I think the people of Maine are just tired of paying for welfare in general. What used to be seen as helping those less fortunate 25 years ago has turned into too many people making poor lifestyle choices and looking for someone to help them out. Look at Jessica in this article. I do not know Jessica at all and I congratulate her of getting her life back together. But, I have to assume that most of the last 15 years of her life were spent on food stamps, welfare, unemployment, maybe even telling little white lies to keep getting assistance. How much has this one person cost the state? As a democrat, I applaud Governor LePage for looking to trim the huge welfare and associated budgets. These handouts become never ending.
I hope the people in charge of running DHHS for the last 10-20 years were fired for not doing their jobs. Instead, it seems like people want to get credit for now catching fraud. Why were these people not doing their jobs correctly before? Years and Years of continued fraud, stories spread around about abuses, EVERYONE knew there was fraud in the system. This is just ridiculous.
I don't really have any problem with the current system. The only major downside is that the amount of comments on most articles is very minimal. There also seem to only be a few different viewpoints because it seems like 90% of all posts are made by 10% of the users. The only time an article gets a lot of comments is when the usual group starts going back and forth about Republicans and Democrats - and you could just cut-and-paste their comments into any article. Are we really achieving better quality posts like this?
WOW, how generous of them... The economy has been in the tank for what - 5 years, and now they decide they need to not raise tuition? Prices are completely outrageous, no financial aid available for a middle class family. We can't pay the $70,000 it will cost my son to go to UMF but of course we don't qualify for any financial aid. My son will have huge loans after he has graduated. Thanks for not raising tuition, now how about lowering it?
Notice how this article has a different headline than the print edition. The print edition's headline was "Immigrants will feel sting of cuts by state". I am guessing the print's headline was a little too direct and they decided later to soften the headline.
Maybe the new board will reconsider the dog ban? I would propose a Dog Owner membership rate/category. Increase your club's membership and money while letting Dog Owner members walk their dogs in the park. I would sign up for that.
Special interest group crying because the governor won't go to their event. I did not vote for LePage but I gotta love his candid, exactly correct response. That being said, this only works if he does it to all special interest groups, including any groups that may have helped him get into office.
Common sense, your attempt to protect your Republican ally falls short. The reason no one is being charged in this case is because it was a business transaction problem and he claimed bankruptcy, his pharmacy no longer exists. I'm sure he set up his business to protect his personal finances as most all businesses do. You go on to some how claim that the market conditions should have allowed for him to charge anything he wanted, which obviously is not the case. There were rules to follow and he didn't follow them correctly. I can almost believe he didn't intentionally screw the state, but he should not be rewarded the speaker position considering what he did to the state.
Are you saying your "arts" business cannot exist without a handout from the city? Who's problem is that? All you have to do is find a new space to rent, which should not be a problem for any successful business. If your "art" was so valuable you would be able to sell your art pieces/tickets/services for a profitable amount to the public. Basically, your problems are not the problems of the entire city of Auburn.
Your post is childish at best. Many people in Lewiston voted for the oxford county casino. I would think that most of the people who voted no voted that way because they are against all casinos, not just the one in Oxford. As they say, "don't take it personal". I think very few people bought into the Lewiston Casino Group's campaign of save your vote for L/A. The lewiston casino will not pass either way, it does not have local support, let alone statewide support.
I don't think the lewiston casino has a chance in hell in passing, no matter what. It doesn't even have local support, why would it have statewide support? This is just Mendros and company trying their best to put a positive spin on anything they can.
I agree with Elaine Makas on this issue. These employees were given lifetime insurance as a benefit. Lifetime is lifetime, not until the county doesn't feel like paying for it anymore. I think it was an outrageous benefit that never should have been offered. But the county shouldn't go back on it's word.
Excellent post Candice. Many scout parents feel the same way. If they sell this camp, they will have a very hard time with their 'friends of scouting' fundraising campaigns for quite a while. I donated every year their 'cost per scout per year' amount, which I think was $100 and then was raised to $144. I could easily see myself making this same donation for many years, even when my scout was no longer involved. I did not donate this year specifically because of the Gustin proposed sale, and I don't see myself donating to this organization anymore. Are you reading any of this PTC???
If they don't know what they are going to do with the property, keep it or sell it, why would they go ahead with this land clearing? Wouldn't you want to have a plan in place before you change the landscape? Also, why clear a good portion of this property for so-called "maintenance" when it had been untouched for all these years. Now all of a sudden it needs to be "maintained". This smells like yesterday's diapers.
Biased news channels are any ones that "you" don't agree with. The news channels "you" agree with are the only credible news stations. This applies to everyone.
I bet the republicans are wishing they could change their candidate for governor. This guy is toast. I can almost buy the answer of a minor error on the tax issue, but if you add in the fact that his kids are going to their "in-state" college in Florida, then it gets a lot more difficult to swallow.
I find it kind of amusing that many of these posts seems to have the belief that the money should be there to help out the Y - from the cities, grants, whatever. BUT always from someone else's pockets. Most people complain about taxes constantly, about government waste, whatever... but the attitude quickly changes if it is a cause you care about.
On a separate viewpoint, this is a great opportunity for the two local Y organizations to work together on one modern facility. I have no idea how the ywca and the ymca are organized, but if they can work together, they should. It's time for a new facility for both cities to use.
Terry, I would argue that baseball is alive and well if you are one of the all-stars on your team. I would bet that most of these teams you are talking about are made up of mostly the same kids. Legion I believe was started by invitation only - hand picked kids by the group of coaches. And the All-Star games from little league take precedence over regular league games. Anyone who has had any experience with little league the past few years knows the kids names I am talking about. Kids have left little league baseball out of frustration, tired of sitting on the bench while the coaches kid plays shortstop, pitches and bats first. They go on to other sports where they can actually get playing time. My experience with my son was at Elliot, where winning is everything. I don't think I will ever forget watching one kid (not my son) come and play every year, even though he sat the bench for half the game, played outfield when he got to play, and was put in the batting order as little as possible. This happened every game! This kid was not very good from the beginning, but how was he ever going to get better? He got half the playing time, got as little contact with the ball as possible, and batted about half the time as anyone else. This happened to a lot of kids to a much lesser extent, but was still frustrating. One time during a playoff game, our coach (you know him) moved this kid from one side of the outfield to the other because the other team had been hitting the ball to this kid. The coach made no real secret of the fact that he was trying to get this kid out of the action. I'll put in the politically correct statement here that I am not talking about ALL the coaches in little league, BUT it is a widespread problem. A kid who wants to casually play baseball has no real chance.
At Roger's rate of $150 a year, I guess he is basing that on a annual salary of only $7,500 (using the 2% income tax reduction)? Is that realistic? Using a very modest 20,000 salary, one would get $400 more in their pocket. You would have to purchase a lot of goods/services to spend that on some sales tax increases/additions. A middle class couple could easily get over $1,000 more in their pockets.
I totally do NOT want to offend Bruce/Brianna, I realize this is a difficult issue. I keep coming back to the thought - what makes him/her a woman? Because she dresses like one? Is that enough? Because she says so? Is that enough? He/She is free to do as they want, dress as they want, think as they want - but so is everyone else. I actually feel bad for Denny's for having to go through this instead of just running their business.
I'm sure Cathy is referring to the Somalians. Some of the (not all) were just roaming around during the whole ceremony and just don't know how to shut up. I also went to the Middle School graduation and had the same problem there. One woman actually walked right up the middle aisle right between the boys and girls graduating. Self centered, no consideration for others.
Matt, This argument the we should repeal this tax package because they (government) might raise the income tax up again in the future is ridiculous. Deal with that problem when the time comes, if it does. This is the pinnacle of fear politics, lets not approve this law because of what laws may come in the future. I respect if you are against this tax reform package on other merits or issues, but this one argument drives me crazy.
Including the tax question 1, I went 0 for 5 on these five questions. I voted no on all five. Why do we keep borrowing money when the state is crippled with money problems. If I am having money trouble at home, I am not going to get another loan for a car or a house renovation. It seems pretty simple. I know the bonds are good deals, probably great deals with the federal money and the low interest rates now, but if you don't have the money, you need to stop borrowing.
Thanks to all the people who voted yes, because that extra money in my paycheck would have really sucked. And yeah, thanks to all those business organizations listed above that only care about their bottom line. Nice of them to ignore the fact that their employees could have gotten more money in their paychecks.
Sticker shock is a bit of an exaggeration isn't it Mainah? Lets say you need to get your car repaired and the bill is $1,000. Now, take into consideration the fact that you already are charged tax on any parts, oil & filters, or tires that are required on your repair, the new tax is only on the Labor charge of the bill. So on that $1,000 repair bill, maybe $500 of that is labor and your new tax would be $25. Adding $25 to your repair bill is hardly "Sticker Shock" material. Nice try trying to scare uneducated voters though...
This is a very smart move for Black Bear. The Bahres are very well known, successful, and very popular with the local yokels (no offense intended). I think this is a complete game changer on the casino. Now you have the former president of Barber Foods and the former owners of NHIS proposing a casino in Oxford County. This is not just a bunch of wanna be investors looking to cash in. This just got very interesting.
Erin, I agree with most of your post, but this grant is paid for by tax dollars. Just because a grant comes from a federal program doesn't mean it doesn't cost anything. Where do you think the money for this grant comes from? Tax dollars...
I keep reading posts from "hard working conservatives" (because apparently ALL liberals sit at home and collect welfare checks) complaining that this tax proposal is somehow meant to help out the poor welfare people even more and screw working people. How is a 2% reduction in income tax hurting the working class. I will vote yes on question 1 to get 2% more in my paycheck every week. If I am really concerned with the sales tax increases, I will watch my purchases more closely. I figure I will have to make ALOT of purchases to catch up to the 2% extra in my paycheck.
jcc, if you read the posts here on this story you will see that on EVERY SINGLE POST that is for continuing funding the services for trinity, the writer goes with the basic belief that trinity parents pay taxes and public school parents don't. I just called them out on it. Bunch of stuck-up, better than you parents. I did not say they are all rich, they did it themselves.
The only fair thing to do would be to legalize gambling in maine and let free enterprise decide on casinos. At some point, some special interest group will get a casino approved and others will feel screwed. Hollywood Slots got approved on the basis of supporting the fledgling harness racing scene in maine. As far as the tribes wanting their own casinos, why can't they move on from being wronged over 200 years ago? Get an education, get a job, pass it on to the next generation. It's not that hard.
If you really believe that only republican politicians attack each other, you must be an idiot. Politicians in both parties will pretty much say and/or do anything to gain ground on their elections/positions. Just politics as usual.
Poliquin is a classic example of a politician. After stating that there was no room in the election process for attack ads, he comes out with what is definitely an attack ad and calls it something else. Come on, really? Politicians are great at saying whatever sounds good in the moment...
What a stuck-up bunch of supporters the Trinity school has. They always feel like they have to tell everyone how much taxes they pay (status maybe) to support their cause. All while at the same time having their hands out for money for free bus rides and more. Do you really think that only welfare cases go to public schools??? So I will turn the question on you high class religious tax payers, how much exactly does your religion (oops, I mean school) charge per semester? And yes, I pay property taxes on my home that I own - so do I get an opinion too or not?
These families are choosing to send their kids to a private school. The city offers schooling and transportation to the public schools. If you choose to go a different route, you should pay for it. A couple of analogies: I don't want the water for my home to come from Lake Auburn, I want it from Portland - and I want the city to pay to pipe it to my house. Kind of crazy right? How about I don't want the city bringing my trash to the city dump, I want my trash sent to Lisbon - and I want the city transport my trash to Lisbon for free. (I realize this is not a good analogy, comparing kids to trash, but I am trying to compare city services). If you want to send your kid to private school go ahead - more power to you. Just don't do it with your hand out...
Thanks for the response Patty. How about addressing the whole somali's getting special treatment complaints we always hear? I would be very interested to see what all the fuss is about. In this case specifically, why is this woman driving without a license, who's Mercedes was it if it was not hers, why did the court feel that it needed to tell her not to drive without a license ( I mean really - this one is so ridiculous )? I also noticed Patty that there were a lot of post removed on this subject. While I understand offensive comments being removed, it seems like your paper is a little sensitive on the somali issue. I read some pretty bad comments from the left and right political nuts once in a while...
With all of the rumors and complaints over the years of the Somali immigrants receiving special treatment and perks, I think the sun-journal could use this case as an example and get some answers on things once an for all. I am surprised like many others here that this woman lives on Knox Street yet drives a Mercedes SUV? She doesn't have a drivers license, and the court ACTUALLY ordered her to not drive without a license? Are you kidding me!!! There are way too many people on welfare working the system. That includes all you 'lifelong mainer' welfare losers who somehow feel you deserve it more than others. WELFARE IS NOT A LIFESTYLE...
Doesn't PETA realize that stupid statements like this just hurt their cause and credibility? These groups (also MCLU, NRA, etc.) always go too extreme and become nut jobs. As a footnote: I had lobster this past weekend and that "smart, sensitive and unique individual" was damn tasty!!!!
Politicians and Teamsters, what a dangerous combination of corruption.... How may people that were more talented, better educated and/or more experienced were turned down for the jobs this guy was given. The issue of money the guy owes is nothing compared to how he got these jobs.
I have to agree with your comment that the longer people live here the less positive their outlook. I have lived here almost all of my 39 years and I think this city has a very bleak future. Welfare and the poor downtown area will always bring this city down, and I really cannot see that changing. The welfare cycle continues and grows with each generation. I have heard about the downtown revitalization it seems like forever. I still have no desire to stroll downtown and 'enjoy' the area. How about Kennedy Park? I haven't stepped foot on that grass since I was a kid at one of the festivals there and I can honestly say I have absolutely no desire to do so anytime soon. So what exactly is attractive about downtown Lewiston?
So you would rather have the insurance companies decide who gets care and who doesn't, as it has been? Yeah, I REALLY trust my insurance company (which my employer keeps changing every couple of years) to make the right decisions for my family. As to your concern for "death panels" deciding on care, hospitals and doctors have always been making decisions for you. For example if they tell you that you have stage 5 cancer and there is nothing they can do for you, they are deciding that the money spent on you would not be worth the results. When your loved one is dying and they tell you they will "keep them comfortable (sedated)", they are making a decision to stop treating them because the cost of extending care would not be worth any potential benefits to the patient.
Which shows that the city bus system is a failure. Not enough riders to pay for it. Is it REALLY needed? The city has cab companies. The idea of running a bus in circles around the city all day only works if enough people want it and use it. I would love to see some statistics on how many riders per bus per day.
The bus service should be able to support itself with rider fares. I am guessing though that it is not even close to breaking even. I see the bus usually empty or maybe with 1 or 2 people in it. The city should stop supporting the buses and let the cab companies have the extra business.
I have no idea whether or not the Saracens group is an outlaw group of drug dealers, but I would be very surprised if they were working on their Toys for Tots donations and a gunfight broke out. Trouble finds trouble...
This is probably the number 1 problem in this city, and shows a very bleak future for Lewiston. All of these dropouts are going to continue adding to the welfare rolls, low quality of life, and many social problems. Kind of depressing really...
Just because someone sends out a cartoon in an email does not make that person a racist. Just like some people find Family Guy funny and others are offended. Relax a little, its just a joke. Lets not become like the muslims who want to kill over cartoons.
The House passed the health care bill and to my surprise the world did NOT end!!! Amazing... Note to Republicans: your party is being destroyed by your right wing extremists, who will say anything to try to sway public opinion. Turn off Fox "News" and gain back control of your party.
By garden master, unverified — Mon, 12/07/2009 - 11:44
Homeowners Association has rules for ALL of the homes in that area. Col. Barfoot didn't read the rules when he moved in apparently. The fact that he is a war veteran does not exclude him from following the rules of the association. He is wrong on this issue. If he is unhappy with the associations rules he should work to change them, or move into a neighborhood not controlled by a Homeowners Association.
By garden master, unverified — Thu, 11/05/2009 - 12:08
Seems like some extremely poor financial decisions have been made over the last few years leading up to the PTC's current troubles. They need to look at alternatives, selling a camp should be the absolute last resort. The biggest impression I always got from visiting the different camps in the state was that the Boy Scout organization had really planned well in acquiring the magnificent camp sites over the years. If they sell Gustin, it is gone forever. It will only be a very short term fix to their financial problems and they will be in the same situation shortly, maybe even only a year from now! An alternative would be to consolidate the portland office in half and rent out the other half as premium office space (Portland office space, right by the airport - hello $$). This would generate a constant revenue stream while not affecting the boys directly. The PTC's poor handling of it's finances make me wonder if I've made the right choice when I donated money every year for Friend of Scouting... If they do sell Gustin, I guarantee they will not be getting anymore donations from me.
Recent Comments
tired of paying
I think the people of Maine are just tired of paying for welfare in general. What used to be seen as helping those less fortunate 25 years ago has turned into too many people making poor lifestyle choices and looking for someone to help them out. Look at Jessica in this article. I do not know Jessica at all and I congratulate her of getting her life back together. But, I have to assume that most of the last 15 years of her life were spent on food stamps, welfare, unemployment, maybe even telling little white lies to keep getting assistance. How much has this one person cost the state? As a democrat, I applaud Governor LePage for looking to trim the huge welfare and associated budgets. These handouts become never ending.
DHHS Jobs
I hope the people in charge of running DHHS for the last 10-20 years were fired for not doing their jobs. Instead, it seems like people want to get credit for now catching fraud. Why were these people not doing their jobs correctly before? Years and Years of continued fraud, stories spread around about abuses, EVERYONE knew there was fraud in the system. This is just ridiculous.
names
Dan...
Amount of Comments
I don't really have any problem with the current system. The only major downside is that the amount of comments on most articles is very minimal. There also seem to only be a few different viewpoints because it seems like 90% of all posts are made by 10% of the users. The only time an article gets a lot of comments is when the usual group starts going back and forth about Republicans and Democrats - and you could just cut-and-paste their comments into any article. Are we really achieving better quality posts like this?
tuition
WOW, how generous of them... The economy has been in the tank for what - 5 years, and now they decide they need to not raise tuition? Prices are completely outrageous, no financial aid available for a middle class family. We can't pay the $70,000 it will cost my son to go to UMF but of course we don't qualify for any financial aid. My son will have huge loans after he has graduated. Thanks for not raising tuition, now how about lowering it?
headline change
Notice how this article has a different headline than the print edition. The print edition's headline was "Immigrants will feel sting of cuts by state". I am guessing the print's headline was a little too direct and they decided later to soften the headline.
dogs
Maybe the new board will reconsider the dog ban? I would propose a Dog Owner membership rate/category. Increase your club's membership and money while letting Dog Owner members walk their dogs in the park. I would sign up for that.
tell it like it is
Special interest group crying because the governor won't go to their event. I did not vote for LePage but I gotta love his candid, exactly correct response. That being said, this only works if he does it to all special interest groups, including any groups that may have helped him get into office.
neighborhood
It's not a neighborhood, it's a business park. Seems like a good location to me.
nice try...
Common sense, your attempt to protect your Republican ally falls short. The reason no one is being charged in this case is because it was a business transaction problem and he claimed bankruptcy, his pharmacy no longer exists. I'm sure he set up his business to protect his personal finances as most all businesses do. You go on to some how claim that the market conditions should have allowed for him to charge anything he wanted, which obviously is not the case. There were rules to follow and he didn't follow them correctly. I can almost believe he didn't intentionally screw the state, but he should not be rewarded the speaker position considering what he did to the state.
arts...
Are you saying your "arts" business cannot exist without a handout from the city? Who's problem is that? All you have to do is find a new space to rent, which should not be a problem for any successful business. If your "art" was so valuable you would be able to sell your art pieces/tickets/services for a profitable amount to the public. Basically, your problems are not the problems of the entire city of Auburn.
Candice
Your post is childish at best. Many people in Lewiston voted for the oxford county casino. I would think that most of the people who voted no voted that way because they are against all casinos, not just the one in Oxford. As they say, "don't take it personal". I think very few people bought into the Lewiston Casino Group's campaign of save your vote for L/A. The lewiston casino will not pass either way, it does not have local support, let alone statewide support.
lewiston casino
I don't think the lewiston casino has a chance in hell in passing, no matter what. It doesn't even have local support, why would it have statewide support? This is just Mendros and company trying their best to put a positive spin on anything they can.
Agree with Makas
I agree with Elaine Makas on this issue. These employees were given lifetime insurance as a benefit. Lifetime is lifetime, not until the county doesn't feel like paying for it anymore. I think it was an outrageous benefit that never should have been offered. But the county shouldn't go back on it's word.
nice
Excellent post Candice. Many scout parents feel the same way. If they sell this camp, they will have a very hard time with their 'friends of scouting' fundraising campaigns for quite a while. I donated every year their 'cost per scout per year' amount, which I think was $100 and then was raised to $144. I could easily see myself making this same donation for many years, even when my scout was no longer involved. I did not donate this year specifically because of the Gustin proposed sale, and I don't see myself donating to this organization anymore. Are you reading any of this PTC???
clear the land
If they don't know what they are going to do with the property, keep it or sell it, why would they go ahead with this land clearing? Wouldn't you want to have a plan in place before you change the landscape? Also, why clear a good portion of this property for so-called "maintenance" when it had been untouched for all these years. Now all of a sudden it needs to be "maintained". This smells like yesterday's diapers.
what is biased?
Biased news channels are any ones that "you" don't agree with. The news channels "you" agree with are the only credible news stations. This applies to everyone.
toast
I bet the republicans are wishing they could change their candidate for governor. This guy is toast. I can almost buy the answer of a minor error on the tax issue, but if you add in the fact that his kids are going to their "in-state" college in Florida, then it gets a lot more difficult to swallow.
magical money???
I find it kind of amusing that many of these posts seems to have the belief that the money should be there to help out the Y - from the cities, grants, whatever. BUT always from someone else's pockets. Most people complain about taxes constantly, about government waste, whatever... but the attitude quickly changes if it is a cause you care about.
On a separate viewpoint, this is a great opportunity for the two local Y organizations to work together on one modern facility. I have no idea how the ywca and the ymca are organized, but if they can work together, they should. It's time for a new facility for both cities to use.
Baseball alive and well - for a select few
Terry, I would argue that baseball is alive and well if you are one of the all-stars on your team. I would bet that most of these teams you are talking about are made up of mostly the same kids. Legion I believe was started by invitation only - hand picked kids by the group of coaches. And the All-Star games from little league take precedence over regular league games. Anyone who has had any experience with little league the past few years knows the kids names I am talking about. Kids have left little league baseball out of frustration, tired of sitting on the bench while the coaches kid plays shortstop, pitches and bats first. They go on to other sports where they can actually get playing time. My experience with my son was at Elliot, where winning is everything. I don't think I will ever forget watching one kid (not my son) come and play every year, even though he sat the bench for half the game, played outfield when he got to play, and was put in the batting order as little as possible. This happened every game! This kid was not very good from the beginning, but how was he ever going to get better? He got half the playing time, got as little contact with the ball as possible, and batted about half the time as anyone else. This happened to a lot of kids to a much lesser extent, but was still frustrating. One time during a playoff game, our coach (you know him) moved this kid from one side of the outfield to the other because the other team had been hitting the ball to this kid. The coach made no real secret of the fact that he was trying to get this kid out of the action. I'll put in the politically correct statement here that I am not talking about ALL the coaches in little league, BUT it is a widespread problem. A kid who wants to casually play baseball has no real chance.
questionable math???
At Roger's rate of $150 a year, I guess he is basing that on a annual salary of only $7,500 (using the 2% income tax reduction)? Is that realistic? Using a very modest 20,000 salary, one would get $400 more in their pocket. You would have to purchase a lot of goods/services to spend that on some sales tax increases/additions. A middle class couple could easily get over $1,000 more in their pockets.
agreed
Tron and Thinking Man - we don't care about your family problems, take your arguments somewhere else.
Not to offend...
I totally do NOT want to offend Bruce/Brianna, I realize this is a difficult issue. I keep coming back to the thought - what makes him/her a woman? Because she dresses like one? Is that enough? Because she says so? Is that enough? He/She is free to do as they want, dress as they want, think as they want - but so is everyone else. I actually feel bad for Denny's for having to go through this instead of just running their business.
Somalians
I'm sure Cathy is referring to the Somalians. Some of the (not all) were just roaming around during the whole ceremony and just don't know how to shut up. I also went to the Middle School graduation and had the same problem there. One woman actually walked right up the middle aisle right between the boys and girls graduating. Self centered, no consideration for others.
taxes back up?
Matt, This argument the we should repeal this tax package because they (government) might raise the income tax up again in the future is ridiculous. Deal with that problem when the time comes, if it does. This is the pinnacle of fear politics, lets not approve this law because of what laws may come in the future. I respect if you are against this tax reform package on other merits or issues, but this one argument drives me crazy.
traffic
Too much traffic would probably be a nice problem to have, wouldn't it?
free land
Wasn't it in the paper a couple of days ago that Bedard was looking for the city to give them the property?
bonds
Including the tax question 1, I went 0 for 5 on these five questions. I voted no on all five. Why do we keep borrowing money when the state is crippled with money problems. If I am having money trouble at home, I am not going to get another loan for a car or a house renovation. It seems pretty simple. I know the bonds are good deals, probably great deals with the federal money and the low interest rates now, but if you don't have the money, you need to stop borrowing.
yeah, thanks
Thanks to all the people who voted yes, because that extra money in my paycheck would have really sucked. And yeah, thanks to all those business organizations listed above that only care about their bottom line. Nice of them to ignore the fact that their employees could have gotten more money in their paychecks.
Sticker shock???
Sticker shock is a bit of an exaggeration isn't it Mainah? Lets say you need to get your car repaired and the bill is $1,000. Now, take into consideration the fact that you already are charged tax on any parts, oil & filters, or tires that are required on your repair, the new tax is only on the Labor charge of the bill. So on that $1,000 repair bill, maybe $500 of that is labor and your new tax would be $25. Adding $25 to your repair bill is hardly "Sticker Shock" material. Nice try trying to scare uneducated voters though...
Lawn Darts!
That brings back memories. Used to play lawn darts by the pool at my parents house. Haven't thought of that in a long time.
Good move
This is a very smart move for Black Bear. The Bahres are very well known, successful, and very popular with the local yokels (no offense intended). I think this is a complete game changer on the casino. Now you have the former president of Barber Foods and the former owners of NHIS proposing a casino in Oxford County. This is not just a bunch of wanna be investors looking to cash in. This just got very interesting.
good stuff
This is one of the funniest articles I've read in a long time! You can't make this !*#@ up. Hilarious.
Erin
Erin, I agree with most of your post, but this grant is paid for by tax dollars. Just because a grant comes from a federal program doesn't mean it doesn't cost anything. Where do you think the money for this grant comes from? Tax dollars...
A little exaggeration maybe...
10 Minutes?!?!??! Really?
vote no - yes...
Thanks tron, my bad, I meant I will vote no in my post...
Welfare help?
I keep reading posts from "hard working conservatives" (because apparently ALL liberals sit at home and collect welfare checks) complaining that this tax proposal is somehow meant to help out the poor welfare people even more and screw working people. How is a 2% reduction in income tax hurting the working class. I will vote yes on question 1 to get 2% more in my paycheck every week. If I am really concerned with the sales tax increases, I will watch my purchases more closely. I figure I will have to make ALOT of purchases to catch up to the 2% extra in my paycheck.
JCC
jcc, if you read the posts here on this story you will see that on EVERY SINGLE POST that is for continuing funding the services for trinity, the writer goes with the basic belief that trinity parents pay taxes and public school parents don't. I just called them out on it. Bunch of stuck-up, better than you parents. I did not say they are all rich, they did it themselves.
legalize gambling in maine
The only fair thing to do would be to legalize gambling in maine and let free enterprise decide on casinos. At some point, some special interest group will get a casino approved and others will feel screwed. Hollywood Slots got approved on the basis of supporting the fledgling harness racing scene in maine. As far as the tribes wanting their own casinos, why can't they move on from being wronged over 200 years ago? Get an education, get a job, pass it on to the next generation. It's not that hard.
Monday Morning Quarterbacks
Agreed 100%. Good call.
Ugh
If you really believe that only republican politicians attack each other, you must be an idiot. Politicians in both parties will pretty much say and/or do anything to gain ground on their elections/positions. Just politics as usual.
business as usual
Poliquin is a classic example of a politician. After stating that there was no room in the election process for attack ads, he comes out with what is definitely an attack ad and calls it something else. Come on, really? Politicians are great at saying whatever sounds good in the moment...
What a stuck-up bunch of
What a stuck-up bunch of supporters the Trinity school has. They always feel like they have to tell everyone how much taxes they pay (status maybe) to support their cause. All while at the same time having their hands out for money for free bus rides and more. Do you really think that only welfare cases go to public schools??? So I will turn the question on you high class religious tax payers, how much exactly does your religion (oops, I mean school) charge per semester? And yes, I pay property taxes on my home that I own - so do I get an opinion too or not?
It's your choice
These families are choosing to send their kids to a private school. The city offers schooling and transportation to the public schools. If you choose to go a different route, you should pay for it. A couple of analogies: I don't want the water for my home to come from Lake Auburn, I want it from Portland - and I want the city to pay to pipe it to my house. Kind of crazy right? How about I don't want the city bringing my trash to the city dump, I want my trash sent to Lisbon - and I want the city transport my trash to Lisbon for free. (I realize this is not a good analogy, comparing kids to trash, but I am trying to compare city services). If you want to send your kid to private school go ahead - more power to you. Just don't do it with your hand out...
Somali's a Touchy Subject?
Thanks for the response Patty. How about addressing the whole somali's getting special treatment complaints we always hear? I would be very interested to see what all the fuss is about. In this case specifically, why is this woman driving without a license, who's Mercedes was it if it was not hers, why did the court feel that it needed to tell her not to drive without a license ( I mean really - this one is so ridiculous )? I also noticed Patty that there were a lot of post removed on this subject. While I understand offensive comments being removed, it seems like your paper is a little sensitive on the somali issue. I read some pretty bad comments from the left and right political nuts once in a while...
more questions for SJ
With all of the rumors and complaints over the years of the Somali immigrants receiving special treatment and perks, I think the sun-journal could use this case as an example and get some answers on things once an for all. I am surprised like many others here that this woman lives on Knox Street yet drives a Mercedes SUV? She doesn't have a drivers license, and the court ACTUALLY ordered her to not drive without a license? Are you kidding me!!! There are way too many people on welfare working the system. That includes all you 'lifelong mainer' welfare losers who somehow feel you deserve it more than others. WELFARE IS NOT A LIFESTYLE...
Idiots
Doesn't PETA realize that stupid statements like this just hurt their cause and credibility? These groups (also MCLU, NRA, etc.) always go too extreme and become nut jobs. As a footnote: I had lobster this past weekend and that "smart, sensitive and unique individual" was damn tasty!!!!
corruption
Politicians and Teamsters, what a dangerous combination of corruption.... How may people that were more talented, better educated and/or more experienced were turned down for the jobs this guy was given. The issue of money the guy owes is nothing compared to how he got these jobs.
potvin
As I mentioned in my earlier post, I feel like I've been hearing how great the downtown can be all my life. I'll believe it when I see it...
Depressed...
I have to agree with your comment that the longer people live here the less positive their outlook. I have lived here almost all of my 39 years and I think this city has a very bleak future. Welfare and the poor downtown area will always bring this city down, and I really cannot see that changing. The welfare cycle continues and grows with each generation. I have heard about the downtown revitalization it seems like forever. I still have no desire to stroll downtown and 'enjoy' the area. How about Kennedy Park? I haven't stepped foot on that grass since I was a kid at one of the festivals there and I can honestly say I have absolutely no desire to do so anytime soon. So what exactly is attractive about downtown Lewiston?
it already happens
So you would rather have the insurance companies decide who gets care and who doesn't, as it has been? Yeah, I REALLY trust my insurance company (which my employer keeps changing every couple of years) to make the right decisions for my family. As to your concern for "death panels" deciding on care, hospitals and doctors have always been making decisions for you. For example if they tell you that you have stage 5 cancer and there is nothing they can do for you, they are deciding that the money spent on you would not be worth the results. When your loved one is dying and they tell you they will "keep them comfortable (sedated)", they are making a decision to stop treating them because the cost of extending care would not be worth any potential benefits to the patient.
correct
Which shows that the city bus system is a failure. Not enough riders to pay for it. Is it REALLY needed? The city has cab companies. The idea of running a bus in circles around the city all day only works if enough people want it and use it. I would love to see some statistics on how many riders per bus per day.
rider fares
The bus service should be able to support itself with rider fares. I am guessing though that it is not even close to breaking even. I see the bus usually empty or maybe with 1 or 2 people in it. The city should stop supporting the buses and let the cab companies have the extra business.
Outlaw Gang?
I have no idea whether or not the Saracens group is an outlaw group of drug dealers, but I would be very surprised if they were working on their Toys for Tots donations and a gunfight broke out. Trouble finds trouble...
Lewiston's future?
This is probably the number 1 problem in this city, and shows a very bleak future for Lewiston. All of these dropouts are going to continue adding to the welfare rolls, low quality of life, and many social problems. Kind of depressing really...
racist, really???
Just because someone sends out a cartoon in an email does not make that person a racist. Just like some people find Family Guy funny and others are offended. Relax a little, its just a joke. Lets not become like the muslims who want to kill over cartoons.
to my surprise...
The House passed the health care bill and to my surprise the world did NOT end!!! Amazing... Note to Republicans: your party is being destroyed by your right wing extremists, who will say anything to try to sway public opinion. Turn off Fox "News" and gain back control of your party.
You are all idiots - Yes,
You are all idiots - Yes, she definitely planned on someone shooting a puck right at her face. Come on....
Homeowners Association has
Homeowners Association has rules for ALL of the homes in that area. Col. Barfoot didn't read the rules when he moved in apparently. The fact that he is a war veteran does not exclude him from following the rules of the association. He is wrong on this issue. If he is unhappy with the associations rules he should work to change them, or move into a neighborhood not controlled by a Homeowners Association.
Seems like some extremely
Seems like some extremely poor financial decisions have been made over the last few years leading up to the PTC's current troubles. They need to look at alternatives, selling a camp should be the absolute last resort. The biggest impression I always got from visiting the different camps in the state was that the Boy Scout organization had really planned well in acquiring the magnificent camp sites over the years. If they sell Gustin, it is gone forever. It will only be a very short term fix to their financial problems and they will be in the same situation shortly, maybe even only a year from now! An alternative would be to consolidate the portland office in half and rent out the other half as premium office space (Portland office space, right by the airport - hello $$). This would generate a constant revenue stream while not affecting the boys directly. The PTC's poor handling of it's finances make me wonder if I've made the right choice when I donated money every year for Friend of Scouting... If they do sell Gustin, I guarantee they will not be getting anymore donations from me.