own way. It's so damned easy to snipe at people you don't agree with when you don't have to back up your BS with facts.
Ron, I think what David was
Ron, I think what David was implying is that he and his work and live within their means and do not rely on public assistance for their basic necessities. There is pride in being self supporting, and some people still have some self respect left. Everyone who pays taxes pays for the costs of public infrastructure, and we share that cost for the common good. We don't, however, have to like seeing that tax money spent to support those who choose to live off of public assistance because they are too lazy to work do so just because they can. Of course, you knew this already, your comment is just you being you.
I would suggest that liberals
I would suggest that liberals get over having lost the last election and move on. Conservatives have had to stand by and watch the liberal democrats basically strangle the State with expanded entitlement programs for three+/- decades, and now we are flat broke and the Federal Government is as well, so no help from D.C. We need to cut spending by hundreds of millions of dollars, and since DHHS and schools consume most of the state budget, where else are you supposed to look for significant cuts? Oh wait, I forgot, we don't have to cut any programs, just raise taxes, that always worked before! What a joke!
NOTHING deters a bully better
NOTHING deters a bully better than a good dose of the same crap they are dishing out, Tina. Crude, but effective, up until about one liberal generation or so ago.
I have been of the opinion
I have been of the opinion since day one that Baldacci & Co. sold us out to the wind power industry, a/k/a Angus King and cohorts, and the more that comes out on the good and bad sides of wind power, the more I'm convinced I'm right. If Governor Lepage and the Republicans had stuffed wind energy down our throats like this, Douglas Rooks' weekly liberal rant very likely wouldn't be about the LURC.
Unfortunately, "The rules of
Unfortunately, "The rules of war" are written by politicians and bureaucrats that don't actively participate on the battlefields. Therein lies the problem. When only one side is expected to play by the "rules" and these young soldiers witness this first hand, anger and frustration are bound to set in. Things like this happen. It is, after all, a war, not a Peace Corps. mission.
We do not have enough money
We do not have enough money to go around. Maine can not fund all of the programs as they exist. The money has to come from somewhere. Unlike Obama, Lepage can not print it as needed. Lies...All lies. Some people just refuse to believe that we are out of other peoples' money and the spending party is over I guess.
If someone in Auburn is
If someone in Auburn is having a medical emergency, then I would guess all other things aside, they would be very grateful Lewiston, with its' two regional hospitals, exists. I think this letter is more bad attitude than anything else. Both Cities have issues, but Lewiston and Auburn feed off of each other and that's just the way it is.
As I posted previously when
As I posted previously when the news first broke that Kestrel was headed to Wisconsin, this isn't the first time a developer with a big idea and no money waves the promise of a few hundred good paying jobs around to see which town or state is willing to pull their pants down the lowest to get in on the "deal". It's an old game, but it works often enough to be worth playing. A risky business venture is what this boils down to, period. If Kestrel's business plan were really solid enough to support a $100 million investment, there would be bankers and investors courting them and they would not have to be playing this game.
It must be lonely up there
It must be lonely up there all by yourself...the only one who "knows" anything. This cat's out of the bag, Mr. Albrecht, and it doesn't matter who opened it.
Yes Margaret, poor Dale
Yes Margaret, poor Dale McCormick is being targeted, just like the Maine Turnpike Authority was before her, and of course we all know there was nothing going on with that entity that was not totally above board! Laughable blabber from the entrenched but suddenly threatened Democrats that have been having their way for years.
I'm not saying this is the
I'm not saying this is the case with Kestrel, however, I'm sure that I am not the only one here that has watched developers with big imaginations and no funding sources play the "we'll bring hundreds of good jobs to the area" game in an attempt to get financial assistance for their projects. $100 million is a lot of money to throw at the wall. If this were indeed such a sure bet, there would be bankers knocking on their door.
Obama's Affordable Care Act
Obama's Affordable Care Act is a perfect example of the irresponsible governing that has been a trademark of his administration. In three years he has pissed away Trillions of dollars we don't have, and then passed laws such as this one that mandates that States pick up part, and in a few years, all of the tab, with money they also don't have. All of this in keeping with his concerted effort to mine democratic votes from anywhere they can be dredged up.
Ron, I agree with your post
Ron, I agree with your post 100%. Since this so seldom occurs, I want to make that statement in person, and not merely as a thumb's up.
When juveniles commit adult
When juveniles commit adult crimes I think it would be appropriate for their names to be made public. When these people turn 18, then it's O.K., and then all of a sudden it can also be disclosed that they have priors as juveniles. The public has a right to know if "Billy the Kid" lives next door to them.
First the Turnpike Authority,
First the Turnpike Authority, now this. No wonder the "good ol' boy" establishment in Augusta has been going after Governor Lepage's throat since election night. His election obviously upset the apple cart. Life for them would have been sooo much better with Cutler or Mitchell in the Blaine House. This kind of stuff may be legal, but it sure smells.
Symbolic is not the same as a
Symbolic is not the same as a solution. Of course Peggy Rotundo's first choice as a solution to any problem has always been "raise taxes on anyone still standing". It's a joke, but it's on us because we keep sending her back to Augusta.
This is good news, however,
This is good news, however, welfare fraud in this state is so prevalent that if it could be whittled down to a minimal level, much of the DHHS shortage could very likely be eliminated with those funds. You can't convince the liberal democrats that this is a major problem, but many people are aware of it, including, fortunately, Governor Lepage and new Lewiston Mayor Macdonald. Until Maine stops being a haven for people living on the backs of working people, this will continue to be a problem.
Note to Dan: Read the article in this issue of the SJ about undisclosed money obtained by our beloved Augusta bureaucrats for personal gain and you will find that there are thieves on both sides of the aisle.
"We must demand that those
"We must demand that those that can work, do work and contribute to our economy and community"? Wow! I was under the impression based on Lewiston's direction over the past 20+ years that we couldn't do this because it would violate our City Charter or something. I've often thought Lewiston was doing just the opposite. Mayor Macdonald has my full support on this!
If public sector jobs netted
If public sector jobs netted a benefit to the economy whether necessary or not, local, state and the federal governments could have solved our economic woes by hiring all of the un-employed to sharpen pencils or whatever. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
Dan, can you please define
Dan, can you please define "wealthy"? Is it any individual making over X amount of dollars per year? Is it anyone that makes more money than you? What is "wealthy", anyway? A lot of people that make good money are already paying more than most in taxes. I agree with closing loopholes, etc. that allows some individuals and businesses to escape their tax obligations. I do though have a problem with the goverment taking on the role of Robin Hood.
Yes, responsible people like
Yes, responsible people like former Governor Baldacci and his minions that managed to grow DHHS to a totally unsustainable size while kicking the debt can down the road. Some people think that if you ignore a problem it will go away, or that if you pretend it doesn't exist, then it really doesn't.
I totally agree with you
I totally agree with you Michael. It's a good thing the government isn't involved. By the time administrative costs and "earmarks" got factored into the equation there would be nothing left to pay off the layaways.
Personally I'm fine with a
Personally I'm fine with a green Christmas. Cold, bare ground is about the only way we can reduce the number of ticks that are now infesting most areas of the state. I also prefer New Balance walkers to Bean boots. Much lighter and less cumbersome. Anyway, Merry Chrismas, white or green!
Baldacci paid the DHHS bill
Baldacci paid the DHHS bill with stimulus money for what, three years? Even then he left a bunch of IOU's to hospitals and other providers. Don't blame this mess on Lepage tax cuts because it started a long time ago, like when the democrats decided to use Medicaid as our state insurance program knowing full well the bills would come back and bite SOMEONE in the butt.
The 50% or so of Maine's
The 50% or so of Maine's population that pays income taxes to support the other 50% or so of the population that pay no income taxes but receive various taxpayer funded entitlements may just decide to pick up their marbles and go somewhere else to play. This has been going on for some time already and when there aren't enough people left to squeeze, then what? I can't get over just how many people have been living in this bubble and have no clue as to how un-sustainable our current welfare system is. Call governor Lepage anything you want, but at least he's being honest about the DHHS problems, which is more than you can say for former governor Baldacci. I'm sure Peggy Rotundo's solution is the same one put forth by democrats time and time again when faced with financial problems, that being to raise taxes on everything in sight.
Mike Lachance' History Lesson
Thanks Mike! Very educational.
I think mayor elect Macdonald
I think mayor elect Macdonald is over the frustrations that resulted from an organized campaign by the local media and liberal democrats that made every attempt to insure that he wouldn't win this election. Even with the solid push by his opponents, playing all the cards in the deck that gave them an edge, Bob Macdonald won the election. The bottom line is that there are enough voters in this City that support Bob Macdonald's vision for moving Lewiston in a different direction and ultimately change things for the better. I suspect that Bob Macdonald will do some good things for Lewiston.
This election is not between
This election is not between Bob Macdonald and Mark Paradis. Mr. Paradis passed away last Friday. This election is between a man who sees some of Lewiston's problems and wants to shed light on them and between the same democratic machine that brought us where we are today and doesn't want to change a thing. Your choice. One way or the other though, go vote, please.
It is painful to be broke,
It is painful to be broke, but the Country is broke, the State of Maine is broke, and these groups that have been feeding at the public trough for years will have to adjust to that fact because we're not coming out of this mess any time soon. The shear magnitude of people that are on these programs boggles the mind, anyway. We apparently have gone way beyond helping the helpless to the point where we avail these services at taxpayer expense to anyone at any age, with the only qualification being that they be too lazy to support themselves in many, many cases. At least Governor Lepage has the courage to tackle this beast and not just kick it down the road like our previous governor.
What I find kind of silly
What I find kind of silly Paul is that if this kind of stuff enhanced the liberal agenda of our civic leaders and our media, we'd know more about this guy than his own mother probably does. Lack of information goes on often around here it seems, but let the governor or a conservative politician say two sentences that can be spun to an advantage by the other side and it's headline news. Speaking of spin, a great example is last Saturday's editorial. Don't forget to vote tomorrow if you live in our fair city!
I'm curious as to how long
I'm curious as to how long this guy has been a resident of Lewiston. Has he been here all his life or is he a recent arrival? Things I'd like to know about my City.
I am in complete disagreement
I am in complete disagreement with this editorial and its' lame attempt to disguise partisan political views as rational thinking. I must say though that I'm no more surprised to see it than Doug Rooks' weekly rant on all things conservative. Common sense says that next Tuesday voters will go to the Multi-Purpose Center to vote for Lewiston's next mayor, and at that time we will definately have a clear choice. If you agree with the vision Mark Paradis had for the direction of our City, then you cast your vote for Mr. Paradis. Should he be declared the winner then we have the so called "do-over", and it goes back to square one and anyone can file nomination papers and run for the mayor's office. If, on the other hand, you support Bob Macdonald's views regarding the issues facing Lewiston, then vote for the candidate you were going to vote for in the first place and get it done. A "do over" simply to give Macdonald opponents a chance to find a candidate that they feel might be even stronger than Mr. Paradis would have been doesn't make sense financially or otherwise except to media outlets that sell political advertisements. The fact that over 1000 absentee ballots have already been cast has absolutely no bearing on who voters select on Tuesday, either, although the editorial implies that
unless you vote for a "re-do" they will be wasted. The paper's editorial board has no more of an idea than any of us do as to which direction those votes were cast.
I have known Mark for over 40
I have known Mark for over 40 years. He was always so easy going and likeable. My deepest sympathies to Ronella and the family. With his untimely passing though comes this thinly veiled scramble by Lewiston's entrenched politicos to rework the mayoral election to their every advantage. This begs the question of why are they so afraid Bob Macdonald might actually win the mayoral election?
Dan, you brought up the 39%
Dan, you brought up the 39% business so what does that have to do with this discussion? The only thing I can think of is that you really loved Baldacci and really hate Lepage because you can't stomach a conservatively oriented agenda.
The real point is that ANY
The real point is that ANY agency that is charged with spending taxpayer money has to be scrutinized periodically to insure that it is being managed properly and that no misconduct is going on. These projects are extremely expensive, and there is definately room for fraud and misconduct. One only has to look to the Maine Turnpike Authority for an example of how things can go sour within a "reputable" entity. The only way these projects can get completed is with the injection of a large dose of tax dollars, because when you spend over $300,000 to create a housing unit with a market value of under $50,000, investors and bankers tend to not have much interest in participating. That being the case, I think it's a good thing to perform due diligence periodically, and during that process, agency heads should be prepared with a thick skin and good documentation regarding their processes. It really shouldn't be viewed as a partisan agenda,but more like a sound business practice.
Very well said Glenn. I too
Very well said Glenn. I too feel that all of these community bans on fireworks are over the top. People use potentially dangerous things every day, like woodstoves, snowblowers, lawnmowers, chainsaws, ATV's etc. and yes, sometimes accidents happen and people get badly hurt or worse. Should we expect community leaders, in their apparent effort to save us all from ourselves, to ban these dangerous things as well?
Kind of like what the
Kind of like what the American colonists went through with the British back in the 1700's.
For a people so centered on
For a people so centered on their personal rights, I often wonder why the Somalis lost control of their own country to home grown war lords. I would think that they would have fought the good fight for their rights and freedoms...or..at least retained a good lawyer? What garbage.
The Pirate probably also
The Pirate probably also remembers people buying groceries with their own hard earned money and paying the oil man with same, too. I went to an inner city elementary school here in Lewiston in the 60's for eight years, and you could count the students who got "free" lunches on one hand each and every year. Times change.
Well said Mark. This is what
Well said Mark. This is what happens when you put off the inevitable until the last minute of the last hour on the clock.
The city's population hardly
The city's population hardly budges from year to year, yet our student population is growing at a very fast pace. I can hardly wait until we have to build a big new inner city school to keep up with demand for space to see what happens to my property taxes.
Part of the problem has to be
Part of the problem has to be that Governor Lepage paid a ton of money owed Medicaid providers like hospitals that the Baldacci administration chose to "defer". Whether we provide services we don't have the money for or whether we eliminate those services, in the end, it's still the same working taxpayers and businesses that foot the bill. First and foremost, we have to fix a broken system that gives little to no incentive for people to get ahead a bit in life. If someone chooses to not get an adequate education, then they don't have to work the rest of their lives at a menial job, we, the taxpayers, will buy them food, pay their rent, pay their medical expenses, heck, we'll even buy them oil or give them money to pay for other heating sources. I firmly believe this is why Maine and the Country as a whole are in such a financial squeeze. The only thing that seperates many people from the welfare class is pride, and apparently, there isn't enough of that to go around. We have to take care of our elderly and those that are incapable of taking care of themselves, such as those with physical or mental handicaps and children, but I can not be convinced that I have to pay for the health care of apparently healthy people who are too lazy to work and at the same time, help pay for a "debit card" that allows them to buy a sanwich, soda, and a bag of chips at the corner store because they don't have time to cook at home in their cozy little subsidized apartments. That's my rant for the day, now I have to get down to work.
I post on the BDN and I can
I post on the BDN and I can safely say that it's the wild west on there. No holds barred. Very seldom is there civil and informed disagreement among the posters, they either agree with the post or go for the jugular of the poster. It's a rough place to play, but the upside for the BDN is that they can end up with over 300 comments on a single article.
Having lived in Lewiston for
Having lived in Lewiston for all of my 59 years, I don't think going back to the way some things were 30 or 40 years ago is all that bad compared to the way some things are today. One example that often comes to mind is in 1970-71, my senior year at St. Dom's, students could walk safely back and forth between the Bates and Bartlett Street buildings, or to the "Arena", even after dark. Today you likely wouldn't do that unless you were in a large group of people. Sometimes, you have to back up a bit in order to keep moving forward, and sometimes, you have to turn in a different direction to get where you want to go. It's a matter of choice, and to some extent in this mayoral election, we have that.
Melissa, I agree that we need
Melissa, I agree that we need affordable housing units for seniors and others in need of assistance, but on the other hand, if Lewiston is to improve the urban core, we need to stop using subsidized apartments and entitlement programs as a tool to attract new residents to the City. There's a big difference between taking care of our own and taking care of anyone who can afford a bus ticket to Lewiston. Lewiston taxpayers can only afford so much, and then they pack up and move out and pay their taxes elsewhere if they can...and obviously, many can, because they have.
We gave our City gravel pit
We gave our City gravel pit and other land we bought from abutters to Wal-Mart to get the distribution center here in addition to the TIF. While it's nice to have the facility and the jobs in Lewiston, it is not very pleasant to think that we pulled our pants down in order to lure the largest retailer in the world to Lewiston so that they could build a facility that they absolutely needed in order to keep making huge profits. Having the right location and the labor force to man the facility should have been the bones thrown at Wal-Mart along with the TIF, if necessary to finalize the deal, but our leaders of the day decided to give away the store instead. As for low income housing history tells us that "If you build it, they will come". The faces change, but the story stays the same. Upscale housing in our urban core will never happen until we eliminate some of the marginally livable units we have in the area and change the landscape in general.
"The state's billing system
"The state's billing system has failed to meet federal standards since 2005. The substandard system has also resulted in a federal reimbursement rate that's 25% lower than states with billing programs in compliance". If this represents "competent administrators" in action, I can see why they were let go. The problems are largely inherited, and that's not easy to refute, even by the most ardent Lepage bashers.
Governor Lepage needs to
Governor Lepage needs to employ the same shell games previous administrations utilized to come up with money the State didn't have to pay for all of our "entitlement" programs. And...when in doubt, just heed the advice of the good little taxers and spenders like Margaret Craven and Peggy Rotundo.
Excellent commentary, Bob.
Excellent commentary, Bob. You should send this to the editorial board for publication, that way it gets similar exposure to that of Epstein's.
In other words, your guess is
In other words, your guess is probably as good as Mr. Colgan's when it comes to Maine's economic forecast. There are so many variables that can influence the health of the economy that no one can really predict anything with any degree of accuracy.
I agree with the posters here
I agree with the posters here that it's time to focus on other issues, however, to pretend that what the republicans in Augusta are focusing on here is something the democrats never did when they had Augusta in their grip, that being to try to shove issues that played to their agendas through the legislature, is pure horse manure.
The problem is, all funding
The problem is, all funding is critical to one group or another, and we as a country are funding more programs than we have money to fund with. I don't disagree with Ms. Miles, I'm just making a point of fact.
Very good editorial. I found
Very good editorial. I found the Mayor's rants embarassing, actually.
Living in the "Now" is
Living in the "Now" is synonymous with either being near sighted or having a selective memory, really.
Tony, 38% didn't do well for
Tony, 38% didn't do well for Baldacci & Co., either. They got slammed several times by peoples' vetos. Wow, I said this without resorting to name calling!
Jason, I agree that it will
Jason, I agree that it will be back in 2012, and I suspect this time it will pass.
Tony, you are overlooking the
Tony, you are overlooking the peoples' vetos of laws passed by Baldacci & Co. when they ruled Augusta, like the snack & beverage tax, the gay marriage legalization, and the infamous income tax overhaul that added sales taxes to almost everything but golf. Near sighted or selective memory?
As long as these referendums
As long as these referendums pit different geographic areas of the state against each other, there will be winners like Oxford County and Bangor, and losers. The "I got mine and you can't have yours" philosophy is alive and well. The legislature needs to get Dennis Bailey out of their butt and set some statewide ground rules for gambling facilities.
One of the problems with
One of the problems with social security is that when it was first started, life expectancy was about five years beyond retirement at age 62. Now many people live into their 80's and beyond, and their medical costs over the extended term coupled with the monthly SS checks are a fraction of what they paid into the system during their working years. This has been the case for years now, and until DC politicians have the nerve to face it head on, it will eventually blow up. To put this problem on the backs of younger workers struggling to raise families, though, isn't fair because today's retirees actually paid less in SS as a percent of their paychecks for many of their working years than do present day workers.
...And your guy didn't? Being
...And your guy didn't? Being a career politician, he was just very good at covering it up. It fooled a lot of people, and, apparently, you included.
Terry, if, as you imply,
Terry, if, as you imply, this is President Obama's way of "getting even" with Paul Lepage for a remark made on the campaign trail, then his Chicago style politics would make Al Capone look tame. Your comment makes absolutely no sense.
Is this supposed to be a big
Is this supposed to be a big surprise?
The 6% who registered to vote
The 6% who registered to vote on election day did so because it is available. To say that those people would not be able to vote if they had to register 48 hours before the election is like saying that 6% of people do their grocery shopping on Sunday, but if we go back to the days when large grocery stores were closed on Sunday, then 6% of the population would starve.
Plain and simple, if it's
Plain and simple, if it's going to cost a lot more money to renovate/refit something than it will cost to raze it and build new, then the obvious choice is to build new...unless you are playing with taxpayer dollars and not your own, of course. I would guess there's a lot more room to play "hide the cash" on a rehab project that keeps evolving as you go along than on a straightforward new construction project.
If 41 other states have
If 41 other states have similar or more restrictive voter registration laws on their books, then just maybe there is a reason for such laws. Last minute registration opens the door to voter fraud and a two business day deadline before an election isn't going to hamper anyone's voting ability if that person really wants to vote.
I'm sure most democrats will
I'm sure most democrats will be voting Yes on 1, Kris, and likely for the same reasons most republicans will be voting No on 1. It's to protect their best interests in each case, regardless of the crap tossed about regarding voter rights, voter fraud, etc. by both sides.
Obviously, there should not
Obviously, there should not be any food left about during these parties for health reasons. Serve a light buffet at closing time or something. Problem solved.
In this economy, ticket
In this economy, ticket prices have to be affordable, and by that I don't mean $11 or $12 a pop.
I didn't read where they said
I didn't read where they said the guy who owned/registered the truck was the driver. I guess I missed that. I agree though that as we get older, medical issues are more common occurances and our senses get less acute...but try telling your 80 year old, otherwise relatively healthy mother or father that you are taking the keys away and their sense of independence along with it at the same time. It may be the sensible thing to do, but it's a lot easier to talk about here on line than to actually accomplish.
Sometimes, it is inevitable
Sometimes, it is inevitable that people have no choice but to either take some personal responsibility for themselves or lose out. This happens all the time, and used to be much more prevalent before welfare for all became a liberal mantra. Now people expect all things from their government...God forbid any attempts at hoisting personal responsibility on them. I guess it basically boils down to how you view yourself...self reliant... or reliant on others to carry the load.
I don't understand all the
I don't understand all the fuss over something as common sense as thinking ahead a couple of days in order to insure one's ability to vote. If a person has such strong feelings about their voting rights, I would think that registering on time and not at the last minute would be easy enough. We make appointments ahead of time, (forward thinking), for everything from auto repair work to doctor visits, and that doesn't "deprive" anyone of their rights. The majority of the States have registration requirements, so why not Maine?
Portland, you either love it
Portland, you either love it or hate it.
Did anyone really expect
Did anyone really expect anything different from this group?
Many people from
Many people from Lewiston-Auburn, including myself, voted for the Oxford Casino...that's a large part of the reason it passed. I think most voters felt that everyone should have a shot at bringing in money and jobs if they chose to, not just Bangor with its' monopoly via Bangor Slots. As expected, the Central Maine Newspapers group and others now want to have theirs and close the door behind them. Hypocracy is grand, isn't it?
Government subsidized rape of
Government subsidized rape of natural resources to enrich a few people and keep several large companies busy = Wind Power. In the end, this will be proven out but by then the rich will be richer and the damage done. Life in America today.
Dan, these cuts are due to
Dan, these cuts are due to federal regulations, it has NOTHING to do with Governor Lepage or anyone else in Augusta. Of course, you knew that already, I'm sure.
Margaret Craven says that
Margaret Craven says that because it's all federal dollars, MaineHousing is under constant scrutiny by the feds. Did she just fall out of a tree? More federal money is wasted by fraud and abuse in various programs than can be counted.
Funny how people that either
Funny how people that either have jobs or are on welfare feel they have the right to decide what qualifies as a "good" job or not. To me, anything that is't funded with tax dollars and creates employment opportunities is a good thing, providing it's legal. If we all worried about everyone's morals there would be a lot less employment in this state, because very few businesses make everyone happy.
Is it a requirement that in
Is it a requirement that in order to be on a school committee a person has to have a total disconnect with anything else to do with their municipality, or is it just coincidence?
Dan, Ed Barrett is an
Dan, Ed Barrett is an excellent City Administrator. I haven't heard one peep against him, and I'm at City Hall most every week. As for when we let Jim Bennett go, I totally agreed with that decision. Not being a citizen of Auburn, I won't weigh in on the Aho firing as I'm not sufficiently informed to do so.
The transfer of wealth from
The transfer of wealth from primarily non-residents to local coffers is a concept I find favorable. As for sending profits out of state, that's no different than what goes on here every day when we shop at Hannaford, Shaws, , Wal-Mart, K-Mart/Sears, etc. The casino will create many unskilled labor job opportunities, but, if you look at how many unskilled workers can't find employment since our local manufacturing base has evaporated, that's not a bad thing, either. Tops on my list of favorable factors is that taxpayers don't have to share in the risk of the venture by putting tax dollars into the project. I don't know how much we'll win from this project, but I'm comfortable with the fact that we won't end up losing anything since we will not have invested anything.
Thank God I have Dennis
Thank God I have Dennis Bailey looking out for my best interests! If we do end up with a casino in Lewiston, I suggest that the casino's playing cards have a photo of Dennis Bailey on the Jokers. It would be very appropriate.
At least it's better than
At least it's better than wind power. We are crapping all over our environment to put up wind farms that taxpayers are subsidizing, and their power production capabilities are inconsistant and marginal, at best. If we can spend a million dollars a mile to expand passenger rail service , I would think it makes at least as much sense to expand natural gas availability. In the long run, more people and businesses will utilize the natural gas than will ride the rails. Hydro power is still the best deal for Maine, but somewhere along the line, it was decided that dams are not a good thing. Gotta love those wind farms, though!
Since none of these
Since none of these operations require taxpayer dollars to get going, why close the door on areas of the state that want to persue casino facilities? When enough is enough, investors will stop wanting to build new facilities, and if there end up being too many, some will close down. That's how free enterprise without government interference works...and it has served us well for over 200 years.
Until the economy can create
Until the economy can create private sector jobs that are not funded by tax dollars, "stimulus" programs are very expensive band-aids, at best. Any business will hire people if they need them, tax cut or not. Conversely, adding people you don't need to the payroll simply to take advantage of tax breaks is something no business that expects to be around for a while is going to do. Infrastructure projects are great also, but federal money usually comes with many strings attached, and expecting financially strapped state and municipal governments to join in the spending party is a tough sell. If and when a compromise is reached on this package, I hope some of these issues are addressed. The Feds are out of money, too.
Robert McDonald probably
Robert McDonald probably won't get elected mayor, but he does make some very good points. With ample low cost housing, a full boat of social services, and in a State with very liberal entitlement, (welfare), programs, Lewiston, just like every other city of any size in Maine, attracts elements from away that we could definately do without.
$278,000 would have bought
$278,000 would have bought quite a few votes. I hope it wasn't wasted! BTW, where did all that money come from? A dollar here, a dollar there, from all the "little people"?
This is probably a wise move
This is probably a wise move on Mr. Small's part. Good Shepherd needs to re-examine its' priorities. Bigger is not always better in cases like this when mostly donated food ends up costing $2 per pound to distribute. The last I knew, food banks and food pantries were supposed to help feed those in need, not compete with major retailers on prices.
How about "Spend if you must,
How about "Spend if you must, but spend wisely"? This is a common sense fact of life that most of us learned as youngsters. Apparently, our elected leaders, if that's what we can call the inept crew we now have in D.C., either never had responsible parents to teach them this lesson, or they were too busy figuring out how to screw their classmates out of their lunch money to learn it.
It wasn't complicated at all
It wasn't complicated at all as long as it was being ignored. And as for local issues, if you live here, I'd say you're a local, and if you don't, then I'd say you're not a local. Complicated, isn't it?
Dan, you're right of course.
Dan, you're right of course. Brian Williams and the rest of the liberal media aren't playing mind games, they're being honest, un-biased reporters. This Country is being robbed to death by Obama and his Chicago sidekicks, and liberals like you are either are too blind or just plain too naive to see it. Why didn't Williams ask Lepage what his thoughts were on the SOLYNDRA debacle and Barry O's photo- op session at their HQ shortly before they went down the tubes with over half a billion dollars of taxpayer money. More money than Maine and 34 other states got in "stimulus" money? The reason is, he isn't a news person, he's a front man for his liberal leaning organization.
Personally, I have always
Personally, I have always felt that everyone should vote in the State where they claim permanent residency, period. In so doing, NO ONE would be denied their right to vote, because absentee ballots are always available, and people would be voting on/for people and issues that actually will have an effect on them going forward, and not simply based on passing whims. Why should temporary residents such as college students be able to weigh in on local and state issues that they certainly will not have to live with after their school time is done? On the flip side, unless these students are voting both in their home state and in Maine, they are missing the boat on their own local issues. When somthing so basic as voting gets this complicated, it's time to apply common sense and fix the problem. Most 5 year olds could see that.
Isn't that the story of life
Isn't that the story of life in the working world, Dan? No one gives a hoot about what you did 6 or so years ago, it's all about the here and now.
Bashing Bush and Hillary
Bashing Bush and Hillary Clinton with no plan to solve our problems got Barack Obama elected President...so as dumb as this strategy appears, it has a historical basis as being successful. That's the problem. It works.
Are these individuals on
Are these individuals on public assistance or do they commit crimes for a living, like drug dealing? There is NO WAY "Spook" is gainfully employed. I am curious.
Roxanne Quimby and her plan
Roxanne Quimby and her plan to turn the North Maine Woods over to the federal government is like a bad dream. If she doesn't want it and has no use for it, she shouldn't buy it. Just because she has a ton of money doesn't put her in a position to dictate how other folks in northern Maine should live. She can twist arms over access all she wants, but I don't think the majority of the folks affected by her actions or our DC delegation are ready to cry uncle.
Think it through carefully
Think it through carefully Dan, and I'll bet even you will come up with the point I'm making...in due time.
I go shopping and do
I go shopping and do groceries on Sundays sometimes because the stores are open, but back when there was no Sunday shopping in department stores or large grocery stores, I didn't starve or go without necessities, I did my business when these stores were open, and I doubt this law will deny anyone with any common sense the right to vote. Baldy is now in D.C. and David Farmer should follow him there.
It's the darn jobs...they
It's the darn jobs...they move here for the ever available, well paying jobs.
This is the second shooting
This is the second shooting death by Trooper Black. Time to start notching the gun, I guess.
I firmly believe wind power
I firmly believe wind power is a government subsidized scam being perpetrated on the general public. Once again, the average person in this country is being screwed by the crooks and thieves that run it and make millions off of our tax dollars.
Pettingill school would
Pettingill school would probably be a very good place for seniors and veterans to use. Good location, some parking, and available. The multi-purpose center isn't in a great location and it's always a crowded place because of the school children and their parents.
Common sense, I guess. I
Common sense, I guess. I could go on, but why bother.
Dan, either way you look at
Dan, either way you look at it, it's money that these folks are stealing from those that really need it because they are too lazy to take responsibility for themselves. That's what the editorial is about. Too deep for you, though, I guess.
"The judges appointed by
"The judges appointed by Taliban Paul"? Even for you, this is incoherent babble, and that Dan, isn't saying much!
Just because some people can
Just because some people can BS their way into leadership roles doesn't necessarily mean they will be effective once they land them. This is especially true in politics, where BS is both expected and accepted on the campaign trail at almost all levels. The "leadership" we have in Washington right now proves this point quite clearly.
Technology is something all
Technology is something all students should become familiar with during their school years, but in my mind, they should first learn how to read, write, and do at least basic math before being handed over electronic gadgets. These children are 5 or 6 years old. By the time they're 10 years old, I-Pads will be relics of the electronic age, and by the time they are 18 or so, they will not have the capability of making change from a $20 bill on a $11.57 purchase without the cash register telling them the amount. Sad joke played on Auburn taxpayers.
"Preserved" from what?
"Preserved" from what? Working forest? Hunting? Snowmobiles?, Fishing? I'd guess all of the above.
"Green Girl"
After posting my initial comment, I found a copy of the photo I took back when I came upon the monument. The girl's name as it appears on the stone is M. Louise Greene. (The M. could be short for Miss?) The "Hazel Green" I first referenced has to be based on my memory of a restaurant in Augusta along the Kennebec. I'm getting old!
"Green Girl"
I ran into this monument about 20 years ago while appraising a tract of land. The Androscoggin Historical folks in the county building in Auburn gave me a printed account of the monument's reason for being. According to what I recall, Hazel Green was a student at Farmington Normal School and was accused of theft by an instructor, and ultimately, expelled. Apparently, she died on her trip back home from Farmington, broken in spirit, etc. Per the article, Ms. Green was ultimately exhonerated, but too late for her, obviously. The monument and the verse referring to "The lies of man"", or close too as I recall was erected by her father. I don't thing this is Hazel Green's burial site however. Gary Savard, Lewiston, Maine.
It looks to me like the
It looks to me like the redisticting plans are attempts by two differing groups of thieves to leverage their respective parties ability to steal an election. I'm curious to see the final outcome.
Florida sounds like a nice
Florida sounds like a nice place to live when one is faced with having to survive a Maine winter without "free " oil or whatever, and before freezing to death, that would be my choice. While there are plenty of people in Maine that really need LIHEAP assistance, there are many that work harder to make sure they qualify for the program than if they actually went out and got a job. Hopefully, if the cuts stand, only those in real need get the funds Maine ends up with. Last year there was enough money around that one person I know got a fall check for about $750, and then a winter check for about $1500.
Does this mean Senator Snowe
Does this mean Senator Snowe will have to change her first name? It's a sad state that we are in when frivolous BS like this is allowed to take place on an almost daily basis. I'm sure Harold Brooks' Redneck Olympics aren't going to infringe on the IOC's ability to raise money or attract sponsors. The problem is that the IOC has money, (likely tax exempt), to retain lawyers, probably already on staff, and Mr. Brooks will have to fork over hard earned, ( and after tax), cash to fight the fight.
This is good reporting. The
This is good reporting. The article covers the whole story with whatever supporting documents are available, not just one side. Nice piece of work!
If landlords could simply
If landlords could simply give tenants who don't pay their rent the instant boot, maybe things like this wouldn't be so common. Since that's not the case and evictions tend to be both costly and time consuming, landlords have to cover themselves as best they can within the law. With heating costs the way they are, I really doubt that there are many landlords out there getting rich on their real estate investments. The economy hits both ways, not just tenants, but also landlords. Let's be honest, good references and a good credit rating are necessary in order to accompish many important transactions in life.
Harold, just call it "The
Harold, just call it "The Redneck Games" or some such thing, enjoy the publicity that the USOC gave you at no cost to you, and have fun with the event going forward. If nothing else, this just goes to show how far we've come in the frivolous and stupid category since our country was founded. BTW, if you don't think this country is headed south, you just might NOT be a redneck.
I'm constantly amazed by
I'm constantly amazed by people that think more debt can solve financial problems. Debt is the cause of our financial problems, and even a first grader could understand that concept. Some debt is unavoidable at all levels, in both the private and public sectors, but it is never good. I'm not a banker or a financial adviser, but I can figure out that when about 40 cents out of every dollar the U.S. spends is to cover interest on debt, it's not a good thing. Stopping the free for all will be painful, but it has to be done before it's too late.
Doreen, both parties are to
Doreen, both parties are to blame for the economic mess we are in. We need to replace most encumbants in D.C. with new blood. Your view that it's all the fault of the Republican party is exactly why we are where we are. Democrats blame Repulicans, and Republicans blame Democrats, and most people, at least so far, are gullible enough to believe their lines of BS. We need to change direction, and neither party appears to have the ability to do that. As an example, for two years the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress and the Whitehouse, and they accomplished nothing other than pushing through crappy socialist programs like Obamacare.
Kris, these people are
Kris, these people are Muslims, so how much influence does the Vatican have on their reproduction rate? None, really. Even locally, these folks tend to have children about as often as nature allows, and again, I doubt it's the Vatican's fault. Bush, maybe, but not the Vatican.
I rarely agree with Leonard's
I rarely agree with Leonard's viewpoints, but I think he's right on the money with this column.
Dan, good point, but two
Dan, good point, but two wrongs don't make a right. For years I have been disgusted with the fact that students at Bates College could come out in force and vote on local issues, knowing full well that they are only here to attend school and that Lewiston will never play a part in their future after they graduate. Do many of these students vote back home as well? I'll bet that many do.
Amen, Rex!
Amen, Rex!
Oops! I meant "hole card"
Oops! I meant "hole card"
Public perceptions being what
Public perceptions being what they are, incidents like this do not go very far in helping the Somalis assimilate into the community. Even the court system walks on eggshells so as not to appear discriminatory, and that just affirms the value of the whole card these folks are so adept at playing.
Tragic accident. My prayers
Tragic accident. My prayers to all involved. I can't imagine...
This is the same scenario
This is the same scenario that is being repeated in towns all over the State, and probably in many parts of the country. Our manufacturing base has been extensively eroded by NAFTA and other free trade agreements, to the point where we may be looking at a "new normal" unemployment rate in this country of near 10%. Another problem is that many lost manufacturing jobs paid well, and replacement jobs in retail and such don't pay even a living wage. I too have memories of Webster Rubber. Back in the late sixties and early seventies, I had several relatives that were working there. The employees of that factory made Sabattus Village a bustling little town center, with a diner, AG grocery store, variety store, hardware store, credit union, post office, and other small businesses. Now the Village is almost a ghost town. Too bad.
There will always be injuries
There will always be injuries caused by carelessness, and to ban anything that might cause injury if used carelessly in order to protect people from themselves tends to be a common reaction and an over simplification of the underlying problem, which is, you can't regulate ignorance or carelessness. ATVs and snowmobiles cause injuries and death when used improperly. Should they be banned also? They're about as necessary as fireworks, actually, so why not?
Joe, reality has to come into
Joe, reality has to come into the picture at some point, and both sides of the issue have to do some bending. Each side takes a stance, a line in the sand, so to speak, and then they negotiate from there. Everyone has the right to make good wages with great benefits, however, in this economy it's hard to do. Believe it or not, businesses, including governments, are having it tough. You can't keep digging into the same pockets over and over again because sooner or later they become empty. BTW, I think unions are a good thing to a point, but over the years, many have gone from helping workers make descent wages to helping workers put their employers out of business and thereby killing their own jobs in the process. Again, it's about balance.
Good move by the company. Not
Good move by the company. Not only does it seem from what has been made public that it's the morally correct thing to do, but it's also a smart PR move. No one likes to do business with a company that craps on their employees.
As long as it's legal, I
As long as it's legal, I agree with you 100%. On the same train of thought, If the majority of the people find it offensive, then it probably shouldn't be legal. This rationale can be applied to many, many things that groups of people advocate for that aren't legal for various reasons.
I wonder how many people who
I wonder how many people who "cancelled" planned vacations to Maine were actually planning to come here in the first place. . Threats like that make great E-mail fodder, though. The mural is gone, and so should the never ending rehashing of it's removal.
Ahh, but don't I love to see
Ahh, but don't I love to see our tax dollars at work!
I agree with Ellen and Jim.
I agree with Ellen and Jim. After fixing sections of the pike that badly need it instead of pissing money away on trips around the world, fancy restaurants, and hotels, cut back on tolls to make the pike a self supporting but basically break even operation. Using pike toll money for spending as you please by the politicians in Augusta is wrong. As in the past I seriously doubt that any funds earmarked for DOT will actually end up in road and bridge repairs.
When are you movingm Mary
When are you movingm Mary Ann?
Wind power has been proven to
Wind power has been proven to be relatively inefficient, and the harm to the environment caused by the wind farms far outweighs their benefits. Just because taxpayer dollars support construction jobs for a handful of big companies and make rich people like Angus King richer doesn't make it right. After the construction phase is completed, all of Maine's wind farms won't supply as many permanent jobs as will one Tractor Supply store. BTW, we will still need fossil fuel generated power to supply electricity the 60% of the time the wind turbines are not productive. We have more reliable choices like Hydro or Nuclear...but Baldacci's friends aren't involved in those industries, so here we are.
Steve, is it lonely up there
Steve, is it lonely up there on that cloud?
Very good editorial! Another
Very good editorial! Another large problem that might be improved upon with a smaller legislature and shorter sessions is that the number of quality people able to serve might increase because the time required when the legislature is in session would be less. Currently, many capable people are not able to commit to serving, and in some cases, that is painfully obvious.
The democrats never rushed
The democrats never rushed anything through when they were in control? I remember a shell game called "tax reform" that had to be killed by a peoples veto, for one...Snack Tax...Dirigo...Expedited wind power permitting for Ol' Angus...Those darn republicans!
Bluntly stated, if things
Bluntly stated, if things were to continue as they are now, every year sees less Mainers able to afford health insurance, less businesses able to offer partially paid health insurance as a benefit, and crappier plans being purchased by those still hanging in there because that's all they can afford. The democrats had years to fix this by opening up competition, and instead they promoted Baldacci's Dirigo and farmed Medicaid as "Mainecare" to work the federal system. ANY attempt to lower costs is welcomed by those of us who actually pay for health insurance. I don't see how this can be a bad deal unless you have interests in Anthem or Aetna.
Trish Riley, former head of
Trish Riley, former head of the Office of Health Policy and Finance under Governor John Baldacci said " there is a way to lower costs without completely dismantling the consumer protections in Maine law". If indeed this is so, then why the heck didn't this get done when Baldacci and the democrats were running the show? Either her statement is BS or they were asleep at the wheel for 8 years.
Ronald, there are many things
Ronald, there are many things people do that aren't necessities, they are elective. That includes anything from eating ice cream to going out to eat to alcohol and tobacco use. Your idea of "it's not my vice, so it's not my problem", is EXACTLY why flunkies like Ms. Bar Harbor get away with minority interest tax hikes. Smoker or not, I would be wary of any attempt by these taxers and spenders to create more revenue from the same people already overtaxed simply because they figure they can get away with it. Who knows, your elective "Vice" might be next on the hit list...if you feel you actually have any, that is.
Jeez, are there no overweight
Jeez, are there no overweight liberals?
Robert, maybe we should
Robert, maybe we should initiate a petition to create a surtax on cruise ships. We could then see how Ms. Flemings feels about singling out small segments of the population for "special taxes". To promote the cause, we could claim that the crowded conditions in Bar Harbor caused by all the cruise ship passengers scurrying about and spending all that money actually harms the environment, and the money we collect from the surtax could be used to fund environmentally friendly programs and the like as an offset. Makes about as much sense as her BS bill.
Bob, what Mr. Lamoine did
Bob, what Mr. Lamoine did doesn't make what Mr. Congdon did right, and Paul Lepage fired Congdon on the spot, unlike John Baldacci, who covered Lamoine's butt with excuses and whitewash. That is my point. The point was made in answer to a post that held up Baldacci as career politician with impeccable credentials as compared to Lepage, mayor of a small city with no real experince for the job. Kind of like B. Obama, I guess.
Terry, Paul Lepage fired
Terry, Paul Lepage fired Congdon as soon as this came to his attention. What's wrong with that? Do you remember when Baldacci's pal, David Lamoine, lost about $20 million of taxpayer money he invested in a Ponzi Scheme? Was he fired? Did Baldacci apologize for appointing a crony to a job he wasn't qualified to do? Ah, but selective memory is nice, isn't it?
I almost never agree with
I almost never agree with Mayor Gilbert, but I do on this issue. The parents of these children pay the same tax rate as the parents of children attending public schools in Lewiston. The City supplies schooling and transportation to any child of a resident. If the resident chooses to send their child to a public school but not to avail themselves of the "free" transportation, that's fine and dandy, but if that same parent chooses a parochial school instead of a public school, then the "free" bus transportation is not available. It appears to me that councilors Butler and Morgan have a narrow scope regarding what constitutes fairness on this issue. BTW, the safety issue is also a major factor in this decision process.
These folks must be part of
These folks must be part of that small minority of people that, according to Baldacci's DHHS Commissioner, actually commit fraud. There isn't a problem with our welfare system so any reform proposals will only hurt our "most vulnerable". I think that includes the thousands of people around the state that make a living enabling people like Schidzig to milk the system. We definately need tougher guidelines and better enforcement.
Poor Phil, surrounded by
Poor Phil, surrounded by stupid people. You can call Mr. Congdon many things, but humble isn't one of them.
Roberto, it's 2011, and it's
Roberto, it's 2011, and it's not about "us against them", meaning employees Vs. employers. The two sides need each other and in this day and age, with global competition on everything from goods to services, this is even more pronounced. Only the fringe elements on both sides of this coin are still waging war, and I really think Governor Lepage was attempting to neutralize that in having the mural moved and the room names changed. Without businesses, there are no jobs, and without employees, there are no businesses. Yes, he could have handled the situation better, and it would be very nice if he were a more polished communicator, however, he is honest about his goals for the state, which for all but those that didn't agree with him in the first place, is a good thing.
Can you read simple engish
Can you read simple engish Ron or is this your childish attempt at making yourself out to be the smart guy in all things political? My posts are not complex, so when you try to twist them around it only makes you look good to the people on here that might not be able to read and comprehend two paragraphs.
Ronald, I said "not only
Ronald, I said "not only Japanese people " visit these places, you got it bass ackwards. Was my post too long?
Joyce, any energy source has
Joyce, any energy source has risks. Ask the folks on the Gulf Coast how safe oil is, for example. I would say that all options should be on the table regarding the various potential sources of energy and that choices be made based on multiple sets of criteria, including but not limited only to worst case scenarios.
Ronald, do we have the Iwo
Ronald, do we have the Iwo Jima memorial at the Japanese consulate or at the U.N.? Why not? It's not only Japanese people that frequent these facilities.
Mark, Baldy got in with 1%
Mark, Baldy got in with 1% less than Lepage, but that doesn't count, right? Why? Because he was a liberal, of course! Fair is fair, but hypocracy is what it is. Sour, sour grapes!
Mark, about as much in 75
Mark, about as much in 75 days as Obama has done in 27 months...NOTHING YET...so what's your big hurry?
Tony, the problem is that
Tony, the problem is that these media outlets focus only in one direction, that being crucifying the conservatives while marginalizing any wrongdoings by the liberals. As an example, Obama the great is getting us involved in a third conflict in Libya, the very thing he constantly harped on about G. W. Bush and the republicans while campaigning for "change" in his famous run for the presidency...and those headlines take a back seat to a mural in Augusta and anything else that can occupy newsprint that amounts to bad press for their "opposition party". If Libya were Lepage's doing, the media, and probably folks like you, would be calling for his head. That simple.
Mike, who are "most mainers"?
Mike, who are "most mainers"? The liberal media? Union heads and some of their membership? People on or living indirectly off of our magnanimous social services programs? Governor Lepage has not dissed workers by removing the one sided murals. He recognizes that without businesses in this state, there aren't going to be any workers. Just follow the trail in and out of this state over the past 20+ years made by businesses, which equal jobs, and the path leaving Maine is well worn, while the path coming into Maine is growing over from lack of traffic. BTW, the reduced wage bill for teenage employees IS NOT a proposal submitted by Governor Lepage.
Mark, agreed 100%.
Mark, agreed 100%.
Funny, when Baldacci's scheme
Funny, when Baldacci's scheme to have one of his lawyer buddies set up the Maine Green Energy Alliance and load it up with democrats that were owed political favors in order to administer a multi-million dollar no bid contract to make Maine homes more energy efficient was uncovered, it received very little publicity, and hasn't been revisited since by the media. (After all, when they were caught, they gave back the unspent money). If this had been Paul Lepage, the democrats, backed by all the media sources, would be on a daily rant for his recall, impeachment, or arrest if as in Baldacci's case, he were already termed out of office when it surfaced. After having their way for decades, the tax and spend liberals are not taking their losses very well. Too bad!
These people have been
These people have been running the show for so long they can not accept the fact that at least for now, it's over. Welcome to the world I've lived in for 30+ years. Ms. Dill.
Joan, does moving the mural
Joan, does moving the mural constitute changing the mural? I don't see how it does, any more so than cleaning it would. I think you are stretching here. The artist was paid for the mural, and when the money changed hands, it no longer belonged to her alone.
John Butler wants to shift
John Butler wants to shift the school bussing costs to the school side of the budget instead of the City's side because by doing so the city council will have no real say in his campaign to eliminate St. Dom's students from using the busses for transportation. This is purely a shell game on his part because the same taxpayers fund BOTH the city and school sides of Lewiston's budget so there will be no savings in the end. The people who send their children to St. Doms are Lewiston taxpayers that share the same tax burden for funding Lewiston schools and busses as those that avail themselves of the whole school system. Each student NOT in the system saves taxpayers in the near range of $6,000, so if 22+/- children shift from private to public schools, the $130,000 estimated savings from dropping the service is not only wiped out, but we might need another bus to boot. Every resident of Lewiston can avail themselves of the public school system and related transportation services. If a public school parent chooses to give his/her children a ride to school each day instead of using the bus service, that's fine, so then the taxpayers who only choose to use the bus service should have that same choice. We can spend $30,000 to baby sit children at Montello School who have behavioral disorders with an in-house suspension program to keep them off the streets due to lack of parental supervision because that's a great idea, but on the other hand, leaving the parents of St Doms students and their children to fend for themselves as far as transportation goes is..well... a great idea also??
The President of the United
The President of the United States spoke to the World last night about our involvement in Libya, and the SJ headline this morning is about a mural that has been used to cause dissention between liberals and conservatives for over a week, over and over...and over, again. Nice bit of prioritizing, I would say.
Tom, I see your point. The
Tom, I see your point. The mural was commissioned by Mr. 38%, John Baldacci, who spent 60K on the thing, and now, the audacity of Mr. 39% Paul Lepage, having it removed. Yes, all good union soldiers should be outraged. The election percentage only counts when it doesn't work in your favor, I see. That's a common theme used by both sides of the aisle over the past 9 years.
More often than not,
More often than not, anything, animal or fish, left on the ice is gone in a day or two at the longest, eaten or taken away by coyotes, eagles, crows, turkey vultures, etc. Nature tends to clean itself up in pretty good fashion. This is an un-informed proposal, and unfortunately, just one of the many that come up every legislative session.
Ronald, I'm self employed. I
Ronald, I'm self employed. I pay both ends of SS, and I have invested in Real Estate with a small amount in a TD Ameritrade account. Sorry, I'm not connected to any big corporations in any way, shape, or form. You can sleep well tonight knowing you haven't funded one penny of my retirement.
Ronald, public art vs. the
Ronald, public art vs. the lobby of the DOL building isn't the same. Both business and labor conduct affairs in that building, so I don't think it needs to be a shrine to unions or labor any more than I would think it should be a shrine to business interests. Portraits of Harold Alfond, Benjamin Bates, and Hugh Chisholm don't belong there either.
Mark, I,m sure that the fact
Mark, I,m sure that the fact that GE made over FIVE BILLION DOLLARS in profit last year and didn't pay ANY taxes riles you also, but then OBama and company could have closed those tax loopholes in the two years they had 100% control of D.C. but they were too busy with America's social restructuring to bother. But, they are democrats, so we'll just lay all that on Bush, right?
Al, you're right, I forgot
Al, you're right, I forgot about the cell towers, and I don't know why because since last spring, for example, anyone boating on Moosehead Lake in the Rockwood/Mt. Kineo area now has a first class view of the new cell tower on Blue Ridge. Of course, the offset to that is that anyone out there fishing can while away the time doing all those fun things on their phones. It is a very picturesque tower though!
The latest version of "Maine
The latest version of "Maine Invites You" doesn't include photographs of huge windmills spread out accross our hills and mountains? Shame! How about a picture of the quaint village store with their 6' X 6' glass display rack of the various lottery tickets Maine is willing to sell you? I guess the "Maine Brand" can be as flexible as one's hypocracy, or money, will allow it to be.
What represents a "fair share
What represents a "fair share of the pie", UAW? I would guess that leaves a lot of room for individual interpretation.
David, when State employees
David, when State employees start putting money into my retirement account, then maybe I will feel that I should return the favor, but not before. BTW, the unfunded pension liability problem has been floating around for a while. The Lepage administration didn't just invent it. The difference is that the current Augusta crowd is willing to deal with it instead of kicking it down the road for the next adminstration, as unpopular as that is proving to be.
Mr. Jaskot, Paul Lepage has
Mr. Jaskot, Paul Lepage has no plans to "Destroy" the mural in the DOL building lobby. More liberal ranting or just mis-informed?
I can move here from Georgia
I can move here from Georgia or wherever and throw as many children as I want, (have), into the school system and get all the perks, like ESL, free breakfast and lunch, and on it goes, almost overnight. If, however, I choose to send my children to St. Dom's and pay tuition instead of going with the taxpayer funded public system, thereby saving the city money, they can't even get a bus ride to school. Why? Because John Butler, head cheerleader for, ( from), the Lewiston School Committee and now Councilor for Ward 1, says so. I would remind John Butler that the parents of these children are Lewiston taxpayers that help float the boat for the Lewiston School Department whether they choose to avail themselves of the full system or not.
You would think that there
You would think that there would be more concern about what effect the pending AT&T buyout of T-Mobil will have on the Oakland call center and it's seven hundred jobs, but this is Maine, so every media outlet focuses on a mural in a state agency building...days on end. No wonder we are where we are today. No priorities on important issues...like little kids, they focus on marginally relevant crap and make that as big an issue as one can to bolster their position and stir the pot.
Yes Terry, the AG is
Yes Terry, the AG is appointed by Lepage, just like Baldacci before him appointed the AG. Your whining is sooo sad!
I think this is a very good
I think this is a very good editorial . Obviously, there are those that will always believe that business and labor must constantly be at odds but in reality neither can survive without the other and the Department of Labor should be promoting that instead of being a showplace for various low points in the history of business/labor relationships.
Jonathan, democrats have
Jonathan, democrats have ruled the roost in Maine for over 30 years. If, as you say, they fixed the unfunded pension liability problem, then why is it here now? Even allowing that your ramblings are from a liberal blogger, they are a stretch when trying to make them seem credible.
A mural depicting periods of
A mural depicting periods of strife between labor organizations and business isn't a very neutral viewpoint on Maine's labor history, however, this appears to be not as big a deal as some folks are making it out to be. It is, however, another excuse for liberals to vent.
H... of a situation! Tax
H... of a situation! Tax people out of their homes in order to support an out of control school department. Especially people on fixed incomes. Tying how much money is spent to the quality of a school system is BS. There is no correlation.
The truth is, Mr. Nutting,
The truth is, Mr. Nutting, that regardless of who caused the problem back whenever, no one since then has had the stomach to deal with it until now, and that's a fact, also.
The proper thing for those
The proper thing for those three councilors to do would be to politely tell Tom Morrill and David Das and company to take their proposed budget and cram it where the sun doesn't ever shine, and then come back with a budget that isn't based on a scene out of Fantasyland. When will these people realize that most taxpayers simply have no money left to be squeezed out of?
For 22 years the question of
For 22 years the question of Dechaine's guilt or innocense has come up time and again. I would think that for all concerned, especially Sarah Cherry's family, any mechanism that resolves this issue once and for all would be worth the effort. If Dechaine is guilty then so be it, but if he's not, then for a fact someone else is.
Dan, I thought food stamps
Dan, I thought food stamps were part of a federal program and that setting or altering guidelines for qualification and quantity had nothing to do with the states. LIHEAP and other programs, incuding medicare and social security are also federally controlled. I don't see how Lepage can be blamed for cuts to those programs because he can't do it.
Dan, if we lose two welfare
Dan, if we lose two welfare cases moving out for every one that comes in, yet we constantly expand the welfare rolls, then we have a major problem, because soon there won't be enough working people left in Maine to support the ever increasing number of Mainers on welfare. Either way, it's not sustainable.
Maybe it's time to reign in
Maybe it's time to reign in the runaway horse that is Maine's education system. Falling enrollment overall across the state yet no end in sight to cost increases. I guess though that if we want to have a Cadillac system, then we have to be prepared to buy the gas to run it. The problem is that there isn't enough money to go around, period. The solution, as Dan Breton stated, is to go get more from anyone that has any money left to take because they must be "rich".
If we lose two welfare cases
If we lose two welfare cases for every new one that comes in, then why is DHHS still the money sucking behemoth that it is? Maine as a whole may have seen a 7% decrease in children of immigrants, but Lewiston specifically has a growing student population that bucks the trend of most of Maine's other school districts. That's odd because it doesn't fit the data as reported by this article. If these reforms are not needed because Maine really doesn't have the problem of attracting people looking for welfare as a lifestyle, then they shouldn't bother folks like Beth Stickney, who make their living stuffing people into the various taxpayer funded entitlement programs. "Anecdotes"?
Very good editorial that
Very good editorial that makes a lot of sense. Now let's see if anyone in Augusta pays attention.
Peggy "Rotondo" has been in
Peggy "Rotondo" has been in lockstep with unions and liberal policies since her days on the Lewiston School Committee. Of course she'll gripe, after all, she is fully aware of her support base. So far governor Lepage is doing what he promised to do if elected, and he was, by about the same margins as Baldacci and King. Sometimes, doing what needs to be done can be painful.
As Bill Diamond so aptly put
As Bill Diamond so aptly put it, this is more about losing 1.1 million dollars in the next two years in fines than it is about safety. Most folks buckle up when going any distance, and my guess is that most fines occur around urban centers where it's easy to spot an unbuckled person due to slow speeds and where folks running errands are most likely to not go through the process over and over again for short distance, low speed driving.
Fortunately, governor Lepage
Fortunately, governor Lepage is there to solve problems and not win a popularity contest with all the special interests that have been having their way with the State's tax dollars for years. Time will tell how successful he is or isn't in his quest, but until then his opposition will have plenty to complain about.
Welcome to my world, Crystal.
Welcome to my world, Crystal. The private sector, that being the taxpayers that underwrite your paycheck and employer's share of your benefits costs, have been taking hits on all fronts for quite some time now. As an educated person I'm surprised you aren't aware of that. While I can feel your pain from personal experience, I have no sympathy for your situation as it is no different than that of most people in this economy. Whining won't help, either, because there simply isn't any "grease" to throw at the squeaky whell this time around.
How much will this add to the
How much will this add to the cost of a general election?
Sour,sour grapes. Baldacci
Sour,sour grapes. Baldacci screwed any Mainer not on the public dole over for 8 years and his party has been doing so for over 30 years. I guess to you that was a good thing, though. Too bad it's over, and ranting and whining won't change a thing.
Yessir, we'll fix everything
Yessir, we'll fix everything by printing more money we don't have and spend, spend, spend. Good call Brad!
Doreen, the 15 year statement
Doreen, the 15 year statement is based on no more money going into the system than what is currently going in, not no money at all. And with the looming surge in retirees coming up, it is a problem. Maybe we could keep putting it off until the last dime has been spent, though, and until then just kick the can down the road and make believe the problem doesn't exist, like Baldacci and his pro union democrats have done for the last 8 years. Broke is broke.
Maine's most vulnerable, (and
Maine's most vulnerable, (and scarce), = private sector taxpayers. Finally, we have some representation in Augusta.
For the many non-profits that
For the many non-profits that feed off of this endless entitlement stream, these cuts will hurt. This industry has grown to surpass paper making as a source of employment in Maine and is a close rival to tourism. Time to inject some sanity into the program. I agree that we need to take care of people that need help, but at the same time, we don't have to import them to maintain and grow the business of welfare services. A little seperation between career layabouts and the working class would be nice, if not PC to some.
Terry, you're right. Instead
Terry, you're right. Instead of dealing with this nastiness, Lepage should do like his predecessors, the democrats, and ignore the problem. All in all it worked for them. You are blasting Lepage for dealing with it, while you apparently harbor no ill feelings for the folks before him who ignored the problem completely. His way may not be your way, but it is better than Baldacci and King's no way.
Tim, if the last few
Tim, if the last few administrations in Augusta had paid the bills and not kicked this can down the road, we wouldn't be in this position. We are now in the 11th hour and finally something is being done to deal with the unfunded mess. Baldacci and King should have gone to the bargaining table, but all Baldacci did is grow the government, create more welfare, and avoid paying the bills. Maine is in a big hole, and unfortunately, digging ourselves out will not be pleasant for anyone.
This unfunded liability has
This unfunded liability has been basically ignored by the past several administrations, and democrats sure weren't about to give up some of their social programs to pay bills like this. Now we have a governor and legislature that aren't indebted to the unions who are willing to tackle the problem. It's not as if we can ignore it and it will just go away.
"Sportsmen"?
"Sportsmen"?
Jane Knapp, like many other
Jane Knapp, like many other legislators in Augusta, apparently likes to submit bills designed to save us all from ourselves without giving much thought to their practicality.
What is being asked of
What is being asked of retired teachers is no different than what's happened already to retired folks from the private sector, who have had to forego cost of living increases and medicare changes. Also, the retirement age may be raised by congress because Social Security is underfunded. There is even some debate about not paying SS to retirees who have enough income to live without it. I agree that it's not their fault the stock market crashed and past politicians in Augusta made promises they could't keep, but it's not my fault, either, so why should I have to have my pockets picked a bit cleaner than they already are to help pay for retirement plans like I'll never see in my wildest dreams?
Mr. Quint, in case you aren't
Mr. Quint, in case you aren't aware, private sector employees have been on or have already gone over the "precipice". Time to share in the pain.
This bureaucratic BS is far
This bureaucratic BS is far more of a problem than would be addressed by new proposals being brought up by the anti-firearms folks. Complying with existing laws will do more to keep guns out of the wrong hands than creating new ones that are also subject to moral interpretation by state officials.
Just like Baldacci and King
Just like Baldacci and King before him, Lepage is bringing in people that share his views on departmental operations. Dora Mills had a lot of experience, but where did she acquire it? On the job. This is all good fodder for people that don't like Lepage, though.
The problem is that the
The problem is that the politicians who made these promises that couldn't be kept are long gone from the scene, and the bell is now tolling on the reality that we can not meet these obligations, and in reality never could have to begin with. It's too bad for all concerned, but no money is no money, and as painful as it is, everyone needs to understand that.
I know several families that
I know several families that get LIHEAP money every year becaiuse they make sure they set themselves up to qualify, yet they have money for tobacco, alcohol, and take out foods and such. Tighten the program to make sure the folks that get the money REALLY deserve it, and a large part of the problem will be solved. Whether someone qualifies for heating assistance or not, when oil goes for over $3 a gallon, most people end up making budget related choices. LIHEAP, like other "entitlements", has been the victim of fraud and abuse for some time.
If the canal system is such a
If the canal system is such a great economic development tool, then why not let FPL "give" them to someone like George Schott. I don't think George would want the cost and liability, that's why. Our city staff, past and present to some extent, as was pointed out in the earlier post does not have a great track record when it comes to smart real estate moves, but I guess it is fun to play with other peoples' money. You can afford to take bigger risks that way. I sincerely hope that we do not end up liable for the upkeep of the canal system because it will cost Lewiston taxpayers in the long run, I'm sure.
I too believe Maine should
I too believe Maine should join the Compact. If we can do this with drivers licenses, which, while being a priviledge, are often needed to get to and from work and so on, we can do this with hunting and fishing licenses. Not many people will lose their ability to support themselves, (legally), by losing their ability to hunt and/or fish. Poachers are criminals, period. No different than drug dealers or any other thieves that steal from us.
And all this time I thought
And all this time I thought farmers raised their animals until they died of natural causes and then had them butchered. Meanies!
Shauni, get over it. Governor
Shauni, get over it. Governor Lepage will do fine, in fact, I think he'll probably fix some of the mess that democrats...like Eliot Cutler, have created over the past three plus decades. While the majority of Mainers didn't vote for Paul Lepage, just like Baldacci before him, remember that the same goes for Cutler, plus a little bit more.
Great editorial, and in my
Great editorial, and in my opinion, that's two days in a row!
Going to school in Lewiston
Going to school in Lewiston back in the late 50's and 60's, our bus had children from K through 9th grade, and somehow, we all survived. It's too bad this is happening all over the state, but less students more or less forces consolidations and some closures of schools.
Never, ever argue with a
Never, ever argue with a liberal.
Jason, I'm not talking about
Jason, I'm not talking about the technology, I'm talking about the fact that when the wind isn't blowing, the windmills aren't spinning, therefore, no power generation. What type of technology will overcome that? As I said, inefficient, and, beyond the construction phase, almost no jobs. Anyone not yet aware that this is a money grab that is being paid for by the taxpayers should look at wind power already established in other places.
Ronald, I think he's
Ronald, I think he's referring to Forbes, but I'm not 100% sure.
Ms. Lysen, John Baldacci and
Ms. Lysen, John Baldacci and his buddies, like Angus King, are raping mountaintops all over the state with "expedited" wind farms. These wind farms are very inefficient producers of power, and beyond the construction phase, produce about as many jobs as an automated car wash. The developers are using our tax dollars to build them and pocketing millions in the process. When the dust settles and people get wise to the scam, we will be left with ugly steel giants, noise pollution, and other environmental problems that will impact people, animals, and plants for decades, and in 25 or so years, Mainers will be left with picking up the tab, likely via rate hikes on electricity, to dis-assemble the then obsolete wind mills and try to restore as best as possible the project sites. Your concern about condos in the north woods and not giving a vernal pool a year or so to be studied while killing a development project is admirable, but in my opinion, misplaced in the overall scheme of things.
From day one I have been
From day one I have been opposed to Maine's wind farms as being corporate welfare put into high gear by Governor Baldacci to help his cronies acquire as much taxpayer money as possible before reality sets in and people realize they're being screwed. These wind farms are environmentally unfriendly, extremely inefficient sources of electrical power generation, and as already said, after construction, will employ less people than a self service car wash. Also, when these windmills become useless in 20 or 25 years, who will be stuck with their removal costs? I would guess the taxpayer, one way or another.
It appears that Baldacci and
It appears that Baldacci and his cronies had found yet another way to screw Maine taxpayers for their personal gain. If this were Paul Lepage's doing, the newspapers and other media outlets would likely be hyping this to no end. Instead though it's smooth John the career politician who always says what the folks he's addressing want to hear, so I guess it's O.K.
We can hold up a development
We can hold up a development project for a year while deciding just how valuable a vernal pool on the site is or isn't, but we can expedite the blasting of a mountain top to install windmills with no thought given to the potential long term impact on human, animal, and plant life. I think the bottom line here is about money and who's connected and who isn't. Not the environment.
It is ironic that any
It is ironic that any proposed changes to existing environmental or other regulations that impede development or business expansion draw howls from environmental groups who preach about the Maine brand and sense of place and the state's rugged beauty being enough to attract business, (which sure hasn't been the case so far), yet these same groups mostly stayed quiet while Baldacci and his pals set in motion a plan to rape most of Maine's elevated wilderness areas with wind farms that, after construction will have added almost no jobs on a permanent basis, will provide an in-efficient form of energy, and that will have a shelf life so short that it's likely anyone under 50 years old will get to pay to help remove them. Oh, and Mark, it is Sooo obvious that you harbor a great dislike for Governor Lepage. It gets in the way of good reporting. Too bad.
Not to change the subject,
Not to change the subject, but the person plowing the outer Sabattus Street area yesterday was going so fast that the snow was blasted from the plow back at such force it took out a pile of mailboxes, mine included. It even crippled my SJ tube. This can be dangerous to anyone in the line of fire...not just mailboxes. I did call PW to let them know.
They are appointed is my
They are appointed is my guess and the composition of the board is basically a who's who of politically connected bureaucrats that have zilch knowledge about toll highways and transportation issues. Political favors repaid via appointments, period.
If the Lepage administration
If the Lepage administration can curb abuse of our welfare system and make Maine's no more or no less attractive than those in other states, much will have been accomplished in the way of system reform. There will always be people that for whatever reason need assistance, and I think most people understand and accept that. It's the abusers of the system that make people upset, and as it sits, Maine's programs are geared to be attractive to prospective career welfare recipients, regardless of what the "experts" in that field shovel at us by way of distorted facts and figures.
I don't recall seeing any
I don't recall seeing any comments from fatandhappy that would fall in the crude category and my earlier post wasn't meant to lump all posters into a single profile. I just think that overall, the good points of the verification process will outweigh the bad. I could be wrong...we'll see.
Right Phyllis, I really miss
Right Phyllis, I really miss "honest John" Baldacci and his cronies too. But hey, we can't have it all, can we? All in all, despite a lack of polish, I think the people we now have in Augusta will do a better job for this state than the folks they replaced did. We'll see.
I'm fine with the
I'm fine with the verification process and I also believe the comments will become a bit more civil, as they should be. It's one thing to disagree with a person's opinion, but in doing so there's no need to be obnoxious.
ronh66 nailed it. If there
ronh66 nailed it. If there aren't any problems of any size with our current welfare system as it is, then why all the talk about all of the people that will be impacted by changes that would add accountability to the various programs? To be perfectly honest, I highly doubt that even one in ten Mainers that have any interaction with the general population of this State can't come up with at least one example of fraud or, certainly, abuse of the welfare system. The biggest problem is that the service providers are encouraged to grow the rolls on these programs as a way to insure job security, and that's why DHHS is Maine's largest employer. Changes are long overdue. We're at the point where there are more people riding on the wagon than there are available to pull it. BTW, this may be anecdotal, but it isn't fiction.
Bald Archie got elected by
Bald Archie got elected by the same 38% or so, as have other democrats...no crying then though, huh?
Bob, when State workers get a
Bob, when State workers get a snow day, they get paid to stay home or do whatever it is they choose to do. It reportedly costs the State nearly a million dollars for a paid shutdown. When you look at it that way, Mark Laflamme's idol, Governor Lepage, has a point. BTW, just man up Mark...Lepage, a former street kid from Lewiston, is tougher than you'll ever be, even in your wildest dreams. Yea, he's a real butt kicker.
I watched the workshop on
I watched the workshop on Great Falls TV. Mayor Gilbert was about as transparent as glass. (Linda Glass) . I doubt that this clinic will be any different than many other programs we already provide in this City. These people are addicts getting supervised treatment by trained staff. They are not any different than any other group of people assembled someplace for services. I see no reason to oppose the licensing of this clinic.
I have a well at my camp in
I have a well at my camp in Rockwood that because of ledge has shallow piping going from the well to the camp. We installed self regulating heat tape along the pipe several years ago and have not experienced any freeze ups since, despite sometimes going two weeks or more without use. I also make sure the batteries in my vehicles are good and can hold a charge even in cold weather. Hey, like northwoods said, it's Maine, it's winter, and it will get VERY cold at times. Time to feed the woodstove!
The perfect storm got Paul
The perfect storm got Paul Lepage elected as governor, and all the bottom feeders are nervous, incuding the liberal " Eliot Cutler for Governor" media, and rightly so. For the first time in a long time, being PC in Maine state politics may not buy you squat. The average working persons and small businesses in this state finally have an ear in Augusta. The whining will not end because the powers that have been driving us down the road to government depnndency for survival over the past 30+ years haven't even been able to digest this yet. It's still all a bad dream to them.
Veterans day is Veterans day,
Veterans day is Veterans day, period. It is a day set aside to honor ALL of our veterans. If we start breaking this out into seperate wars and conflicts and so on it will be become a meaningless day of mention...probably used to promote car sales or such, and that's about it. Leave it alone.
Jeez tron, I thought Bob had
Jeez tron, I thought Bob had a good point there, do you ever agree with anyone on anything? You remind me of my 9th grade english teacher. Stay warm!
While I respect Dr.
While I respect Dr. Walworth's opinion, I would point out that when prohibition came into play nearly a century ago, organized criminals manufactured and supplied alcohol to all comers despite all the money spent to combat the problem, and profits from these enterprises were used to expand their influence into many other areas open for opportunistic "entrepreneurs" . We lost that war and repealed the ammendment. The same can be said today for illegal drugs, firearms, and on it goes. Unfortunately, tougher laws pertaining to firearms, drugs, whatever, while looking good "on paper" do little to solve the problem of criminals, lunatics, or terrorists that are hell bent on their missions, they only hold back the ability of law abiding citizens to at least feel like they have the ability to protect themselves and their families without breaking the law in the process. BTW, I have no problems with attempts to promote seat belt use, curb smoking, fight obesity, etc. despite being a child of the early '50's, but I can also sort what is likely to be fact from "feel good" fiction.
Adding 30 million people to
Adding 30 million people to the system without addressing costs is exactly why the democrats got big pharma to support the bill. Obamacare as it is constitutes a farce played on the American people served up like a Chicago style pizza. Any program that does not balance cost controls with services delivered is a sham, but it does play well with people that are in dire straits pertaining to their health care coverage and the ever growing segment of the American public that believes that the entitlement programs that support their butts are really "free".
George Schott has the
George Schott has the financial ability to get the site ready for redevelopment and pay taxes and liens on it while holding it in the interim. George is also capable of attracting a tenant or tenants to this site, which at that point will generate even more tax revenues. It's not "free" land, but really a good business deal for both him and the City. ( We the taxpayers).
If Mainers had wanted Mr.
If Mainers had wanted Mr. Smoothie for governor, then Eliot Cutler would be in office, not Paul Lepage. We elected a governor who campaigned on running Maine in a fashion that would attract jobs and pay the bills without robbing every taxpayer in the process. I agree that the governor could be more tactful, but his comments aren't a hanging offense, unless of course, you are one of the many that wanted to hang him in the first place.
I agree with you, Robert, but
I agree with you, Robert, but I wonder, do we execute the perpetrator of this massacre first, and pray after, or pray first and execute after?
Steve B, you're right of
Steve B, you're right of course, but I can't help it, I usually take the bait.
tron, the"rich" are already
tron, the"rich" are already paying taxes at a higher rate than any other income group...so what's fair to you, an even higher rate? It's not anyone's fault, except maybe yours, that you are not in the highest tax bracket, so you have my sympathy there.
tron, left or right, it
tron, left or right, it doesn't matter when you have lunatics out there willing to kill for their political views. Blaming Sarah Palin for the Arizona massacre is really a stretch, even for you.
Steve, I respect your opinion
Steve, I respect your opinion here, but don't you find it a bit scary when we would allow the government to set pay scales? When would enough be enough? To say business executives can only make X amount of money, police officers can only make so much, firemen, so much, plumbers and electricians, so much, and on it goes. I guess the bottom line is that there should be no monetary compensation for skilled labor or added responsibility out there. The guy mixing paint at Home Depot shouldn't make any less, (or at least not much less), than the person managing the store...and we the people should legislate by law what exactly these folks should make based on our personal views of fair compensation. Free markets and supply and demand are the best measures of pay scales, providing the businesses are operating within the law.
BGTG36, WOW!
BGTG36, WOW!
I believe that you can have
I believe that you can have responsible oversight without giving up environmental protection and still get it done within a reasonable period of time and at a realistic cost to the parties involved. The current process is both time consuming and overly expensive. Many projects are time sensitive due to financing and economic conditions and the DEP marching to their own out of step drum in these respects has not been good for development . Just imagine having to wait a year or longer to get approval to buy a house or a vehicle and it's easy to see why the current process is not business sensitive. Yes or no on a project shouldn't take that much time. This is another example of the various problems that Maine currently has with keeping existing jobs or creating new ones. Good move by Governor Lepage.
If welfare reform isn't
If welfare reform isn't really necessary and most people who think people move to Maine for our overly generous benefits system are wrong, then what harm can come from the proposed changes? If indeed that's the case, then the residency requirements and lifetime caps won't really affect anyone while at the same time they will make many Mainers feel more comfortable that the system is fair. If, however, that were really the case, then the question I have is why are these agencies that feed off of the system whining about proposed changes that supposedly won't change anything?
George, the "rich" aren't tax
George, the "rich" aren't tax exempt, they are paying taxes at about a 35% rate as it is, instead of being at about 39.5% or so. I would guess that they are paying their share of the load, given that about 47% of Americans don't pay any taxes at all, and out of that number, a good percentage also get government paid "entitlements", the PC word for welfare. BTW, sorry about the K-1 prices, but that's about the most expensive source of heat available. Time to rethink your heat source. Good luck!
Personally, I like the idea.
Personally, I like the idea. If someone wants to spew forth with insults and BS, then man up and be counted. Gary Savard.
Personally, I think it's
Personally, I think it's pretty sad that the majority of Americans are forced to kiss butt to a vocal minority that is h... bent on forcing their ideas of political correctness on them. If you can have a quiet place to go and pray in schools to satisfy one group of people, then you should have the ability to follow other customs as well. Merry Christmas!
If Ms. Solomon had robbed a
If Ms. Solomon had robbed a bank of a few thousand dollars, or a pharmacy of prescription drugs, she would be facing a longer prison sentence than she is now. White collar crime does pay, I guess. BTW, she may have been ordered to pay back $4 million but if she doesn't have it, Mainecare won't get it, period.
I am in total agreement with
I am in total agreement with this editorial. Ethanol is a big mistake, just like on shore wind power, but in both cases, government subsidies and fast track permitting are all about power plays, and have nothing to do with economic feasibility or the common good.
Urban myth or common fact to
Urban myth or common fact to be plainly seen...call it what you want, people aren't blind.
MaineGrad, I don't think it's
MaineGrad, I don't think it's so much about kicking around a certain class of people as much as it's about what appears to be special treatment for said certain class of people. Most people have drivers licenses, and I would guess they remember what they had to know and do to prove themselves worthy of getting them. When, over and over, you see the obvious, that being that many of our refugee class didn't get drivers licenses under very strict circumstances, it makes one wonder.
Until we stop being PC and
Until we stop being PC and handing out drivers licenses to people that have no understanding of or regard for traffic laws and the rules of the road, this is going to continue being a common occurance.
Pirate, now that the
Pirate, now that the Kittyhawk article has been revised, the question I asked has been answered as I thought it would be...and I would guess, as you also thought it would be. Nothing new, is it?
Medicare as it stands is a
Medicare as it stands is a broken program . There are so many folks and businesses ripping off the system, for one, that it's bankrupting the country and of course the program along with it. AARP, to which I refuse to belong to, is a major part of the problem. Just one example of waste can be seen on television every weekend when companies advertize their wares that include everything from diapers to motorized wheelchairs 24/7. Just the cost of advertizing for these"medicare re-imbursed" products and delivery services gives one a sense of how high the profit margins are. Unfortunately, Medicare is viewed by many in this country as a giant cash cow. The program needs to be redefined. There's got to be some middle ground between helping people to be able to afford life saving medications and such and buying $7500 scooters that don't even function inside 99% of the homes their recipients live in.
The democratic party has
The democratic party has firmly established itself as the party of the people that feel entitlements and special treatment are a constitutional right. The party mantra seems to be that, whether you choose to be a self-sufficient, productive member of society or to live off the public dole, you shouldn't have to put up with a different standard of living. That buys them a lot of votes, but this time around, for many of them, not enough.
Why are the names of these
Why are the names of these three people released, while the name of the minivan driver involved in the Kittyhawk Avenue, Auburn crash is withheld "pending further investigation"?
Robert Nutting is probably
Robert Nutting is probably the biggest crook to swing the Speaker's gavel in Augusta since John Martin.
Jonathan Albrecht, as usual,
Jonathan Albrecht, as usual, supplies us with an excellent example of the liberal viewpoint, that being that if you disagree with their point of view, you are an ignorant, ill informed idiot. I guess that takes a lot of intellegence.
I agree with most of the
I agree with most of the posters here so far. If Maine does not at least make it's opinion known, then we as a state have no standing on the issue except to follow as one of the sheep. That's like not voting on election day due to "what difference will one vote make in the end" kind of thinking. Doug Smith has it right about moving with care on this...but we should definately move on it and not bury our heads in the sand like Janet Mills and the other good little democrats like Pingree and Michaud did.
His view was blocked by a
His view was blocked by a light pole...so he pulled out and knocked the darn thing out of the way. I like that. Hey, the light poles are made to be knocked down, anyway.
This fix would be a good test
This fix would be a good test for the resolve of our newly elected congress to cut wasteful spending indeed. All farm subsidies should be reviewed annually to insure that only those that are absolutely necessary are active. The agri-markets change significantly from one year to the next.
Huum, it appears that the
Huum, it appears that the votes are coming in, as you requested.
For people that talk about
For people that talk about respect, or lack of same, being such an important part of their culture, the Somalis are not a people that appear willing to return the favor in many cases. One way street. BTW, I think Mr. Therriault did what most armed citizens would have done by showing the two trespassers that he wasn't backing down, and that's a good thing. If more Somalis had the same mindset, they might just still have a country that they would want to live in.
This is not good PR for the
This is not good PR for the Somali community, but then again, from my experiences with them on Lisbon Street, where I worked for 20+ years until we moved in 2008, I don't think it's in their mindset to care. They have a 100% focus on their rights, though, and know how to play the race card to their advantage. Sadly, our city officials go along with this BS instead of treating them as they would anyone else, which in the end actually makes things worse. Everyone wants to be treated the same. No preferential treatment.
Too many sightings to be
Too many sightings to be bogus. I think the state is in denial because if they admitted we had any cougars in our woods, the environmentalists would make sure that earning a living working in those woods would basically become a thing of the past.
This is a brain fart on the
This is a brain fart on the part of the Republicans. Not a good PR move, and not a good start toward the credibilty that they are seeking.
Rushing people through driver
Rushing people through driver exams and learners permits in order to be PC is dangerous. As witnessed here , not all accidents happen on intown streets like Knox and Bates.
This is typical ranting by a
This is typical ranting by a career liberal that has fed at the public trough for years. The party is over. Maine is broke, the country's broke, and the current system needs to be fixed. Jonathan, your grandchildren will thank us for this.
If , say, 5 people can be on
If , say, 5 people can be on a ballot, then I think the person that garners the most votes, (i.e., the most popular choice of all), is the winner. Only because it cost the liberals an election is this now coming up. Baldacci won with 38% or so of the votes, and that was O.K. with them...but not now. Also, as far as us having a governor which 62% of voters did not vote for, had Cutler, the darling of the media won, he also would have had about the same percentage of voters that didn't vote for him as Lepage. Personally, I think all the whining is kind of exhilerating.
Funny, Eliot Cutler, the
Funny, Eliot Cutler, the "other guy" in the race for governor, also touted Dirigo as a failed program and promised change/elimination of it. These two, (Lepage and Cutler), got 75% of the votes. Even if 75% of Mainers are wrong in their belief that Dirigo is a failure, at least the Lepage administration is paying attention, unlike other administrations I know that firmly believe that the majority of the people are idiots whose opinions don't count.
Brian' MSNBC is as guilty as
Brian' MSNBC is as guilty as sin about distorting the news to the liberal agenda, as is FOX on the conservative side. Jeez, at least take of the blinders before you post.
So, FOX is conservatively
So, FOX is conservatively slanted. I agree. What about MSNBC with Chris Matthews and Ed Shultz or whatever, they are so far to the left it's a laughable show, kind of like Hannity on Fox in reverse. No slant toward the left from the SJ, though, fair and balanced. All in all, I wonder what these "newshounds" think about their abilities to really sway people that do not already lean in their direction, because most people are not as stupid as they might like to think.
Voisine, I understand that
Voisine, I understand that you suffer from inverted cranial-rectal syndrome, but it's over. The republican party has the governor's office, the house and senate majority, and finally, we can start moving forward. I do admire your gentlemanly acceptance of defeat, though!
This just proves how far to
This just proves how far to the left Maine is when, even in these tough times, it takes a "perfect storm" like two democrats running for governor and beating each other up for votes to maybe get a conservative to squeek by and actually get elected governor. Most of the other states in the country crapped their versions of Pingree and Michaud, but not Maine. In Lewiston-Auburn, we also returned almost all of the same taxers and spenders to Augusta that we've been sending there in the past. Very nice!
What a childish ploy by
What a childish ploy by Cutler's camp. But then again, he's been whining about one thing or another since day one, so this BS is par for the Cutler course.
State government promised us
State government promised us money for education when they brought in the lottery, then, like every other dollar raised, they stole it for their own entitlement programs. The casino will not cost taxpayers one lousy cent, and it will create jobs, both directly and indirectly. People are already spending at casinos, but out of state. I think we are overdue to get in on this, before it's too late.
At least if all these wind
At least if all these wind power projects were actually economically viable, there would be an argument for their development. All this is is a chance for Baldy and Angus to line their pockets at taxpayer expense. Our electric bills in Maine won't go down by 2 cents a month as a result of all these projects, and in 20 years, we'll have junk strewn all over our mountains as payback. Mainers are being raped on this along with their mountains.
So, the editorial boards of
So, the editorial boards of Maine's major newspapers all have endorsed Eliot Cutler, which is a seemingly "safe" position for them. Now is the time for everyone who plans to vote and has a mind of their own to make a decision. Personally, I think I'm capable of doing that without the help of the SJ, PPH, or BDN. I also have the ability to cut through all the crap commercials being thrown at us from all sides, and I'll bet the vast majority of Maine voters do too.
Veritas, I think BobStone
Veritas, I think BobStone referred to Paul Lepage as an executive, no mention of "Chief Executive", or did I miss that?
The problem I have with Eliot
The problem I have with Eliot Cutler is that all or most of his "team" is made up of career bureaucrats from the "good ol' boy" network. The same people that have been getting political favor appointments to various boards and committees for years under the democrats. With all his polish, Cutler howls like a coyote on a full moon night when someone takes a swipe at him, instead of standing his ground. The changes we need to make in Augusta will definately cause quite a stir with the special interests and unions, and to get them through, we need a fighter, not a someone that is crying fowl at every turn. I disagree with the editorial board, and I support Paul Lepage. We don't need Mr. smooth, we've had him for the past 8 years. Desperate times call for tough measures, and I believe Paul Lepage can get it done.
My guess is the parents of
My guess is the parents of these children came to Lewiston because of the abundance of employment opportunities we have here, plain and simple.
Leadership qualities require
Leadership qualities require conviction and the willingness to do the right thing for the good of the state as a whole, and not just the unions that support you. If nothing else, Paul Lepage has those qualities.
In my opinion, Eliot Cutler
In my opinion, Eliot Cutler is nothing more than a career bureaucrat with some less than stellar business ties that have made him millions , and now the Cape Elizabeth millionaire wants to cap off his resume by buying the governorship of the state of Maine. That might very well be why his polling numbers are at about 10%...because a lot of other voters think that way as well.
Karen, As a lifelong
Karen,
As a lifelong Mainer, I can tell you that this beautiful state you now call home has been run into the ground by "refined politicians" like Baldacci and Mitchell, and we desperately need a change in direction, like the un-refined Paul Lepage offers. As for President Obama, hasn't he been lying to us about " hope and change" and telling the majority of americans, who disagree with all his liberal programs, to "go to hell", in his own charming way? BTW, this is America, the president is not God, he's a successful politician who has four years at the helm to convince the majority of us he deserves four more, period.
Barbara, the dems have been
Barbara, the dems have been in power in both houses during most of that time. It is time to change the dress, and liberal Libby is not it!
The democrats have been
The democrats have been "farming" federal money by promoting welfare in this state for years, that's why one in three Maine households gets some type of assistance. We need to start being more business friendly and "farm" for jobs, instead of making Maine a mecca for people looking to feed off of public assistance. More jobs will equal less public assistance, and combined with welfare reform that puts a stop to migrant welfare seekers that come here because we never say no, our reliance on excess federal funds would be reduced, while our standard of living would improve. I think that's the message Lepage was sending. It's not really a complicated message, either, so I'm surprised the SJ didn't get it...or did they?
The poll was done for the
The poll was done for the Central Maine Newspapers group, owners of the Portland, Augusta, and Waterville papers. Interesting, anyway.
Jeez, I totally blew my post,
Jeez, I totally blew my post, it should have been directed at Veritas, not Mike Wells.
Mike, you are dead wrong,
Mike, you are dead wrong, because that's EXACTLY what Obama is trying to do. Are you on the receiving end of the wealth distribution, by any chance?
Michaud will win, as will
Michaud will win, as will Pingree. Mainers love their entitlements.
If Maine FINALLY caps welfare
If Maine FINALLY caps welfare benefits with a lifetime limit like Georgia and other states, guess what?! All the liberal BS aside, they're here for one reason only, lifetime benefits. In all fairness though, the Somalis are not the only ones that are drawn here for our generous and un-ending "entitlements". Maine needs new blood in Augusta, and a good start would be Paul Lepage.
Where do the numbers come
Where do the numbers come from? $4 million...could end up as high as $8 million...I didn't realize the Bedard folks were also real estate appraisers. It looks good on paper, though.
thinkingman, Camden National
thinkingman, Camden National has an ATM, to name one, which is the one I referred to in my earlier post. I see you are VERY familiar with the neighborhood and it's people.LOL, go down there sometime, then you can post from at least some brief experience.
thinkingman, I can assure you
thinkingman, I can assure you that I know enough about Somali culture to realize that when they stack up in front of the neighborhood bank ATMs on the first of the month it's NOT because they all have direct PAYROLL deposits and employers who pay monthly. I had an office on Lisbon and Chestnut Streets for 22 years until mid-2009. I could go on, but I won't.
Tomorrow being the first of
Tomorrow being the first of the month, this area of Lisbon Street, along with area bank ATMs, will be very busy.
Lisa, why then are unions
Lisa, why then are unions allowed to piss away hard earned membership dues in support of candidates that lean to their way of doing business? Don't both sides have "equal rights"? My problem with the clean election law is that no matter how hard privately funded candidates work for funding, we the people keep dishing out matching funds to the candidates that chose "clean", regardless of whether they have a legitimate shot at winning or not. Some changes need to be made to this law.
Westminster street has a
Westminster street has a speed limit of what, 30 MPH or so? It's in the Lewiston Indusrial Park. I would have to guess maybe excessive speed was a factor.
John is a nice guy, but Maine
John is a nice guy, but Maine will need a lot more from the next governor than a public relations promoter can bring to the table. This does fill newspaper space, though.
This is a very nice gesture
This is a very nice gesture by the Maniacs, and of course it doesn't hurt to be young, healthy, and in great physical condition, either! Thanks guys, and good luck this coming season!
Nice to see who supports
Nice to see who supports Eliot Cutler. A VERY liberal mayor and a career bureaucrat. Cutler would be the same type of governor if elected as we have now...even the same cronies. Not much different than Libby Mitchell.
Very generous, and a great
Very generous, and a great cause, as well.
Why do I get the feeling that
Why do I get the feeling that if that vehicle were registered to me, the driver/owner's name, and probably a lame picture of me as I was being booked for leaving the scene of an accident with PI, would have somehow been included in this article. I also find it hard to believe that the passenger, Anini Hassan, had no clue as to the driver's identity. That's very helpful. Unfortunately for the driver, witnesses got the license plate number. Thankfully, the girl will be O.K.
A nuclear power plant would
A nuclear power plant would be so much less intrusive and so much more efficient. This whole wind energy push is designed to make a few people a lot of money fast in a down economy. When the dust settles, Maine will be no better off as far as electric rates are concerned, the carbon footprint won't have been reduced by any significant amount, and our reliance on oil will be close to the same as now. Bad joke on Mainers by Baldy and company.
There are way to many
There are way to many unanswered questions regarding the construction of this mosque. Where is the $100 million coming from? Why, when it is obvious that this project strikes a raw nerve with many, including the families and friends of those who died on 9/11, are these people so adamant about building there? This mosque will heal nothing, and cause further distrust and animosity between Muslims and non-Muslims. A real jesture of understanding would simply be to locate the mosque in a more palatable place. We'll see.
The whole wind power process
The whole wind power process is flawed, because all aspects of development were not considered, like transmission of generated power, for one. Kind of like Dirigo Health Insurance.
What really puzzles me is
What really puzzles me is that no one from either side of the isle ever bothered to get a legal opinion on Prop 8's constitutionality before millions were spent on the campaign and millions of people had to go to the polls to cast their ballots. Why didn't they just ask a constitutional law expert like judge Walker to render an opinion before hand? I'm sure judge Walker's being gay had no bearing on his decision whatsoever, but this issue will not be decided in his court, in any case.
Interpretation by convenience
Interpretation by convenience as relates to the U. S. Constitution is becoming more and more common today, especially among liberals. That's why the fundamental principles upon which this country was founded and which kept us strong for the past 234 years are being eroded from all angles on a daily basis. Had the California judge upheld Proposition 8, Mary Bonauto would be screaming bloody murder.
$600,000 total to renovate a
$600,000 total to renovate a 2100 s.f. building comes to $285 per s.f. which doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Thank goodness this is mostly funded with "free" money! This kind of crap goes on all over the country, so it's no wonder our deficit is out of control. We the people are being sold out by bureaucrats that are either crooked as h... or totally inept, or maybe a combination of both.
I think Mark's pieces are
I think Mark's pieces are basically an exageration on realty, (sometimes), intended to lighten up a bit the harder side of life, (low). Although different, his stories are not significantly more fictional than some pieces concerning the saving of our city by a group immigrants, for example. I think it's in the, (black), eye of the reader more often than not as to how Laflamme's stuff is digested...or regurgitated.
Jeez, 8 hours of film, and no
Jeez, 8 hours of film, and no Mark Laflamme highlights? Maybe they're just keeping that quiet as part of the exciting finish.
He has it, I want it. Great
He has it, I want it. Great mentality!
Mr. Williamson's arguments
Mr. Williamson's arguments appear to be losing steam, based on the related wind power article in this edition of the newspaper.
Take the "free money" out of
Take the "free money" out of the equation and wind power is exposed to the elements. Another great Baldacci moment, supported by Pingree and her clueless cohorts. Before we permanently transform our landscape and disrupt peoples' lives, it would seem to make sense that we are darn sure what the end result will be. Idiots on parade for all to see.
My belief on this is that the
My belief on this is that the reason they want the mosque in that particular area is to symbolize what muslim extremists view as a great victory over their enemy, the United States. If that were not the case, then after realizing that many people were offended by this proposal, they would have backed off. I think that many people are just too gullible to see through the BS.
Speed caused this tragic
Speed caused this tragic accident more than anything else. The speed limit on that stretch of Lisbon Street is 35 MPH for a reason. I feel sorry for both families of the victims.
L-A. It's happening here!
L-A. It's happening here! Diversity adds SO much to our quality of life!
Maybe the victim in the
Maybe the victim in the Bridgton crash was Loonie also. Very needless way to die. Too bad for their families and other loved ones that are left to mourn.
Very nice. One is enough...as
Very nice. One is enough...as long as it's mine. What pukes!
I thought passing on the
I thought passing on the right was illegal, even on I -95 or the Turnpike. Am I wrong?
Robert, in November I also
Robert, in November I also will be voting for Paul Lepage, and for similar reasons. Maine has been headed in the wrong direction for quite a while under the leadership of career politicians that have very liberal leanings and absolutely zero real world experience. You can't be a state that farms welfare for matching federal bucks as a way of life and at the same time be an attractive place to operate a business.
Libby Mitchell should have
Libby Mitchell should have the most cash on hand. We the taxpayers gave her $660,000 to spend...and, there are various loopholes and such that will enable her to get some contributions and advertising on the side. Ain't life grand?
My driveway is sitting on the
My driveway is sitting on the side of Sabattus Street this morning, but compared to what a lot of other people have to deal with, I think I'm fortunate. Global Warming?
Based on the reasoning that
Based on the reasoning that loud pipes save lives, that would mean that if I had an illegal exhaust system on my truck and couldn't "hear" the motorcycle, the excessive noise as a safety mechanism excuse would be pointless. I guess as long as only bikes can be loud, though, the argument stands...even if it is on a wooden leg.
Play & Freeze
My grandchildren have a Play & Freeze, and it works EXACTLY as advertised. The fastest method for making ice cream is rolling it back and forth right on the lawn.
Until we send people to
Until we send people to Augusta who have the business sense to run State Government in a responsible way, this problem will only get worse. Most of our career politicians that oversee Maine's finances have never had to manage any type of business where income dictated expenditures. These people prepare budgets, then dig into taxpayer pockets to fund them. That's why I will be voting for Paul Lepage in 2010. There simply isn't any more time to keep going in the direction we've been headed in for the past 30 years.
I can't believe I'm actually
I can't believe I'm actually doing this...But I totally agree with tron. If it weren't "free" money from our other pocket, the City wouldn't even consider this idea. Of course, the canopies will require LPW labor to install, maintain, dis-assemble at the end of the season and store...and vandalism???
I agree with the editorial.
I agree with the editorial. Maine can't currently pay it's obligations to Cities and Towns, which has caused all kinds of budget problems on local levels statewide. The next governor needs to be capable of fixing our out of control taxing and spending, and making State government more compatible with job creation by the private sector. These factors far outweigh personal beliefs on evolution or creationism, abortion, and gay marriage. As a catholic, I have my beliefs on these moral issues, but that doesn't diminish my capacity to function as a person or licensed professional. Let the real issues, not the BS, be the deciding factor in electing our next governor and legislature in November.
Needed or not, they probably
Needed or not, they probably should have waited for a purchase order before producing this large a quantity. Hopefully, they end up selling it.
Albrecht, Obama's
Albrecht, Obama's administration was in charge of overseeing BP. You are an idiot! Won't it be terrible when the liberal tax and spenders that have been financing your living for years get tossed on their butts out of office?
cranky, the democraps have
cranky, the democraps have been in the majority in this state for 35 years, and look where we are. Top 10 nationally in taxes, aging population because our young people have to go elsewhere for jobs, and a mecca for people wanting welfare or disability benefits. Tax and spend is the democratic mantra. Look at Obama as an example, using the oil spill disaster to push his cap and tax BS. I do have a clue cranky, that's apparently why I piss you off!
Steve...And there are MANY
Steve...And there are MANY goldbrickers in the system! Most mainers personally know of at least one person if not several that are abusing the system.
SSDD, your comments are a
SSDD, your comments are a joke! Maine has been controlled by democrats for years, and we're in the financial crapper. Tax and spend, period. On the national level, King Obama with the help of his minions, Pelosi and Reid, is on a fast track to breaking GWB's record as worst president ever!
I will vote for Paul Lepage
I will vote for Paul Lepage because his idea of how Maine's government should be operated coincides with mine. Libby Mitchell has been part of the tax and spend problems in Augusta for 35 years and we need change. I will not be voting based on their religious beliefs, since I will be voting for a governor, not a religious or spiritual leader. On that end, I don't care what any of the candidates think.
The State balanced their
The State balanced their budget on the backs of municipalities, and now, being at the bottom of the hill, taxpayers will pay the price at the local level. The blame for this belongs to the taxers and spenders We The People have been sending to Augusta for years, like Baldacci, Mitchell, and Pingree and their cohorts. We need to change that scenario in november, and it starts with electing Paul Lepage governor and electing a majority legislature willing to actually work with him to cut wasteful spending on bloated programs and entitlements for people that don't want to pull their own weight.
If question 1 does not pass,
If question 1 does not pass, how long will it take before the legislature decides to raise the income tax rate back up because we need the money? Two or three years. I'm also sure they won't waste any time adding new services to the list of taxable items, either. I am voting yes on Q-1.
This bill will not save
This bill will not save anyone any money, but I think in a way it's funny that the 53% or so of Mainers who don't pay any income tax will now get bit in the butt with sales taxes on many services that are now tax exempt, such as car repair labor, movies, higher meal taxes...and on it goes. Many of these people will fall for the false ads promoting the bill and vote to keep it, unfortunately. Then again, that's how the same taxers and spenders keep getting elected to run our state year after year.
By pleading "Not Guilty", her
By pleading "Not Guilty", her court appointed lawyer will get to bill the taxpayers for more hours than would have been the case with a "Guilty" plea or a " No Contest" plea. BTW, Ugh is spot on with his comment, but then, if you read the police accident reports, and not just the ones that make this paper, the answer to his question may very well be yes.
Phil Crowell, "Superchief".
Phil Crowell, "Superchief". No ego problem there!
Maine, the way life should
Maine, the way life should be. Bad joke, isn't it?
I would suggest starting with
I would suggest starting with the Public Works Department, where we now have two well paid heads doing what Chris Branch used to do by himself, and then eliminating the games they play in that department to purposely work on overtime and holiday pay as much as possible. Chewing up the remaining budget after a quiet winter by sweeping Sabattus Street on a SUNDAY in late March is certainly not in the best interests of the taxpayer. Roll some heads where it counts. We'll see. Usually, it's government 101, where proposed cuts aren't to the fat and waste, but to the bone, like trash pick-up, police, and firefighters. Childishly simple, but so effective.
Bob, I also think Bates
Bob, I also think Bates College could absorb some of our "new residents" into some of their classes as a show of good faith and to help equalize educational opportunities for these folks. Fair is fair.
Nathan, if you have a
Nathan, if you have a mortgage, under this reform package you will no longer be allowed to deduct the interest, among other things. We will pay sales tax on labor for car and other services, and the list goes on. Foremost, you can bet that in a short time, the legislature will revisit the tax structure when they need more spending money for entitlements, realize that we are lower, at 6.5%, than many other states, and raise it back up to 8.5% or worse depending on what the market will bear. If you don't believe that, then just check up on Maine's legislative history over the past 30 years. This tax restructuring is nothing but a shell game.
Anyone in the room in favor
Anyone in the room in favor of raising taxes that IS NOT a public sector employee or a family member of one, please raise your hands.
Dan, I agree with you 100%.
Dan, I agree with you 100%. Follow the money, like Ethanol blended gasoline, and the answer to why wind power is being crammed up our butts will become plain. Maybe in 1850 wind power made sense, but in 2010, when we run ships on nuclear power, we're running around planting windmills all over God's creation. At least if wind power made economic sense, it would be easier to overlook all the unpleasant side effects.
OOPS!! Double clicked!
OOPS!! Double clicked!
It's O.K. Mark, you don't
It's O.K. Mark, you don't have to be afraid to take a position. This is America, and at least for now, you have that right. You can even shift from one side of the road to the other if the urge strikes. I for one prefer someone with convictions, even if they are contradictory to mine, over someone with no convictions at all...especially writers. Notice that I said writers, not reporters. It does depend on which hat a person is wearing.
It's O.K. Mark, you don't
It's O.K. Mark, you don't have to be afraid to take a position. This is America, and at least for now, you have that right. You can even shift from one side of the road to the other if the urge strikes. I for one prefer someone with convictions, even if they are contradictory to mine, over someone with no convictions at all...especially writers. Notice that I said writers, not reporters. It does depend on which hat a person is wearing.
Pay per bag will only result
Pay per bag will only result in illegal dumping, and in the high density residential areas, bags left a block down the street. Then what, pay a "trash guru" to identify the perpetrators? ( That would be a good source of overtime for some of the boys at PW, though). Trash pickup is one of the few services every taxpayer uses on a weekly basis, why rob us of this. A better idea would be to tighten up on the welfare traffic at City Hall. It would save tons of money and a lot of wear and tear on the Park Street entrance.
Nice to see how Paul Boudreau
Nice to see how Paul Boudreau sidesteps the savings question. I'm sure he and his "boys" ate up as much of the snow cleaning/removal budget as possible, even though we had a near record mild winter. The PW crew depends on the OT, after all. It's so easy to spend other peoples money.
I guess the moral of the
I guess the moral of the story is that criminals who want guns will get them one way or another. Since what they are doing to get them now is illegal, more laws won't change that fact.
Invisible Biker
All those visibility problems! Maybe a fluorescent orange vest would help. Excessive noise is quite a stretch. If everyone on the road made a lot of noise using being seen by other motorists as an excuse, they would cancel each other out and NO-ONE would benefit. I do agree that loud bikes get peoples attention, but I don't agree that it is for safety reasons that the minority of bikers do it.
Tron, why do you feel
Tron, why do you feel compelled to call anyone that does not share your views a "right wing whacko"? I find that a bit immature. I don't carry a gun, but I know people that do, and that includes a number of professional people that you would never expect to be packing. To me this issue is about personal freedom. The SJ editorial board doesn't like guns, but whoa! They sure can piss and moan about freedom of access issues, can't they. I guess to some people how important a particular freedom is boils down to whether it affects them or not. Hypocrites.
OLD #5
Robert Reed is 100% right on this issue. This decision by the City Council will end up costing us probably half a million dollars BESIDES what we spend in the interim to keep Old #5 standing. More crap from our enlightened leaders.
Sticker Shock
If the worst thing that comes from this law is that cyclests end up having to invest in a bottle of Goo-Off every so often, it's not a bad trade off given that people won't need hearing protection to be outdoors in the summer or even to be able to sleep at night. If bikers had't pushed annoying illegal exhaust system noises way beyond the limit that most sensible people can tolerate, this wouldn't even be an issue.
Bates Mill No. 5
Glad to see the new Lewiston City Council is fiscally responsible! We will eventually end up tearing the building down because it's basically had it. Meanwhile we'll keep spending $350K+ a year to hang on to it, throw at least $70K to abort the pending demolition, and next year get a new demo quote that is much higher than the one we just crapped. The scary thing is, these councilors actually believe they're intelligent.
If the rationale here is to
If the rationale here is to raise taxes on tobacco as a way to promote better health, then the discussion should include alcohol, fast food, fried any food, and just about anything else that causes potential health problems. Let's pick on smokers is getting really f'n old!
Rule by intimidation comes to
Rule by intimidation comes to Presque Isle. NICE!
Honey, you obviously aren't
Honey, you obviously aren't very informed. My work brings me into numerous area apartment buildings on a regular basis. I can tell you for a fact that MANY more tenants crap all over their landlords than vice-versa. deimos is dead on with what he says.
Candiceanne, Oxford County's
Candiceanne, Oxford County's October unemployment rate is 10.3%, not 19%. Androscoggin County's October unemployment rate is 8.1%. Source: Me. Dept. of Labor. Stop pulling numbers out of your @$$.
She should have stopped when
She should have stopped when the police told her to. Bad decision on her part. Good job by the Lewiston PD.
I had high hopes the
I had high hopes the councilors would select Ed Barrett, but I had my doubts. I'm extremely pleased that they made this choice.
Trezjuan sounds like a real
Trezjuan sounds like a real asset to the community. It's time to flush the toilet.
Holiday Tree is a joke, and
Holiday Tree is a joke, and it's a total shame this country has come to this. The "holiday" is Christmas, and it's a Christmas tree. Channel 13's web poll is running over 96% in support of the "Christmas Tree" vs. "Holiday Tree" label. How do we end up with 96% of the people having to appease the idiotic whims of the other 4%. Spineless bureaucrats calling the shots, that's how. Time to take a stand on some of these issues. Merry Christmas to all!
Wgme 13 has a poll running
Wgme 13 has a poll running this morning on whether their Monument Sq. tree should be a Christmas or Holiday tree. Over 96% of responders chose Christmas, and less than 4% chose Holiday. It's Christmas, therefore, it's a Christmas tree. Don't like Christmas? Then don't celebrate it
Fortunately, the Wall Street
Fortunately, the Wall Street crooks managed to get their hands on the H1N1 vaccines, so they are safe. "Hope and Change"...hahaha! It's Bush's fault!
AND...That's after every
AND...That's after every non-resident Bates College student was recruited by the No on #1 camp to register to vote in Maine to help tip the scales in their favor.
It's over, so the No on #1
It's over, so the No on #1 folks can stop whining and let it go. 30 other states voted with the same outcome, that says something.
Even if "gay" marriage
Even if "gay" marriage stands after next tuesday, homosexuality will not be normalized. Just because you change the laws of man doesn't mean you have changed the laws of nature. THAT, you can't do. YES ON #1!
I have passed by this guy
I have passed by this guy quite a few times since he started camping at the Wal-mart entrance in Auburn. I have not given him a dime, and will not going forward. In Maine of all places, whre people move to for the easy public assistance, if you can't qualify for help, it's highly likely you don't really need it.
Michael, who pushed the sale
Michael, who pushed the sale of the Colisee for pennies on the dollar to satisfy a campaign pledge. I think it was mayor Gilbert, the man who would be king. I will be voting for Marc Paradis.
Albrecht, are you saying
Albrecht, are you saying that anyone who pays taxes but isn't feeding either directly or indirectly off the public teat is a complete idiot? Are you scared of losing your revenue source because useless programs will be eliminated? Guess what, the state's dead broke and whether TABOR II passes or not, it may still happen.
Let's face it, the mayor's
Let's face it, the mayor's job in Lewiston is a low paid position that will attract very few candidates that are both qualified and available to make it the type of power position envisioned by Mr. Gilbert. The mayor is elected by the people, but so is the city council. Time for a change.
Tragic. The article didn't
Tragic. The article didn't say, but The young lady had a learner's permit, and not a license, so then did her passenger have a driver's license as required by law?
Such a nice, friendly little
Such a nice, friendly little circus!
If he gets the job, maybe
If he gets the job, maybe Jim can convince Sabattus residents to sell their landfill to Casella Waste. That might prove profitable.