Not making comment on this case, but on the trend overall.
when was the last time the use of excess force was not justified? I do not recall, ever, hearing that a police officer in Maine was reprimanded in anyway for the use of force on a citizen.
Is this just another rubber stamp approval by our attorney general?
Of the scores of uses of force, the dozens of departments, thousands of officers, is there never even one instance of wrongdoing?
he has not done great work. he spends a massive amount of time blogging, while being paid by maine taxpayers to oversee the finances of the state, criticizing other maine citizens. he used his influence, while treasurer, to influence the government of georgetown to grant him a variance to property use laws while it was opposed by every abutting property owner. and the fact that his businesses make no money should be a sign that as a mad businessman, he is a bad fit as a treasurer or in any elected/appointed office.
Very sorry to see this gene\tleman and his family have to leave our country. ate at his establishment, while it was a good restaurant, i found the personal nature of Mr Mahamud an even bigger draw for the location. Nice man, good businessman, he will be missed.
Once again, it's Dale Crafts who is lining up to give special preference to this egg factory. Last year he wanted to take away workers rights to be paid time and a half for work over 40 hours a week, now it's unionizing he doesn't like.
I have to ask what kind of cash is the egg farm throwing his way? it all stinks to high heaven, is he promising the seller and buyer of this place some preferential treatment in augusta so that the deal will go through?
You have to remember that laws that are in place that limit certain labor regulations in the agricultural field are made because at one time most farms were family owned and operated, and for the most part it was family members doing the work so things like overtime was not required by law. This thing is a long long way from a farm, it is a factory operation plain and simple. That Mr Crafts is ready to sell the rights of a mostly hispanic workforce there down the road is very very troubling.
the "rate" may remain unchanged, but there are 2000 more unemployed mainers in december that there were the previous month. another month of job losses for LePage,, I believe he is saying in his state of the state speech that maine needs jobs, did it take him the whole year to figure that out?
remember that this op/ed is based on "facts" given up by the LePage administration, and as has been the case all through his first year, the truth is the one thing that has suffered most in Maine.
Baldacci brought this project here with the hard work from the Brunswick redevelopment people, and Maine's congressional delegation. LePage queered the deal, plain and simple.
Perhaps he was too busy entertaining a representative from "asia's auto industry" to bother with this project.
Renewable energy is the only way Maine will be able to lower their cost of energy. Which by the way is not that bad when you compare to other states that are locked out of the highly tax subsidized coal and hydro markets. We have lower electric costs than any other state in New England, and being rural have greater access to use of wood.
The governors plan to ramp up the use of natural gas is ill advised, much like oil it is a fossil fuel and it's use releases sequestered carbon into the atmosphere. It's cost is rising, and will continue to rise as extraction methods get more complicated and expensive. True renewable energy, wind, tidal, solar, bio mass and yes wood will lower Maine's cost, carbon footprint, and unemployment rate.
How is it that the head of our state can't see that? Or is someone else pushing the buttons?
lie after lie after lie. It started in the campaign, his buffalo and black fly count being the most famous early fib, and has continued through his first year almost non stop.
Here's the latest, and it's kind of a golden oldie he's used before. a representative from the japanese auto industry visited Maine, and of course no one outside the governor's office knew if it happening, but the rep said they would be glad to open up here if the utility costs were lower.
I call BS to that and challenge anyone in state government to prove that actually happened.
This governor is an embarrassment, he's like a 12 year old making up stories to keep frm being punished for throwing a baseball throw the garage window.
Just look to Charlie Webster to learn what is really being the voter ID law here in Maine. He will be right back on his mythical soap box, complaining about the busloads of college students flooding our polling places, he'll probably even add that they don't have a stake in Maine so shouldn't be allowed to vote, our secretary of state will join in complaining how those students haven't followed the law by registering their cars here or getting drivers licenses, even though that has nothing to do with voting requirements.
How would a college student, who is from out of state, be able to do as the law allows, vote here if they don't have a Maine drivers license or state issued ID? Students who come here in cars owned by their parents, have insurance issued in their home states, so the car is registered and they are licensed in their home states. There are a myriad of requirements for getting the state ID or Maine drivers license, requirements that will have to be changed before any type of voter ID law cam be legally implemented.
It's all about some of our elected and appointed officials wanteing to steal the right to vote away from some of us.
Remember where the money came from to fight Issue one, Charlie Summers and Charlie Webster wouldn't admit it, but they knew, a Michigan group, funded by a Florida group, funded by a multi national corporate family with no interest in Maine gave the hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for last minute TV ads.
I'm curious about LePage's "plan" to import Canadaian electric power to our state.
It's not been printed in any real form as far as I can see, and even though he made an extended trip there within the last several months he has come out with nothing firm to prove there's actually a possibility of it happening.
After looking into electric rates in eastern Canada, you will learn 2 things.
First is that some people there do pay lower rates for electricity that here in Maine, some areas though in eastern Canada do not have lower rates than we already have.
Second you will learn that facilities that produce electricity in Canada are highly government subsidized. The areas that are getting power substantially cheaper than rates in Maine are being boosted by tax payer subsidies.
With that being said, why would anyone think that Canada would allow Maine to draw electricity from their grid at those same cheap prices. Wouldn't the people of Canada be a little upset that their tax dollars would be going to pay to electrify Maine homes and businesses?
Ms Hutchinson, people are people, and the things you describe come from people of all colors, ages, nationalties. You sound to me like one of many people living in Lewiston who are afraid of the unknown, and afraid of different people. By blindly blaming a very small portion to Lewiston for all the perceived ills of the day is just plain racist. Black people, white people, christian people, muslim people, are all people. The story about the somalians and their 10th anniversary here is the exception rather than the rule for maine newspapers. The bulk of news stories are about white christian people, in government, in business, in schools and in communities. Welcome diversity and welcome people into your life, and into your heart, be a good human, it's good for you!
Drove by the thing in Lewiston the other day,,, also drove by a new one up in South Monmouth,,, egads! Too bad for the people living anywhere near it, you'll never sell your property now.
And for anyone even wondering,, the CMP project has nothing to do with our current administration, or the GOP legilsature. This project and the several thousand jobs it created was put together before we made the "big mistake" of 2010.
And considering this one project added over 2000 jobs to our economy, it makes the results of LePage's work all the more depressing.
November 2011 jobs numbers,, we have 4000 fewer jobs than one month ago,,, and about 7000 fewer jobs than a year ago. LePage and his box of tools in Augusta will point to the falling unemployment rate, but that's the result of people falling off the benefit rools, and moving out of state.
I miss Baldacci!
And that is it. Thank you Sun Journal for attempting to tell the true story of the changes in Lewiston over the last 10 years.
While yours was a story of just a few people, it tells the story that I have seen time and again in the time I have spent in Lewiston.
Hold your heads high Lewiston, be proud of your diversity, and seize the opportunity to make a reputation of a kind and loving community.
Mr Agren is 100% right, I work in Lewiston on a regular basis, in fact I have worked several time assisting Mr Agren with the improvement projects he is going through on Lisbon St.
Lewiston is one of those towns that can grow on you once you get to know the people who love living there. I've been to each corner of the town, worked for home owners, renters, property managers and business people and I have come across a very diverse group of people that make up a community in the best sense of that word.
I don't live in Lewiston, but it angers me that so many people inside and out of the town latch on to tired old myth and anecdotal evidence to criticize the town, or groups of people living there.
Mr Agren is investing his hard earned money in this town and he's spreading the truth. I'm also spreading the word, Lewiston is a great Maine town, will you help spread the word too readers?
nothing like using anecdotal evidence and second hand information to make decisions that effect lives. Perhaps the young lady can explain how many fellow Walmart employees are on DHHS benefits of somekind because of their low wages and limited hours. Or perhaps you can go to Mardens' and find one of LePage's "most efficent" employees, Remember his "poster child" for welfare benefits? The single mom that worked for $10 an hour, and LePage agreed to keep her pay at $10 an hour in order to allow her to keep "welfare" benefits. What happened to her,, or was that perhaps a lie?
I]ll never say there is no fraud in welfare, but the amount defrauded by the few cheating recipients is far outweighed by fruad coming from hospitals and doctors over charges, fraud from pharmacies that overbill for items never sold, and billing services that pad their accounts with unearned tax payer dollars.
LePage is willing to kick close to 10% of the state under the bus because his conservative backers believe that they way to economic success is to demonize anyone getting government assistance.
Cut corporate welfare, and restore the massive tax cuts given to the wealthy, the budge will balance just like it did over the last 8 years.
LePage is a pathological liar, he started over a year ago, reemember the buffalo count? There was absolutely no truth in that whatsoever, then he claimed that tire ruts were being ruled as vernal pools by the state. Then the florida fiasco, adopted son? The whole mural issue brought his lack of honesty to the forefront.
More important is that during his first year he has continually used lies to support and defend his initiatives and proposals.
In addition to the complete lie about comments frm Forbes magazine about welfare and energy costs, he also claimed in the same town meeting that our gas tax is the highest in the nation, it's not. Finally in answering a question about road repair he claimed that DOT had done as much repair work this year as they had done last year, at a savings of over $100 million. The depoartment said themselves that they planned 75% less basic road repair work, because of the slashed budget given to them by LePage and the current legislature.
We have weekly evidence of his lies, You know the old joke, How can you tell when the Governor is lying? When his mouth is moving! Only the joke is on us.
Ms Mayhew, your tired old "blame the previous administration" style has to stop. We're fully aware that Maine has to pay an awful lot to sustain the elderly, disabled, and working poor in our state. The tact of lies and myth that your boss has taken is the wrong way to go, it's a shame you are taking the same path.
You say that LePage has asked to you perform a "thorough analysis of its $2.4 billion budget". I'm curious, of that has not yet been done, how do you and Mr Lepage come up with the numbers about your budget deficit? perhaps it's a guess? Or maybe a lie? Ask him how his buffalo count is going.
Since Mr LePage is proposing that tax payer funded health insurance be cut for all childless adults, I would suggest that his be cut also. His children are adults and responsible for their own. he and his wife certainly have enough salary and perks. Cut cut cut Paul,,,, till it hurts!
I feel very badly for the citizens of Lewiston. I do not live in Lewiston, I do however know a good number of people who do live there, I work in Lewiston as a contractor, and I frequent Lewiston businesses. There are a lot of very good things going on in Lewiston. Many areas of the town are thriving despite a national and statewide slumping economy. Lewiston is a place where diversity is not just a pie in the sky goal, it is fact, and the vast majority of people live together with respect and trust for those of and not of their color, nationality, economic status or religious background.
It's quite sad that in a town with this much going for it, a man like MacDonald with his backward racist opinions could be one of the top 2 candidates for mayor approved by the voters. Sad,,, very very sad. He admits he is a one issue candidate, claiming that his issue is a stop on subsidized housing, it's been reporting that he as mayor would not have the authority to do that, why would anyone vote for this man?
People of Lewiston, I pray that you form a majority and finally say no to the racebaiting, lies and perpetuation of myths that mr macDonald appears fond of using as his campaign platform.
For a candidate for public office to "run" based on these lies and rumors is just sad. Lewiston is a wonderful place, no perfect, but really a great town and the citizens there deserve much better. I work there quite often, and I've heard those rumors about the guy with the license plates, etc etc etc, What a complete crock, if McDonald is truly pushing that agenda, he is an idiot and an embarrassment to the city. If he is elected, the citizens of Lewiston should be ashamed.
SJ, it's sad that you would put out such a lengthy article about this group, and never look into the many many other options available to mainers everyday to sell the items they have stored away in their homes. Events like this "treasure hunters roadshow" are nothing but traveling carnivals, offering BOTTOM dollar to what they see as desperate sellers. this one uses a name that sounds similar to those many Cable TV shows popping up about auctions, storage spaces, and attic finds that over exaggerate the value of odd finds. $10,000 for a vampire killing kit?? I call BS on that, and suspect they just pulled that example away from a similar segment on a TV show a few months ago! Maine is full of gold and coin dealers, auction houses, and antique dealers, local people running small local business that have been in business for years and will continue to be in business long after these fly by night operators are long gone.
So this officer takes the time and effort to hassle normal citizens just doing the best they can to move some furniture to their home.
How many cars were obstructed? How many people were inconvenienced? In the entire video piece I heard about 5 cars pass by, and they all just passed by, no traffic jam, no cars struggling to get around the furniture. How many times, when a semi truck full of soda, office supplies, or paper plates, does the officer order that truck to stop blocking a public way?
Perhaps the officer, in the amount of time that he spent "enforcing the law" could have grabbed a few pieces and helped move them to the sidewalk.
Be a human first,,,, do your job second.
You've forgotten several things about the whole "affordable housing" issue.
Racism is one thing that drove the development and expansion of the public housing programs that blossomed in the middle part of the last century. The many public housing projects were developed and built to help concentrate people of color into certain areas, and some developments were put together specifically to produce housing for white people who were displaced by those government programs.
You touched in the other big issue about Section 8 housing, that is that it is a program that gives sizeable government checks to property owners in exchange for renting to low income people who could not otherwise pay for those units. I'm certain that many private property owners are honest in what they do, but it is far from a well run program, never has been, too many property owners extract huge government checks for properties that are poorly maintained and often sub standard.
This is one reason why the programs will never go away, too many wealthy people make their living from the tax payer dollars being handed out for this program.
A few months back, LePage took a trip to Pennsylvania, home of much of the massive amounts of soon to be fracked natural gas. He came back from that meeting absolutely enamored with expanding natural gas in our state. Unfortunate though, he didn't come armed with any facts to back up his plan. Pushing gas as a way to decrease residential heating cost is ridiculous. The massive costs of pipeline ($1 million per mile, huge costs of individual tie ins, and high equipment conversion cost are what he ignores. And with the increasing cost of extraction, the price of gas itself is on the rise. Till LePage begins to embrace any kind of renewable energy as a source for citizens, his energy plans will be no better than any elementary school students. One has to wonder if he is really that ignorant, or if he's just interested in lining the pockets of the massive gas industry at our expense.
Once again, KJ, you are using numbers that just skim the surface of what's actually happening here in Maine. In this economy the real thing to look at would be the number of people actually employed, since as we all know part of the reason the unemployment "rate" is falling is that people are just falling off the unemployment rolls.
Looking at the BLS numbers. The number of employed Mainers in October 2011, "seasonally adjusted" was 694,800 one year ago is was 696,800, that's a loss of 2000 jobs. A similar lloss of jobs shows in the examination of "not seasonaly adjusted": numbers.
Bottom line, in Maine, we are worse off than we were a year ago.
LePage is the worst kind of politician in that he has not learned a lesson, and and not the basics of being an elected official.
He still thinks he's the boss, and that we are all his cashiers and stock boys stacking and selling expired food and cheap misprinted t-shirts.
He works for us,,,, somehow he needs to get this message till then his administration will be what it has been all year, an ineffective mess doing nothing but sticking it's collective foot in it's mouth, and angering the citizens.
This is how the renewable energy industry can work. This firm, ReEnergy Holdings is thriving by processing then using what is basically our trash to produce electricity. They are doing so well that they can spend millions of dollars to purchase existing plants.
Now if you ask our great leader mr lepage you would find that fossil fuels, drilling for oil, pipelines for natural gas etc are the way to reduce our energy costs. But perhaps if he read the news once in awhile he would learn that all over the state, all over the nation, industry, residents, even government offices are finding innovative ways to get off fossil fuels, and are creating jobs at the same time.
Wake up time at the Blaine House!
Not sure exactly how "Rotten deal" is funded, but I listened to Mr O'neill speak as the count was winding down last night, he has it right. I believe Mainers have decided that the hands off attitude that this season's legislature has taken about the casino gambling issue is off base. With one casino approved and 3 more on the ballot Maine government opted to wash their hands of the issue. In doing so they ignored the facts that have been proved across the country, The gambling issue is an asset, it is owned by all citizens of the state, and elected officials have an obligation to treat it as such. A tightly regulated process of sighting casions, strict licensing, and opening the issuance to operators up by bid is the way to go. Other states have reaped the benefits, in opening the state to a number of casino "boats" Indiana got billions in upfront money and promised revenue to fix schools, roads, street scapes, government buidlings, and create jobs outside of the casino. Those improvements will long benefit the state, even if the casinos close down. We got no such benefit, and no guarantee from these projects. Now is time for us to hold our state's feet to the fire.
Do not give the gambling asset away!!!!
Webster's comment about people getting along, vs people that fight, shows how out of touch he is.
There is no longer a place for the lies myth and simple bull that was slung from his side of the Issue 1 campaign. That's for 12 year olds planning a run for school council, not for thinking adults.
Charlies,,,,, I hope you think long and hard about the message that the vote on Issue 1 is sending your way, the time for you and your tired old politics has come to and end. See ya!
this is just another sign that Maine's GOP will stoop to any low to try to influence voters. Not a single one of the ads that they are running, tv, print, mail, signs, even address the issue. People from away, preserve your vote, equality maine. Charlie Webster is a buffoon and members of his party should be embarrassed that he is playing games like a 12 year old. In this day and age, campaigning that creates and propogates nothing but myth and lies is completely out of place. Hey Charlie, how about honesty? Ever consider that?
Every newspaper in the state has endorsed a yes, now every newspaper is the state is jumping up to criticize the no side for their media and campaign finance reporting tactics.
Another grandstanding attempt. Or is LePage still of the opinion that ordering drug testing for people on welfare is constitutional? He could of course just pick up a newspaper, perhaps he would read howthe very same plan was shot down in Florida! While he's reading that he would see that his former buddy Tarren Bragdon of the MHPC was involved in the legal decision. Only involved in that the judge tossed out Bragdon's opinion as meaningless! Wish folks up here had done the same.
it works, it works, it works. It has worked for decades. Maine has one of the highest voter turnout rates in the nation. 70 some thousand used same day in 2008 and 2010 november elections. A number of lawmakers, even our governor has used it. The more participation there is in the process, the better the process is. ALL, the newspapers across Maine have endorsed Yes on 1. Investigations, allegations, innuendo have come up empty, no fraud, no illegal votes, and the town clerks individually and as a group ahve said same day registration is not a problem. And now the anti 1 campaign has to resort to shady reporting methods to hide the names and faces of the sources of their money.
Is there more that needs to be said?
Follow me to the polls next tuesday, I'm voting yes on Issue 1.
we, citizens of Maine and across the US, need to demand answers. Since politics has become so influenced by the electronic advertising of our day we must know where the money comes from. By not telling us where the money comes from these people are lying to us, and that should be an insult to us all.
Right up LePage's alley. Cut out government handouts, let our people stand on their own 2 feet, if they weren't so well paid on government assistance maybe they'd go out and fill those thousands of jobs available in Maine,,,,,,,
Or maybe this is what you get when you stand alongside the tea baggers and say things like the president can "go to hell"??
He's a perfect GOP candidate, he's already in the pocket of big business, and knows how to stand in lock step with their orders and ignore the needs of the people he actually represents.
Kudos! I think the whole voter registration issue should bring us to a new level. Why is it that we require 2 separate actions to vote?
The local towns, the state, the government knows who we are and where we live. Why do we have to reigister and then vote?
I think that in this era of new technology, and shared information, towns, states and the federal government have enough information about who we are and where we live via drivers license, tax forms, fees, permits, needs, titles, that any citizen, of age, should be able to walk into the polling place where they live and just vote.
They do it in Canada, and a higher percentage of people vote there than here in the US.
I'm serious about the question, not just tossing this out there to raise anger. Why is it that the horse racing industry needs so much help? Much like any business, if there are customers they will pay to support the racing If there isn't enough support then perhaps the industry needs to change. DO the citizens of Maine who are not fans of racing need to approve major changes to the state to boost a privately owned business?
Over 35,000 Mainers have been enrolled in the plan. If you take a look at overall cost to maine residents for health care insurance over the past 10 years you will see that rates here went up at slower rates than those of states surrounding us. In that time Maine has gone from having the highest rates for health insurance coverage, to having the lowest rates of any state in the northeast. So while Mr LePage and his party minions will tell you differently to support their effort and laying the cash cow of health insurance at the feel of the insurance companies, Dirigo Health has actually helped the entire state in easing health care costs. And guess what, the Dirigo plan has not cost people not enrolled a single dime. Now Mr LePage's plan does have a pretty healthy tax attached to it, doesn't it?
Nice list of stats, but no answers to any of the problems.
Come on United States, join Maine, or recently passed health care reform package in essence says this. Trust the free market, allow big incredbly wealthy health insurers to voluntarily lower the prices they charge and get more people covered with affordable insurance that promotes preventative care! Oh, yea, forgot, that's what we've been doing for generations,,, hasn't worked yet,,, worn't work this time. LePage has led us down the fools path.
The point is Mr McKane, when it comes to requirements for voting, students are residents. It's very simple, even a child can understand that. Your party head, Mr Webster doesn't get that apparently, do you?
The state is slinging a pile of you know what here. At least they are not telling the whole story, not in the least.
The unemployment numbers they tout comes from the "seasonally adjusted" numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistcs. Those are not real numbers but estimates based on what the BLS thinks things should do from one month to the next based on historical data, So it's like a political poll with a potential margin of error, The unemployment number went from 7.6 to 7.5, they estimated that there are 700 fewer people on unemployment, and 900 more people working.
The NON adjusted numbers tell a completely different story. It shows the unemployment rate increased by .2% and that there are 400 more people on unemployment and 15 thousand fewer people working! Now there's some numbers LePage can be proud of.
Income falls for average americans, savings decreases, tax burden grows. But for those corporations that the american people built through our work and consumerism,,, income grows, tax burden falls, and their savings at an all time high stashed in foreign banks. Despite that our corporate heads continue to line up at the government hand out line, they'll spend tens of millions lobbying politicians for fewer regulations, lower taxes, but when it comes to putting more americans to work and helping create more consumers for their products??? No can't do that.
Honestly, I hope someone invites the Governor to come see this. It's one of a number of carbon neutral improvements across the state that will help get us off our fossil fuel habit. Kudos to the folks in the Oxford Hills system for their foresight on this issue. Perhaps if the governor were to visit he might see how Maine can get further involved in the bio mass field? Help to create some jobs? or is he too attached to his republican buddies plan to build a million dollar a mile gas pipeline that will only benefit a very few large industrial users. I would love to see a comparison of the cost and carbon benefits of this improvement, as opposed to hooking the same facility up to a nautral gas line.
Simple answers don't always come up with good solutions. Mr Bechard, you need to look at the history of tax rates. Go back a few decades, you'll see that the corporate tax rate, and tax rates for wealthy americans (those job creators) are lower now than at anytime during our lives. And those businesses have taken advantage of that, cash holdings by businesses today are higher than ever. All the while these same corporations are throwing money at candidates, and at special interest groups like the US Chamber of Commerce to lobby for even lower taxes and eased regulations.
In essence we've given business, and the wealthy, all the tax breaks they wanted and we've received in return a struggling economy and unemployment over 9%. Thee have been a number of surveys about job cuts, and very few, single digit percentages of companies have reported that hight axes or government regulations have resulted in those layoffs.
We built the businesses of this country. Without the american workers, and the hard spending of the american consumers these corporations would not exist. Time for business to recognize that, and realize that if they hire more people, it puts more money on people's pockets, people will spend more money and businesses will be rewarded financially.
A million dollars a mile, that's what the pipeline will cost. How many residenttial hookups will happen to justify that cost?? None! this is a move that will be financed by the state that will not benefit you and me one bit.
It will however continue our addiction to fossil fuels, and the costs associated with them. For those who think we will be saving big bucks by shifting to more use of natural gas should look at the massive costs, and environmental damage done by fracking, the way the "huge" amounts of natural gas in the US is being extracted from the ground.
The Baldacci administration put into effect state mandated levels, increasing each year, for use of renewables by electric suppliers in our state. You just need to look at the numbers. Maine has the lowest overall electric rates in New England, that is because of our use of hydro, bio mass and other renewables. LePage wants to eliminate that mandate and shift us back to the fruitless use of fossil fuels. The only ones to benefit from that are the big gas and oil producers apparently own our Governor.
LePage is still an idiot. proposal after proposal, he swears will bring a flood of money or flood of jobs to the state. They haven't and they won't. Economics do not "trickle down". 8 years of GWB should make that very very obvious. But then if lePage's intent is to hand out financial favors to those people who financed his campaign, then he's continuing in the right direction.
He has "cut" on the brain, but really has no brain function at all if he thinks he can keep cutting state revenue by repeatedly giving the wealthy tax breaks they don't need. The tourism industry had a horrible year, and they'll get another does of that when the quarterly sales tax filings come in between now and the end of the month. There comes a point where there won't be any room left to tighten the belt. he's already handed out a $100 million dollar tax break by eliminating tax on cash estates up to $2 million, now here's another $100 million in revenue he's going to turn down.
Old people with money are not out there creating jobs LePage, they are putting their cash into trusts and brokerage accounts, what his tax cuts are doing is squeezing the middle class, forcing cuts to education, and giving big favors out to his rich friends and campaign donors.
Perry wants LePage's endorsement?? Really?? Can't find anyone smart? Alreayd have all the tea bagging, birthers, creation believers un the fold??
I knew the good ole Texas boy wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, but asking for an endorsement from the butt of the nations jokes will serve as just another sharp boot kick in the pants of Perry's campaign.
The ability to register to vote right up till election day is still the law of the land in Maine. Since there is a citizen initiative to repeal the law approved by the legislature a few months ago, the enforcement of the change is on hold till after Issue 1 is decided.
Just recently Maine was given a very high honor. It was listed as having one of the highest rates of participation in the country.
One reported compilation took numbers over the last 30 years, Maine was ranked #3 in the country in overall participation, the number used combined number of eligible voters registered with the number that turned out to vote.
I've often wondered, especially in this case. In airing Websters idiocy does it do his side of the argument harm? Or does it boost it by just splashing the headline that he wants seen out there?
IMO, and I'v no expert, there are so many people just reading the headline that it gets a point across no matter how stupid it is. Just like LePaage's buffalo count, tire ruts are vernal pools etc etc etc. It seems to me that many politicians (here in Maine they appear mostly in the GOP) will gladly stopp to idiotic lies, half truths and myth because it seems to get them so far.
In response to Websters idiocy, exactly what system are the town clerks using to check registrations? Since none of the 200 some and 19 more that Webster pointed to, the 500 some that Summers looked at, or the 70,000 some entered on election day in 2008 and 2010 have been checked as yet. Nothing, no checks, to confirmation, nothing. Want to really overload the town clerks? Make them check out each and every voter registration in their towns.
Fact of life in the US, much of our daily lives are ruled by "The Honor System" always has been, always will be. In this case, here in Maine, it's obviously worked pretty well.
as the "architect" of a new OP majority he lied, as did the republican candidates. None of them campaigned saying that they would "fix" same day registration. They campaigned on jobs and the economy, on utility rates and education. None of these things has really attracted the attention of our lawmakers.
So what does Charlie Webster do? Keeps on lying, it worked in 2010, he's figuring it will work again in 2011.
The sad part is that it probably will, there are enough people in Maine that are just casual viewers of the events of the day. They'll see the headline lies that Webster has accrued, they'll read "voter fraud", much like they read buffalo count, tires ruts are vernal pools, etc and they'll keep the status quo.
The media has a clear job ahead, it owes the people of this state the truth, in headlines as big as the "fraud" was. "Lies", "Webster Lied" and "GOP Lied" strike me as good starts.
Poliquin has a difficult time understanding what his job is and who he works for. He spends an awful lot of time, on the tax payer dollar, blogging, on a tax payer's web page, criticizing members of the legislature and defending the Governor. Mr Poliquin should under stand that he works under the legislature, and outright criitique of members of that body is insubordination.
Poliquin has a difficult time understanding what his job is and who he works for. He spends an awful lot of time, on the tax payer dollar, blogging, on a tax payer's web page, criticizing members of the legislature and defending the Governor. Mr Poliquin should under stand that he works under the legislature, and outright criitique of members of that body is insubordination.
Saw a brief segment with Mr Roemer the other day. His aim is spot on, stepping away from the corporate interests that have crippled our country is exactly what we need a candidate to do. It's sad though that his lack of exposure means he doesn't even have enough support to justify a slot in the GOP debates.
I hope with all my heart the "free to lead" becomes a mantra that spread like wildfire across the country.
It's sad that you buried the lead here. So many readers see the headline and make an assumption without reading the whole story, The assumption here will be of course what conservative america has been saying for years, that the "entitled" will be the downfall of the world, they are stealing us blind and other BS.
"The 111 arrested Wednesday were doctors, nurses and physical therapists in nine U.S. cities."
Same situation in Maine, the person using change from food stamps to buy smokes and beer, those people cheating the system by hiding their working boyfriends, or hiding income, certainly do cost the taxpayers. But it;s the thousands of service providers that need to be scrutinized. Much like our House Speaker, Bob Nutting, cheated by overcharging millions for adult diapers etc, firms from small offices, to billing companies, to hospitals are cheating us out of tens of millions of dollars every year. Don't let the MHPC's and AFP's of the state lead us away from the big target, big cash is being stolen right from under our noses!
That Charlie Webster has not yet been removed as the Chair of the state GOP says an awful lot about the republican party here.
He is again showing his total ignorance of the law, and his complete lack of common sense!
Students pay taxes, plenty of them, directly and indirectly. But that's beside the point since payment of taxes has nothing to do with voter eligibility.
I would say that Charlie should enroll in a civics class or two and learn a little about election law before he opens his mouth about this topic again.
Mr Webster should first apologize, then bend over and kiss the rear ends of each and every student in the state. Their tuition and spending creates and supports thousands of jobs each year here. And I would venture to say that any single out of state college student has much more positive economic impact in one than Mr Webster could every hope to have.
I hope our Governor uses the zero based budgeting in his department, I'd love to see the justification for keeping his daughter and her $41,000 salary on the staff.
This will all boil down to a huge argument between departments, the people or businesses they serve, and the governor.
Just look at the way lePage is scrambling over the possible cuts in the LIHEAP program, he said in response to federal cuts, it was time to cut till it hurts. We;ll now those people he counts on for votes, the elderly, are the ones that will be hurting and he says the cuts are too deep.
You can't run a state like a business, it does not work. If it did Donald Trump would make a great president, and LePage would be a great governor, neither of those is happening.
Got to disagree with Keiser on this one. there's plenty of money to lend, and banks are lending money, but they are under regulations not to let things slide back to the loose lending policies that helped put us in this economic mess.
The reason that home builders are hurting is that no one wants to pay top dollar for a new home, there's tons of homes our there with depressed prices, in foreclosure, or bank owned that offer better deals for buyers than going out and getting a new home, especially a modular which does not offer the same long term gain possibility that a stick built house does.
2 things drive the real estate buyer, price and location. Keiser can't offer much in location, so they'll have to adjust their prices to be more competitive in this market.
This can't come as a surprise to anyone can it?
We live in an increasingly paperless society, that and competing with foreign imports produced using sub human priced labor, the handwriting has been on the wall for years. I recall listening to then candidate LePage boasting about his plans to revitalize the paper industry in one of his many bogus promises to bring jobs to the state. The other promises were logging, fishing and agriculture. The leaders of our state need very very badly to first recognize that tourism and the beauty of our state is right now our biggest job creating asset, and second that high tech, green, alternative energy is the only future if we want to re-form the manufacturing base of the state. I keep hearing rumblings of the state throwing money at these mills to try to keep them running, how long before that is the equivalent of tossing money into a hole in the yard? Or is it already?
Leave it to the GOP to try to fix an imbalance of 8600 people by shifting over 350,000!
The republican plan smells of the worst kind of gerrymandering, done just for the sake of potentially changing the result of an upcoming election.
Time for our legal folks to take a very close look here. Not about fruad, the only fraud here is perpetuated by O'Keefe, MHPC and AFP. The whole thing is a fraud that the media lapped up like chocolate sauce dripping off their hot fudge sundae from Fast Eddies.
The legal question here is O'Keefe's actions.
Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 15, § 709: Interception of wire and oral communications is a "Class C" crime under the state criminal code, and an interceptor is someone other than the sender or receiver of a communication who is not in the range of "normal unaided hearing" and has not been given the authority to hear or record the communication by a sender or receiver.
So they took away his license, took away his livelihood.
But a convicted child pornogrpaher, who used to work for the state, may be set free while he appeals his conviction. And a seriously warped legislator, who pulled a gun on an innocent bystander, who had been banned frm parts of the state house in augusta because he was threatening people, is also out of lockup, and could go right back into his spot as state legislator.
This is truly a weird and wild state. thank goodness Mr LePage has brought sanity back to Maine.
Yes bring back prayer, have a muslim cleric come into the house everyday for call to prayer.
The Dalai Lama could lead prayers in the Senate.
I'd love to have some local Somalian's lead the prayers in Augusta for the upcoming legislative session.
And I hope the our Governor would have a Rabbi along with a Priest lead him in prayer every morning in the Blaine House.
I don't trust the rest of those religions, Rick Perry can have all the rest of them
Our state is well off enough to give the top few dozen richest people a $100 million dollar tax break on their cash estates. up to 2 million tax free! Will they spend that money? Create jobs? nope, that's just money to pass along to the out of state heirs. So while those few people get off with $100 million, our Governor now has to make up, how much, $100 million in cuts due to the US House speaker holding us hostage over the debt ceiling. Perhaps the Maine tea baggers will fizzle out now????
Excellent start on what could become a major industry in the future.
For decades we have been stashing our millions of tons of garbage away in massive landfills, lined and capped to keep garbage from leaching out it is preserved for all time. It's time to mine the possible benefits of that trash. A scant few landfills had a great idea and instead of burning off the natural gas produced from the festering trash they are harveting it. I think as an option to that, start mining the mess. Pull out the recyclable metals and plastics, then take the rest and cook it, trash can easily be burned in an environmentally safe way to create electricity. Go U Maine, you have a good start!
John Boehner, and his undying love for all that tea bags and the koch brothers, has sold us down the river. He wanted cuts, a new debt ceiling and no raises in revenue, those things he got and corporate world is now telling us that sucks.
Thanks John, have fun with the ALEC folks this week, enjoy that posh vacation they give you.
Hypocrite is not the word I was looking for when reading this.
The speaker of the NH house reminds me alot of LePage here. What were Lepages kids doing for voter registration before,after and during their "stint" as Florida residents getting in state tuition at FSU? And what about Mrs LePage? Where did she register, where did she vote?
The GOP is fine to start blabbering about what's right and wrong, but never ask them to do anything but look for loopholes so thay can skirt their laws.
It was obvious then, when you looked closely at the budget proposals set forth by LePage and his GOP hacks. It's obvious now when you look at the battle that Secretary of State Summers and GOP Chair Webster are waging against college students who have voted legally here, that PEOPLE, are the last thing on the minds of those in the ruling party here in Maine.
Rep. Cain, i respect what you are trying to do, please for those of us in the majority, keep up the good work!
Mr Webster, your actions stashing a fleet of publicly owned busses so that they could not be used to transport Maine citizens to the polls on election day last november were criminal. The fact that you admitted to planning and doing it along with others means you were involved in a conspiracy to keep people away from the polls. I realize that since you are members of the same party that our Secretary of State and Attorney General will not care to investigate, but I'm certain the US Attorney General's office will take it much more seriously. You exhibit the actions of what is the worst and ugliest of party politics, and your actions remind me of a group of 12 year olds. You obviously have very little knowledge of the law when it comes to voting and registration, it's also obvious that you have no knowledge of ethics.
Neither of our parties really want a balanced budget. It forces them to make choices way to tough for them to tackle while remaining politically popular, and re-election is the goal of every one of our elected officials. The biggest problem is taxes. The US government spends at a rate of 24% of GDP each year, but only taxes at a rate of 14% of GDP. To balance the budget without raising taxes would require a 40% reduction in federal spending. Right now that is both economically and politically impossible. Get the GOP to accept realistic increases in revenue to go along with realistic cuts in spending and it will be possible, but that is a ridiculous pipe dream for our elected officials
Kudos to the SunJournal for coverage of this.
I believe that if Webster and others reserved those vans to prevent another group from getting people to the polls that they conspired to prevent people from voting. That was their intent, at least according to the statements Webster has already made to the press.
I am appalled, but not surprised that the Secretary of State and Attorney General have not already started their own investigations into Websters actions. Not surprised because it's all just a "party" game to them. I wouldn't be surprised if the US Attorney General's office might feel it's a bit more serious!
Webster has exposed himself as nothing more than a 12 year old interested in playing kiddie games with our elections. His admissions that he and his young republicans in Farmington thwarted efforts to use busses to help people get to the polls in November 2010 are borderline criminal, certainly unethical. His ignorance of state and federal law are obvious when he flaunts a list of 200+ out of state students registered to vote in Maine. If the head of the state republican party doesn't know that it is perfectly legal for out of state students to register and vote here, then what does that say for the rest of the GOP? I would suggest the Secretary of State and Attorney General toss that list of students in the trash, and pick up an investigation of Webster's actions last fall. To conspire with others to limit access to the polls sounds like a pretty serious crime to me.
The local republican party members worked as a group to prevent college students from legally voting in 2010? That sounds like an open and shut case of voter fraud to me, conspiracy is a crime Charlie. This man looks more ridiculous every day. In his quote, "The buses didn't run on Election Day because we had the College Republicans reserve them early and on Election Day we took them over and parked them in the Walmart parking lot." I believe he admits to committing a crime! Who is now going to refer that evidence to the secretary of state and attorney general's office? Not that they would do anything since they were hand picked by LePage. Wondering how much input LePage would have had in those activities in Farmington?
Thanks for the insult, you just jumped into the pool of people online who can't help giving their opinion, and insulting others doing the same thing.
You should look over what you are saying, you talk about how great it would be if you could save money by getting your kids some college credit in a 5th year of high school. save money?? really??? think the schools could do this for free? could they wedge in some more students, bring in some more teachers offering college level courses in the school without asking you for more tax money?? think the task force and study will be free??
More importantly, you say your district already offers college type courses, yup they all do, called AP, it's been around for decades, don't need a task force to find that.
also the community cllege system in our state offers high school seniors the option of going to their branches to take college level courses. they can even do it during regular school hours of the day. it's done all around the state.
LePage doesn't need a task force, he needs a wake up call, his study is a waste of time and money.
and I still assert you'll be hard pressed to find high school students interested in picking up a 5th year in high school rather than moving on to college with the rest of their classmates.
This has to be the most idiotic idea he's had yet, and there have been some stupid ideas.
He's appointing a 19 member task force, cha-ching, to do a study, cha ching, to look at establishing an optional 5th year of high school.
I can solve the whole question right now.
1) name one high school kid who wants to stay in high school for an extra year.
2) name one town that would want to pay for an extra school year for their students.
3) Or name a school district that would be willing to add a student in for an extra year without getting extra money.
4) How much would it cost to add teachers to teach college level classes.
Dear Mr LePage, kids want to get out of school, not stay in another year.
Didn't you say we were broke? Or was that another one of your lies?
If a high school students wants to get college level courses at a bargain price we have a wonderful community college system that offers a wide variety of academic classes at very good prices.
Please, take this back to the drawing board, and place it in the round file
Well said sir, well said!
It is sad that the GOP has fallen so far in Maine as to select a guy like Webster to head up their party. The guy has the analytical skills of a 4th grader, but the lying skills of a governor!
So let me get this straight, being a "right thinking" male, from Bristol, TN you have a reading comprehension problem.
1st word John, "If". Get that now?
I hope that Mayor Gilbert sheds light on the same things that I've seen of the immigrant population in Lewiston. I've met friendly, hard working, honest people. They have become valuable members of the community.
If I'm one of the people on that list, I'm suing Charlie Webster all the way to Boston. What a complete tool? Taking 206 names of students who registered to vote here, they can do that legally Charlie.
You have no evidence of fraud, today you have lost what little credibility you had.
The new GOP, myth, hearsay, anecdotes, and outright lis, what ever it takes!
This is a typical LePage response. Rather than take an honest look at the events, he will go to work placing the blame.
When will our governor finally realize he was elected to be in charge and be responsible for what happens in the state rather than just laying off the blame like he did at Mardens.
The citizens and employees of Maine are not cashiers at Mardens and should not be teated as if everything that happens is our fault. It's evident that the LePage administration is disfunctional, department head after department head leaves, gets fired, gets arrested,,,,,,,
Mr Olsen is to be commended for his public stance. Certainly he has shot himself in the foot as far as a state job goes, but a man of his character will certainly not be long on the list of unemployed Mainers. It appears his case is just one of many out there, hope that his bravado empowers others dealing with a tyrannical administration the nerve to speak out.
The stated reason from Texas Gov Perry for this day or prayer, to help the economy recover? Yea, good luck with that.
What think it's really all about? Helping his name recognition in his upcoming campaign for president. What better PR than to get almost every state's governor to sign on to an event he sponsors! Little does Perry know what a tool he got when he signed LePage up.
Either way, this day or prayer=fail.
I would suggest you stay home, and instead of lumping all people who follow Islam as american haters and terrorists, you look closely at yourself.
People who only surround themselves with people who think, worship and look like them will die very very lonely.
People of different backgrounds, nationalities, religions and color, give this world a wonderful diversity. The more we embrace what is differrent about us, the better off we will be as a nation, and as individuals.
It's about time for this. I hope security can protect us from all the wacky legislators we have, the nut job in Waterville was only the tip of the iceberg, these folks are way out there!
Seriously, at least security checks will now be doled out fairly. Ever watch a person of color walk into the statehouse? Granted, they are few and far between since our state government has the worst minority hiring record in the county, but it was amazing to watch how the security folks went on high alert anytime a black male adult walked into the room.
It's about time for this. I hope security can protect us from all the wacky legislators we have, the nut job in Waterville was only the tip of the iceberg, these folks are way out there!
Seriously, at least security checks will now be doled out fairly. Ever watch a person of color walk into the statehouse? Granted, they are few and far between since our state government has the worst minority hiring record in the county, but it was amazing to watch how the security folks went on high alert anytime a black male adult walked into the room.
"Anecdotes and gut-feelings are a bad basis for lawmaking"
But it worked so well for LePage last year, why can't Webster do it?
Seriously, the GOP has used busloads of people coming from away for our welfare, no truth. How about our outrageously high electric rates, not true. The buffalo count, good one. During the campaign LePage claimed things were so bad that a number of towns in the state were teetering on bankruptcy. And LePage's claim about tire ruts being classified as vernal pools? They also claimed our health insurance rates are higher than neighboring states, again not true. It has become a way of life for those now in charge.
One thing is certain, you can easily tell when a republican lawmaker in Maine is lying, his/her lips are moving.
Good for Denny's! Really now, what is people obsession with bathroom habits? Everyone goes to the bathroom, and the facilities are generally shielded in such a way as to assure the privacy of people using the bathroom. In most cases if you go to the bathroom you'll be watching someone washing their hands. Why are we so pre occupied with hiding what is a purely natural function? Especially in Maine, this is the state where at any given moment, an open car door along the roadside serves as a bathroom stall for most residents.
Good for Denny's! Really now, what is people obsession with bathroom habits? Everyone goes to the bathroom, and the facilities are generally shielded in such a way as to assure the privacy of people using the bathroom. In most cases if you go to the bathroom you'll be watching someone washing their hands. Why are we so pre occupied with hiding what is a purely natural function? Especially in Maine, this is the state where at any given moment, an open car door along the roadside serves as a bathroom stall for most residents.
Thank you Ms Chandler. Having heard similar stories from several town clerks I continue to wonder where the GOP got the idea that clerks were complaining about being over burdened by the process, and that there was some rampant fraud going on.
Mr Webster, Mr LePage and the rest, just liars, plain and simple. Their agenda does not match that of Maine citizens.
Thank's "Staff" rarely do members of the papers pay c;lose enough attention, and actually care enough to answer I appreciate it!
My next question, don;t you think the Sun should challenge that? Yes the AG says it's legal, but really. Giving legal advice, and getting paid for it? Sounds like he's "lawyering" to me! Just because the AG (appointed by LePage) says that what LePage is doing is ok, doesn't make it so!
Whole heartedly agree Ms Gibson, and to the Sun Journal, your disclaimer is a joke. It sounds like you have simply taken the BS slung by LePage's PR office as gospel.
"provide services, including reviewing collective bargaining agreements and developing negotiation strategies and a communication plan, under the agreement vetted by the AG's Office." Sounds like being a practicing law to me,,,,,
For too too long the coal industry has benefitted from massive federal subsidies. In addition to friendly tax codes, transportation largely by rail (which is also heavily subsidized by taxpayer $) helps coal become the cheap source of electricity it is.
Time for our government leaders here in Maine to take a heard look at righting the ship. As you so correctly reported, we have the lowest rates in all the northeast, but our rates are much higher than the midwestern states which rely on OUR tax dollars to subsidize their coal, and southeastern and far west states which rely on OUR tax dollars which have subsidized and in most cases created the massive hydro facilities that keep their costs down.
Level the playing field folks, go to our reps in congress and tell them it's time to stop using our tax dollars to subsidize cheaper electric rates in other states.
Of course Mr LePage won't read this,,, perhaps his daughter can do something to earn her keep and read it to him?
The problem in your school district is a direct result of the poor, unlawful method of school funding in the state. Public education up to 12th grade is a right, a right for every child in the state, and every child in the state should have an equal opportunity in the public school system. it is the state's responsibility to provide that equal opportunity. By ignoring that responsibility as well as the citizens demand from the last decade that the state funding be increased, the state is in violation of the law.
Now in this time of cut budgets it is time to once and for all fix the method that maine uses tom fund schools, a quality public education can not be just for the "haves" of our society, all children, in rich and poor communities, those flush with commercial and industrial development as well as those without, poorer northern districts as well as those in the much wealthier southern part of the state.
Instead of protecting Maine's children, GOP lawmakers decided to heed a warning put out by the Christian Civic League. The League warned about potential first amendment issues with the bill. That groups attempt at shielding their true intent is useless. The freedom of speech they are attempting to preserve would be the freedom of people to berate, insult and bully anyone with as perceived difference in lifestyle. There is no place in our society for hatemongers like the Christian Civic League and Maine Heritage Policy Center, i only hope enough intelligent Mainers see through this and take action at the ballot box. Any lawmaker going along with these 2 groups should be ashamed!
I've seen the numbers. overwhelmingly welfare recipients are white, and are native born. you can't dispute thos facts. other fact the refutes the lies told by the GOP. more people have left Maine and it's welfare system in the last 4 years than have come to the state to the welfare rolls. also, the vast majority are either elderly, sick/disabled or single mothers, and the vast majority stay on fewer than 3 years. The new regulations do not succeed in slicing the welfare budget, rather the GOP attack on welfare will hit a few undeserving souls, won't attack fraud anymore than it does now, and will devastate the lives of thousands of people who are just looking for a temporary helping hand.
There is no one driving the streets of lewiston with a brand new car and license plate the reads "U BOT IT", there are no busses from Mass dropping people off at DHHS, and I'm pretty sure there are no monsters under your bed, unless you let LePage sleep there
reforming welfare is one of the worst. remember all that talk during the campaign about how there were bus loads of people coming from away and lining up as they got off the bus for welfare,, of course it came out that it was all a lie. but it played well to the fear of many people in our state that people from away are here trying to take something away from us. Dear Maine, people of color are not the bogeymen, they are not here to steal your state. What you should be more afraid of are your sons and daughters that have become hooked on the illegal drugs of our day. Those are our arsonists and murderers that we keep reading about this year.
LePage has done nothing to improve life for Mainers, he has proposed changes to welfare that will have almost no effect. His limitations will hit a very very small number of people. Statistics are showing, here in Maine, that the vast majority of welfare recipients are there is desperate time of need, and for relatively short periods of time.
The way to fix things here is to get Mainers working, and judging by the falling employment numbers of 2011, lePage has done a poor job at that.
LePage uses his lies to convince us that he is changing things, he is not, there was no buffalo count, tire ruts have never been classified as vernal pools, he has no adopted son, his name was on the deed, and you know what, whales and eagles do pay taxes. Indirectly, but they do!
"Maine’s international exports have grown 76 percent over the last 10 years. The state saw a 41 percent growth in international trade in 2010, the second-highest rate in the nation. The state’s export sales totaled $3.15 billion last year."
Wow, all this with our ineffective Governor Baldacci?? Seems like every day that passes gives us another reason to praise the man.
So now I'll askm what has LePage doen for us so far? Nothing, we have dropping employment, rising unemployment, a long like of people leaving the state. And none, not one of the few small announcements of new firms coming to the state had anything to do with LePage and his administration. Could we lobby for SA to keep him? Perhaps someone could arrange to just forget to get him up one morning,
Not at all, it's more a genius move in marketing. The drink industry had hit a brick wall, coke, pepsi, sprite, dr pepper and the rest had seemingly hit the peak of the market, and they industry that fails to grow will die. Someone, banking on the health craze of our time, linked that with the modern convenience we lazy folks crave, and bottled water was born. It grow from the posh Evian brand. Who knew that you could take plain old water, yes sometime nothing more than tap water, bottle it and sell something like 10 billion gallons a year???
They sold us on something we never thought we needed, genius!
Kudos to the students, and their families. It is refreshing to see such fine people strive in a new land, These wonderful people have met such incredible hurdles head on, in their former land, as well as here in Maine. Please, let us all do our very best to examine ourselves, lets open our minds and open our hearts to all people, regardless of color, religion or nationality. They do nothing but make our state a better place to live.
A perfect example of the time honored phrase "Figures lie and liars figure"
A long life expectancy in Maine is more a result of old people moving here than an actual increase in the number of years people are living.
All these numbers mean is that young people are abandoning the state, especially the midcoast and downeast areas, and retirees are taking their place.
Look closer.
The numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show some very very troubling trends, , # of workers in Construction, down, transportation and utilities down, professional and business services down, education and health services down, the only sector with a significant increase was leisure and hospitality with an increase, seasonally adjusted, of less than 2000 jobs from April to May. The most troubling number is overall employment in non seasonally adjusted numbers, Maine was lower in May 2011 than in May 2010. lePage is taking us backwards!
This guy is driving around operating a video camera instead of paying attention to the road???? Somebody write the DB a ticket!!! That's as dangerous as our now illegal texting while driving!
Too bad that the majority in Maine's legislature as well as the Governor continue to refuse to listen to voices of reason on this issue. This is perfect example of how our leaders refuse to represent the citizens of the state, but have other out of state interests, lobbyists and special interest groups pulling their strings.
Consumer protections are one of the most important things a government can do for it's citizens, this is s slap in the face to all of us!
And thanks for your lies, I mean statistics. You are comparing apples and oranges, you would need to pick apart those 2 policies to find the scads of ways that the coverage varies in them to get a real picture of the comparitive costs. Also those "quotes" have no assumptions for prior medical history and that's a very very big mulitplying factor, much bigger outside Maine's border. They really are 2 completely different policies.
There really are no national studies on individual policy costs that can give a very good comparitive table. The NCSL table I cited is the best option out there for any kind of comparison across state lines.
Taking an average across entire states is pretty much the only way to do a real comparison, and the NCSL does a good job of that. Yes, it is a study of group rates, private sector employers. But why would rates be substantially different whether the policy holder is in a group or self employed? Remember that the health insurance bill passed not only covers those with individual policies, but also those on employer policies with companies of fewer than 500 employees. This bill will cover just about every body in the state, except of course our elected officials.
You do know that the proposal was written by the insurance industry, and spoon fed to LePage by the MHPC don't you? You must also know that nowhere, at no time, have insurance companies lowered their prices on health insurance policies, even if competition was added. What happened when Mega Life started selling their much less expensive policies? What happened when Dirigo was added as an option in Maine? The individual and group policies still went up, but in Maine, because of the state's aggressive regulation the rates went up much slower than in our surrounding states.
Do you really believe that "market forces" will bring down health insurance rates? That's what every administration from Reagan through GW tried,,, how did that work?
Spot on Mary, spot on. If we are to look closely, very closely at health insurance rates we will find we've been lied to, repeatedly by Mr LePage and his pals over at MHPC.
This table, published by the National Conference of State Legislatures shows that Maine has the lowest rates for families, couples and single people in the northeast. http://www.ncsl.org/Default.aspx?TabId=14514
That's right, NH, MA, VT, CT, NY, RI even NJ have higher average rates than those in Maine. Further, the table shows that during the previous administration our rate of yearly increases was lower than all our neighbors. That means that Maine's insurance regulators were doing their jobs. Now LePage will take away the very regulations that did the work! Any wonder why the insurance industry wrote this new legislation for us??? It's a shame that our newly elected officials feel free to give our state away.
It's sad that these traveling carnivals of cash continue to get attention of the local press. These are nothing more than bargain basements to unload items and serve no purpose to the citizens of Maine or readers of the Sun Journal. While what they do may not be illegal, the ethics of these firms are highly questionable. There are scores of firms currently in Maine, many in the are served by the Sun Journal that offer the exact same service described here. The difference is that the firms here in Maine are here when they buy your items, and here again afterwards, they have a responsibility to do their job fairly and honestly. These traveling fairs will pay bottom dollar for your items, and fell from town long before you start to question the amount you recieved! The Sun Journal would serve it's readers better by looking closely at exactly what this firm paid for items, and how that compares with how much a local specialist like an antique dealer or coin dealer or jeweler would have paid. All you've done here is given this company a free advertisement.
Mark, I suggest you look closer at the tables and the numbers. In the extreme left hand column is "Premium distributions for private sector employees" one table is for singles, the next for families, and the final one for couples (employee plus one) that left hand column is the total paid, if you look across at the next two columns, employee contribution and then employer cost, those last 2 add up to the first column. So what it's showing you is first the total average paid to the insurance company, then the amount paid by the employee then the amount paid by the company.
For example, on the second table for family coverage. Maine's average total cost for 2009 was $13,522 for the year. that's 14th on the list and lower than MASS, CT, NY, NH, VT, NJ and RI among others.
The 4th table, the very last one, is the overall average which includes individual policy holders, but as it explains it is not a complete statistic since not all premiums are reported, and it has not been updated beyond 2006 numbers.
By examining the numbers, what you'll find is that if you go back to 2004, Maine was much higher in relation to other states, but from 2004 to 2009 Maine has held it's annual increases below what the rest of the country, especially the northeast has been seeing. In other words, the health insurance regulations in effect under Baldacci were working even though we were limited in the state to very few insurance providers.
The impression that Maine's health insurance premiums are top 2 in the country are just wrong, the lePage administration has been pushing those incorrect numbers either out of ignorance of the facts or they are lying. Much like the false impression that we are the highest taxed state in the country, it's false and the people who use that statement as fact are either ignorant or lying.
the biggest problem with charter schools is that they are businesses,. They are run by companies that do what they do for a profit. And just like every business out there today, they will do what they have to do to maximize their profits. That's means keeping costs as low as possible by keeping the staff small, hiring the lower qualified/lower paid employees etc. And most of all, as a business they can decide to close their doors whenever they want to. How's that for a way to leave our kids stranded?
Some things should retain total public oversight, our education system is one of those.
I do love how the GOP and Governor LePage are pointing to the health insurance bill as a huge success for them. This bill was handed to them by the MHPC, so how does allowing outsiders to write law turn into a success? The GOP did it with lies, repeatedly, over and over they told us our insurance rates are the 2nd highest in the country. Did any of them ever back that claim up with firm numbers? Where did they get that? How old are those claims? Turns out those numbers come from a half decade ago. Turns out that it was that way, long long ago, before Maine's insurance regulations began working to slow down the huge yearly increases in policy holders monthly rates. If you look at current numbers, you would find that we are much more in line, our increases have slowed, and we are lower than neighboring states. Maines rates are among the lowest in the Northeast for singles, couples and families. Why aren't those facts told??? Because the insurance reform law that Maine is enacting was written by the insurance industry, they don't want us to know the truth!
Good question, too bad the answer is that the GOP is being told by high powered money interests what to do on a regular basis.
It appears on the surface that the MHPC is pulling the strings. But if you follow the money trail, the MHPC is just a funnel for money from Koch Industries and other multi national corporations that have no interest in Maine, but have a much larger national agenda.
There is no fraud, and there are no town clerks crying for relief from the "flood" of same day registrations and absentee ballots.
It was Rep Charlie Websters claim that the democrats are stealing elections, that busloads of voters are being taken to the polls by Job Corps workers that tells you where this comes from. Wak minds of lying idiots. WE made a horrible mistake in november, now it;s biting us in the A$$.
This is just another big sign that LePage just doesn't get it. All through his campaign he talked about working to lower the high cost of energy in our state. Of course all that time he was lying about how high our energy costs really were, the figures were right there as The Sun Journal has found, that are rates are among the very lowest in the northeast part of the country. He just chose to ignore the facts because they did not match his agenda. Now with his proposed cut to the renewable energy requirement, he hopes to capitalize on the headline of a drop in rates (4.80 a year) which is actually just a supposed drop with the assumption that gas and oil prices stabilize.
The way to reducing our cost of energy is through reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, oil and gas supplies are dwindling and prices will continue to climb. Maine has a wealth of sources for renewable energy, wind, tidal, hydro, and bio mass are all available to help us stay cheap. LePage is an idiot for ignoring the facts.
Seeing these students achieve success is a true joy! I only hope they keep their talents in Maine and help our state become a more tolerant diverse area. Congratulations, you have overcome much in your lives, best of luck as you continue your education!
Sound to me like Rep Crafts has committed fraud against the citizens of Maine.
He proposed this bill to "sweeten the pot" in DeCoster's proposed sale to Land O' Lakes. So he completely lied the entire time about why he put this bill to the house floor.
I say Crafts should run out of Augusta on a rail. This is NOT how things should be done in this state!
Good Luck to you Mr Coffin. Do you really expect health insurance companies to voluntarily lower their prices for you? When or where has that ever happened?
You should take a look at this table. http://www.ncsl.org/Default.aspx?TabId=14514
It shows that Maine workers are getting lower rates than the surrounding states. Lower for individuals, couples and for families. And now the GOP plan wants to open us up to companies selling insurance in those surrounding states.
Mr LePage and the MHPC have presented figures claiming that people in other states get better rates, but they have never shown the source of those figures. Perhaps they were given to them by the Portland lobbyists that are really running the state?
Your cheers to those many people working as referees and umpires are long overdue. As a parent I was involved in many, many soccer and basketball games as a spectator. It should come as no surprise to anyone that I was constantly jumping on the referees, every game, any decision that went against our team was a bad one.
Now I have my penance, I have started as a ref myself, first year under my belt was a blast, and yes the parents are unrelenting. Everyone should try it!
The most frustrating thing about those in power in Augusta, is that they have given up their power. WE as a state elected a group of people to the legislature and governors office. Those people have collectively given up our rights by allowing lobbyists working for out of state business interests as well as the special interest group Maine Heritage Policy Center to legislate. There are multiple examples, the BPA issue as well as LD1333 among others of those groups actually writing legislation and getting those proposals put into play in Augusta. This is the outrage of our time, how many of us knew that would happen, and now how many of us are happy about it? We did not elect Koch Industries or Tarren Bragdon to office in Maine, I am outraged that our Governor and legislators have in effect out them in office!
Yes, much like the time honored myth called "trickle down economics" the outright lie that market forces will force down the price of health insurance will go down as one of the silliest concepts in modern time. How long have republican's been telling about easing regulations and letting more competition and how that will allow companies to voluntarily lower prices. Show me in the US where this has really happened and I'll do cart wheels past the Blaine House on a rainy sunday afternoon. Really, does enyone believe that an insurance company is going to lower prices?? If so I think you've been watching too many little lizards on TV. I for one am tired of being the one "trickled down" on.
Thank you Sun. This is a concise description of a very complicated issue. LePage's 40 cents a month savings is a complete joke. By easing the requirement to use renewable energy sources he is allowing utilities (CMP) to slide back into their comfort zone continuing to prefer the quickly dwindling fossil fuels. Maine has a good start with a number of renewable sources out there. Hydro power is the old standard, add to that the use of bio mass and we have a good base. Now is the absolute wrong time to stop pushing for the use of more!
This guy is a poster boy for more strict controls on handguns. Let's see, his co-workers even police saw that his behavior had become erratic over a period of weeks, even months? He had been talking about weapons during this "behavior". Even the police were assigned to watch him, orders had been written barring him from at least one office in the state house. A supervisor had attempted to intervene with his wife, even minister? But no where along the way did anyone ask, does this guy have a gun? If someone had any sense up there and had asked this question, would there have been legal recourse to take those weapons away? What if his mental issues were progressive? What if the victim in the incident at Dunkin had just run away, not summoned police? Would the next incident have involved his weapon being fired? Government has a duty to attempt to protect it's citizens from harm.
It's not surprising to hear about this, that LePage wants to change the law that forced his stupid choice for a DEP head out. He won't take the blame for mistakes he and his administrtiton make, he'll blame it on everything else, like the law.
Isn't it LePage who's critical of everything the federal government does, unless he finds a way to scale back a Maine law to more lax federal standards? Or I should say until MHPC tells him to scale back a law. Should have known, when electing a retail manager to a position like governor, that there was someone else pulling the strings. Can't wait for Governor Tarren Bragdon to move to Florida,,, perhaps he'll take the Blaine House residents with him.
Just in case there's any doubt who is running this state.
"The Maine Heritage Policy Center, a conservative advocacy group, supported LD 1333. Tarren Bragdon, the organization's outgoing CEO, played a significant role in shaping the legislation. He briefed the Republican caucus about the bill before the House of Representatives voted, mostly along party lines, to give the bill preliminary approval."
Nothing like an ultra conservative head of a special interest group hand picked by our governor (or was our governor picked by him?) to run the state. Not sure that's what the majority of people voting last fall had in mind.
Ton of Pellets has more BTU than a cord of wood, and is cheaper. If oil were priced at approx 1.79 a gallon the BTU per dollar ration between pellets and oil would be equal. Pellets vs electric heat??, not even close!
Pellets are one reason why the renewable energy source industry looms very large for Maines economic future. As far as "depleting" our forest, much of the pellet made in our state use waste wood, the leftover slab not used for other reasons.
I have been a user of pellets for 3 years now, first year when oil was quire low it was a wash, but now I am reaping the benefits and have easily paid off my small investment. Just imagine how many million of energy dollars could be saved if home owners could switch from oil to pellets! The investment in this plant is a great move. Hoping that our current administration will wake up and smell the wood burning,,,,,
And yes it is "green" while the burning of pellets still emits carbon, just like any burned fuel, it is a carbon that has more recently been sequestered in solid form, unlike the carbon of fossil fuels whcih has ben sequestered for millenia.
Actually, since Brown's presence as the head of the EP Dept was in violation of both state and federal law, any moves that were made by the agency during his short tenure could, and should be challenged in the courts. Oh Mr LePage, what a mess you are creating for us!
King is so embarrassed by his connection with Maine and then current leadership and political climate here that he does not even want to be celebrated for his successes here. King is a great author, an incredible philanthropist, and now using his position to swing a little political clout
This truly is a thinly veiled attempt to give the hospitality industry, fast food spots, and retail a way to put more cash in their pockets. Yes, it would give some teens an opportunity to earn some extra cash, but at what cost. There were be arguments for years and years about how late and how long kids should be able to work during school weeks, and those arguments will never end. But one thing can't be argued, when teens can get more hours, often working for minimum wage, those hours will be taken away from adults who generally earn higher wages. Who needs the money more? I vote for working moms and dads, not their teens.
This legislation was written by a lobbyist group, working for health insurance companies, and was handed to (force fed) to Mr LePage and his GOP cronies by "special interest group" MHPC. So how is it that the governor and our GOP Legislators are proud of this accomplishment?
Anyone who thinks that insurance companies will voluntarily lower the price of premiums is probably still buying the whole "trickle down" economics story.
You're not looking hard enough Ray.
From the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Total non farm employment as of end of Feb 2010, 599,600.
Total non farm employment as of end of Mar 2010, 594,500.
Quote from the BLS 4/21/2011. Reference to Employment figures end of March 2011.
" Maine experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decrease in employment (-0.9 percent), followed by
Connecticut and Hawaii (-0.4 percent each) and Louisiana (-0.3 percent)."
" Two states experienced statistically significant over-the-month declines in employment: Connecticut (-6,000)
and Maine (-5,100)." From the following site. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm
The information is actually on Maines DOL site too, though they tried real hard last month to downplay the numbers.
"Estimates of nonfarm payroll jobs for the six months following annually revised data—from October through March—have been volatile, surging through January and plunging since. These estimates, provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, do a poor job reflecting monthly employment trends in Maine. According to BLS estimates there were 594,500 nonfarm payroll jobs in March, down 5,100 over the month. We continue to advise users to look at multi-month trends rather than individual months to be informed about the level and rate of change in jobs in Maine. Nationally, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 216,000 in March."
Here's the page with that info http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Labor+Press+Releases...
and at this site you can see a nice table. http://www.maine.gov/labor/lmis/ces.html
As long as you are reading stats, look closely to see where the increase in jobs, and decrease in unemployment has come in Maine. It all came before the end of 2010. We are in a jobs freefall under LePage, in March alone the state lost over 5000 jobs. 5000 less people working! Unemployment has been balanced out somewhat in the state by the huge numbers of people dropping off the unemployment list, but the unemployment rate has in fact increased under LePage. Many of these long unemployed just simply left the state for state with actual job opportunity. And why is this all happening in Maine when our governor is lining up all the regulations to open things up? All across the country jobs are being created, 2 months in a row with over a quarter million more jobs, but Maine is left behind. We voted for a man qualified to manage a retail savage outlet, and that's what we got. Salvaged goods.
Thank you for a very thorough, unbiased look at an important issue. I wish all summaries of this issue in Maine could be was well written and researched. I notice that the one sore point in this column is about the Maine GOP and their effort to jam LD1333 through without a need amount of time and study. That is a shame and puts maine citizens in the dark about the whole thing.
This situation made me think this morning, what if during the campaign these GOP legislators and our Governor had told the truth? what if they had said "if elected we'll go straight to the MHPC, and some very well connected industry lobbyists, and let them present our state a health care reform proposal". Would we have voted for them? That is exactly what has happened, unfortunate that it's not just in the health care reform package.
So sad that we were hoodwinked, hopefully this column and future reports will help us all be more educated.
So what the GOP was trying to accomplish here, and led to the resignation of the chair of the Appropriations committee, was that they did not want that committee to look into LD1333. So intent on hiding the disastrous nature of this bill they even want to hide it from their own members??? In Maine, it's politics at it's worst!
I sat in house chambers during yesterday's vote on this bill, It was sad, very very sad that none of the GOP members could answer specific questions about the bill. All that had to be done for a thorough look was to delay this bill. With page after page having been added just hours before the vote, none of the house members had the opportunity to completely review the plan. Even Maine Insurance Bureau had no time to thoroughly review it for economic impact! The only numbers that came out were state estimates that an average increase of nearly 30% on premiums would result from the proposals implementation. Thanks GOP, thanks LePage, thanks MHPC. That's no way to make us business friendly. Hopefully the next few days allows time for an extensive review by the state so we know how much this will cost us, and how many citizens will be vulnerable
She has a very good point, Every where else in the US that has legalized gambling over the past decade and a half have let the gambling companies fight for the right to use locations. That means that big, legitimate gambling operators had to offer up million,s sometimes (as in the case of Indiana) even billions of dollars in up front money and attendance and betting revenue. Small towns were upgraded, roads repaired, new schools built. And when those gambling operators leave, they will leave behind those improvements. What is Maine getting from the Oxford Casino? So far it's s scaled down plan that does not have the systems to properly handle sewage and drainage issues that it creates. She is right we missed the boat, but that's right in line with the current administration, giving our state away on promises from corporate entities that will never be held responsible for not living up to those vows.
Truth be told, not much as changed. If we all open our eyes to the daily racism around the state, perhaps it would be a first step to ending it. Just look at our home grown retail outlets, tell me how many faces of color you see worjing there as you go about your bargain hunting at those stores. How many times do you hear people talk down about recent immigrants, how "they" have ruined your city, your neighborhood, your state. How many times do you hear people talk about how "they" take our tax dollars through welfare. How many lies and myths have your heard about busloads coming for welfare, or the welfare recipient wit a nice car, and license platers that read "u bot it". All those stories myths and lies, we are teaching our children to continue the racism, please lets top it now!
For the most part this change will fly well under the radar. The vast majority of Mainers won't give a darn. Why? Because the people working at this plant don't look like us, and many don't speak the same language. Not passing judgement, just making an observation. What will happen though when the legislature comes for your pay, your benefits?
Every worker deserves the same protection under the law. The people in this factory are working 70 or 80 hours a week, and the initial question was whether they would be paid overtime or not? Now the state will make a law forbidding these workers from forming a union and going through collective bargaining.Of all people, these men and women need as much protection as we can give them! Laws on the federal level that allow for mistreatment of employees of large factories, just because it can be classified as agricultural, are wrong, plain and simple! Saying that individuals should be responsible for negotiating their own pay is not practical in many cases. If an employee of this "farm" decides he or she will fight for fair pay or benefits, out comes the axe, they are gone and the firm sends off for another latino. It's going to get ugly folks unless we stand up and demand a stop!
His quote. "Would I be so brain dead to stand up and say those things?"
The answer to that is apparently yes, based on this quote
"Unfortunately, I thought I was talking to people who were sufficiently intelligent enough to understand my real meaning," he said. "I was mistaken."
This guy is right out of LePage's book! Won't admit to what he did, won't tell the truth, blame someone else.
The blame lies with LePage, i recall a very very wise man said one "The buck stops here". Paul LePage however is not very wise, his line is "it's not my fault"
Don't let the facts get in the way of a good scare. Those on the conservative side are using the non existent voter fraud, along with the myth of those busloads of immigrants flooding our borders to get welfare checks as their easy route to elections.
Over and over and over, they'll try a scare tactic rather than engage in an honest discussion of fact.
We got what we deserved in LePage, my hope is that there's enough sense in the rest of state government to ease the pain of his term in office
Shame that the Sun Journal is lagging behind, or missing ke new points to this story. As has been reported in other media outlets LePage has also promised to "zip it" in the future, in reference to his now frequent idiotic outbursts.
LePage will also apparently be the subject of an Op/Ed piece early next week. The letter which is to be sent to several news outlets across the state has been signed by a group of state republican lawmakers and will publicly criticize LePage for his open mouth policy.
In my opinion, it's about time that the leadership in the state legislature publicly pressure LePage on his outbursts and his actions.
He has been an embarrassment both locally and on a national stage for too long.
It's time for LePage to get down to the business of the state, as I recall he promised in his campaign to work for several things.
Fix the health insurance problem in the state, haven't heard even a peep from his office on this topic, though the head of the Maine Heritage Policy Center did tell us that Dirigo would be killed. I wonder if he's the point man on the health care project?
Attract jobs to the state. Reported yesterday, the nation picked up nearly a quarter million new private sector jobs in the most recent period, over half the US states increased their number of jobs, Maine was NOT one of those states. Thanks Paul your efforts are well, horrible.
What about energy cost? I recall lots of promises about action on lowering the cost of electricity, I don't recall hearing a word about it since the inauguration.
So far it's the hiring of his daughter, angering state employees by placing the burden of the state budget on their backs, lots of work removing a piece of art work, and a bunch, a bunch of purely idiotic statements.
But you are overstating the obvious here. While LePage's comments may seem humerous and indicative of some kind of machismo, it has grown increasingly tiring for many Mainers, most I would say have had enough.
Even as I peruse the pages of the Journal's op/ed section I notice far far fewer defenders of the LePage attitude. Are even the die hard LePage supporters growing weary of his schtick? I suspect so. His words and actions started by angering just small groups, welfare recipients and liberals were his campaign targets. Now he has widened his scope to include the NAACP, teachers and other state employees, union workers, and the art community. When will it end? Perhaps the Governer may some day allow his highly paid daughter to read the paper to him, and he'll figure this all out. We're tired of it, tired of being criticized, tired of people yelled at, tired of being blamed, tired of having things taken from us.
Once again LePage has opened his mouth, his mind, and stuck his foot in. Not one action taken thus far in his tenure has helped addressed anything he campaigned on. Jobs Mr LePage? Health Care insurance Mr LePage. I don't recall your campaign promise to rid state offices of thought provoking art, I don't recall you promise to anger citizens and groups with your words and actions. Those people who voted for you should feel pretty mislead by now. Please Mr LePage, let your well paid daughter/assistant read the newspaper to you some day. Time to quit playing games and get to the business of the state!
There is really nothing to fear here. People of different color, religion and opinion are what make this world beautiful. I would ask how you would legislate your idea about keeping competition amongst "local kids". How long do you have to live here to be termed local. do your parents have to be from here? Did you have to be born here? Or is it ok that you moved here before you started school, what of you moved here in the 3rd grade, 4th grade?
In sport, teams and players get better by playing against better competition. Often, that better competition comes from people who are of different races and nationalities than we are. There are many reasons why a town the size of say Pittsburgh PA puts many many more kids into college on athletic scholarships than the entire state of Maine every year, but one of them is their diversity and our lack of it. Embrace diversity and welcome it into our borders!
They've been saying the same thing for years, well really for decades. Over and over and over the conservative faction in the US has repeatedly said they will let the market fix healthcare. Didn't work in the 80's, or the 90's, ain't working now. In all their repeal efforts we've heard much about what the GOP thinks is wrong with the new healthcare law, I'd love to hear what they would propose in it's place.
Recall, if we only could. Would someone ask the attorney general for an opinion on whether we could take that action?
Oh, forgot, the attorney general works for LePage not for the citizens. Just like that office would not look into the illegality of the appointment made to Maine's DEP, he wouldn't dare take a look into something like a recall.
Oh well, how many more days??????
But there is not now, and never has been an illegal immigrant issue in the state of Maine. It's another myth made up by the current administration, as well as some others during the most recent election cycle. It's a common tactic, raise a non existent issue, scare people into believing something is being taken away from them, and get elected though you have no real qualifications for the job. You are absolutely right, there is a big difference between legal and illegal immigrants, the illegal ones really don't exist in our state. What the myth does is promote the long standing attitude of fear here. That is fear of people who are different in the way they look, sounds or talk.
If we live our lives surrounding ourselves with only people who look like us, come from the same place as us, and think like us, we will die very very lonely souls.
Well said Ms Phillips. The problem with the Kid safe act, and the battle Mr LePage has waged against it is $$. Kids are not campaign donors, large corporate concerns that make those dangerous chemicals however are.
The consertaive portion of the legislature, just like it's"big daddy" LePage administration ran it's campiagns and continues to run the business of the state of anecdotes, myth and outright lies. They motivated voters by frightening those among us into believing that people from other states were the cause of our financial woes, not the struggling US economy, that the tax picture, job prospects, energy costs and personal freedoms were so much better in other states than here. It appears the way they are lining up proposal after proposal, they are still ignoring the facts.
Really, nuclear as part of the solution to our energy problems? I'll guess that the events of the past week will put a serious delay in any proposed nuclear projects. If it isn't already being built, plant on it being pushed back,,,, way back.
Problem with Nuke is that we have not solved the storage issue, take a look at what's still sitting down in Wiscasset.
Also, you just can't corral all the different heads and hands necessary in a project like this into one well controlled system. Relying on scores of different design firms, constructions firms, and regulatory agencies will continue to be a nightmare to get anything done.
And finally, given our desire lately for economy, I wouldn't let any of the low bidders approved for these jobs touch a nuke aywhere within 500 miles of my house!
I wish the Sun Journal would publish the names of those on the committee handling this bill. Kudos to the 4 who want to kill it. We should find a way to recall the 9 in favor of doing anything with this bill besides wadding it up and tossing it in the nearest recycling bin
Respectfully, you idea to "start drilling now" to solve our energy problems, that is the prospect of drivers paying $4 a gallon for their over powered cars, is way way way off mark.
The solution of the problem in the short term is try to conserve fuel, tires inflated properly, engine in tune etc goes a short way, trading that hulking SUV or high performance sports car in for something more economical is a much better solution. And finding alternatives, bio diesel and other alternative fuels, hybrid cars, all electric cars.
If you put all you hopes on drilling now, some new offshore oil wells might start producing in 10-15 years! Much like some folks (LePage) interest in getting Maine back into the nuke business, it does nothing to solve the problem you are seeing as you drive past gas stations. I especially like the suggestions during the campiagn that Maine could reduce it's high cost of energy by drilling off the coast of our state. What, the oil taken there would all stay in Maine?? It would be our very own?? Nope, sorry government types, that's not how it works.
You want our country to be self reliant as far as energy goes, since there is a finite amount of oil available (mother earth can not be expected to keep up with our pace) it will eventually run out. ALL the experts say that time is coming,,,, soon. But you are mostly upset I suspect because of the price.
Prices are up because oil suppliers and distributors know exactly how much they can get for gas at different times of the year, in different locations in the country, even different parts of our state! The only way to change that is by changing our habits and our personal reliance on gas.
"I heard him tell leadership (in the Legislature) that he doesn't care if he's unpopular," Demeritt said. "He's pretty comfortable being judged on the results."
At this point Mr LePage ought to start caring. The reason that he is unpopular, and not approved of by the majority of mainers is because his actions fly in the face of what he campaign as and what people expect of him as Governor.
By sitting in his office, crossing his arms and defying the people he expands his appearance as an out of touch autocratic buffoon. He is taking our state in the wrong direction, it is plain and simple!
While this has all been fun, I have enjoyed reading your responses and respect your right to your opinion, you have not swayed me. I, along with more and more mainers every day, feel that we've been left with a Governor who is boorish, autocratic, and a liar. vastly out of touch with reality. All spin aside there is example after example of how he is flat out unfit to govern this state. His ideas and policies do no even begin to accomplish what he promised to do during his campaign. Not one proposal has been aimed at improving the lives of mainers, saving the average family money, or increasing the opportunity for job creation here. Thanks though for your opinion.
And ask your friend Paul why, when he wants to require state employees to take some of the pain and increase their contributions to pension plans, why does he not require himself to so the same thing. Or perhaps just take a big portion of the pain and step away from his promised state pension as soon as he is voted out of office. Is the pension plan sound enough to pay Mr LePage off, but not the rest of the state employees?
Shouldn't we all by taking on some of the pain Mr Stone?
wow Mr Stone, you seem to have some anger issues. I certainly respect your right to express an opinion, but doing it by trashing me is an interesting way to discuss things. I'd suggest that when looking at actions of our new state government, follow the money.
And if I could offer some personal advice Mr Stone, if you spend your whole life surrounding yourself with only those who look like you, talk like you, and have the same opinion and life style as you, you will die a very very lonely soul.
Lets all vow to look closely at these proposals and ask
1) does this help create any jobs in Maine?
2) does this do damage to what Maine is and has been known for, being a clean pristine place?
3) or do these proposals funnel more profits to out of state corporations that do little if any actual hiring in our state?
Mr Coburn, your bottle redemption is a perfect example. The beverage associations continue to pump cash into efforts to reverse what has been done in Maine to keep millions of bottles every year off our streets and out of our landfills. The thing many people don't ask about is the cost. Since the inception of our bottle bill, the cost of beverages here has risen, but only as fast as the cost of beverages across the nation. We pay the same price for sodas, beer, liquor (factoring out sales tax) as any other state with or without a bottle deposit act. We get the extra nickel per bottle back! It's pennies being passed back and forth, and any extra cost is being borne by the beverage manufacturers. The price of beverages has not increased because of normal market pressures on cost. I can still get a 2 liter bottle of soda on sale for less than a buck, our vending machines still offer some expensive, some cheap beverage options, and we still have thousands of choices on the stores shelves. If you don't think it's fair that the bottlers are bearing a little extra cost, send them a few pennies every time you drink a soda, beer or glass of wine. The big difference is that Maine is a cleaner more pleasant place to live. I do not feel sorry that multi billion dollar, multi national corporations like Pepsico have to help fund our cleanliness.
Keep your voice loud Mr Dumas, it is only by exposing the greed that drives the administration that these situations and others affecting maines working and poor classes will be averted. The worst part is that the LePage budget is not smaller, in fact it is much, much larger than the last Baldacci budget. How does he manage to spend more money? Because he is assuming that our economy will continue to grow, and of course it will as long as the US economy continues it's recovery. The growth has nothing to do with LePage and his administration. The growth is already happening, has been since last year long before the stink of LePage fouled our air. So why not just take this growth, leave state budgets flat, and repair our deficit? Because LePage is repaying his campaign contributors by cutting taxes, both income and estate taxes, for the wealthies mainers, and for out of state corporations. Remember when LePage said he would work for the people of Maine??? Don't hold your breath.
The changing of rules government child labor in Maine is nothing but a poorly veiled attempt by those in power to put more profit into the pockets of corporations, most of which are out of state concerns. It's a simple concept, most jobs that teens hold are temporary, unskilled, and part time. Most importantly they are much more likely to be minimum wage jobs. By allowing teens to work more hours, later hours and more days, large business can shift hours from adults who generally demand higher pay. Out of state corporations save cash, adults who need to pay the rent, put food on the table, keep their cars gassed up, make less money. Another right wing plan proposed by LePage and his minions, but bought and paid for by big money like Koch Industries.
My hat is off to you Mr Ferguson and the hundreds like you across the state running our redemption centers.
At just pennies a bottle I still can't imagine how you make enough to justify the long hours and dirty work that it takes to be the repository of the states hundreds of millions of bottles each year.
keep up the good work, you are an industry that adds nothing to the consumer cost of the product you work with, but you add untold value to our state.
Wow, second year in a row the Babson women have ended the season of a maine team in overtime. Last year it was Colby falling 76-73 in double overtime to Babson in the NCAA 2nd round in Waterville.
Kudos to the entire Bowdoin team on an outstanding year.
And to senior co-captain Katie Bergeron, it's been an honor knowing you and your family. "Katrina",,,,,,,, superb year, superb season. Best of luck in everything you do down the line, the world is now truly your oyster!
Al I suspect it was more about the "bang for your buck" issue. I'm certain the WBC looked at their options, pay for a long trip in their crowded vans to Maine, to get minimal coverage from our media. Heck, some of the local press here might not have been able to find South Paris much less get a story on the air on in print. Sometimes living in this remote corner of the world does have it's advantages.
To answer your first question.
"If they can make synthetic oil for cars, why not for home heating?"
They do, bio diesel. It's used also to heat homes in place of the usual heating oil. Unfortunately it's not used much, I'd say just a little more government assistance could boost the industry and get us on our way to freeing ourselves from the foreign oil grip. Of course our government might not be able to afford to support the bio fuel industry because they support big oil so heavily.
Follow the money, a proposal to drop the BPA ban in Maine came directly from a portland lobbyist paid by a large chemical manufacturer. This delay in hearings about BFR's will also be linked to big industry and their campaign contributions to GOP lawmakers here and nationwide. We need to tell LePage to open his eyes and read the scientific research. It's not little beards on women, it's cancer in mainers young old male female. This easing of regulation will not result in one job for the state of Maine, not one. This will only serve to line the already full pockets of select big business and keep their overseas firms working.
Freedom of information, Maine is one of the worst states in allowing access to government records. These secret panels being constructed by LePage should be a wake up call to the media in our state to start challenging the constant refusals of government to release what is rightfully ours and to allow access to any and all meetings that could impact public policy.
Another law, written by large business interests in the state to benefit their personal pocket books.
Here's the way it works, as it is now teens can legally work just 20 hours in a five day week. Teens are in general the lowest paid in our workforce. Minimum wage is the norm, adults generally demand at least a little more than the minimum and can work as many hours as they please. So the bottom line, and the payroll savings for mr and mrs big business comes in by letting teens work more hours at the lowest possible wage, and that will take away those more expensive hours from the adult working population.
Ask Mr LePage 2 questions, how will this create more jobs in Maine? How will thise make life better for Mainers?
Thank you Ms Kontos for a factual easy ti understand explanation of a complex issue.
The trouble is us, WE elected a thoroughly unqualified Governor and he has installed an equally unqualified list of yesmen and women behind him to do his bidding.
His office issued this edict with no research, no hearings, no discussion. Hopefully there will be some legal challenge to put things back in order.
You got it absolutely right Mr McKeone. The good thing is that more and more of us are opening our eyes and realizing what the motivation is behind the moves that Mr LePage is making. We as a state are to blame. WE elected a thoroughly unqualified governor. Because of our misdeed, our new governor has assembled a vast cast of characters around him who are also highly unqualified. The head of DHHS, Education, Commerce, DEP and others were all there to help him get elected and returned with their hands extended palms up to be repaid for their service. Theirs is the task of glad handing and nodding yes to all the ridiculous proposals that come from LePage, but the worst part of all this is where those proposals really come from. We got a hint when the paperwork offering up a discontinuation of the BPA ban because public. Come from the messy desk and cluttered mind of Paul LePage?? NO! It came from the office of a lobbying firm, a firm paid indirectly by Koch Industries, a BPA manufacturer that does no business in our state! This is the same Koch Industries driving the union busting train in Wisconsin, here in Maine and around the country.
WE are to blame, now WE have to work to fix it.
Your 2 lines say volumes to me Mr Oakes.
"not every member of Lee’s starting lineup spent his entire childhood in Lee, or Winn, or some township-range combination in the Penobscot Valley."
"there’s still something to be said for close-knit community schools"
You talk about the kids from away at Lee. Transfers in and out of schools, kids coming from foreign countries.
Are you and large groups of Mainers afraid of something? Is there a fear here that something will be lost if people will accept with open arms others from outside our borders? I think you could ask just about anyone who moves into the state from somewhere else. You would find that yes, there is some kind of fear, very difficult to figure out why it is and it takes many many different forms.
In any case Maine will need to get used to it. People will transfer from one school to another, in many states legal action has opened up the right to do that for any reason. People will move here from other states, and other countries. They will have different talents, different opinions, be of different religions and have different skin color. Diversity is a good thing, and sometimes old hard to beat ignorant opinions are bad very very bad. Remember that the only rule that matters when it comes to participation in a school sport is that the student be enrolled in the school.
Naples, you should be embarrassed by this guy. Instead of getting to work on the business of the state, that is trying to enact laws that would save taxpayers money and improve the quality of life, he is aiming his lance at the federal government with a proposal that is "non binding" and "would not carry the force of law." I'd say that this is just as bad as the whoopie pie legislation fiasco, but at least that gave some people a chuckle and excercise our rolling eye muscles.
This guy is out there, way out there. I believe he is also the driving force behind the legislation to require drivers license or state ID at the polls, driven by his fear of the hordes of immigrants flooding our borders to elect communist legilsators. While ID might seem like a great idea, there is no, absolutely no, evidence of voter fraud that would be solved by ID's in the state of Maine.
So Mr Cebra, think, before you propose, what you are doing is making the state look like the last refuge for the fear mongering "patriots" of the 80's that turned into the heavily armed, money order scamming, survivalists that believe the federal government does not have the right to levy an income tax.
It's too bad that you are among the keen jerk reaction short sighted folks that just don't look at the facts before spouting about our need for nukes and off shore drilling. We have an immediate problem with our reliance on foreign oil. Even if regulations were eased and drilling and a nuclear plant were put on the "fast track" it would be well over a decade before a drill was sunk, and a generation before a volt was produced by a nuclear plant. That is unless you want any old billy bob construction company from the county given to go ahead to start drilling or building. The need for reliable and renewable sources of energy forces us to explore the alternatives, there are many, and with enough support from state and federal governments those alternatives can be explored without sacrificing the environment of our children and grand children.
That is the legal and ethical way to approach the situation. Unfortunately the LePage administration seems unlikely to take that approach on any matter. What they'd rather do is try to fire up their dwindling support base using urban myth and outright lies. All in an effort to appease their campaign donors. Specifically Koch Industries and owner Ed Koch.
Have to hand it to Leavitt Coach Tammy Anderson. I'm not attached to the school in any way, in fact I couldn't even tell you where it is. But having seen them a half dozen or so times over the past 2 seasons it's very obvious that Coach Anderson "gets it". Able to juggle a roster of girls, year after year, some are stars, some are her own daughters, and she has shown over the years she is able to keep them happy and keep them productive on the court. The way I see her group, she has exceptional talent and has been able to mold a team out of that talent, rather than molding the players to fit an abstract idea of a team. She let them play, encouraged them to do things most other teams wouldn't even consider. Kudos to you and your team coach!
Wasn't our governor LePage going to refuse any of the money from then federal government. Doesn't he believe that businesses do better without government strings attached, wasn't he the one who was if elected going to tell our Presienet to Go to hell?
Sounds like our idiot governor is now showing off his new "Hypocritic Oath"
But over all, for once, Maine Heritage was right. LePage campaigned on the claim that he would drastically cut the state budget. One big way is to eliminate jobs, especially those jobs that overlap in function, or just sit around and do nothing.
With his 81 positions eliminated he is taking credit for what Baldacci did when he ordered a freeze on hiring, and 69 of those 81 jobs were left open.
So our esteemed leader LePage has ordered a grand total of 12 employees cut?? That's it?? That's a drop in the bucket, and I've heard about some of those 12 employees, he is cutting the people doing the actual work, while leaving the bloated management level in ALL state departments alone. That's where the fat is in the state, it comes from rewarding long time employees with promotions to new levels of management, and in the past before Baldacci came to office those departments just added those levels and replaced the workers.
LePage will only attack at the bottom, at the level of employees that have little if any voice in the state. Until those extra do nothing managers are cut, LePage's campaign promise will remain, a lie. Don't sit and compare, we are unique, just do it right!
Let's you and I meet up in Augusta, load him up and take him back to the Marden's on KMD. I'll drive, how much do you think we can get for him? I would expect at least the same as returning an empty Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy bottle for deposit. Maybe if we take his daughter back too.
I'm wondering now who exactly was elected to the governer's office. Was it an over weight man with a penchant for making up stories, a man who loves to hide his family finances, a GM of a store that sells factory second t shirts, garbage furniture, expired food products and cheapo tools from china, or was it an office full of highly paid lobbyists from Portland?
The "budget cutting" by the GOP fits with all the BS they have been spouting since the 2008 presidential race. They campaigned last fall on smoke, mirrors, innuendo and myth. Now that has come to the halls of congress and my voting for these "cuts" they are able to make the majority of americans, those who get their news in 15 second soundbites, happy.
Nearly a decade of George W Bush put this country into the worst economic collapse in over 60 years, now do we trust his cronies enough to let them have the keys back?
Just wow. Another LePage knee jerk reaction to a "problem" that doesn't exist. Not for profits have been using these bonds, which have been written at no cost to taxpayers for over 20 years. And when these bonds are written and projects undertaken, Mainers go to work. The agencies have paid then back, all of them, at no cost to taxpayers. None of defaulted on the bonds, none!
Now capital projects in Livermore and Farmington go on the shelf, and the Mainers who would have worked on those projects can thank the Governer for their lack of work. So go ahead LePage, stop all these projects, force each and every one of these bonds to go before voter approval, nice way to spur business, real nice.
It's a lie, a lie, a lie.
How many other times has he shown that he likes to open his mouth and spew before he thinks. He's like a high school kid making stuff up to support his playground argument. And after he does it, he lets Demerrit try to cover his ass. Demeritt is the worst, at doing a very tough job.
It's all made up!!!!!!!! There are no towns in Maine teetering on the brink of bankruptcy!
She was grossly unqualified. Listing her ownership of "Competitive Edge Consulting LLC." as part of her qualifications? That firm is nothing but a website selling slef help guides for people on interviews and how to guides for filling out resume's. Besides that? She worked for her family, in the logging business. She was just one of the unqualified, just like the Education dept head with his 10 years as a middle school teacher, and the commerce dept head who admitted he knew nothing of job creation. And then there's the head of the DEP, he's so unqualified that his appointment is a violation of state and federal law?
Nice start LePage,,,, did you hear about the layoffs at BIW? It's in the paper,,, oh yea, you don't read the paper. Well perhaps your daughter or her hired assistant can read it to you!
You ask good questions Mr Lee, unfortunately the LePage adminisatrion has no answers.
We will 3 years from now continue to be the oldest, dumbest and whitest of the 50 states. Does anything the Governer proposed thus far address any of those issues? I say no, but he has shown the willingness to make an ass of himself, hire friends and relatives, and try to repay campaign donations.
Just what our state needs, more lawyers and more money tossed at initiatives on the national front that will not benefit Mainers in any way.
Let's keep our noses into what matters to our state. The new administration has shown time and time again that they know little about the structure of law. Evidence the appointment of the DEP head that violates both state and federal law.
By the way Mr LePage, how many assistants has your daughter hired?
Please lawmakers look closely at this and every bill that the LePage administration tries to sneak through. The reason there are scant details, and the bill was handed to lawmakers to late to give it proper review is that it is flawed, through and through.
Please ask these 2 questions when reviewing each adn every part of the bill.
How does this improve the landscape for businesses that would create jobs in our state, not outside our borders?
How does this improve or protect the lives of Maine residents?
I propose that not one portion of this bill can generate a positive response to either of those questions.
Please keep those questions in mind when sponsoring and reviewing laws. Don't give us away to the pacs and special interests that funded LePage's campaign from outside our borders.
prices rose over the past several weeks in response to the turmoil in Egypt. The turmoil is over. prices in other areas of the US are falling, an 11 cent drop in Ohio over the last week, what's the deal with an increase here??
Too old, too connected (to LePage and his nut bag power base). Too unqualified, and too white! Is there not one candidate for any of these state positions that has some other skin color? We know it's not because LePage is appointing only the most qualified. His DEP chief is not allowed by state and federal law, his DHHS selection's only qualifications come from her term as a lobbyist for the state hospital association, and then there's his daughter. Old, yes very very old, and how many of these quite old appointees are now double dippers? Take a look at how many of these old white guys get a hefty state (taxpayer funded) pension while collecting more of our money for their more than ample salaries.
Call the Gov, it's just not fair that these restrictions on business are stepping in the way of a strong maine company. They are just trying to do the best they can in a tight Maine economy. Struggling with payrolls and the high cost of insurance. LePage,,,, please step in and see what you can do!
The savings here will be no thanks to LePage. So instead of asking current working state employees to take furlow days to cut the budget, he's asking retired state employees to take cuts. The reason it looks like he's creating savings is that there has been an increase in state revenue by over 300 million dollars, that increase is thanks to the PREVIOUS administration, not LePage.
And job creation budget? Nowhere in here does this create or attract one job to the state.
Jobs will come as the national economy continues to recover, continues to recover by the way from the near death blow dealt by the Bush Administration,
What we need is for candidates to be open and honest about their personal finances. I would propose that anyone running for state office be required to open their personal and family finances, including tax returns, investments and property ownership, to the scrutiny of the media and the public.
Wouldn't it be interesting to find out how much money the LePage family had shifted to investments in Florida (and it's no income tax), or why Mr LePage owned no automobiles at the time of his election, or who owns all the land that will become a new hospital and higway access in Augusta?
A "bubbly color changing water feature"??? How many thousands of dollars did that cost. A better question might be, how many jobs that were lost last year during CMMC's cutbacks ,because of a severe revenue shortage, could have been brought back by eliminating that feature and the cost of operation and upkeep?
Waste waste waste, and since it's hundreds of millions of dollars in Maine care that was paid to the hospital by our new governer, it's waste of our tax dollars.
Obviously the Sun Journal has not looked at the City of Auburn website in connection with this story. The address listed in your article is incorrect. www.auburnmaine.org is the correct web address for the city site.
If the Sun Journal had gone to that site you would find a fairly neat, orderly and very functional site that is loaded with easy to access information.
$30,000 to replace something that works? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
These "companies" like CEI, Preservation Management and many others large and small are just business standing at the corporate welfare trough waiting to get their bucks.
Look at any government funded project and you'll see the cost per unit, cost per square foot, or any other yardstick, is much higher than similar non government funded projects.
And it doesn't stop there! After the project is complete, the rents charged to occupy these over priced building is outrageous. Why? Because the property managers know that the government reimbursement rate is generally 50% over the going street rates. This in general is a waste of federal tax dollars, so our local officials will sit back and say it's all ok since the cash comes from the fed.
Dig deep Sun Journal, start taking a look at all the scores of state buildings that are under utilized, then look at how many new facilities have been built, or how many have been rehabbed using tax payer dollars. Then you'll see where all our state tax dollars are being wasted.
All the crying, pissing and moaning from our constantly campaigning government officials about the high cost of food stamp and other welfare programs is nothing but fluff that helps hide how the friends of government continue to ride a very posh gravy train to riches!
There is a system in place at restaurants, and it is regulated by the staff. The bussers, bartenders etc, all those support people are given cuts by each of the members of the wait staff.
The way it is regulated is how it should be. If I as a waiter, take care of those people who help me do my job better they continue to give me top notch assistance, if I fail to give them their due, they will fail to take care of me. And in the other direction, a member of the wait staff will reward those assistants who go above and beyond the call with a more generous cut at nights end.
It's much like the way the tipping system works, and has worked for decades. You tip the servers that give you best service better, and leave smaller tips for more average or worse service.
For members of management to jump in and grab the money first so they can be the arbiters of the "share" is a great way to upset the balance of the system. It would also leave an undeniable sense of untrust among the tipped staff.
As a customer, I tip for good service to the people who give it, the boss need not have his hands in the mix.
We got just a hint during the election. Now we're learning what all our legislators and our governer meant in their talk about helping business. This move is the worst! Trying to take hard earned money away from our tipped Mainers. Those people who receive tips generally make, by law, only 40% of the minimum wage to allow their emploers to get their greedy paws on that money is a travesty and should not be allowed by law!
Hoorah! Finally some organized effort to say stop! Wait! Look deeper before you change the the biggest part of what helps to maintain Maine's number one business. Without our continual efforts to go above and beyond, that is maintain stricter environmental controls than the federal government requires, and keep our state as clean and beautiful as possible, our tourism industry would flop. We need this cleanliness, we need the pristeen beauty of our state. If tourism flops/fails to recover with the national economy, what will happen to the thousands of small business. Our lobster pounds, family owned restaurants, motels, antique stores, even stores like Renys and yes Mardens thrive because of the thousands of people flocking to our state for a visit every year!
This stinks, just like all of his appointments, it stinks of cronyism, and repayment for donations and favors. Maine is taking a step back 75 years into the dark days of politics.
But he did not attend an NAACP event. He attended (unannounced except for the newspaper and tv stations) the Waterville MLK breakfast which was not sponsored nor attended by members of the Maine chapter of the NAACP. He also has yet to apologize to those people he offended. He needs to step up and be a man, and not just cast things off as unimportant.
All points well made Sun, except. How exactly was Mr LePage "Goaded" by the person holding the microphone. The reporter/producer asked just a couple of very simple questions. By saying this you are letting him off the hook somewhat, laying down a convenient excuse for Mr LePage to use.
This was inexcusable, it was a slap in the face. No matter who the "kiss my butt" statement was aimed at or how flippant it was he deserves serious rebuke for it. His next step should be to do what any thinking adult does after making an outrageous statement that does nothing but insult. Apologize Mr LePage, publicly, it's what adults do.
Barb, he hasn't done a dam thing yet. Except that he's written a 100+ million dollar check to the state's hospitals to pay for their overcharges for Maine Care and Medicaid services. Oh yea and he's proposing eliminating over 100 state jobs, jobs that are already vacant and were kept that way under the previous administration. Oh yea, and he hired his 22 year old daughter for an "entry level" job that pays 41 grand, plus a state car and gas card, and she's living in the gov's mansion too! Oh yea, and he told the state arm of a national organization that represents millions of americans, to kiss his but. He has not even proposed to do one thing to live up to his campaign promise of "fixing" the high cost of the public aid program, and wait till he does Barb, and you start to see your friends, family and neighbors start to suffer! Great friggin guy we got there.
No excuses, no rationalization, NO BRAINS!
This was an idiotic move. Just no other way to put it. LePage hired his unqualified ADULT daughter who will already be living off the taxpayer in the Blaine House to do a job which if examined closely will be shown to be a completely unnecessary position. Fiscally responsible?? Not in any way shape or form. This is not even old school politics as usual, this is just stupidity.
Thank you all you intolerant people for bringing some hate into my holiday season.
I choose to celebrate all my holidays with my family and friends, I don't have to force my beliefs on other people and on public property to celebrate any holiday.
That's what the US is all about, the freedom to believe the way you feel, and tolerance to allow others the freedom to do the same.
These are simple legal questions that have been answered on the federal level. You don't spend public money, use public property to support, favor, celebrate however you want to say it, a certain religion. Those who believe in other religions, or no religion, have the same rights. It is NOT majority rule in this nation, if it was women, non property owners and people of color would still not be able to vote, and we'd still have public floggings and hangings as punishment.
Absolutely right, 100%. And I'm especially curious now that the lawyer representing them has dropped hints alluding to their identity? Do we not have a right to know?
I'll go even further, and suggest that the news media has a responsibility to learn the identities, and report them.
The people responsible for the lies spread by that web site are a family member of a candidate, and several from the "inner circle" of a candidate.
So this candidate has set this all up so that he/she can wash clean of responsibility between now and the next election?
We need to know, what if it's LePage? Or what if it's one of his cronies now being selected for state office?
I think it's high time we did something about all the problems caused in our state by all these white people. How can we continue to just slap them on the wrists or look the other way? Who let all these worthless white people into Maine anyway?
So says our new administration. Don't delay approve new businesses right away! Don't worry about any ramifications, any possible negatives, or any business intruding on the rights of surrounding property owners to enjoy the use of their property as it was purchased.
It's all important to streamline the process to add a few jobs! Perhaps if the slaughterhouse is turned down the owner can propose a hazardous waste processing facility, or maybe a nudge donut shop.
Keep up the fight, above all keep working, but keep talking. There will always be the many hard liners ready to criticize those who need help, and be selfish enough to work hard to deny and slash the taxpayer funded benefits that are available.
We are as a whole a very kind society, we know that part of what we are put on this earth to do is to help our fellow man, remember, "Do unto others,,,,,,,"
Be the voice of the majority, and when people criticize ask them to join you. In your position you have the ability to change the world one opinion at a time.
I've seen this argument come up over and over and over. What it boils down to is this, the people arguing about it are always offended, not by what they are allowed to say but by what other people say. No one in my memory has ever banned, criminalized, or frowned upon any individuals from saying Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays, writing the word Christmas instead of the popular shortcut Xmas, decorating your house with religious symbols rather than santas, snowmen and plastic smurfs, or in any way celebrating for yourself in your own way. What the complainers are upset with is what others do, like town offices, or retail outlets, or tv commercials or newspaper article headlines. I'll say it the way I want to, and you can say it the way you want to. Simple as that.
What the GOP did that paid the biggest dividends was to play off the fears of Maine's populace by continuing to toss out the rumors and urban legend that fuels the anger of people here that fear change most of all.
The most memorable for me is Gov elect LePage and his campaign promises about welfare. Remember the promise to cut them off and give them a bus ticket back to Mass? It turns out there really is no flood of hordes of people from away coming to collect our welfare $$.
He spoke of how outrageously high our electric bills are, but compare them to neighboring states, they are actually quite low. Check this info from the US Energy Information Administration, all sector rates in august 2010, we had the lowest per kilowatt rate in all of New England. http://www.eia.doe.gov/electricity/epm/table5_6_a.html
And then theres the tax issue, just by continuing to toss out those old incorrect ourdated figures that at one time claimed we had the highest taxes in the nation, he fueled continuing fears that our money flew out of our wallets faster every day.
Wake the hell up Maine!
I see where you believe that high taxation infringes on your right to smoke. Your burden though is outweighed by your infringing on my rights. You see, my tax dollars, at a rate much higher than a few mere pennies per cigarette, will go to support you as your 50 year smoking habit puts you in the hospital suffering from emphysema, lung cancer etc. So if the state were to stop taxing your cigarettes, then perhaps when your time comes they will stop spending to keep you and your fellow smokers alive.
Wow! This guy is the slickest of slick. Claims that overcharging the government nearly $2 million for gloves, diapers and bed liners? That's enough of those items to outfit the whole state, awful lot for one little pharmacy isn't it?
And so he files bankruptcy chapter 7, asked about why he filed that way. "he didn't know the particular ramifications of either filing. He said he acted on the advice of his lawyers and that the state urged him to file for bankruptcy." In my opinion, either a liar or an idiot. That's like saying that you didn't know your wife was changing her state of residence, isn't it?
How about this for a good person to help lead the state in a period of financial crisis?
"True's Pharmacy didn't keep accurate records for an extended period, making it difficult for auditors to determine exactly how much he overcharged the state."
and lastly,
"Nutting said he found no contradiction between his new role as leader of the House, which oversees programs such as MaineCare, and his unpaid debt."
Wow, how stupid are we?
Sounds like you're part of the problem sir. You say you worked for the state, auditing GA, did you report the fraud that you saw? Did you try to do something about it and document it? Or were you just willing to go along and collect your paycheck?
Or perhaps you are much like many of the politicians were during the recent campaign, using hearsay, gossip and local myth to perpetuate the needless fears of Mainers that the evil hoards are bursting through our borders to take something away from us.
Yes there is welfare fraud, but I suspect it's more native white mainers using their benefits to keep the homefront full of cigarettes and Allens Coffee Brandy while earning cash digging worms, collecting bottles and cashing in the junk metal pile in the back of their neighbors house. How's that for undocumented fraud?
I believe your quote,
"Among the latest misconceptions about welfare is that foreign immigrants come to Maine because of the state's generous welfare rules and benefits. This misconception is fueled by a fear of cultures that are different."
says volumes about Maine. This fear of cultures permeates our society in Maine and across the country. You know that term "from away" that is thrown around so much here? I wish it would "go away" because many times when uttered it shows the idiotic hatred and fear of diversity that is so prevalent in our state. Fear of diversity of color, of religion, even of people who look and talk like us that just happen to have Mass. on their birth certificate!
The difficulty that I see as a result of these fears, is that many politicians abused us and took advantage of these fears to get elected. We'll see as the next few years progress that we were lied to and cheated in the campaign season. I only wish all this information, which was readily available form reporting, had been given to the voters of Maine election day. FDR was right, was have just one thing to fear.
In many areas of the country the League of Women Voters puts out a large amount of unbiased information on candidates and issues. I notice that the Maine chapter has very little information, only links to the secretary of state site. The voters guide generally had only a sentence from each candidate.
I would ask that the Maine chapter try to do more of that in the future, it could give voters an informative haven from the barrage of advertising on TV and even on media websites.
You asked
"How many deaths will it take before state lawmakers get the message and ban cell phone use in vehicles?"
It's not about life or death it's about dollars and cents.
The cell phone companies in this country make million, approaching billions of dollars every year. That money has and will continue to keep most states from enacting laws banning the use of cell phones anywhere.
In most cases, and in Maine, when corporate $ talks politicians listen.
Very interesting editorial, but where's the numbers for our just closed governer's race? I think the thing that should worry most Mainers is how much of that outside money came in support of Paul LePage and for the attack ads against Cutler and Mitchell. How many favors for those millions of dollars is the LePage camp now owe?
I don't want to give Maine, or any state over to the influence of big business, I'd still like at least a hope of having some citizen control over what transpires here.
The sad thing is that in this election season, all these pollsters were given carte blance by the statewide media. The vast majority of the polls were automated phone style, performed during a 3 hour period on one night, using only fixed home phone lines. This style of poll has been shown repeatedly to not represent actual trends. In other words they are not worth the cost of the ink to print. Unfortunately our statewide journalists and editorial boards chose to publish them, just because they were available, rather than question their value and make editorial decisions based on that. Hopefully in the next campaign season you folks think harder. You cheapen yourselves by reporting cheaply.
Nice to be proud of your heritage. But these lines from your article strike me.
"having a Franco governor was overdue"
"He will help raise the Franco visibility in Maine,"
"Being a Franco, speaking French and being a Lewiston native helped LePage carry Lewiston"
I do however agree with this one.
“I don't think your nationality means anything.” I hope that Mr LePage uses that rationale while choosing his cabinet. It really needs to be much less white and male than his campaign team. I vote for more diversity in Maine, it will make us a better state.
Kudos to you Rev Carnahan. And thank you for taking responsibility for the actions of your church, even though thaose actions might not have been yours.
It's sad that we live in a very un-tolerant world these days. And things in Maine seem to be going backwards in that direction rather than forward. I don't know how many times in this state I've heard the phrase "they're taking over,,,,," from people taking about minorities.
Radical idea here, Maine needs more diversity, it will help us all become better people.
So what do you do with the money you should have been paying your employee, but agreed to keep so he or she could stay on welfare. You conspire with someone to cheat the system, you both are guilty.
Here's what I would do if my employee, earning $12.50 an hour (that's what LePage said) turned down a raise. I'd say take the raise, scrimp a little, cut out the high speed internet, pare cable down to basic, let's try to find a car pool for you to save gas and I'll work to adjust your schedule to help. Next year you'll get another raise and be making that much more! I'm sure there are many ways a boss like you could help, rather than stuff that extra cash back in your pocket.
You ask "Does he not care?"
No, he has said a number of times, publicly in debates and forums, that he has worked to keep Marden's employees on welfare. I can't believe that the media, and DHS has let this slide. When he said that an employee had refused pay hikes for 3 years, and Marden's agreed, to allow that employee to stay on welfare, that says to me he doesn't mind cheating the system. I believe that's fraud and theft from taxpayers to help line the Marden's pocket with even more cash.
You are right Dennis. The language of the casino issue, which will not appear on the ballot but every smart voter should read before deciding, says that no other casino could be sited within 100 miles of the Oxford facility.
Restriction of trade is not the way to deal with the issue of casino gambling. Giving 5 Mainers a casino monopoly is bad for the rest of us.
I hope that Lewiston can come up with a better deal.
Push all the arguments aside about the evils of gambling, and the hopeful creation of jobs on this one. This is a bad deal for Maine. The whole thing is set up to benefit the 5 owners, as well as the owner of the land.
If true casino gambling is to be approved in Maine, it should be done the way Indiana did it over a decade ago. Approve one for each "region" and then let casino operators bid for the right to site a facility. The bidding competition got Indiana billions up front, and the best deal possible on split of profits.
Take a look at how that state improved downtowns, roads, schools with the upfront money, and how the continue to profit on admission charges and profit splits.
This one's a bad deal,,,, again.
You line, "Maine has bounced around in this survey, and that raises a bit of doubt about its accuracy" can be said about any and all of these "studies"
The difficulty with them being reported in local press, is that while you report what some of the criteria are in each survey, you do not report how those criteria are weighted.
For example, the Forbes survey used climate and age of population. These are things which states have no, or very little control over. Well, how heavily are those uncontrolable stats weighted in each survey?
Much like reporting political polls without studying closely the methodology, reporting of these surveys is useless waste of space in your paper.
That's the strangest math I've ever heard of.
If 20 percent of voters are undecided and 20% of those undecided voters select one candidate, that means that candidate will only get 4% of all voters.It's simple math.
The point is that these out of state plans are not cheap. Also, do you think that an insurance company doing business is New Hampshire would (if allowed by the state of maine) let you by a policy for the same price as paid in NH? Of course not, the whole problem is the silly ass fees charged by our hospitals and doctors.
I love how the hospitals use "charity" cases to justify the high prices they charge those of us who pay the bills. They say they have to overcharge us because of all the charity cases. then it ain't charity if they make up for it by screwing me over!
Hospitals also use the Maine care non repayment/low repayment issue as a reason for charging higher prices. It's a case of the chicken vs the egg. The high prices came first, that's why the re-imbursement is low or late, and also why I end up getting it you know where.
To those of you who think you can negotiate a fee for service at your hospital or doctor,,,,very funny. If you pay $50 for a service that is charged at a rate of $400 then you are not paying your bill. There is not wheeling and dealing there. Getting a blood test or an MRI is not like buying a used subaru.
So I took the advice listed here, and looked out of state. Yup, If I lived in New Hampshire I could get some health insurance there, from just one company, Anthem. How about $450 a month for a $10,000 deductible policy, great deal there.
Looked at Massachusetts, $4000 deductible HMO for $750 a month.
Where are all these great deals across state lines I keep hearing about?
Going "out of state" for your health insurance needs is an over simplified answer to the cost problem in Maine. How anyone can think that the out of state companies will come into Maine and charge less for a product is beyond me. The reason the insurers here charge high rates is that the hospital and doctor charges are much higher than those outside our borders. Miles Hospital in Damariscotta is billing nearly $400 for a blood test, that's as much as 4 times the average elsewhere.
Fix the outrageous costs, then the insurance rates will follow.
Think hard about charter schools before you throw your support to them. Look at the troubles other states have had with them. Try as they might, states are having trouble with oversight. Charter schools are businesses, and there is nothing to stop them from opening one year, gathering a building full of students, then closing down a year or two later like an out of business gas station.
And for all your charter supporters, remember that they are not free. A charter school gets funded by the state, yes, that's where the money comes from! That means our local schools lose millions of dollars as these for profit schools open up. As long as they are not religious, like our many fine private schools, they are funded by your tax dollars.
I like to point out that we already have a number of private, but tax dollar funded schools out there. The many academys across the state, that are not owned by their respective towns, but held privately have been operating successfully for many years, they however work as public schools in that they can not turn students away. Charter schools can pick and choose the students they like and that will further burden out public schools with higher percentages of special ed and troubled students.
Let's think it out before we jump. Is a for profit education system what we really need in tough economic times?
I get a really strong feeling about this candidate just by looking at his driving record. what was he ticketed for, driving 80+mph on the freeway (speed limit 65) twice, On consecutive days!!!!! Another time over 79mph in a 55? His license is currently under suspension. I understand that speeding violations are not the worst offense in the world, and everyone has them. BUT,,,,, driving with that sort of wreckless abandon, with no concern for the legal consequences, or the danger he put the rest of the drivers and their passengers in around him???? 20 MPH over the speed limit is a danger, that's why it's illegal. That is a sign of a lack of maturity, and a sign that in his mind his need to be on time is more important than the safety of others around him. I'll pass on Mr Levesque, I don't need a bulldog ready to mow me over.
Some of the candidates (LePage) say all Maine needs to do is allow citizens to buy health care insurance from companies currently not doing business in this state. Going across state lines is NOT the answer to this problem. Does Mr LePage thing that automatically these other companies will offer lower rates than the few firms doing business here? Why would they do that? Firstly, what private business ever charges less money than they can for a product? Sure some might offer some teaser rates to attract business, but sooner or later they'll hike the rates. The real problem is the amount charged by our health care providers! The prices levied by our hospitals and the doctors attached to those hospitals are ridiculous! Go to Miles Hospital in Damariscotta and get a blood, all over the country it's a procedure that costs right around $100, but miles bills nearly $400! I'm told by a Doctor there (he doesn't even get his own blood tests there even though he gets a hefty discount) that it's because so many are on Maine Care, Medicare, and simply don't pay their bills. The hospital inflates the charges to try to get as much as possible from those of us with regular insurance. So we are left holding the bag for the balance over what insurers will pay. When those practices change in Maine, then other insurers will open up shop here and rates will come down.
I see this Forbes list as just another pile of you know what, put together by half assed journalists looking to write a big headline.
You know the old saying, figures lie and liars figure? That's what this is all about. You can tweek and pull and prod these "stats' all you want but it means nothing!
Like the tax numbers, remember a few years ago, Maine was listed as the most taxed state in the country? Now we're middle of the pack, and second lowest in the northeast. Why? Because they fixed the way they figure it. They now factor out the millions of property tax dollars paid by out of state land owners, and sales taxes paid by tourists!
How about that cost of electricity? Just a week ago a new study showed that Maine had the lowest electricity cost of any northeast state except Pennsylvania! the numbers that showed we were so high, were from a decade ago!
Very interesting article, if you look close you really can see this "win at all cost" attitude in all facets of life.
I've been involved in youth sports for quite some time, and I often hear people say that winning is whole reason for playing the game. Couldn't be further from the truth. And it's the same in politics, do politicians throw their hats in the ring to win at all cost? Will they do anything, say anything to get enough votes to win the election?
LePage is trying to win by promising everything that pops into his head, to everyone he talks to. Those multi vows are now coming back to haunt him, as is his tendency to make things up.
you can't rely on campaign promises, too many things change in economies, and society. Our next governer (whoever it is) will oversee the state in a period that sees an economic recovery on a national basis. If they take credit for it they are being dishonest, if they acknowledge they were just a caretaker then they are being honest.
You can however vote based on character and honesty. Paul LePage has neither of those traits.
Before you scrap Mainecare, look deeper at the reimbursement rates to hospitals. Part of the reason that reimbursement rates are low, and the state has trouble paying hospitals for all they bill, is that the hospitals in some cases are passing along ridiculous fees for services. Miles Memorial Hospital on the coast for example has a very high rate of Medicare and Maine Care patients, they also have a high number of people in the area that can't or don't pay their bills. To make up for that they have some of the highest fees in the state, perhaps in the country!
Just one example, a basic blood test, full screening for lipids cholesterol etc, nearly $400! Insurance companies won't pay it, and if CMCC and other Maine hospitals put forth similar charges then I can see why they are behind on reimbursements, and I can see why the state can't keep up!
This is being put together backwards. Every other place in the country, where casinos recently have been created, are first voting to approve, then coming up with sites, plans, investors, operators etc. Case in point is Indiana, over a decade ago their referendum allowed for a certain number of riverboat casinos in designated zones. Once that was approved then experienced casino operators came to the sate with their plans and proposals. It ended up being a bidding war between companies, and the winner was Indiana. Billions of dollars got thrown at the state, money that was used for infrastructure improvements, school upgrades you name it. The state got to set the ground rules on exactly where the money goes, and the results for them have been stellar. What Maine gets, again, is a company formed behind closed doors, one that set the ground rules themselves, and is giving us nothing but promises. Casino operators can make billions of dollars per year, if they do it right. Let's thing very very hard before we hand over the reins to a group of people that has never run gambling operations of any kind.
Good point Brian! He'll go by the letter of the law, and stretch that as much as he can. You'll see minimum wage start to deteriorate along with all the programs in the state designed to help the poor. But the biggest thing is his plan to open the state up to business, he'll be bending over ready to give the state away to anyone with a small wad of cash. Why do you think electric rates, gasoline, fuel oil, health insurance and dam near everything else in Maine is more expensive than other states? It's not because of taxes, it's because businesses can get away with those higher prices. It's great to try and attract job's but a leader has to do it without selling us down the river. I don't TRUST LePage to do that for me.
Beware if your vote in for LePage, sports will go, after school activities will go, special ed will be slashed to the bone, arts, music gone. You want the three r's??? A vote for LePage will give you that, and nothing else!
35 violations and 21 suspensions!! Wow, that's a ton. Can see that Scott's one of those annoying "i've got to be first" guys on the highway. 94 in a 65,, 83 in a 65,, 74 in a 55, that's unsafe and irresponsible! Slow the F%*# down man, the fact that you are late does not give you the right to endanger others lives.
LePage can't fix it. He's shown that he can't even keep track of the business going on in his own house, how can we expect him to be responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars?
He didn't know whether his name was on his house deed or not, even though after purchasing it he went through the effort to transfer the deed into his wife's name. He didn't know that his wife was claiming homestead exemptions on 2 houses, did he also not know that his wife changed her state of residence? Did he not know his kids were getting in state Florida tuition? And he has no idea how many points he has on his driving record?
Yes by all means elect Mr LePage. Then be sure that he allows anyone from "away" with vacation property here to file for a Maine drivers license and receive in state tuition for their kids in Maine universities. Not to worry that they don't actually live here and support the economy or pay taxes other than on their property. That should be good for our state!
This is much more than a $191 "mistake"
The LePage family made a decision to change Ann into a Florida resident, the reason,,, to save thousands of dollars on FSU tuition. Is this legal? Maybe, perhaps they followed all the proper rules and regulations to squeeze in as a legal resident. But is it ethical? Is it honest? I say now, the LePage family has enough money to send their kids to school and pay for it like the rest of the world does, through savings and student loans. By doing this they have taken money away from the Florida University system, and potentially taken money that could have been used for someone in need. Also, what does this say to people who live out of state and send their kids to University in Maine? Says to me that if Paul LePage is governer here, those people are welcome to bend the rules, or bend ethics, and become residents on paper to save themselves money and cheat our in state kids!
Instead of writing an editorial that features an apology from Mr LeBlanc, you the Sun Journal should be apologizing. You as a newspaper show your lack of journalistic integrity by printing that comment. Mr LeBlanc is far from an expert on the extent of the bedbug problem in Lewiston or any neighborhood in Lewiston. He was merely a man with a machine taking care of a problem.
Any "hubbub" or any "embarrassment" his comment caused was not his fault, but the fault of the Sun Journal, it's reporter and editors. You don't print statistical information given to you by people without the knowledge to cite accurate information. Period! Be journalists, not just headline writers. You do not have to print what is obviously false data to beef up a story, you're readers are intelligent enough to know how important the news is without a dose of false sensationalism attached.
So, let me get this straight. Mr Bilodeau, owner of 24 acres of prime land that could be developed bringing him in lots and lots of money, is in favor of easing the rules about use of the lake and the land around it. And those rules about septic systems, not necessary he says, and he must be an expert, right? We know that all he really wants is to allow a very small swimming beach way over in one corner of the lake, if restrictions were easd he wouldn't do anything else, right? It would be much better for him if more development, with less rules, was allowed. It would also be better for him if taxpayers picked up a millions of dollars tab to build, and then who knows how much to operate, a water filtration system, so he can enjoy the land that he purchased with the full knowledge that these restrictions were in place and why they were in place. So, to recap, go ahead and let the lake absorb more pollutants, and let taxpayers deal with the consequences, good deal! I have an even better idea, what if there is the slight possibility that there might be oil way down deep below the lake, why don't we let an oil company, like maybe say, BP, come in and try to make some money from the lake?
Officer should be fired for endangering the lives of citizens by pursuing this at high speed. The innocent victim will pay for his idiocy for her entire live while recovering from the injuries received, and who knows what physical problems her unborn child will have to deal with. Of course it will be us, the taxpayers, that bear the cost of the police officers stupidity, and of course an investigation by the state will show that he followed procedure and his actions were well within the law.
WAKE UP MAINE! It's time to start holding the police responsible for their actions, common sense should tell you there was no need for a high speed chase to pursue what was in essence a suspect in a petty theft case.
Once again, the state legislature has taken action, without understanding the consequences. I'm neither for or against boxing, doesn't matter to me whether it happens or not. However, this points out a very obvious question, how many times to we have to put up with action from our elected lawmakers that brings on unintended and damaging results. Remember the law against parking RV's for free in WalMart parking lots? That one gave the state a nice black eye with the million of money spending RV'ers in the nation, how much money did that bad impression cost our state in tourism dollars? What about the wine tasting law? The legislature all but put small independently owned wine stores out of business because of one law maker's fear that a child might see their mom or dad participating in a wine sampling.
We have twice as many legislators as we need in this state, maybe that's why we get a bunch who's favorite thing to do is write and approve "yes dear" legislation, that appeases one constituent's fears, but is never researched enough to find if it has unitnended consequences.
One vote to abolish the Maine Athleitc Commission, all the legislature had to do was answer the question, "what does the commission do?" and this problem for an otherwise legal business would have ben avoided
All the rest of your column aside, your final point deserves a section in newsprint all of it's own. Why does Maine end it's winter season so early, why is the regular season crammed, 2 or even at times 3 games per week into as small a galp into the calender as possible? The tourney too, high schools all over the country are still playing, why does the MPA feel compelled the squeeze the best part of the basketball season into a couple of weeks?
My opinion, it appears all comes down to the adults who run the show what to get it done and over with as quick as possible so as not to inconvineince them any more than absolutely necessary. Time to get back to where the sports are done for the benefit of the kids playing, not according to the adults timeline.
The world calls it March Madness. Here, Early Spring Solitude, "Do Not Disturb The Adults"
Good luck to Coach Morong and Oak Hill this season. I suspect we'll see that Mr Morong will do alot to support the "feeder" system in Litchfield, Wales and Sabattus much like he did during his very successful tenure in Bath.
Schott said. "Would the government sell something it knows to be harmful? No."
Ha!!! Yes the government would sell something harmful, the lackeys in the GSA have a job, that is to get rid of the junk that they overpaid for. SO they sell them in big lots of people for pennies on the dollar, then those people, like George Schott, turn around and quadruple the price and shove them on a mall lot somewhere to be an eyesore here for the next few years.
I'd love to see the entire "bio" on these trailers, from when they are purchased till now.
It would be nice to be able to listen to the 911 calls to see why there was so much confusion. Why haven't Sun Journal reporters challenged the outdated law that doesn't allow taxpayers the right to listen to the tapes that we pay for?
Recent Comments
no surprise
Not making comment on this case, but on the trend overall.
when was the last time the use of excess force was not justified? I do not recall, ever, hearing that a police officer in Maine was reprimanded in anyway for the use of force on a citizen.
Is this just another rubber stamp approval by our attorney general?
Of the scores of uses of force, the dozens of departments, thousands of officers, is there never even one instance of wrongdoing?
he has not done great work.
he has not done great work. he spends a massive amount of time blogging, while being paid by maine taxpayers to oversee the finances of the state, criticizing other maine citizens. he used his influence, while treasurer, to influence the government of georgetown to grant him a variance to property use laws while it was opposed by every abutting property owner. and the fact that his businesses make no money should be a sign that as a mad businessman, he is a bad fit as a treasurer or in any elected/appointed office.
sad
Very sorry to see this gene\tleman and his family have to leave our country. ate at his establishment, while it was a good restaurant, i found the personal nature of Mr Mahamud an even bigger draw for the location. Nice man, good businessman, he will be missed.
Not again!
Once again, it's Dale Crafts who is lining up to give special preference to this egg factory. Last year he wanted to take away workers rights to be paid time and a half for work over 40 hours a week, now it's unionizing he doesn't like.
I have to ask what kind of cash is the egg farm throwing his way? it all stinks to high heaven, is he promising the seller and buyer of this place some preferential treatment in augusta so that the deal will go through?
You have to remember that laws that are in place that limit certain labor regulations in the agricultural field are made because at one time most farms were family owned and operated, and for the most part it was family members doing the work so things like overtime was not required by law. This thing is a long long way from a farm, it is a factory operation plain and simple. That Mr Crafts is ready to sell the rights of a mostly hispanic workforce there down the road is very very troubling.
Not so fast,,,,
the "rate" may remain unchanged, but there are 2000 more unemployed mainers in december that there were the previous month. another month of job losses for LePage,, I believe he is saying in his state of the state speech that maine needs jobs, did it take him the whole year to figure that out?
more lies
remember that this op/ed is based on "facts" given up by the LePage administration, and as has been the case all through his first year, the truth is the one thing that has suffered most in Maine.
Baldacci brought this project here with the hard work from the Brunswick redevelopment people, and Maine's congressional delegation. LePage queered the deal, plain and simple.
Perhaps he was too busy entertaining a representative from "asia's auto industry" to bother with this project.
good move
Renewable energy is the only way Maine will be able to lower their cost of energy. Which by the way is not that bad when you compare to other states that are locked out of the highly tax subsidized coal and hydro markets. We have lower electric costs than any other state in New England, and being rural have greater access to use of wood.
The governors plan to ramp up the use of natural gas is ill advised, much like oil it is a fossil fuel and it's use releases sequestered carbon into the atmosphere. It's cost is rising, and will continue to rise as extraction methods get more complicated and expensive. True renewable energy, wind, tidal, solar, bio mass and yes wood will lower Maine's cost, carbon footprint, and unemployment rate.
How is it that the head of our state can't see that? Or is someone else pushing the buttons?
It's all just BS
lie after lie after lie. It started in the campaign, his buffalo and black fly count being the most famous early fib, and has continued through his first year almost non stop.
Here's the latest, and it's kind of a golden oldie he's used before. a representative from the japanese auto industry visited Maine, and of course no one outside the governor's office knew if it happening, but the rep said they would be glad to open up here if the utility costs were lower.
I call BS to that and challenge anyone in state government to prove that actually happened.
This governor is an embarrassment, he's like a 12 year old making up stories to keep frm being punished for throwing a baseball throw the garage window.
Just look to Charlie Webster
Just look to Charlie Webster to learn what is really being the voter ID law here in Maine. He will be right back on his mythical soap box, complaining about the busloads of college students flooding our polling places, he'll probably even add that they don't have a stake in Maine so shouldn't be allowed to vote, our secretary of state will join in complaining how those students haven't followed the law by registering their cars here or getting drivers licenses, even though that has nothing to do with voting requirements.
How would a college student, who is from out of state, be able to do as the law allows, vote here if they don't have a Maine drivers license or state issued ID? Students who come here in cars owned by their parents, have insurance issued in their home states, so the car is registered and they are licensed in their home states. There are a myriad of requirements for getting the state ID or Maine drivers license, requirements that will have to be changed before any type of voter ID law cam be legally implemented.
It's all about some of our elected and appointed officials wanteing to steal the right to vote away from some of us.
Remember where the money came from to fight Issue one, Charlie Summers and Charlie Webster wouldn't admit it, but they knew, a Michigan group, funded by a Florida group, funded by a multi national corporate family with no interest in Maine gave the hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for last minute TV ads.
Where? and how?
I'm curious about LePage's "plan" to import Canadaian electric power to our state.
It's not been printed in any real form as far as I can see, and even though he made an extended trip there within the last several months he has come out with nothing firm to prove there's actually a possibility of it happening.
After looking into electric rates in eastern Canada, you will learn 2 things.
First is that some people there do pay lower rates for electricity that here in Maine, some areas though in eastern Canada do not have lower rates than we already have.
Second you will learn that facilities that produce electricity in Canada are highly government subsidized. The areas that are getting power substantially cheaper than rates in Maine are being boosted by tax payer subsidies.
With that being said, why would anyone think that Canada would allow Maine to draw electricity from their grid at those same cheap prices. Wouldn't the people of Canada be a little upset that their tax dollars would be going to pay to electrify Maine homes and businesses?
Not so, not even close.
Ms Hutchinson, people are people, and the things you describe come from people of all colors, ages, nationalties. You sound to me like one of many people living in Lewiston who are afraid of the unknown, and afraid of different people. By blindly blaming a very small portion to Lewiston for all the perceived ills of the day is just plain racist. Black people, white people, christian people, muslim people, are all people. The story about the somalians and their 10th anniversary here is the exception rather than the rule for maine newspapers. The bulk of news stories are about white christian people, in government, in business, in schools and in communities. Welcome diversity and welcome people into your life, and into your heart, be a good human, it's good for you!
Have you seen it?
Drove by the thing in Lewiston the other day,,, also drove by a new one up in South Monmouth,,, egads! Too bad for the people living anywhere near it, you'll never sell your property now.
And for anyone even wondering,, the CMP project has nothing to do with our current administration, or the GOP legilsature. This project and the several thousand jobs it created was put together before we made the "big mistake" of 2010.
And considering this one project added over 2000 jobs to our economy, it makes the results of LePage's work all the more depressing.
November 2011 jobs numbers,, we have 4000 fewer jobs than one month ago,,, and about 7000 fewer jobs than a year ago. LePage and his box of tools in Augusta will point to the falling unemployment rate, but that's the result of people falling off the benefit rools, and moving out of state.
I miss Baldacci!
thank you
And that is it. Thank you Sun Journal for attempting to tell the true story of the changes in Lewiston over the last 10 years.
While yours was a story of just a few people, it tells the story that I have seen time and again in the time I have spent in Lewiston.
Hold your heads high Lewiston, be proud of your diversity, and seize the opportunity to make a reputation of a kind and loving community.
Exactly!
Mr Agren is 100% right, I work in Lewiston on a regular basis, in fact I have worked several time assisting Mr Agren with the improvement projects he is going through on Lisbon St.
Lewiston is one of those towns that can grow on you once you get to know the people who love living there. I've been to each corner of the town, worked for home owners, renters, property managers and business people and I have come across a very diverse group of people that make up a community in the best sense of that word.
I don't live in Lewiston, but it angers me that so many people inside and out of the town latch on to tired old myth and anecdotal evidence to criticize the town, or groups of people living there.
Mr Agren is investing his hard earned money in this town and he's spreading the truth. I'm also spreading the word, Lewiston is a great Maine town, will you help spread the word too readers?
nothing like using anecdotal
nothing like using anecdotal evidence and second hand information to make decisions that effect lives. Perhaps the young lady can explain how many fellow Walmart employees are on DHHS benefits of somekind because of their low wages and limited hours. Or perhaps you can go to Mardens' and find one of LePage's "most efficent" employees, Remember his "poster child" for welfare benefits? The single mom that worked for $10 an hour, and LePage agreed to keep her pay at $10 an hour in order to allow her to keep "welfare" benefits. What happened to her,, or was that perhaps a lie?
I]ll never say there is no fraud in welfare, but the amount defrauded by the few cheating recipients is far outweighed by fruad coming from hospitals and doctors over charges, fraud from pharmacies that overbill for items never sold, and billing services that pad their accounts with unearned tax payer dollars.
LePage is willing to kick close to 10% of the state under the bus because his conservative backers believe that they way to economic success is to demonize anyone getting government assistance.
Cut corporate welfare, and restore the massive tax cuts given to the wealthy, the budge will balance just like it did over the last 8 years.
Are his pants on fire yet?
LePage is a pathological liar, he started over a year ago, reemember the buffalo count? There was absolutely no truth in that whatsoever, then he claimed that tire ruts were being ruled as vernal pools by the state. Then the florida fiasco, adopted son? The whole mural issue brought his lack of honesty to the forefront.
More important is that during his first year he has continually used lies to support and defend his initiatives and proposals.
In addition to the complete lie about comments frm Forbes magazine about welfare and energy costs, he also claimed in the same town meeting that our gas tax is the highest in the nation, it's not. Finally in answering a question about road repair he claimed that DOT had done as much repair work this year as they had done last year, at a savings of over $100 million. The depoartment said themselves that they planned 75% less basic road repair work, because of the slashed budget given to them by LePage and the current legislature.
We have weekly evidence of his lies, You know the old joke, How can you tell when the Governor is lying? When his mouth is moving! Only the joke is on us.
Ms Mayhew, your tired old
Ms Mayhew, your tired old "blame the previous administration" style has to stop. We're fully aware that Maine has to pay an awful lot to sustain the elderly, disabled, and working poor in our state. The tact of lies and myth that your boss has taken is the wrong way to go, it's a shame you are taking the same path.
You say that LePage has asked to you perform a "thorough analysis of its $2.4 billion budget". I'm curious, of that has not yet been done, how do you and Mr Lepage come up with the numbers about your budget deficit? perhaps it's a guess? Or maybe a lie? Ask him how his buffalo count is going.
And next,,,,,
Since Mr LePage is proposing that tax payer funded health insurance be cut for all childless adults, I would suggest that his be cut also. His children are adults and responsible for their own. he and his wife certainly have enough salary and perks. Cut cut cut Paul,,,, till it hurts!
Too Bad
I feel very badly for the citizens of Lewiston. I do not live in Lewiston, I do however know a good number of people who do live there, I work in Lewiston as a contractor, and I frequent Lewiston businesses. There are a lot of very good things going on in Lewiston. Many areas of the town are thriving despite a national and statewide slumping economy. Lewiston is a place where diversity is not just a pie in the sky goal, it is fact, and the vast majority of people live together with respect and trust for those of and not of their color, nationality, economic status or religious background.
It's quite sad that in a town with this much going for it, a man like MacDonald with his backward racist opinions could be one of the top 2 candidates for mayor approved by the voters. Sad,,, very very sad. He admits he is a one issue candidate, claiming that his issue is a stop on subsidized housing, it's been reporting that he as mayor would not have the authority to do that, why would anyone vote for this man?
People of Lewiston, I pray that you form a majority and finally say no to the racebaiting, lies and perpetuation of myths that mr macDonald appears fond of using as his campaign platform.
For a candidate for public
For a candidate for public office to "run" based on these lies and rumors is just sad. Lewiston is a wonderful place, no perfect, but really a great town and the citizens there deserve much better. I work there quite often, and I've heard those rumors about the guy with the license plates, etc etc etc, What a complete crock, if McDonald is truly pushing that agenda, he is an idiot and an embarrassment to the city. If he is elected, the citizens of Lewiston should be ashamed.
Beware!
SJ, it's sad that you would put out such a lengthy article about this group, and never look into the many many other options available to mainers everyday to sell the items they have stored away in their homes. Events like this "treasure hunters roadshow" are nothing but traveling carnivals, offering BOTTOM dollar to what they see as desperate sellers. this one uses a name that sounds similar to those many Cable TV shows popping up about auctions, storage spaces, and attic finds that over exaggerate the value of odd finds. $10,000 for a vampire killing kit?? I call BS on that, and suspect they just pulled that example away from a similar segment on a TV show a few months ago! Maine is full of gold and coin dealers, auction houses, and antique dealers, local people running small local business that have been in business for years and will continue to be in business long after these fly by night operators are long gone.
Really??
So this officer takes the time and effort to hassle normal citizens just doing the best they can to move some furniture to their home.
How many cars were obstructed? How many people were inconvenienced? In the entire video piece I heard about 5 cars pass by, and they all just passed by, no traffic jam, no cars struggling to get around the furniture. How many times, when a semi truck full of soda, office supplies, or paper plates, does the officer order that truck to stop blocking a public way?
Perhaps the officer, in the amount of time that he spent "enforcing the law" could have grabbed a few pieces and helped move them to the sidewalk.
Be a human first,,,, do your job second.
and there's more
You've forgotten several things about the whole "affordable housing" issue.
Racism is one thing that drove the development and expansion of the public housing programs that blossomed in the middle part of the last century. The many public housing projects were developed and built to help concentrate people of color into certain areas, and some developments were put together specifically to produce housing for white people who were displaced by those government programs.
You touched in the other big issue about Section 8 housing, that is that it is a program that gives sizeable government checks to property owners in exchange for renting to low income people who could not otherwise pay for those units. I'm certain that many private property owners are honest in what they do, but it is far from a well run program, never has been, too many property owners extract huge government checks for properties that are poorly maintained and often sub standard.
This is one reason why the programs will never go away, too many wealthy people make their living from the tax payer dollars being handed out for this program.
Facts are not what LePae is all about
A few months back, LePage took a trip to Pennsylvania, home of much of the massive amounts of soon to be fracked natural gas. He came back from that meeting absolutely enamored with expanding natural gas in our state. Unfortunate though, he didn't come armed with any facts to back up his plan. Pushing gas as a way to decrease residential heating cost is ridiculous. The massive costs of pipeline ($1 million per mile, huge costs of individual tie ins, and high equipment conversion cost are what he ignores. And with the increasing cost of extraction, the price of gas itself is on the rise. Till LePage begins to embrace any kind of renewable energy as a source for citizens, his energy plans will be no better than any elementary school students. One has to wonder if he is really that ignorant, or if he's just interested in lining the pockets of the massive gas industry at our expense.
Not so fast,,,,
Once again, KJ, you are using numbers that just skim the surface of what's actually happening here in Maine. In this economy the real thing to look at would be the number of people actually employed, since as we all know part of the reason the unemployment "rate" is falling is that people are just falling off the unemployment rolls.
Looking at the BLS numbers. The number of employed Mainers in October 2011, "seasonally adjusted" was 694,800 one year ago is was 696,800, that's a loss of 2000 jobs. A similar lloss of jobs shows in the examination of "not seasonaly adjusted": numbers.
Bottom line, in Maine, we are worse off than we were a year ago.
new day, same old C&$P
LePage is the worst kind of politician in that he has not learned a lesson, and and not the basics of being an elected official.
He still thinks he's the boss, and that we are all his cashiers and stock boys stacking and selling expired food and cheap misprinted t-shirts.
He works for us,,,, somehow he needs to get this message till then his administration will be what it has been all year, an ineffective mess doing nothing but sticking it's collective foot in it's mouth, and angering the citizens.
Yes!
This is how the renewable energy industry can work. This firm, ReEnergy Holdings is thriving by processing then using what is basically our trash to produce electricity. They are doing so well that they can spend millions of dollars to purchase existing plants.
Now if you ask our great leader mr lepage you would find that fossil fuels, drilling for oil, pipelines for natural gas etc are the way to reduce our energy costs. But perhaps if he read the news once in awhile he would learn that all over the state, all over the nation, industry, residents, even government offices are finding innovative ways to get off fossil fuels, and are creating jobs at the same time.
Wake up time at the Blaine House!
next
And Choke-O-Cinco is next.
voters got it right
Not sure exactly how "Rotten deal" is funded, but I listened to Mr O'neill speak as the count was winding down last night, he has it right. I believe Mainers have decided that the hands off attitude that this season's legislature has taken about the casino gambling issue is off base. With one casino approved and 3 more on the ballot Maine government opted to wash their hands of the issue. In doing so they ignored the facts that have been proved across the country, The gambling issue is an asset, it is owned by all citizens of the state, and elected officials have an obligation to treat it as such. A tightly regulated process of sighting casions, strict licensing, and opening the issuance to operators up by bid is the way to go. Other states have reaped the benefits, in opening the state to a number of casino "boats" Indiana got billions in upfront money and promised revenue to fix schools, roads, street scapes, government buidlings, and create jobs outside of the casino. Those improvements will long benefit the state, even if the casinos close down. We got no such benefit, and no guarantee from these projects. Now is time for us to hold our state's feet to the fire.
Do not give the gambling asset away!!!!
See ya Charlies
Webster's comment about people getting along, vs people that fight, shows how out of touch he is.
There is no longer a place for the lies myth and simple bull that was slung from his side of the Issue 1 campaign. That's for 12 year olds planning a run for school council, not for thinking adults.
Charlies,,,,, I hope you think long and hard about the message that the vote on Issue 1 is sending your way, the time for you and your tired old politics has come to and end. See ya!
this is just another sign
this is just another sign that Maine's GOP will stoop to any low to try to influence voters. Not a single one of the ads that they are running, tv, print, mail, signs, even address the issue. People from away, preserve your vote, equality maine. Charlie Webster is a buffoon and members of his party should be embarrassed that he is playing games like a 12 year old. In this day and age, campaigning that creates and propogates nothing but myth and lies is completely out of place. Hey Charlie, how about honesty? Ever consider that?
True,
Great complete review of Issue 1, thank you.
Every newspaper in the state has endorsed a yes, now every newspaper is the state is jumping up to criticize the no side for their media and campaign finance reporting tactics.
Follow me Maine,,,,, yes on 1!!!!!
wow!
Another grandstanding attempt. Or is LePage still of the opinion that ordering drug testing for people on welfare is constitutional? He could of course just pick up a newspaper, perhaps he would read howthe very same plan was shot down in Florida! While he's reading that he would see that his former buddy Tarren Bragdon of the MHPC was involved in the legal decision. Only involved in that the judge tossed out Bragdon's opinion as meaningless! Wish folks up here had done the same.
Yes!
it works, it works, it works. It has worked for decades. Maine has one of the highest voter turnout rates in the nation. 70 some thousand used same day in 2008 and 2010 november elections. A number of lawmakers, even our governor has used it. The more participation there is in the process, the better the process is. ALL, the newspapers across Maine have endorsed Yes on 1. Investigations, allegations, innuendo have come up empty, no fraud, no illegal votes, and the town clerks individually and as a group ahve said same day registration is not a problem. And now the anti 1 campaign has to resort to shady reporting methods to hide the names and faces of the sources of their money.
Is there more that needs to be said?
Follow me to the polls next tuesday, I'm voting yes on Issue 1.
Who's buying now?
we, citizens of Maine and across the US, need to demand answers. Since politics has become so influenced by the electronic advertising of our day we must know where the money comes from. By not telling us where the money comes from these people are lying to us, and that should be an insult to us all.
Folks in Augusta should be happy at this news.
Right up LePage's alley. Cut out government handouts, let our people stand on their own 2 feet, if they weren't so well paid on government assistance maybe they'd go out and fill those thousands of jobs available in Maine,,,,,,,
Or maybe this is what you get when you stand alongside the tea baggers and say things like the president can "go to hell"??
no suprise
He's a perfect GOP candidate, he's already in the pocket of big business, and knows how to stand in lock step with their orders and ignore the needs of the people he actually represents.
!!
Kudos! I think the whole voter registration issue should bring us to a new level. Why is it that we require 2 separate actions to vote?
The local towns, the state, the government knows who we are and where we live. Why do we have to reigister and then vote?
I think that in this era of new technology, and shared information, towns, states and the federal government have enough information about who we are and where we live via drivers license, tax forms, fees, permits, needs, titles, that any citizen, of age, should be able to walk into the polling place where they live and just vote.
They do it in Canada, and a higher percentage of people vote there than here in the US.
Why?
I'm serious about the question, not just tossing this out there to raise anger. Why is it that the horse racing industry needs so much help? Much like any business, if there are customers they will pay to support the racing If there isn't enough support then perhaps the industry needs to change. DO the citizens of Maine who are not fans of racing need to approve major changes to the state to boost a privately owned business?
PRETTY DARN WELL
Over 35,000 Mainers have been enrolled in the plan. If you take a look at overall cost to maine residents for health care insurance over the past 10 years you will see that rates here went up at slower rates than those of states surrounding us. In that time Maine has gone from having the highest rates for health insurance coverage, to having the lowest rates of any state in the northeast. So while Mr LePage and his party minions will tell you differently to support their effort and laying the cash cow of health insurance at the feel of the insurance companies, Dirigo Health has actually helped the entire state in easing health care costs. And guess what, the Dirigo plan has not cost people not enrolled a single dime. Now Mr LePage's plan does have a pretty healthy tax attached to it, doesn't it?
What next?
Nice list of stats, but no answers to any of the problems.
Come on United States, join Maine, or recently passed health care reform package in essence says this. Trust the free market, allow big incredbly wealthy health insurers to voluntarily lower the prices they charge and get more people covered with affordable insurance that promotes preventative care! Oh, yea, forgot, that's what we've been doing for generations,,, hasn't worked yet,,, worn't work this time. LePage has led us down the fools path.
Yes.
The point is Mr McKane, when it comes to requirements for voting, students are residents. It's very simple, even a child can understand that. Your party head, Mr Webster doesn't get that apparently, do you?
Not so fast folks
The state is slinging a pile of you know what here. At least they are not telling the whole story, not in the least.
The unemployment numbers they tout comes from the "seasonally adjusted" numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistcs. Those are not real numbers but estimates based on what the BLS thinks things should do from one month to the next based on historical data, So it's like a political poll with a potential margin of error, The unemployment number went from 7.6 to 7.5, they estimated that there are 700 fewer people on unemployment, and 900 more people working.
The NON adjusted numbers tell a completely different story. It shows the unemployment rate increased by .2% and that there are 400 more people on unemployment and 15 thousand fewer people working! Now there's some numbers LePage can be proud of.
Spot on!
Income falls for average americans, savings decreases, tax burden grows. But for those corporations that the american people built through our work and consumerism,,, income grows, tax burden falls, and their savings at an all time high stashed in foreign banks. Despite that our corporate heads continue to line up at the government hand out line, they'll spend tens of millions lobbying politicians for fewer regulations, lower taxes, but when it comes to putting more americans to work and helping create more consumers for their products??? No can't do that.
And our Governor?
Honestly, I hope someone invites the Governor to come see this. It's one of a number of carbon neutral improvements across the state that will help get us off our fossil fuel habit. Kudos to the folks in the Oxford Hills system for their foresight on this issue. Perhaps if the governor were to visit he might see how Maine can get further involved in the bio mass field? Help to create some jobs? or is he too attached to his republican buddies plan to build a million dollar a mile gas pipeline that will only benefit a very few large industrial users. I would love to see a comparison of the cost and carbon benefits of this improvement, as opposed to hooking the same facility up to a nautral gas line.
Been there, done that, didn't work.
Simple answers don't always come up with good solutions. Mr Bechard, you need to look at the history of tax rates. Go back a few decades, you'll see that the corporate tax rate, and tax rates for wealthy americans (those job creators) are lower now than at anytime during our lives. And those businesses have taken advantage of that, cash holdings by businesses today are higher than ever. All the while these same corporations are throwing money at candidates, and at special interest groups like the US Chamber of Commerce to lobby for even lower taxes and eased regulations.
In essence we've given business, and the wealthy, all the tax breaks they wanted and we've received in return a struggling economy and unemployment over 9%. Thee have been a number of surveys about job cuts, and very few, single digit percentages of companies have reported that hight axes or government regulations have resulted in those layoffs.
We built the businesses of this country. Without the american workers, and the hard spending of the american consumers these corporations would not exist. Time for business to recognize that, and realize that if they hire more people, it puts more money on people's pockets, people will spend more money and businesses will be rewarded financially.
Millions
A million dollars a mile, that's what the pipeline will cost. How many residenttial hookups will happen to justify that cost?? None! this is a move that will be financed by the state that will not benefit you and me one bit.
It will however continue our addiction to fossil fuels, and the costs associated with them. For those who think we will be saving big bucks by shifting to more use of natural gas should look at the massive costs, and environmental damage done by fracking, the way the "huge" amounts of natural gas in the US is being extracted from the ground.
The Baldacci administration put into effect state mandated levels, increasing each year, for use of renewables by electric suppliers in our state. You just need to look at the numbers. Maine has the lowest overall electric rates in New England, that is because of our use of hydro, bio mass and other renewables. LePage wants to eliminate that mandate and shift us back to the fruitless use of fossil fuels. The only ones to benefit from that are the big gas and oil producers apparently own our Governor.
again
LePage is still an idiot. proposal after proposal, he swears will bring a flood of money or flood of jobs to the state. They haven't and they won't. Economics do not "trickle down". 8 years of GWB should make that very very obvious. But then if lePage's intent is to hand out financial favors to those people who financed his campaign, then he's continuing in the right direction.
cut cut cut cut cut
He has "cut" on the brain, but really has no brain function at all if he thinks he can keep cutting state revenue by repeatedly giving the wealthy tax breaks they don't need. The tourism industry had a horrible year, and they'll get another does of that when the quarterly sales tax filings come in between now and the end of the month. There comes a point where there won't be any room left to tighten the belt. he's already handed out a $100 million dollar tax break by eliminating tax on cash estates up to $2 million, now here's another $100 million in revenue he's going to turn down.
Old people with money are not out there creating jobs LePage, they are putting their cash into trusts and brokerage accounts, what his tax cuts are doing is squeezing the middle class, forcing cuts to education, and giving big favors out to his rich friends and campaign donors.
Really???
Perry wants LePage's endorsement?? Really?? Can't find anyone smart? Alreayd have all the tea bagging, birthers, creation believers un the fold??
I knew the good ole Texas boy wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, but asking for an endorsement from the butt of the nations jokes will serve as just another sharp boot kick in the pants of Perry's campaign.
Please make a correction
The ability to register to vote right up till election day is still the law of the land in Maine. Since there is a citizen initiative to repeal the law approved by the legislature a few months ago, the enforcement of the change is on hold till after Issue 1 is decided.
Wake up Charlie.
Just recently Maine was given a very high honor. It was listed as having one of the highest rates of participation in the country.
One reported compilation took numbers over the last 30 years, Maine was ranked #3 in the country in overall participation, the number used combined number of eligible voters registered with the number that turned out to vote.
Maybe....
I've often wondered, especially in this case. In airing Websters idiocy does it do his side of the argument harm? Or does it boost it by just splashing the headline that he wants seen out there?
IMO, and I'v no expert, there are so many people just reading the headline that it gets a point across no matter how stupid it is. Just like LePaage's buffalo count, tire ruts are vernal pools etc etc etc. It seems to me that many politicians (here in Maine they appear mostly in the GOP) will gladly stopp to idiotic lies, half truths and myth because it seems to get them so far.
In response to Websters idiocy, exactly what system are the town clerks using to check registrations? Since none of the 200 some and 19 more that Webster pointed to, the 500 some that Summers looked at, or the 70,000 some entered on election day in 2008 and 2010 have been checked as yet. Nothing, no checks, to confirmation, nothing. Want to really overload the town clerks? Make them check out each and every voter registration in their towns.
Fact of life in the US, much of our daily lives are ruled by "The Honor System" always has been, always will be. In this case, here in Maine, it's obviously worked pretty well.
he lied
as the "architect" of a new OP majority he lied, as did the republican candidates. None of them campaigned saying that they would "fix" same day registration. They campaigned on jobs and the economy, on utility rates and education. None of these things has really attracted the attention of our lawmakers.
So what does Charlie Webster do? Keeps on lying, it worked in 2010, he's figuring it will work again in 2011.
The sad part is that it probably will, there are enough people in Maine that are just casual viewers of the events of the day. They'll see the headline lies that Webster has accrued, they'll read "voter fraud", much like they read buffalo count, tires ruts are vernal pools, etc and they'll keep the status quo.
The media has a clear job ahead, it owes the people of this state the truth, in headlines as big as the "fraud" was. "Lies", "Webster Lied" and "GOP Lied" strike me as good starts.
Fire him!
Poliquin has a difficult time understanding what his job is and who he works for. He spends an awful lot of time, on the tax payer dollar, blogging, on a tax payer's web page, criticizing members of the legislature and defending the Governor. Mr Poliquin should under stand that he works under the legislature, and outright criitique of members of that body is insubordination.
Fire him!
Poliquin has a difficult time understanding what his job is and who he works for. He spends an awful lot of time, on the tax payer dollar, blogging, on a tax payer's web page, criticizing members of the legislature and defending the Governor. Mr Poliquin should under stand that he works under the legislature, and outright criitique of members of that body is insubordination.
Yes, he is!
Saw a brief segment with Mr Roemer the other day. His aim is spot on, stepping away from the corporate interests that have crippled our country is exactly what we need a candidate to do. It's sad though that his lack of exposure means he doesn't even have enough support to justify a slot in the GOP debates.
I hope with all my heart the "free to lead" becomes a mantra that spread like wildfire across the country.
Good Point
It's sad that you buried the lead here. So many readers see the headline and make an assumption without reading the whole story, The assumption here will be of course what conservative america has been saying for years, that the "entitled" will be the downfall of the world, they are stealing us blind and other BS.
"The 111 arrested Wednesday were doctors, nurses and physical therapists in nine U.S. cities."
Same situation in Maine, the person using change from food stamps to buy smokes and beer, those people cheating the system by hiding their working boyfriends, or hiding income, certainly do cost the taxpayers. But it;s the thousands of service providers that need to be scrutinized. Much like our House Speaker, Bob Nutting, cheated by overcharging millions for adult diapers etc, firms from small offices, to billing companies, to hospitals are cheating us out of tens of millions of dollars every year. Don't let the MHPC's and AFP's of the state lead us away from the big target, big cash is being stolen right from under our noses!
Hahahahaha!!!!
Mr Webster's standing as the biggest tool in the state of Maine is intact! When is someone in the state GOP going to put a leash on this idiot?
Webster still there?
That Charlie Webster has not yet been removed as the Chair of the state GOP says an awful lot about the republican party here.
He is again showing his total ignorance of the law, and his complete lack of common sense!
Students pay taxes, plenty of them, directly and indirectly. But that's beside the point since payment of taxes has nothing to do with voter eligibility.
I would say that Charlie should enroll in a civics class or two and learn a little about election law before he opens his mouth about this topic again.
Mr Webster should first apologize, then bend over and kiss the rear ends of each and every student in the state. Their tuition and spending creates and supports thousands of jobs each year here. And I would venture to say that any single out of state college student has much more positive economic impact in one than Mr Webster could every hope to have.
Yea, right.
I hope our Governor uses the zero based budgeting in his department, I'd love to see the justification for keeping his daughter and her $41,000 salary on the staff.
This will all boil down to a huge argument between departments, the people or businesses they serve, and the governor.
Just look at the way lePage is scrambling over the possible cuts in the LIHEAP program, he said in response to federal cuts, it was time to cut till it hurts. We;ll now those people he counts on for votes, the elderly, are the ones that will be hurting and he says the cuts are too deep.
You can't run a state like a business, it does not work. If it did Donald Trump would make a great president, and LePage would be a great governor, neither of those is happening.
Not so
Got to disagree with Keiser on this one. there's plenty of money to lend, and banks are lending money, but they are under regulations not to let things slide back to the loose lending policies that helped put us in this economic mess.
The reason that home builders are hurting is that no one wants to pay top dollar for a new home, there's tons of homes our there with depressed prices, in foreclosure, or bank owned that offer better deals for buyers than going out and getting a new home, especially a modular which does not offer the same long term gain possibility that a stick built house does.
2 things drive the real estate buyer, price and location. Keiser can't offer much in location, so they'll have to adjust their prices to be more competitive in this market.
another one bites the dust.
This can't come as a surprise to anyone can it?
We live in an increasingly paperless society, that and competing with foreign imports produced using sub human priced labor, the handwriting has been on the wall for years. I recall listening to then candidate LePage boasting about his plans to revitalize the paper industry in one of his many bogus promises to bring jobs to the state. The other promises were logging, fishing and agriculture. The leaders of our state need very very badly to first recognize that tourism and the beauty of our state is right now our biggest job creating asset, and second that high tech, green, alternative energy is the only future if we want to re-form the manufacturing base of the state. I keep hearing rumblings of the state throwing money at these mills to try to keep them running, how long before that is the equivalent of tossing money into a hole in the yard? Or is it already?
Wow!
Leave it to the GOP to try to fix an imbalance of 8600 people by shifting over 350,000!
The republican plan smells of the worst kind of gerrymandering, done just for the sake of potentially changing the result of an upcoming election.
Law enforcement!!!!!
Time for our legal folks to take a very close look here. Not about fruad, the only fraud here is perpetuated by O'Keefe, MHPC and AFP. The whole thing is a fraud that the media lapped up like chocolate sauce dripping off their hot fudge sundae from Fast Eddies.
The legal question here is O'Keefe's actions.
Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 15, § 709: Interception of wire and oral communications is a "Class C" crime under the state criminal code, and an interceptor is someone other than the sender or receiver of a communication who is not in the range of "normal unaided hearing" and has not been given the authority to hear or record the communication by a sender or receiver.
the real story
for those of you on facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/notes/mpbn-capitol-connection/dhhs-commissioner-...
and yet,,,,,,
So they took away his license, took away his livelihood.
But a convicted child pornogrpaher, who used to work for the state, may be set free while he appeals his conviction. And a seriously warped legislator, who pulled a gun on an innocent bystander, who had been banned frm parts of the state house in augusta because he was threatening people, is also out of lockup, and could go right back into his spot as state legislator.
This is truly a weird and wild state. thank goodness Mr LePage has brought sanity back to Maine.
Which prayer?
Yes bring back prayer, have a muslim cleric come into the house everyday for call to prayer.
The Dalai Lama could lead prayers in the Senate.
I'd love to have some local Somalian's lead the prayers in Augusta for the upcoming legislative session.
And I hope the our Governor would have a Rabbi along with a Priest lead him in prayer every morning in the Blaine House.
I don't trust the rest of those religions, Rick Perry can have all the rest of them
Been there,done that, several
Been there,done that, several times. Continental is the worst, the absolute worst.
hypocrisy in augusta
Our state is well off enough to give the top few dozen richest people a $100 million dollar tax break on their cash estates. up to 2 million tax free! Will they spend that money? Create jobs? nope, that's just money to pass along to the out of state heirs. So while those few people get off with $100 million, our Governor now has to make up, how much, $100 million in cuts due to the US House speaker holding us hostage over the debt ceiling. Perhaps the Maine tea baggers will fizzle out now????
Good idea
Excellent start on what could become a major industry in the future.
For decades we have been stashing our millions of tons of garbage away in massive landfills, lined and capped to keep garbage from leaching out it is preserved for all time. It's time to mine the possible benefits of that trash. A scant few landfills had a great idea and instead of burning off the natural gas produced from the festering trash they are harveting it. I think as an option to that, start mining the mess. Pull out the recyclable metals and plastics, then take the rest and cook it, trash can easily be burned in an environmentally safe way to create electricity. Go U Maine, you have a good start!
thanks goes to one man
John Boehner, and his undying love for all that tea bags and the koch brothers, has sold us down the river. He wanted cuts, a new debt ceiling and no raises in revenue, those things he got and corporate world is now telling us that sucks.
Thanks John, have fun with the ALEC folks this week, enjoy that posh vacation they give you.
He's much worse than that.
Hypocrite is not the word I was looking for when reading this.
The speaker of the NH house reminds me alot of LePage here. What were Lepages kids doing for voter registration before,after and during their "stint" as Florida residents getting in state tuition at FSU? And what about Mrs LePage? Where did she register, where did she vote?
The GOP is fine to start blabbering about what's right and wrong, but never ask them to do anything but look for loopholes so thay can skirt their laws.
People last is what it is.
It was obvious then, when you looked closely at the budget proposals set forth by LePage and his GOP hacks. It's obvious now when you look at the battle that Secretary of State Summers and GOP Chair Webster are waging against college students who have voted legally here, that PEOPLE, are the last thing on the minds of those in the ruling party here in Maine.
Rep. Cain, i respect what you are trying to do, please for those of us in the majority, keep up the good work!
You sir should be criminally charged
Mr Webster, your actions stashing a fleet of publicly owned busses so that they could not be used to transport Maine citizens to the polls on election day last november were criminal. The fact that you admitted to planning and doing it along with others means you were involved in a conspiracy to keep people away from the polls. I realize that since you are members of the same party that our Secretary of State and Attorney General will not care to investigate, but I'm certain the US Attorney General's office will take it much more seriously. You exhibit the actions of what is the worst and ugliest of party politics, and your actions remind me of a group of 12 year olds. You obviously have very little knowledge of the law when it comes to voting and registration, it's also obvious that you have no knowledge of ethics.
Good one,
Neither of our parties really want a balanced budget. It forces them to make choices way to tough for them to tackle while remaining politically popular, and re-election is the goal of every one of our elected officials. The biggest problem is taxes. The US government spends at a rate of 24% of GDP each year, but only taxes at a rate of 14% of GDP. To balance the budget without raising taxes would require a 40% reduction in federal spending. Right now that is both economically and politically impossible. Get the GOP to accept realistic increases in revenue to go along with realistic cuts in spending and it will be possible, but that is a ridiculous pipe dream for our elected officials
Yes!
Kudos to the SunJournal for coverage of this.
I believe that if Webster and others reserved those vans to prevent another group from getting people to the polls that they conspired to prevent people from voting. That was their intent, at least according to the statements Webster has already made to the press.
I am appalled, but not surprised that the Secretary of State and Attorney General have not already started their own investigations into Websters actions. Not surprised because it's all just a "party" game to them. I wouldn't be surprised if the US Attorney General's office might feel it's a bit more serious!
Voting is not a game.
Webster has exposed himself as nothing more than a 12 year old interested in playing kiddie games with our elections. His admissions that he and his young republicans in Farmington thwarted efforts to use busses to help people get to the polls in November 2010 are borderline criminal, certainly unethical. His ignorance of state and federal law are obvious when he flaunts a list of 200+ out of state students registered to vote in Maine. If the head of the state republican party doesn't know that it is perfectly legal for out of state students to register and vote here, then what does that say for the rest of the GOP? I would suggest the Secretary of State and Attorney General toss that list of students in the trash, and pick up an investigation of Webster's actions last fall. To conspire with others to limit access to the polls sounds like a pretty serious crime to me.
Toss Webster in jail, now!
The local republican party members worked as a group to prevent college students from legally voting in 2010? That sounds like an open and shut case of voter fraud to me, conspiracy is a crime Charlie. This man looks more ridiculous every day. In his quote, "The buses didn't run on Election Day because we had the College Republicans reserve them early and on Election Day we took them over and parked them in the Walmart parking lot." I believe he admits to committing a crime! Who is now going to refer that evidence to the secretary of state and attorney general's office? Not that they would do anything since they were hand picked by LePage. Wondering how much input LePage would have had in those activities in Farmington?
Thanks for the insult, you
Thanks for the insult, you just jumped into the pool of people online who can't help giving their opinion, and insulting others doing the same thing.
You should look over what you are saying, you talk about how great it would be if you could save money by getting your kids some college credit in a 5th year of high school. save money?? really??? think the schools could do this for free? could they wedge in some more students, bring in some more teachers offering college level courses in the school without asking you for more tax money?? think the task force and study will be free??
More importantly, you say your district already offers college type courses, yup they all do, called AP, it's been around for decades, don't need a task force to find that.
also the community cllege system in our state offers high school seniors the option of going to their branches to take college level courses. they can even do it during regular school hours of the day. it's done all around the state.
LePage doesn't need a task force, he needs a wake up call, his study is a waste of time and money.
and I still assert you'll be hard pressed to find high school students interested in picking up a 5th year in high school rather than moving on to college with the rest of their classmates.
Duh Paul!
This has to be the most idiotic idea he's had yet, and there have been some stupid ideas.
He's appointing a 19 member task force, cha-ching, to do a study, cha ching, to look at establishing an optional 5th year of high school.
I can solve the whole question right now.
1) name one high school kid who wants to stay in high school for an extra year.
2) name one town that would want to pay for an extra school year for their students.
3) Or name a school district that would be willing to add a student in for an extra year without getting extra money.
4) How much would it cost to add teachers to teach college level classes.
Dear Mr LePage, kids want to get out of school, not stay in another year.
Didn't you say we were broke? Or was that another one of your lies?
If a high school students wants to get college level courses at a bargain price we have a wonderful community college system that offers a wide variety of academic classes at very good prices.
Please, take this back to the drawing board, and place it in the round file
Which tool is Webster!
Well said sir, well said!
It is sad that the GOP has fallen so far in Maine as to select a guy like Webster to head up their party. The guy has the analytical skills of a 4th grader, but the lying skills of a governor!
Read John
So let me get this straight, being a "right thinking" male, from Bristol, TN you have a reading comprehension problem.
1st word John, "If". Get that now?
Hoping
I hope that Mayor Gilbert sheds light on the same things that I've seen of the immigrant population in Lewiston. I've met friendly, hard working, honest people. They have become valuable members of the community.
time to go to court!
If I'm one of the people on that list, I'm suing Charlie Webster all the way to Boston. What a complete tool? Taking 206 names of students who registered to vote here, they can do that legally Charlie.
You have no evidence of fraud, today you have lost what little credibility you had.
The new GOP, myth, hearsay, anecdotes, and outright lis, what ever it takes!
Typical
This is a typical LePage response. Rather than take an honest look at the events, he will go to work placing the blame.
When will our governor finally realize he was elected to be in charge and be responsible for what happens in the state rather than just laying off the blame like he did at Mardens.
The citizens and employees of Maine are not cashiers at Mardens and should not be teated as if everything that happens is our fault. It's evident that the LePage administration is disfunctional, department head after department head leaves, gets fired, gets arrested,,,,,,,
Wow
I feel very sorry for you. I hope you are happy all alone in the woods. Is it scary in there?
Just the tip of the iceberg
Mr Olsen is to be commended for his public stance. Certainly he has shot himself in the foot as far as a state job goes, but a man of his character will certainly not be long on the list of unemployed Mainers. It appears his case is just one of many out there, hope that his bravado empowers others dealing with a tyrannical administration the nerve to speak out.
Prayer or campaigning?
The stated reason from Texas Gov Perry for this day or prayer, to help the economy recover? Yea, good luck with that.
What think it's really all about? Helping his name recognition in his upcoming campaign for president. What better PR than to get almost every state's governor to sign on to an event he sponsors! Little does Perry know what a tool he got when he signed LePage up.
Either way, this day or prayer=fail.
Instead of protesting
I would suggest you stay home, and instead of lumping all people who follow Islam as american haters and terrorists, you look closely at yourself.
People who only surround themselves with people who think, worship and look like them will die very very lonely.
People of different backgrounds, nationalities, religions and color, give this world a wonderful diversity. The more we embrace what is differrent about us, the better off we will be as a nation, and as individuals.
Protect us from the nutty gun nuts.
It's about time for this. I hope security can protect us from all the wacky legislators we have, the nut job in Waterville was only the tip of the iceberg, these folks are way out there!
Seriously, at least security checks will now be doled out fairly. Ever watch a person of color walk into the statehouse? Granted, they are few and far between since our state government has the worst minority hiring record in the county, but it was amazing to watch how the security folks went on high alert anytime a black male adult walked into the room.
Protect us from the nutty gun nuts.
It's about time for this. I hope security can protect us from all the wacky legislators we have, the nut job in Waterville was only the tip of the iceberg, these folks are way out there!
Seriously, at least security checks will now be doled out fairly. Ever watch a person of color walk into the statehouse? Granted, they are few and far between since our state government has the worst minority hiring record in the county, but it was amazing to watch how the security folks went on high alert anytime a black male adult walked into the room.
It comes with the territory
I do learn alot about the GOP, conservatives in general in my line of work.
But that is the GOP way
"Anecdotes and gut-feelings are a bad basis for lawmaking"
But it worked so well for LePage last year, why can't Webster do it?
Seriously, the GOP has used busloads of people coming from away for our welfare, no truth. How about our outrageously high electric rates, not true. The buffalo count, good one. During the campaign LePage claimed things were so bad that a number of towns in the state were teetering on bankruptcy. And LePage's claim about tire ruts being classified as vernal pools? They also claimed our health insurance rates are higher than neighboring states, again not true. It has become a way of life for those now in charge.
One thing is certain, you can easily tell when a republican lawmaker in Maine is lying, his/her lips are moving.
Good move!
Good for Denny's! Really now, what is people obsession with bathroom habits? Everyone goes to the bathroom, and the facilities are generally shielded in such a way as to assure the privacy of people using the bathroom. In most cases if you go to the bathroom you'll be watching someone washing their hands. Why are we so pre occupied with hiding what is a purely natural function? Especially in Maine, this is the state where at any given moment, an open car door along the roadside serves as a bathroom stall for most residents.
Good move!
Good for Denny's! Really now, what is people obsession with bathroom habits? Everyone goes to the bathroom, and the facilities are generally shielded in such a way as to assure the privacy of people using the bathroom. In most cases if you go to the bathroom you'll be watching someone washing their hands. Why are we so pre occupied with hiding what is a purely natural function? Especially in Maine, this is the state where at any given moment, an open car door along the roadside serves as a bathroom stall for most residents.
Thanks!
Thank you Ms Chandler. Having heard similar stories from several town clerks I continue to wonder where the GOP got the idea that clerks were complaining about being over burdened by the process, and that there was some rampant fraud going on.
Mr Webster, Mr LePage and the rest, just liars, plain and simple. Their agenda does not match that of Maine citizens.
Thank you
Thank's "Staff" rarely do members of the papers pay c;lose enough attention, and actually care enough to answer I appreciate it!
My next question, don;t you think the Sun should challenge that? Yes the AG says it's legal, but really. Giving legal advice, and getting paid for it? Sounds like he's "lawyering" to me! Just because the AG (appointed by LePage) says that what LePage is doing is ok, doesn't make it so!
Agreed
Whole heartedly agree Ms Gibson, and to the Sun Journal, your disclaimer is a joke. It sounds like you have simply taken the BS slung by LePage's PR office as gospel.
"provide services, including reviewing collective bargaining agreements and developing negotiation strategies and a communication plan, under the agreement vetted by the AG's Office." Sounds like being a practicing law to me,,,,,
Stop the subsidies
For too too long the coal industry has benefitted from massive federal subsidies. In addition to friendly tax codes, transportation largely by rail (which is also heavily subsidized by taxpayer $) helps coal become the cheap source of electricity it is.
Time for our government leaders here in Maine to take a heard look at righting the ship. As you so correctly reported, we have the lowest rates in all the northeast, but our rates are much higher than the midwestern states which rely on OUR tax dollars to subsidize their coal, and southeastern and far west states which rely on OUR tax dollars which have subsidized and in most cases created the massive hydro facilities that keep their costs down.
Level the playing field folks, go to our reps in congress and tell them it's time to stop using our tax dollars to subsidize cheaper electric rates in other states.
Of course Mr LePage won't read this,,, perhaps his daughter can do something to earn her keep and read it to him?
There should be more assistance
The problem in your school district is a direct result of the poor, unlawful method of school funding in the state. Public education up to 12th grade is a right, a right for every child in the state, and every child in the state should have an equal opportunity in the public school system. it is the state's responsibility to provide that equal opportunity. By ignoring that responsibility as well as the citizens demand from the last decade that the state funding be increased, the state is in violation of the law.
Now in this time of cut budgets it is time to once and for all fix the method that maine uses tom fund schools, a quality public education can not be just for the "haves" of our society, all children, in rich and poor communities, those flush with commercial and industrial development as well as those without, poorer northern districts as well as those in the much wealthier southern part of the state.
It's about religious fervor.
Instead of protecting Maine's children, GOP lawmakers decided to heed a warning put out by the Christian Civic League. The League warned about potential first amendment issues with the bill. That groups attempt at shielding their true intent is useless. The freedom of speech they are attempting to preserve would be the freedom of people to berate, insult and bully anyone with as perceived difference in lifestyle. There is no place in our society for hatemongers like the Christian Civic League and Maine Heritage Policy Center, i only hope enough intelligent Mainers see through this and take action at the ballot box. Any lawmaker going along with these 2 groups should be ashamed!
No Need
I've seen the numbers. overwhelmingly welfare recipients are white, and are native born. you can't dispute thos facts. other fact the refutes the lies told by the GOP. more people have left Maine and it's welfare system in the last 4 years than have come to the state to the welfare rolls. also, the vast majority are either elderly, sick/disabled or single mothers, and the vast majority stay on fewer than 3 years. The new regulations do not succeed in slicing the welfare budget, rather the GOP attack on welfare will hit a few undeserving souls, won't attack fraud anymore than it does now, and will devastate the lives of thousands of people who are just looking for a temporary helping hand.
There is no one driving the streets of lewiston with a brand new car and license plate the reads "U BOT IT", there are no busses from Mass dropping people off at DHHS, and I'm pretty sure there are no monsters under your bed, unless you let LePage sleep there
Buzz words
reforming welfare is one of the worst. remember all that talk during the campaign about how there were bus loads of people coming from away and lining up as they got off the bus for welfare,, of course it came out that it was all a lie. but it played well to the fear of many people in our state that people from away are here trying to take something away from us. Dear Maine, people of color are not the bogeymen, they are not here to steal your state. What you should be more afraid of are your sons and daughters that have become hooked on the illegal drugs of our day. Those are our arsonists and murderers that we keep reading about this year.
LePage has done nothing to improve life for Mainers, he has proposed changes to welfare that will have almost no effect. His limitations will hit a very very small number of people. Statistics are showing, here in Maine, that the vast majority of welfare recipients are there is desperate time of need, and for relatively short periods of time.
The way to fix things here is to get Mainers working, and judging by the falling employment numbers of 2011, lePage has done a poor job at that.
LePage uses his lies to convince us that he is changing things, he is not, there was no buffalo count, tire ruts have never been classified as vernal pools, he has no adopted son, his name was on the deed, and you know what, whales and eagles do pay taxes. Indirectly, but they do!
And LePage as done what so far?????
"Maine’s international exports have grown 76 percent over the last 10 years. The state saw a 41 percent growth in international trade in 2010, the second-highest rate in the nation. The state’s export sales totaled $3.15 billion last year."
Wow, all this with our ineffective Governor Baldacci?? Seems like every day that passes gives us another reason to praise the man.
So now I'll askm what has LePage doen for us so far? Nothing, we have dropping employment, rising unemployment, a long like of people leaving the state. And none, not one of the few small announcements of new firms coming to the state had anything to do with LePage and his administration. Could we lobby for SA to keep him? Perhaps someone could arrange to just forget to get him up one morning,
No hoax
Not at all, it's more a genius move in marketing. The drink industry had hit a brick wall, coke, pepsi, sprite, dr pepper and the rest had seemingly hit the peak of the market, and they industry that fails to grow will die. Someone, banking on the health craze of our time, linked that with the modern convenience we lazy folks crave, and bottled water was born. It grow from the posh Evian brand. Who knew that you could take plain old water, yes sometime nothing more than tap water, bottle it and sell something like 10 billion gallons a year???
They sold us on something we never thought we needed, genius!
Great idea! This is a perfect
Great idea! This is a perfect example of the new business of making energy.
a tip of my cap
Kudos to the students, and their families. It is refreshing to see such fine people strive in a new land, These wonderful people have met such incredible hurdles head on, in their former land, as well as here in Maine. Please, let us all do our very best to examine ourselves, lets open our minds and open our hearts to all people, regardless of color, religion or nationality. They do nothing but make our state a better place to live.
Deceiving numbers
A perfect example of the time honored phrase "Figures lie and liars figure"
A long life expectancy in Maine is more a result of old people moving here than an actual increase in the number of years people are living.
All these numbers mean is that young people are abandoning the state, especially the midcoast and downeast areas, and retirees are taking their place.
Look closer. The numbers from
Look closer.
The numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show some very very troubling trends, , # of workers in Construction, down, transportation and utilities down, professional and business services down, education and health services down, the only sector with a significant increase was leisure and hospitality with an increase, seasonally adjusted, of less than 2000 jobs from April to May. The most troubling number is overall employment in non seasonally adjusted numbers, Maine was lower in May 2011 than in May 2010. lePage is taking us backwards!
This guy is driving around
This guy is driving around operating a video camera instead of paying attention to the road???? Somebody write the DB a ticket!!! That's as dangerous as our now illegal texting while driving!
Too bad that the majority in
Too bad that the majority in Maine's legislature as well as the Governor continue to refuse to listen to voices of reason on this issue. This is perfect example of how our leaders refuse to represent the citizens of the state, but have other out of state interests, lobbyists and special interest groups pulling their strings.
Consumer protections are one of the most important things a government can do for it's citizens, this is s slap in the face to all of us!
And thanks for your lies, I
And thanks for your lies, I mean statistics. You are comparing apples and oranges, you would need to pick apart those 2 policies to find the scads of ways that the coverage varies in them to get a real picture of the comparitive costs. Also those "quotes" have no assumptions for prior medical history and that's a very very big mulitplying factor, much bigger outside Maine's border. They really are 2 completely different policies.
There really are no national studies on individual policy costs that can give a very good comparitive table. The NCSL table I cited is the best option out there for any kind of comparison across state lines.
Taking an average across entire states is pretty much the only way to do a real comparison, and the NCSL does a good job of that. Yes, it is a study of group rates, private sector employers. But why would rates be substantially different whether the policy holder is in a group or self employed? Remember that the health insurance bill passed not only covers those with individual policies, but also those on employer policies with companies of fewer than 500 employees. This bill will cover just about every body in the state, except of course our elected officials.
You do know that the proposal was written by the insurance industry, and spoon fed to LePage by the MHPC don't you? You must also know that nowhere, at no time, have insurance companies lowered their prices on health insurance policies, even if competition was added. What happened when Mega Life started selling their much less expensive policies? What happened when Dirigo was added as an option in Maine? The individual and group policies still went up, but in Maine, because of the state's aggressive regulation the rates went up much slower than in our surrounding states.
Do you really believe that "market forces" will bring down health insurance rates? That's what every administration from Reagan through GW tried,,, how did that work?
Spot on Mary, spot on. If we
Spot on Mary, spot on. If we are to look closely, very closely at health insurance rates we will find we've been lied to, repeatedly by Mr LePage and his pals over at MHPC.
This table, published by the National Conference of State Legislatures shows that Maine has the lowest rates for families, couples and single people in the northeast.
http://www.ncsl.org/Default.aspx?TabId=14514
That's right, NH, MA, VT, CT, NY, RI even NJ have higher average rates than those in Maine. Further, the table shows that during the previous administration our rate of yearly increases was lower than all our neighbors. That means that Maine's insurance regulators were doing their jobs. Now LePage will take away the very regulations that did the work! Any wonder why the insurance industry wrote this new legislation for us??? It's a shame that our newly elected officials feel free to give our state away.
It's sad that these traveling
It's sad that these traveling carnivals of cash continue to get attention of the local press. These are nothing more than bargain basements to unload items and serve no purpose to the citizens of Maine or readers of the Sun Journal. While what they do may not be illegal, the ethics of these firms are highly questionable. There are scores of firms currently in Maine, many in the are served by the Sun Journal that offer the exact same service described here. The difference is that the firms here in Maine are here when they buy your items, and here again afterwards, they have a responsibility to do their job fairly and honestly. These traveling fairs will pay bottom dollar for your items, and fell from town long before you start to question the amount you recieved! The Sun Journal would serve it's readers better by looking closely at exactly what this firm paid for items, and how that compares with how much a local specialist like an antique dealer or coin dealer or jeweler would have paid. All you've done here is given this company a free advertisement.
Mark, I suggest you look
Mark, I suggest you look closer at the tables and the numbers. In the extreme left hand column is "Premium distributions for private sector employees" one table is for singles, the next for families, and the final one for couples (employee plus one) that left hand column is the total paid, if you look across at the next two columns, employee contribution and then employer cost, those last 2 add up to the first column. So what it's showing you is first the total average paid to the insurance company, then the amount paid by the employee then the amount paid by the company.
For example, on the second table for family coverage. Maine's average total cost for 2009 was $13,522 for the year. that's 14th on the list and lower than MASS, CT, NY, NH, VT, NJ and RI among others.
The 4th table, the very last one, is the overall average which includes individual policy holders, but as it explains it is not a complete statistic since not all premiums are reported, and it has not been updated beyond 2006 numbers.
By examining the numbers, what you'll find is that if you go back to 2004, Maine was much higher in relation to other states, but from 2004 to 2009 Maine has held it's annual increases below what the rest of the country, especially the northeast has been seeing. In other words, the health insurance regulations in effect under Baldacci were working even though we were limited in the state to very few insurance providers.
The impression that Maine's health insurance premiums are top 2 in the country are just wrong, the lePage administration has been pushing those incorrect numbers either out of ignorance of the facts or they are lying. Much like the false impression that we are the highest taxed state in the country, it's false and the people who use that statement as fact are either ignorant or lying.
here you go
This is really the only definitive table out there, showing state by state numbers for health insurance premiums.
http://www.ncsl.org/Default.aspx?TabId=14514
the biggest problem with
the biggest problem with charter schools is that they are businesses,. They are run by companies that do what they do for a profit. And just like every business out there today, they will do what they have to do to maximize their profits. That's means keeping costs as low as possible by keeping the staff small, hiring the lower qualified/lower paid employees etc. And most of all, as a business they can decide to close their doors whenever they want to. How's that for a way to leave our kids stranded?
Some things should retain total public oversight, our education system is one of those.
Lies used to their advantage
I do love how the GOP and Governor LePage are pointing to the health insurance bill as a huge success for them. This bill was handed to them by the MHPC, so how does allowing outsiders to write law turn into a success? The GOP did it with lies, repeatedly, over and over they told us our insurance rates are the 2nd highest in the country. Did any of them ever back that claim up with firm numbers? Where did they get that? How old are those claims? Turns out those numbers come from a half decade ago. Turns out that it was that way, long long ago, before Maine's insurance regulations began working to slow down the huge yearly increases in policy holders monthly rates. If you look at current numbers, you would find that we are much more in line, our increases have slowed, and we are lower than neighboring states. Maines rates are among the lowest in the Northeast for singles, couples and families. Why aren't those facts told??? Because the insurance reform law that Maine is enacting was written by the insurance industry, they don't want us to know the truth!
Good question, too bad the
Good question, too bad the answer is that the GOP is being told by high powered money interests what to do on a regular basis.
It appears on the surface that the MHPC is pulling the strings. But if you follow the money trail, the MHPC is just a funnel for money from Koch Industries and other multi national corporations that have no interest in Maine, but have a much larger national agenda.
There is no fraud, and there are no town clerks crying for relief from the "flood" of same day registrations and absentee ballots.
It was Rep Charlie Websters claim that the democrats are stealing elections, that busloads of voters are being taken to the polls by Job Corps workers that tells you where this comes from. Wak minds of lying idiots. WE made a horrible mistake in november, now it;s biting us in the A$$.
This is just another big sign
This is just another big sign that LePage just doesn't get it. All through his campaign he talked about working to lower the high cost of energy in our state. Of course all that time he was lying about how high our energy costs really were, the figures were right there as The Sun Journal has found, that are rates are among the very lowest in the northeast part of the country. He just chose to ignore the facts because they did not match his agenda. Now with his proposed cut to the renewable energy requirement, he hopes to capitalize on the headline of a drop in rates (4.80 a year) which is actually just a supposed drop with the assumption that gas and oil prices stabilize.
The way to reducing our cost of energy is through reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, oil and gas supplies are dwindling and prices will continue to climb. Maine has a wealth of sources for renewable energy, wind, tidal, hydro, and bio mass are all available to help us stay cheap. LePage is an idiot for ignoring the facts.
Congrats!
Seeing these students achieve success is a true joy! I only hope they keep their talents in Maine and help our state become a more tolerant diverse area. Congratulations, you have overcome much in your lives, best of luck as you continue your education!
Crafts is a liar, this bill
Crafts is a liar, this bill needs to die a quick death.
Crafts is a complete sell out, or is he a criminal?
Sound to me like Rep Crafts has committed fraud against the citizens of Maine.
He proposed this bill to "sweeten the pot" in DeCoster's proposed sale to Land O' Lakes. So he completely lied the entire time about why he put this bill to the house floor.
I say Crafts should run out of Augusta on a rail. This is NOT how things should be done in this state!
Good Luck to you Mr Coffin.
Good Luck to you Mr Coffin. Do you really expect health insurance companies to voluntarily lower their prices for you? When or where has that ever happened?
You should take a look at this table.
http://www.ncsl.org/Default.aspx?TabId=14514
It shows that Maine workers are getting lower rates than the surrounding states. Lower for individuals, couples and for families. And now the GOP plan wants to open us up to companies selling insurance in those surrounding states.
Mr LePage and the MHPC have presented figures claiming that people in other states get better rates, but they have never shown the source of those figures. Perhaps they were given to them by the Portland lobbyists that are really running the state?
Your cheers to those many
Your cheers to those many people working as referees and umpires are long overdue. As a parent I was involved in many, many soccer and basketball games as a spectator. It should come as no surprise to anyone that I was constantly jumping on the referees, every game, any decision that went against our team was a bad one.
Now I have my penance, I have started as a ref myself, first year under my belt was a blast, and yes the parents are unrelenting. Everyone should try it!
The most frustrating thing
The most frustrating thing about those in power in Augusta, is that they have given up their power. WE as a state elected a group of people to the legislature and governors office. Those people have collectively given up our rights by allowing lobbyists working for out of state business interests as well as the special interest group Maine Heritage Policy Center to legislate. There are multiple examples, the BPA issue as well as LD1333 among others of those groups actually writing legislation and getting those proposals put into play in Augusta. This is the outrage of our time, how many of us knew that would happen, and now how many of us are happy about it? We did not elect Koch Industries or Tarren Bragdon to office in Maine, I am outraged that our Governor and legislators have in effect out them in office!
Same old story from the GOP
Yes, much like the time honored myth called "trickle down economics" the outright lie that market forces will force down the price of health insurance will go down as one of the silliest concepts in modern time. How long have republican's been telling about easing regulations and letting more competition and how that will allow companies to voluntarily lower prices. Show me in the US where this has really happened and I'll do cart wheels past the Blaine House on a rainy sunday afternoon. Really, does enyone believe that an insurance company is going to lower prices?? If so I think you've been watching too many little lizards on TV. I for one am tired of being the one "trickled down" on.
Thank you Sun. This is a
Thank you Sun. This is a concise description of a very complicated issue. LePage's 40 cents a month savings is a complete joke. By easing the requirement to use renewable energy sources he is allowing utilities (CMP) to slide back into their comfort zone continuing to prefer the quickly dwindling fossil fuels. Maine has a good start with a number of renewable sources out there. Hydro power is the old standard, add to that the use of bio mass and we have a good base. Now is the absolute wrong time to stop pushing for the use of more!
This guy is a poster boy for
This guy is a poster boy for more strict controls on handguns. Let's see, his co-workers even police saw that his behavior had become erratic over a period of weeks, even months? He had been talking about weapons during this "behavior". Even the police were assigned to watch him, orders had been written barring him from at least one office in the state house. A supervisor had attempted to intervene with his wife, even minister? But no where along the way did anyone ask, does this guy have a gun? If someone had any sense up there and had asked this question, would there have been legal recourse to take those weapons away? What if his mental issues were progressive? What if the victim in the incident at Dunkin had just run away, not summoned police? Would the next incident have involved his weapon being fired? Government has a duty to attempt to protect it's citizens from harm.
LePage's same old stuff
It's not surprising to hear about this, that LePage wants to change the law that forced his stupid choice for a DEP head out. He won't take the blame for mistakes he and his administrtiton make, he'll blame it on everything else, like the law.
Isn't it LePage who's critical of everything the federal government does, unless he finds a way to scale back a Maine law to more lax federal standards? Or I should say until MHPC tells him to scale back a law. Should have known, when electing a retail manager to a position like governor, that there was someone else pulling the strings. Can't wait for Governor Tarren Bragdon to move to Florida,,, perhaps he'll take the Blaine House residents with him.
No surprise there
Just in case there's any doubt who is running this state.
"The Maine Heritage Policy Center, a conservative advocacy group, supported LD 1333. Tarren Bragdon, the organization's outgoing CEO, played a significant role in shaping the legislation. He briefed the Republican caucus about the bill before the House of Representatives voted, mostly along party lines, to give the bill preliminary approval."
Nothing like an ultra conservative head of a special interest group hand picked by our governor (or was our governor picked by him?) to run the state. Not sure that's what the majority of people voting last fall had in mind.
Ton of Pellets has more BTU
Ton of Pellets has more BTU than a cord of wood, and is cheaper. If oil were priced at approx 1.79 a gallon the BTU per dollar ration between pellets and oil would be equal. Pellets vs electric heat??, not even close!
Pellets are one reason why the renewable energy source industry looms very large for Maines economic future. As far as "depleting" our forest, much of the pellet made in our state use waste wood, the leftover slab not used for other reasons.
I have been a user of pellets for 3 years now, first year when oil was quire low it was a wash, but now I am reaping the benefits and have easily paid off my small investment. Just imagine how many million of energy dollars could be saved if home owners could switch from oil to pellets! The investment in this plant is a great move. Hoping that our current administration will wake up and smell the wood burning,,,,,
And yes it is "green" while the burning of pellets still emits carbon, just like any burned fuel, it is a carbon that has more recently been sequestered in solid form, unlike the carbon of fossil fuels whcih has ben sequestered for millenia.
Brown too!
Actually, since Brown's presence as the head of the EP Dept was in violation of both state and federal law, any moves that were made by the agency during his short tenure could, and should be challenged in the courts. Oh Mr LePage, what a mess you are creating for us!
Because of LePage
King is so embarrassed by his connection with Maine and then current leadership and political climate here that he does not even want to be celebrated for his successes here. King is a great author, an incredible philanthropist, and now using his position to swing a little political clout
GOP selling us out again!
This truly is a thinly veiled attempt to give the hospitality industry, fast food spots, and retail a way to put more cash in their pockets. Yes, it would give some teens an opportunity to earn some extra cash, but at what cost. There were be arguments for years and years about how late and how long kids should be able to work during school weeks, and those arguments will never end. But one thing can't be argued, when teens can get more hours, often working for minimum wage, those hours will be taken away from adults who generally earn higher wages. Who needs the money more? I vote for working moms and dads, not their teens.
No pride
This legislation was written by a lobbyist group, working for health insurance companies, and was handed to (force fed) to Mr LePage and his GOP cronies by "special interest group" MHPC. So how is it that the governor and our GOP Legislators are proud of this accomplishment?
Anyone who thinks that insurance companies will voluntarily lower the price of premiums is probably still buying the whole "trickle down" economics story.
OK
You're not looking hard enough Ray.
From the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Total non farm employment as of end of Feb 2010, 599,600.
Total non farm employment as of end of Mar 2010, 594,500.
Quote from the BLS 4/21/2011. Reference to Employment figures end of March 2011.
" Maine experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decrease in employment (-0.9 percent), followed by
Connecticut and Hawaii (-0.4 percent each) and Louisiana (-0.3 percent)."
" Two states experienced statistically significant over-the-month declines in employment: Connecticut (-6,000)
and Maine (-5,100)." From the following site.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm
The information is actually on Maines DOL site too, though they tried real hard last month to downplay the numbers.
"Estimates of nonfarm payroll jobs for the six months following annually revised data—from October through March—have been volatile, surging through January and plunging since. These estimates, provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, do a poor job reflecting monthly employment trends in Maine. According to BLS estimates there were 594,500 nonfarm payroll jobs in March, down 5,100 over the month. We continue to advise users to look at multi-month trends rather than individual months to be informed about the level and rate of change in jobs in Maine. Nationally, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 216,000 in March."
Here's the page with that info
http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Labor+Press+Releases...
and at this site you can see a nice table.
http://www.maine.gov/labor/lmis/ces.html
As long as you are reading
As long as you are reading stats, look closely to see where the increase in jobs, and decrease in unemployment has come in Maine. It all came before the end of 2010. We are in a jobs freefall under LePage, in March alone the state lost over 5000 jobs. 5000 less people working! Unemployment has been balanced out somewhat in the state by the huge numbers of people dropping off the unemployment list, but the unemployment rate has in fact increased under LePage. Many of these long unemployed just simply left the state for state with actual job opportunity. And why is this all happening in Maine when our governor is lining up all the regulations to open things up? All across the country jobs are being created, 2 months in a row with over a quarter million more jobs, but Maine is left behind. We voted for a man qualified to manage a retail savage outlet, and that's what we got. Salvaged goods.
Thank you for a very
Thank you for a very thorough, unbiased look at an important issue. I wish all summaries of this issue in Maine could be was well written and researched. I notice that the one sore point in this column is about the Maine GOP and their effort to jam LD1333 through without a need amount of time and study. That is a shame and puts maine citizens in the dark about the whole thing.
This situation made me think this morning, what if during the campaign these GOP legislators and our Governor had told the truth? what if they had said "if elected we'll go straight to the MHPC, and some very well connected industry lobbyists, and let them present our state a health care reform proposal". Would we have voted for them? That is exactly what has happened, unfortunate that it's not just in the health care reform package.
So sad that we were hoodwinked, hopefully this column and future reports will help us all be more educated.
The GOP's tricks.
So what the GOP was trying to accomplish here, and led to the resignation of the chair of the Appropriations committee, was that they did not want that committee to look into LD1333. So intent on hiding the disastrous nature of this bill they even want to hide it from their own members??? In Maine, it's politics at it's worst!
Kudos
Thanks for putting my thoughts into words. If only LePage knew how to read.
I sat in house chambers
I sat in house chambers during yesterday's vote on this bill, It was sad, very very sad that none of the GOP members could answer specific questions about the bill. All that had to be done for a thorough look was to delay this bill. With page after page having been added just hours before the vote, none of the house members had the opportunity to completely review the plan. Even Maine Insurance Bureau had no time to thoroughly review it for economic impact! The only numbers that came out were state estimates that an average increase of nearly 30% on premiums would result from the proposals implementation. Thanks GOP, thanks LePage, thanks MHPC. That's no way to make us business friendly. Hopefully the next few days allows time for an extensive review by the state so we know how much this will cost us, and how many citizens will be vulnerable
Good Idea
She has a very good point, Every where else in the US that has legalized gambling over the past decade and a half have let the gambling companies fight for the right to use locations. That means that big, legitimate gambling operators had to offer up million,s sometimes (as in the case of Indiana) even billions of dollars in up front money and attendance and betting revenue. Small towns were upgraded, roads repaired, new schools built. And when those gambling operators leave, they will leave behind those improvements. What is Maine getting from the Oxford Casino? So far it's s scaled down plan that does not have the systems to properly handle sewage and drainage issues that it creates. She is right we missed the boat, but that's right in line with the current administration, giving our state away on promises from corporate entities that will never be held responsible for not living up to those vows.
Still is
Truth be told, not much as changed. If we all open our eyes to the daily racism around the state, perhaps it would be a first step to ending it. Just look at our home grown retail outlets, tell me how many faces of color you see worjing there as you go about your bargain hunting at those stores. How many times do you hear people talk down about recent immigrants, how "they" have ruined your city, your neighborhood, your state. How many times do you hear people talk about how "they" take our tax dollars through welfare. How many lies and myths have your heard about busloads coming for welfare, or the welfare recipient wit a nice car, and license platers that read "u bot it". All those stories myths and lies, we are teaching our children to continue the racism, please lets top it now!
Mainers don't care.
For the most part this change will fly well under the radar. The vast majority of Mainers won't give a darn. Why? Because the people working at this plant don't look like us, and many don't speak the same language. Not passing judgement, just making an observation. What will happen though when the legislature comes for your pay, your benefits?
Every worker deserves the same protection under the law. The people in this factory are working 70 or 80 hours a week, and the initial question was whether they would be paid overtime or not? Now the state will make a law forbidding these workers from forming a union and going through collective bargaining.Of all people, these men and women need as much protection as we can give them! Laws on the federal level that allow for mistreatment of employees of large factories, just because it can be classified as agricultural, are wrong, plain and simple! Saying that individuals should be responsible for negotiating their own pay is not practical in many cases. If an employee of this "farm" decides he or she will fight for fair pay or benefits, out comes the axe, they are gone and the firm sends off for another latino. It's going to get ugly folks unless we stand up and demand a stop!
Yes, he would be!
His quote. "Would I be so brain dead to stand up and say those things?"
The answer to that is apparently yes, based on this quote
"Unfortunately, I thought I was talking to people who were sufficiently intelligent enough to understand my real meaning," he said. "I was mistaken."
This guy is right out of LePage's book! Won't admit to what he did, won't tell the truth, blame someone else.
The blame lies with LePage, i recall a very very wise man said one "The buck stops here". Paul LePage however is not very wise, his line is "it's not my fault"
Don't let the facts get in
Don't let the facts get in the way of a good scare. Those on the conservative side are using the non existent voter fraud, along with the myth of those busloads of immigrants flooding our borders to get welfare checks as their easy route to elections.
Over and over and over, they'll try a scare tactic rather than engage in an honest discussion of fact.
We got what we deserved in LePage, my hope is that there's enough sense in the rest of state government to ease the pain of his term in office
There's much more to this story
Shame that the Sun Journal is lagging behind, or missing ke new points to this story. As has been reported in other media outlets LePage has also promised to "zip it" in the future, in reference to his now frequent idiotic outbursts.
LePage will also apparently be the subject of an Op/Ed piece early next week. The letter which is to be sent to several news outlets across the state has been signed by a group of state republican lawmakers and will publicly criticize LePage for his open mouth policy.
In my opinion, it's about time that the leadership in the state legislature publicly pressure LePage on his outbursts and his actions.
He has been an embarrassment both locally and on a national stage for too long.
It's time for LePage to get down to the business of the state, as I recall he promised in his campaign to work for several things.
Fix the health insurance problem in the state, haven't heard even a peep from his office on this topic, though the head of the Maine Heritage Policy Center did tell us that Dirigo would be killed. I wonder if he's the point man on the health care project?
Attract jobs to the state. Reported yesterday, the nation picked up nearly a quarter million new private sector jobs in the most recent period, over half the US states increased their number of jobs, Maine was NOT one of those states. Thanks Paul your efforts are well, horrible.
What about energy cost? I recall lots of promises about action on lowering the cost of electricity, I don't recall hearing a word about it since the inauguration.
So far it's the hiring of his daughter, angering state employees by placing the burden of the state budget on their backs, lots of work removing a piece of art work, and a bunch, a bunch of purely idiotic statements.
Well said.
But you are overstating the obvious here. While LePage's comments may seem humerous and indicative of some kind of machismo, it has grown increasingly tiring for many Mainers, most I would say have had enough.
Even as I peruse the pages of the Journal's op/ed section I notice far far fewer defenders of the LePage attitude. Are even the die hard LePage supporters growing weary of his schtick? I suspect so. His words and actions started by angering just small groups, welfare recipients and liberals were his campaign targets. Now he has widened his scope to include the NAACP, teachers and other state employees, union workers, and the art community. When will it end? Perhaps the Governer may some day allow his highly paid daughter to read the paper to him, and he'll figure this all out. We're tired of it, tired of being criticized, tired of people yelled at, tired of being blamed, tired of having things taken from us.
What are you thinking Mr Governor?
Once again LePage has opened his mouth, his mind, and stuck his foot in. Not one action taken thus far in his tenure has helped addressed anything he campaigned on. Jobs Mr LePage? Health Care insurance Mr LePage. I don't recall your campaign promise to rid state offices of thought provoking art, I don't recall you promise to anger citizens and groups with your words and actions. Those people who voted for you should feel pretty mislead by now. Please Mr LePage, let your well paid daughter/assistant read the newspaper to you some day. Time to quit playing games and get to the business of the state!
Don't fear what you don't know
There is really nothing to fear here. People of different color, religion and opinion are what make this world beautiful. I would ask how you would legislate your idea about keeping competition amongst "local kids". How long do you have to live here to be termed local. do your parents have to be from here? Did you have to be born here? Or is it ok that you moved here before you started school, what of you moved here in the 3rd grade, 4th grade?
In sport, teams and players get better by playing against better competition. Often, that better competition comes from people who are of different races and nationalities than we are. There are many reasons why a town the size of say Pittsburgh PA puts many many more kids into college on athletic scholarships than the entire state of Maine every year, but one of them is their diversity and our lack of it. Embrace diversity and welcome it into our borders!
It's history
They've been saying the same thing for years, well really for decades. Over and over and over the conservative faction in the US has repeatedly said they will let the market fix healthcare. Didn't work in the 80's, or the 90's, ain't working now. In all their repeal efforts we've heard much about what the GOP thinks is wrong with the new healthcare law, I'd love to hear what they would propose in it's place.
Recall, if we only could.
Recall, if we only could. Would someone ask the attorney general for an opinion on whether we could take that action?
Oh, forgot, the attorney general works for LePage not for the citizens. Just like that office would not look into the illegality of the appointment made to Maine's DEP, he wouldn't dare take a look into something like a recall.
Oh well, how many more days??????
But there is not now, and
But there is not now, and never has been an illegal immigrant issue in the state of Maine. It's another myth made up by the current administration, as well as some others during the most recent election cycle. It's a common tactic, raise a non existent issue, scare people into believing something is being taken away from them, and get elected though you have no real qualifications for the job. You are absolutely right, there is a big difference between legal and illegal immigrants, the illegal ones really don't exist in our state. What the myth does is promote the long standing attitude of fear here. That is fear of people who are different in the way they look, sounds or talk.
If we live our lives surrounding ourselves with only people who look like us, come from the same place as us, and think like us, we will die very very lonely souls.
Follow the $$$
Well said Ms Phillips. The problem with the Kid safe act, and the battle Mr LePage has waged against it is $$. Kids are not campaign donors, large corporate concerns that make those dangerous chemicals however are.
No surprise
The consertaive portion of the legislature, just like it's"big daddy" LePage administration ran it's campiagns and continues to run the business of the state of anecdotes, myth and outright lies. They motivated voters by frightening those among us into believing that people from other states were the cause of our financial woes, not the struggling US economy, that the tax picture, job prospects, energy costs and personal freedoms were so much better in other states than here. It appears the way they are lining up proposal after proposal, they are still ignoring the facts.
Nuclear???
Really, nuclear as part of the solution to our energy problems? I'll guess that the events of the past week will put a serious delay in any proposed nuclear projects. If it isn't already being built, plant on it being pushed back,,,, way back.
Problem with Nuke is that we have not solved the storage issue, take a look at what's still sitting down in Wiscasset.
Also, you just can't corral all the different heads and hands necessary in a project like this into one well controlled system. Relying on scores of different design firms, constructions firms, and regulatory agencies will continue to be a nightmare to get anything done.
And finally, given our desire lately for economy, I wouldn't let any of the low bidders approved for these jobs touch a nuke aywhere within 500 miles of my house!
I wish the Sun Journal would
I wish the Sun Journal would publish the names of those on the committee handling this bill. Kudos to the 4 who want to kill it. We should find a way to recall the 9 in favor of doing anything with this bill besides wadding it up and tossing it in the nearest recycling bin
Not so fast,,, really!
Respectfully, you idea to "start drilling now" to solve our energy problems, that is the prospect of drivers paying $4 a gallon for their over powered cars, is way way way off mark.
The solution of the problem in the short term is try to conserve fuel, tires inflated properly, engine in tune etc goes a short way, trading that hulking SUV or high performance sports car in for something more economical is a much better solution. And finding alternatives, bio diesel and other alternative fuels, hybrid cars, all electric cars.
If you put all you hopes on drilling now, some new offshore oil wells might start producing in 10-15 years! Much like some folks (LePage) interest in getting Maine back into the nuke business, it does nothing to solve the problem you are seeing as you drive past gas stations. I especially like the suggestions during the campiagn that Maine could reduce it's high cost of energy by drilling off the coast of our state. What, the oil taken there would all stay in Maine?? It would be our very own?? Nope, sorry government types, that's not how it works.
You want our country to be self reliant as far as energy goes, since there is a finite amount of oil available (mother earth can not be expected to keep up with our pace) it will eventually run out. ALL the experts say that time is coming,,,, soon. But you are mostly upset I suspect because of the price.
Prices are up because oil suppliers and distributors know exactly how much they can get for gas at different times of the year, in different locations in the country, even different parts of our state! The only way to change that is by changing our habits and our personal reliance on gas.
He should care
"I heard him tell leadership (in the Legislature) that he doesn't care if he's unpopular," Demeritt said. "He's pretty comfortable being judged on the results."
At this point Mr LePage ought to start caring. The reason that he is unpopular, and not approved of by the majority of mainers is because his actions fly in the face of what he campaign as and what people expect of him as Governor.
By sitting in his office, crossing his arms and defying the people he expands his appearance as an out of touch autocratic buffoon. He is taking our state in the wrong direction, it is plain and simple!
While this has all been fun,
While this has all been fun, I have enjoyed reading your responses and respect your right to your opinion, you have not swayed me. I, along with more and more mainers every day, feel that we've been left with a Governor who is boorish, autocratic, and a liar. vastly out of touch with reality. All spin aside there is example after example of how he is flat out unfit to govern this state. His ideas and policies do no even begin to accomplish what he promised to do during his campaign. Not one proposal has been aimed at improving the lives of mainers, saving the average family money, or increasing the opportunity for job creation here. Thanks though for your opinion.
And ask your friend Paul why,
And ask your friend Paul why, when he wants to require state employees to take some of the pain and increase their contributions to pension plans, why does he not require himself to so the same thing. Or perhaps just take a big portion of the pain and step away from his promised state pension as soon as he is voted out of office. Is the pension plan sound enough to pay Mr LePage off, but not the rest of the state employees?
Shouldn't we all by taking on some of the pain Mr Stone?
Could you ask your friend Mr
Could you ask your friend Mr LePage where his BPA proposal came from?
wow Mr Stone, you seem to
wow Mr Stone, you seem to have some anger issues. I certainly respect your right to express an opinion, but doing it by trashing me is an interesting way to discuss things. I'd suggest that when looking at actions of our new state government, follow the money.
And if I could offer some personal advice Mr Stone, if you spend your whole life surrounding yourself with only those who look like you, talk like you, and have the same opinion and life style as you, you will die a very very lonely soul.
Lets all vow to look closely
Lets all vow to look closely at these proposals and ask
1) does this help create any jobs in Maine?
2) does this do damage to what Maine is and has been known for, being a clean pristine place?
3) or do these proposals funnel more profits to out of state corporations that do little if any actual hiring in our state?
Mr Coburn, your bottle redemption is a perfect example. The beverage associations continue to pump cash into efforts to reverse what has been done in Maine to keep millions of bottles every year off our streets and out of our landfills. The thing many people don't ask about is the cost. Since the inception of our bottle bill, the cost of beverages here has risen, but only as fast as the cost of beverages across the nation. We pay the same price for sodas, beer, liquor (factoring out sales tax) as any other state with or without a bottle deposit act. We get the extra nickel per bottle back! It's pennies being passed back and forth, and any extra cost is being borne by the beverage manufacturers. The price of beverages has not increased because of normal market pressures on cost. I can still get a 2 liter bottle of soda on sale for less than a buck, our vending machines still offer some expensive, some cheap beverage options, and we still have thousands of choices on the stores shelves. If you don't think it's fair that the bottlers are bearing a little extra cost, send them a few pennies every time you drink a soda, beer or glass of wine. The big difference is that Maine is a cleaner more pleasant place to live. I do not feel sorry that multi billion dollar, multi national corporations like Pepsico have to help fund our cleanliness.
Keep your voice loud Mr
Keep your voice loud Mr Dumas, it is only by exposing the greed that drives the administration that these situations and others affecting maines working and poor classes will be averted. The worst part is that the LePage budget is not smaller, in fact it is much, much larger than the last Baldacci budget. How does he manage to spend more money? Because he is assuming that our economy will continue to grow, and of course it will as long as the US economy continues it's recovery. The growth has nothing to do with LePage and his administration. The growth is already happening, has been since last year long before the stink of LePage fouled our air. So why not just take this growth, leave state budgets flat, and repair our deficit? Because LePage is repaying his campaign contributors by cutting taxes, both income and estate taxes, for the wealthies mainers, and for out of state corporations. Remember when LePage said he would work for the people of Maine??? Don't hold your breath.
The changing of rules
The changing of rules government child labor in Maine is nothing but a poorly veiled attempt by those in power to put more profit into the pockets of corporations, most of which are out of state concerns. It's a simple concept, most jobs that teens hold are temporary, unskilled, and part time. Most importantly they are much more likely to be minimum wage jobs. By allowing teens to work more hours, later hours and more days, large business can shift hours from adults who generally demand higher pay. Out of state corporations save cash, adults who need to pay the rent, put food on the table, keep their cars gassed up, make less money. Another right wing plan proposed by LePage and his minions, but bought and paid for by big money like Koch Industries.
Kudos
My hat is off to you Mr Ferguson and the hundreds like you across the state running our redemption centers.
At just pennies a bottle I still can't imagine how you make enough to justify the long hours and dirty work that it takes to be the repository of the states hundreds of millions of bottles each year.
keep up the good work, you are an industry that adds nothing to the consumer cost of the product you work with, but you add untold value to our state.
Shiny side out mike, be safe,
Shiny side out mike, be safe, shiny side out!
Congrats to Bowdoin, Bergeron
Wow, second year in a row the Babson women have ended the season of a maine team in overtime. Last year it was Colby falling 76-73 in double overtime to Babson in the NCAA 2nd round in Waterville.
Kudos to the entire Bowdoin team on an outstanding year.
And to senior co-captain Katie Bergeron, it's been an honor knowing you and your family. "Katrina",,,,,,,, superb year, superb season. Best of luck in everything you do down the line, the world is now truly your oyster!
Maybe it was reality!
Al I suspect it was more about the "bang for your buck" issue. I'm certain the WBC looked at their options, pay for a long trip in their crowded vans to Maine, to get minimal coverage from our media. Heck, some of the local press here might not have been able to find South Paris much less get a story on the air on in print. Sometimes living in this remote corner of the world does have it's advantages.
Already there
To answer your first question.
"If they can make synthetic oil for cars, why not for home heating?"
They do, bio diesel. It's used also to heat homes in place of the usual heating oil. Unfortunately it's not used much, I'd say just a little more government assistance could boost the industry and get us on our way to freeing ourselves from the foreign oil grip. Of course our government might not be able to afford to support the bio fuel industry because they support big oil so heavily.
It's all about the cash
Follow the money, a proposal to drop the BPA ban in Maine came directly from a portland lobbyist paid by a large chemical manufacturer. This delay in hearings about BFR's will also be linked to big industry and their campaign contributions to GOP lawmakers here and nationwide. We need to tell LePage to open his eyes and read the scientific research. It's not little beards on women, it's cancer in mainers young old male female. This easing of regulation will not result in one job for the state of Maine, not one. This will only serve to line the already full pockets of select big business and keep their overseas firms working.
Time to wak up!
Freedom of information, Maine is one of the worst states in allowing access to government records. These secret panels being constructed by LePage should be a wake up call to the media in our state to start challenging the constant refusals of government to release what is rightfully ours and to allow access to any and all meetings that could impact public policy.
Not again!
Another law, written by large business interests in the state to benefit their personal pocket books.
Here's the way it works, as it is now teens can legally work just 20 hours in a five day week. Teens are in general the lowest paid in our workforce. Minimum wage is the norm, adults generally demand at least a little more than the minimum and can work as many hours as they please. So the bottom line, and the payroll savings for mr and mrs big business comes in by letting teens work more hours at the lowest possible wage, and that will take away those more expensive hours from the adult working population.
Ask Mr LePage 2 questions, how will this create more jobs in Maine? How will thise make life better for Mainers?
Thank You
Thank you Ms Kontos for a factual easy ti understand explanation of a complex issue.
The trouble is us, WE elected a thoroughly unqualified Governor and he has installed an equally unqualified list of yesmen and women behind him to do his bidding.
His office issued this edict with no research, no hearings, no discussion. Hopefully there will be some legal challenge to put things back in order.
Yes sir!
You got it absolutely right Mr McKeone. The good thing is that more and more of us are opening our eyes and realizing what the motivation is behind the moves that Mr LePage is making. We as a state are to blame. WE elected a thoroughly unqualified governor. Because of our misdeed, our new governor has assembled a vast cast of characters around him who are also highly unqualified. The head of DHHS, Education, Commerce, DEP and others were all there to help him get elected and returned with their hands extended palms up to be repaid for their service. Theirs is the task of glad handing and nodding yes to all the ridiculous proposals that come from LePage, but the worst part of all this is where those proposals really come from. We got a hint when the paperwork offering up a discontinuation of the BPA ban because public. Come from the messy desk and cluttered mind of Paul LePage?? NO! It came from the office of a lobbying firm, a firm paid indirectly by Koch Industries, a BPA manufacturer that does no business in our state! This is the same Koch Industries driving the union busting train in Wisconsin, here in Maine and around the country.
WE are to blame, now WE have to work to fix it.
Close knit=fear
Your 2 lines say volumes to me Mr Oakes.
"not every member of Lee’s starting lineup spent his entire childhood in Lee, or Winn, or some township-range combination in the Penobscot Valley."
"there’s still something to be said for close-knit community schools"
You talk about the kids from away at Lee. Transfers in and out of schools, kids coming from foreign countries.
Are you and large groups of Mainers afraid of something? Is there a fear here that something will be lost if people will accept with open arms others from outside our borders? I think you could ask just about anyone who moves into the state from somewhere else. You would find that yes, there is some kind of fear, very difficult to figure out why it is and it takes many many different forms.
In any case Maine will need to get used to it. People will transfer from one school to another, in many states legal action has opened up the right to do that for any reason. People will move here from other states, and other countries. They will have different talents, different opinions, be of different religions and have different skin color. Diversity is a good thing, and sometimes old hard to beat ignorant opinions are bad very very bad. Remember that the only rule that matters when it comes to participation in a school sport is that the student be enrolled in the school.
Wow, just wow.
Naples, you should be embarrassed by this guy. Instead of getting to work on the business of the state, that is trying to enact laws that would save taxpayers money and improve the quality of life, he is aiming his lance at the federal government with a proposal that is "non binding" and "would not carry the force of law." I'd say that this is just as bad as the whoopie pie legislation fiasco, but at least that gave some people a chuckle and excercise our rolling eye muscles.
This guy is out there, way out there. I believe he is also the driving force behind the legislation to require drivers license or state ID at the polls, driven by his fear of the hordes of immigrants flooding our borders to elect communist legilsators. While ID might seem like a great idea, there is no, absolutely no, evidence of voter fraud that would be solved by ID's in the state of Maine.
So Mr Cebra, think, before you propose, what you are doing is making the state look like the last refuge for the fear mongering "patriots" of the 80's that turned into the heavily armed, money order scamming, survivalists that believe the federal government does not have the right to levy an income tax.
Get a little education
It's too bad that you are among the keen jerk reaction short sighted folks that just don't look at the facts before spouting about our need for nukes and off shore drilling. We have an immediate problem with our reliance on foreign oil. Even if regulations were eased and drilling and a nuclear plant were put on the "fast track" it would be well over a decade before a drill was sunk, and a generation before a volt was produced by a nuclear plant. That is unless you want any old billy bob construction company from the county given to go ahead to start drilling or building. The need for reliable and renewable sources of energy forces us to explore the alternatives, there are many, and with enough support from state and federal governments those alternatives can be explored without sacrificing the environment of our children and grand children.
Correct
That is the legal and ethical way to approach the situation. Unfortunately the LePage administration seems unlikely to take that approach on any matter. What they'd rather do is try to fire up their dwindling support base using urban myth and outright lies. All in an effort to appease their campaign donors. Specifically Koch Industries and owner Ed Koch.
Kudos Coach
Have to hand it to Leavitt Coach Tammy Anderson. I'm not attached to the school in any way, in fact I couldn't even tell you where it is. But having seen them a half dozen or so times over the past 2 seasons it's very obvious that Coach Anderson "gets it". Able to juggle a roster of girls, year after year, some are stars, some are her own daughters, and she has shown over the years she is able to keep them happy and keep them productive on the court. The way I see her group, she has exceptional talent and has been able to mold a team out of that talent, rather than molding the players to fit an abstract idea of a team. She let them play, encouraged them to do things most other teams wouldn't even consider. Kudos to you and your team coach!
Wait just a minute!
Wasn't our governor LePage going to refuse any of the money from then federal government. Doesn't he believe that businesses do better without government strings attached, wasn't he the one who was if elected going to tell our Presienet to Go to hell?
Sounds like our idiot governor is now showing off his new "Hypocritic Oath"
But over all, for once, Maine
But over all, for once, Maine Heritage was right. LePage campaigned on the claim that he would drastically cut the state budget. One big way is to eliminate jobs, especially those jobs that overlap in function, or just sit around and do nothing.
With his 81 positions eliminated he is taking credit for what Baldacci did when he ordered a freeze on hiring, and 69 of those 81 jobs were left open.
So our esteemed leader LePage has ordered a grand total of 12 employees cut?? That's it?? That's a drop in the bucket, and I've heard about some of those 12 employees, he is cutting the people doing the actual work, while leaving the bloated management level in ALL state departments alone. That's where the fat is in the state, it comes from rewarding long time employees with promotions to new levels of management, and in the past before Baldacci came to office those departments just added those levels and replaced the workers.
LePage will only attack at the bottom, at the level of employees that have little if any voice in the state. Until those extra do nothing managers are cut, LePage's campaign promise will remain, a lie. Don't sit and compare, we are unique, just do it right!
Great idea Al!!!
Let's you and I meet up in Augusta, load him up and take him back to the Marden's on KMD. I'll drive, how much do you think we can get for him? I would expect at least the same as returning an empty Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy bottle for deposit. Maybe if we take his daughter back too.
Who's our Governer?
I'm wondering now who exactly was elected to the governer's office. Was it an over weight man with a penchant for making up stories, a man who loves to hide his family finances, a GM of a store that sells factory second t shirts, garbage furniture, expired food products and cheapo tools from china, or was it an office full of highly paid lobbyists from Portland?
The "budget cutting" by the
The "budget cutting" by the GOP fits with all the BS they have been spouting since the 2008 presidential race. They campaigned last fall on smoke, mirrors, innuendo and myth. Now that has come to the halls of congress and my voting for these "cuts" they are able to make the majority of americans, those who get their news in 15 second soundbites, happy.
Nearly a decade of George W Bush put this country into the worst economic collapse in over 60 years, now do we trust his cronies enough to let them have the keys back?
Wow
Just wow. Another LePage knee jerk reaction to a "problem" that doesn't exist. Not for profits have been using these bonds, which have been written at no cost to taxpayers for over 20 years. And when these bonds are written and projects undertaken, Mainers go to work. The agencies have paid then back, all of them, at no cost to taxpayers. None of defaulted on the bonds, none!
Now capital projects in Livermore and Farmington go on the shelf, and the Mainers who would have worked on those projects can thank the Governer for their lack of work. So go ahead LePage, stop all these projects, force each and every one of these bonds to go before voter approval, nice way to spur business, real nice.
Liar
It's a lie, a lie, a lie.
How many other times has he shown that he likes to open his mouth and spew before he thinks. He's like a high school kid making stuff up to support his playground argument. And after he does it, he lets Demerrit try to cover his ass. Demeritt is the worst, at doing a very tough job.
It's all made up!!!!!!!! There are no towns in Maine teetering on the brink of bankruptcy!
Thank Goodness
She was grossly unqualified. Listing her ownership of "Competitive Edge Consulting LLC." as part of her qualifications? That firm is nothing but a website selling slef help guides for people on interviews and how to guides for filling out resume's. Besides that? She worked for her family, in the logging business. She was just one of the unqualified, just like the Education dept head with his 10 years as a middle school teacher, and the commerce dept head who admitted he knew nothing of job creation. And then there's the head of the DEP, he's so unqualified that his appointment is a violation of state and federal law?
Nice start LePage,,,, did you hear about the layoffs at BIW? It's in the paper,,, oh yea, you don't read the paper. Well perhaps your daughter or her hired assistant can read it to you!
They don't need a book
These state reps don't need lessons in writing bills, they just need smarts.
We have a host of elected idiots!
Good questions
You ask good questions Mr Lee, unfortunately the LePage adminisatrion has no answers.
We will 3 years from now continue to be the oldest, dumbest and whitest of the 50 states. Does anything the Governer proposed thus far address any of those issues? I say no, but he has shown the willingness to make an ass of himself, hire friends and relatives, and try to repay campaign donations.
More lawyers
Just what our state needs, more lawyers and more money tossed at initiatives on the national front that will not benefit Mainers in any way.
Let's keep our noses into what matters to our state. The new administration has shown time and time again that they know little about the structure of law. Evidence the appointment of the DEP head that violates both state and federal law.
By the way Mr LePage, how many assistants has your daughter hired?
Many many problems
Please lawmakers look closely at this and every bill that the LePage administration tries to sneak through. The reason there are scant details, and the bill was handed to lawmakers to late to give it proper review is that it is flawed, through and through.
Please ask these 2 questions when reviewing each adn every part of the bill.
How does this improve the landscape for businesses that would create jobs in our state, not outside our borders?
How does this improve or protect the lives of Maine residents?
I propose that not one portion of this bill can generate a positive response to either of those questions.
Please keep those questions in mind when sponsoring and reviewing laws. Don't give us away to the pacs and special interests that funded LePage's campaign from outside our borders.
what???
prices rose over the past several weeks in response to the turmoil in Egypt. The turmoil is over. prices in other areas of the US are falling, an 11 cent drop in Ohio over the last week, what's the deal with an increase here??
Not just too old
Too old, too connected (to LePage and his nut bag power base). Too unqualified, and too white! Is there not one candidate for any of these state positions that has some other skin color? We know it's not because LePage is appointing only the most qualified. His DEP chief is not allowed by state and federal law, his DHHS selection's only qualifications come from her term as a lobbyist for the state hospital association, and then there's his daughter. Old, yes very very old, and how many of these quite old appointees are now double dippers? Take a look at how many of these old white guys get a hefty state (taxpayer funded) pension while collecting more of our money for their more than ample salaries.
Just not fair!
Call the Gov, it's just not fair that these restrictions on business are stepping in the way of a strong maine company. They are just trying to do the best they can in a tight Maine economy. Struggling with payrolls and the high cost of insurance. LePage,,,, please step in and see what you can do!
The savings here will be no
The savings here will be no thanks to LePage. So instead of asking current working state employees to take furlow days to cut the budget, he's asking retired state employees to take cuts. The reason it looks like he's creating savings is that there has been an increase in state revenue by over 300 million dollars, that increase is thanks to the PREVIOUS administration, not LePage.
And job creation budget? Nowhere in here does this create or attract one job to the state.
Jobs will come as the national economy continues to recover, continues to recover by the way from the near death blow dealt by the Bush Administration,
and they are also clearing
and they are also clearing out all the old office cubicles and buying all new! Sounds like all those Maine Care dollars are being well spent!
Not what we need
What we need is for candidates to be open and honest about their personal finances. I would propose that anyone running for state office be required to open their personal and family finances, including tax returns, investments and property ownership, to the scrutiny of the media and the public.
Wouldn't it be interesting to find out how much money the LePage family had shifted to investments in Florida (and it's no income tax), or why Mr LePage owned no automobiles at the time of his election, or who owns all the land that will become a new hospital and higway access in Augusta?
A "bubbly color changing
A "bubbly color changing water feature"??? How many thousands of dollars did that cost. A better question might be, how many jobs that were lost last year during CMMC's cutbacks ,because of a severe revenue shortage, could have been brought back by eliminating that feature and the cost of operation and upkeep?
Waste waste waste, and since it's hundreds of millions of dollars in Maine care that was paid to the hospital by our new governer, it's waste of our tax dollars.
Don't spend it!
Obviously the Sun Journal has not looked at the City of Auburn website in connection with this story. The address listed in your article is incorrect. www.auburnmaine.org is the correct web address for the city site.
If the Sun Journal had gone to that site you would find a fairly neat, orderly and very functional site that is loaded with easy to access information.
$30,000 to replace something that works? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
No surprise
These "companies" like CEI, Preservation Management and many others large and small are just business standing at the corporate welfare trough waiting to get their bucks.
Look at any government funded project and you'll see the cost per unit, cost per square foot, or any other yardstick, is much higher than similar non government funded projects.
And it doesn't stop there! After the project is complete, the rents charged to occupy these over priced building is outrageous. Why? Because the property managers know that the government reimbursement rate is generally 50% over the going street rates. This in general is a waste of federal tax dollars, so our local officials will sit back and say it's all ok since the cash comes from the fed.
Dig deep Sun Journal, start taking a look at all the scores of state buildings that are under utilized, then look at how many new facilities have been built, or how many have been rehabbed using tax payer dollars. Then you'll see where all our state tax dollars are being wasted.
All the crying, pissing and moaning from our constantly campaigning government officials about the high cost of food stamp and other welfare programs is nothing but fluff that helps hide how the friends of government continue to ride a very posh gravy train to riches!
And the team is taken care of
There is a system in place at restaurants, and it is regulated by the staff. The bussers, bartenders etc, all those support people are given cuts by each of the members of the wait staff.
The way it is regulated is how it should be. If I as a waiter, take care of those people who help me do my job better they continue to give me top notch assistance, if I fail to give them their due, they will fail to take care of me. And in the other direction, a member of the wait staff will reward those assistants who go above and beyond the call with a more generous cut at nights end.
It's much like the way the tipping system works, and has worked for decades. You tip the servers that give you best service better, and leave smaller tips for more average or worse service.
For members of management to jump in and grab the money first so they can be the arbiters of the "share" is a great way to upset the balance of the system. It would also leave an undeniable sense of untrust among the tipped staff.
As a customer, I tip for good service to the people who give it, the boss need not have his hands in the mix.
Here we go
We got just a hint during the election. Now we're learning what all our legislators and our governer meant in their talk about helping business. This move is the worst! Trying to take hard earned money away from our tipped Mainers. Those people who receive tips generally make, by law, only 40% of the minimum wage to allow their emploers to get their greedy paws on that money is a travesty and should not be allowed by law!
Hoorah! Finally some
Hoorah! Finally some organized effort to say stop! Wait! Look deeper before you change the the biggest part of what helps to maintain Maine's number one business. Without our continual efforts to go above and beyond, that is maintain stricter environmental controls than the federal government requires, and keep our state as clean and beautiful as possible, our tourism industry would flop. We need this cleanliness, we need the pristeen beauty of our state. If tourism flops/fails to recover with the national economy, what will happen to the thousands of small business. Our lobster pounds, family owned restaurants, motels, antique stores, even stores like Renys and yes Mardens thrive because of the thousands of people flocking to our state for a visit every year!
Gooble Gobble Gooble Gobble,
Gooble Gobble Gooble Gobble, One of us, One of us. We accept him, we accept him, Gooble Gobble, Gooble Gobble.
This stinks, just like all of
This stinks, just like all of his appointments, it stinks of cronyism, and repayment for donations and favors. Maine is taking a step back 75 years into the dark days of politics.
No, he didn't.
But he did not attend an NAACP event. He attended (unannounced except for the newspaper and tv stations) the Waterville MLK breakfast which was not sponsored nor attended by members of the Maine chapter of the NAACP. He also has yet to apologize to those people he offended. He needs to step up and be a man, and not just cast things off as unimportant.
Agree, kind of
All points well made Sun, except. How exactly was Mr LePage "Goaded" by the person holding the microphone. The reporter/producer asked just a couple of very simple questions. By saying this you are letting him off the hook somewhat, laying down a convenient excuse for Mr LePage to use.
This was inexcusable, it was a slap in the face. No matter who the "kiss my butt" statement was aimed at or how flippant it was he deserves serious rebuke for it. His next step should be to do what any thinking adult does after making an outrageous statement that does nothing but insult. Apologize Mr LePage, publicly, it's what adults do.
Barb, he hasn't done a dam
Barb, he hasn't done a dam thing yet. Except that he's written a 100+ million dollar check to the state's hospitals to pay for their overcharges for Maine Care and Medicaid services. Oh yea and he's proposing eliminating over 100 state jobs, jobs that are already vacant and were kept that way under the previous administration. Oh yea, and he hired his 22 year old daughter for an "entry level" job that pays 41 grand, plus a state car and gas card, and she's living in the gov's mansion too! Oh yea, and he told the state arm of a national organization that represents millions of americans, to kiss his but. He has not even proposed to do one thing to live up to his campaign promise of "fixing" the high cost of the public aid program, and wait till he does Barb, and you start to see your friends, family and neighbors start to suffer! Great friggin guy we got there.
no excuses
No excuses, no rationalization, NO BRAINS!
This was an idiotic move. Just no other way to put it. LePage hired his unqualified ADULT daughter who will already be living off the taxpayer in the Blaine House to do a job which if examined closely will be shown to be a completely unnecessary position. Fiscally responsible?? Not in any way shape or form. This is not even old school politics as usual, this is just stupidity.
Thank you all you intolerant
Thank you all you intolerant people for bringing some hate into my holiday season.
I choose to celebrate all my holidays with my family and friends, I don't have to force my beliefs on other people and on public property to celebrate any holiday.
That's what the US is all about, the freedom to believe the way you feel, and tolerance to allow others the freedom to do the same.
These are simple legal questions that have been answered on the federal level. You don't spend public money, use public property to support, favor, celebrate however you want to say it, a certain religion. Those who believe in other religions, or no religion, have the same rights. It is NOT majority rule in this nation, if it was women, non property owners and people of color would still not be able to vote, and we'd still have public floggings and hangings as punishment.
Yes
Absolutely right, 100%. And I'm especially curious now that the lawyer representing them has dropped hints alluding to their identity? Do we not have a right to know?
I'll go even further, and suggest that the news media has a responsibility to learn the identities, and report them.
The people responsible for the lies spread by that web site are a family member of a candidate, and several from the "inner circle" of a candidate.
So this candidate has set this all up so that he/she can wash clean of responsibility between now and the next election?
We need to know, what if it's LePage? Or what if it's one of his cronies now being selected for state office?
It's their race,,,,,
I think it's high time we did something about all the problems caused in our state by all these white people. How can we continue to just slap them on the wrists or look the other way? Who let all these worthless white people into Maine anyway?
There is a hurry
So says our new administration. Don't delay approve new businesses right away! Don't worry about any ramifications, any possible negatives, or any business intruding on the rights of surrounding property owners to enjoy the use of their property as it was purchased.
It's all important to streamline the process to add a few jobs! Perhaps if the slaughterhouse is turned down the owner can propose a hazardous waste processing facility, or maybe a nudge donut shop.
Keep it up!
Keep up the fight, above all keep working, but keep talking. There will always be the many hard liners ready to criticize those who need help, and be selfish enough to work hard to deny and slash the taxpayer funded benefits that are available.
We are as a whole a very kind society, we know that part of what we are put on this earth to do is to help our fellow man, remember, "Do unto others,,,,,,,"
Be the voice of the majority, and when people criticize ask them to join you. In your position you have the ability to change the world one opinion at a time.
It's a problem with the complainers
I've seen this argument come up over and over and over. What it boils down to is this, the people arguing about it are always offended, not by what they are allowed to say but by what other people say. No one in my memory has ever banned, criminalized, or frowned upon any individuals from saying Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays, writing the word Christmas instead of the popular shortcut Xmas, decorating your house with religious symbols rather than santas, snowmen and plastic smurfs, or in any way celebrating for yourself in your own way. What the complainers are upset with is what others do, like town offices, or retail outlets, or tv commercials or newspaper article headlines. I'll say it the way I want to, and you can say it the way you want to. Simple as that.
yup
You said it better than I could! It will take a few years, but I hope we as a state learn a valuable lesson.
And there's more
What the GOP did that paid the biggest dividends was to play off the fears of Maine's populace by continuing to toss out the rumors and urban legend that fuels the anger of people here that fear change most of all.
The most memorable for me is Gov elect LePage and his campaign promises about welfare. Remember the promise to cut them off and give them a bus ticket back to Mass? It turns out there really is no flood of hordes of people from away coming to collect our welfare $$.
He spoke of how outrageously high our electric bills are, but compare them to neighboring states, they are actually quite low. Check this info from the US Energy Information Administration, all sector rates in august 2010, we had the lowest per kilowatt rate in all of New England.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/electricity/epm/table5_6_a.html
And then theres the tax issue, just by continuing to toss out those old incorrect ourdated figures that at one time claimed we had the highest taxes in the nation, he fueled continuing fears that our money flew out of our wallets faster every day.
Wake the hell up Maine!
I can clear up your confusion.
I see where you believe that high taxation infringes on your right to smoke. Your burden though is outweighed by your infringing on my rights. You see, my tax dollars, at a rate much higher than a few mere pennies per cigarette, will go to support you as your 50 year smoking habit puts you in the hospital suffering from emphysema, lung cancer etc. So if the state were to stop taxing your cigarettes, then perhaps when your time comes they will stop spending to keep you and your fellow smokers alive.
Wow! This guy is the slickest
Wow! This guy is the slickest of slick. Claims that overcharging the government nearly $2 million for gloves, diapers and bed liners? That's enough of those items to outfit the whole state, awful lot for one little pharmacy isn't it?
And so he files bankruptcy chapter 7, asked about why he filed that way. "he didn't know the particular ramifications of either filing. He said he acted on the advice of his lawyers and that the state urged him to file for bankruptcy." In my opinion, either a liar or an idiot. That's like saying that you didn't know your wife was changing her state of residence, isn't it?
How about this for a good person to help lead the state in a period of financial crisis?
"True's Pharmacy didn't keep accurate records for an extended period, making it difficult for auditors to determine exactly how much he overcharged the state."
and lastly,
"Nutting said he found no contradiction between his new role as leader of the House, which oversees programs such as MaineCare, and his unpaid debt."
Wow, how stupid are we?
Part of the problem
Sounds like you're part of the problem sir. You say you worked for the state, auditing GA, did you report the fraud that you saw? Did you try to do something about it and document it? Or were you just willing to go along and collect your paycheck?
Or perhaps you are much like many of the politicians were during the recent campaign, using hearsay, gossip and local myth to perpetuate the needless fears of Mainers that the evil hoards are bursting through our borders to take something away from us.
Yes there is welfare fraud, but I suspect it's more native white mainers using their benefits to keep the homefront full of cigarettes and Allens Coffee Brandy while earning cash digging worms, collecting bottles and cashing in the junk metal pile in the back of their neighbors house. How's that for undocumented fraud?
It's all about fear.
Outstanding information Mr Packer!
I believe your quote,
"Among the latest misconceptions about welfare is that foreign immigrants come to Maine because of the state's generous welfare rules and benefits. This misconception is fueled by a fear of cultures that are different."
says volumes about Maine. This fear of cultures permeates our society in Maine and across the country. You know that term "from away" that is thrown around so much here? I wish it would "go away" because many times when uttered it shows the idiotic hatred and fear of diversity that is so prevalent in our state. Fear of diversity of color, of religion, even of people who look and talk like us that just happen to have Mass. on their birth certificate!
The difficulty that I see as a result of these fears, is that many politicians abused us and took advantage of these fears to get elected. We'll see as the next few years progress that we were lied to and cheated in the campaign season. I only wish all this information, which was readily available form reporting, had been given to the voters of Maine election day. FDR was right, was have just one thing to fear.
League of Women Voters
In many areas of the country the League of Women Voters puts out a large amount of unbiased information on candidates and issues. I notice that the Maine chapter has very little information, only links to the secretary of state site. The voters guide generally had only a sentence from each candidate.
I would ask that the Maine chapter try to do more of that in the future, it could give voters an informative haven from the barrage of advertising on TV and even on media websites.
You asked "How many deaths
You asked
"How many deaths will it take before state lawmakers get the message and ban cell phone use in vehicles?"
It's not about life or death it's about dollars and cents.
The cell phone companies in this country make million, approaching billions of dollars every year. That money has and will continue to keep most states from enacting laws banning the use of cell phones anywhere.
In most cases, and in Maine, when corporate $ talks politicians listen.
Very interesting editorial,
Very interesting editorial, but where's the numbers for our just closed governer's race? I think the thing that should worry most Mainers is how much of that outside money came in support of Paul LePage and for the attack ads against Cutler and Mitchell. How many favors for those millions of dollars is the LePage camp now owe?
I don't want to give Maine, or any state over to the influence of big business, I'd still like at least a hope of having some citizen control over what transpires here.
Be very careful about polls
The sad thing is that in this election season, all these pollsters were given carte blance by the statewide media. The vast majority of the polls were automated phone style, performed during a 3 hour period on one night, using only fixed home phone lines. This style of poll has been shown repeatedly to not represent actual trends. In other words they are not worth the cost of the ink to print. Unfortunately our statewide journalists and editorial boards chose to publish them, just because they were available, rather than question their value and make editorial decisions based on that. Hopefully in the next campaign season you folks think harder. You cheapen yourselves by reporting cheaply.
Nice to be proud of your
Nice to be proud of your heritage. But these lines from your article strike me.
"having a Franco governor was overdue"
"He will help raise the Franco visibility in Maine,"
"Being a Franco, speaking French and being a Lewiston native helped LePage carry Lewiston"
I do however agree with this one.
“I don't think your nationality means anything.” I hope that Mr LePage uses that rationale while choosing his cabinet. It really needs to be much less white and male than his campaign team. I vote for more diversity in Maine, it will make us a better state.
Agreed
Kudos to you Rev Carnahan. And thank you for taking responsibility for the actions of your church, even though thaose actions might not have been yours.
It's sad that we live in a very un-tolerant world these days. And things in Maine seem to be going backwards in that direction rather than forward. I don't know how many times in this state I've heard the phrase "they're taking over,,,,," from people taking about minorities.
Radical idea here, Maine needs more diversity, it will help us all become better people.
So what do you do with the
So what do you do with the money you should have been paying your employee, but agreed to keep so he or she could stay on welfare. You conspire with someone to cheat the system, you both are guilty.
Here's what I would do if my employee, earning $12.50 an hour (that's what LePage said) turned down a raise. I'd say take the raise, scrimp a little, cut out the high speed internet, pare cable down to basic, let's try to find a car pool for you to save gas and I'll work to adjust your schedule to help. Next year you'll get another raise and be making that much more! I'm sure there are many ways a boss like you could help, rather than stuff that extra cash back in your pocket.
No he does not
You ask "Does he not care?"
No, he has said a number of times, publicly in debates and forums, that he has worked to keep Marden's employees on welfare. I can't believe that the media, and DHS has let this slide. When he said that an employee had refused pay hikes for 3 years, and Marden's agreed, to allow that employee to stay on welfare, that says to me he doesn't mind cheating the system. I believe that's fraud and theft from taxpayers to help line the Marden's pocket with even more cash.
Very true
You are right Dennis. The language of the casino issue, which will not appear on the ballot but every smart voter should read before deciding, says that no other casino could be sited within 100 miles of the Oxford facility.
Restriction of trade is not the way to deal with the issue of casino gambling. Giving 5 Mainers a casino monopoly is bad for the rest of us.
I hope that Lewiston can come up with a better deal.
Push all the arguments aside
Push all the arguments aside about the evils of gambling, and the hopeful creation of jobs on this one. This is a bad deal for Maine. The whole thing is set up to benefit the 5 owners, as well as the owner of the land.
If true casino gambling is to be approved in Maine, it should be done the way Indiana did it over a decade ago. Approve one for each "region" and then let casino operators bid for the right to site a facility. The bidding competition got Indiana billions up front, and the best deal possible on split of profits.
Take a look at how that state improved downtowns, roads, schools with the upfront money, and how the continue to profit on admission charges and profit splits.
This one's a bad deal,,,, again.
Accuracy
You line, "Maine has bounced around in this survey, and that raises a bit of doubt about its accuracy" can be said about any and all of these "studies"
The difficulty with them being reported in local press, is that while you report what some of the criteria are in each survey, you do not report how those criteria are weighted.
For example, the Forbes survey used climate and age of population. These are things which states have no, or very little control over. Well, how heavily are those uncontrolable stats weighted in each survey?
Much like reporting political polls without studying closely the methodology, reporting of these surveys is useless waste of space in your paper.
What?
That's the strangest math I've ever heard of.
If 20 percent of voters are undecided and 20% of those undecided voters select one candidate, that means that candidate will only get 4% of all voters.It's simple math.
Thanks for playing the game.
The point is that these out of state plans are not cheap. Also, do you think that an insurance company doing business is New Hampshire would (if allowed by the state of maine) let you by a policy for the same price as paid in NH? Of course not, the whole problem is the silly ass fees charged by our hospitals and doctors.
I love how the hospitals use "charity" cases to justify the high prices they charge those of us who pay the bills. They say they have to overcharge us because of all the charity cases. then it ain't charity if they make up for it by screwing me over!
Hospitals also use the Maine care non repayment/low repayment issue as a reason for charging higher prices. It's a case of the chicken vs the egg. The high prices came first, that's why the re-imbursement is low or late, and also why I end up getting it you know where.
To those of you who think you can negotiate a fee for service at your hospital or doctor,,,,very funny. If you pay $50 for a service that is charged at a rate of $400 then you are not paying your bill. There is not wheeling and dealing there. Getting a blood test or an MRI is not like buying a used subaru.
So who does insurance across state lines?
So I took the advice listed here, and looked out of state. Yup, If I lived in New Hampshire I could get some health insurance there, from just one company, Anthem. How about $450 a month for a $10,000 deductible policy, great deal there.
Looked at Massachusetts, $4000 deductible HMO for $750 a month.
Where are all these great deals across state lines I keep hearing about?
Think again
Going "out of state" for your health insurance needs is an over simplified answer to the cost problem in Maine. How anyone can think that the out of state companies will come into Maine and charge less for a product is beyond me. The reason the insurers here charge high rates is that the hospital and doctor charges are much higher than those outside our borders. Miles Hospital in Damariscotta is billing nearly $400 for a blood test, that's as much as 4 times the average elsewhere.
Fix the outrageous costs, then the insurance rates will follow.
Yes.
Kudos Sun Journal!
Think hard about charter
Think hard about charter schools before you throw your support to them. Look at the troubles other states have had with them. Try as they might, states are having trouble with oversight. Charter schools are businesses, and there is nothing to stop them from opening one year, gathering a building full of students, then closing down a year or two later like an out of business gas station.
And for all your charter supporters, remember that they are not free. A charter school gets funded by the state, yes, that's where the money comes from! That means our local schools lose millions of dollars as these for profit schools open up. As long as they are not religious, like our many fine private schools, they are funded by your tax dollars.
I like to point out that we already have a number of private, but tax dollar funded schools out there. The many academys across the state, that are not owned by their respective towns, but held privately have been operating successfully for many years, they however work as public schools in that they can not turn students away. Charter schools can pick and choose the students they like and that will further burden out public schools with higher percentages of special ed and troubled students.
Let's think it out before we jump. Is a for profit education system what we really need in tough economic times?
I get a really strong feeling
I get a really strong feeling about this candidate just by looking at his driving record. what was he ticketed for, driving 80+mph on the freeway (speed limit 65) twice, On consecutive days!!!!! Another time over 79mph in a 55? His license is currently under suspension. I understand that speeding violations are not the worst offense in the world, and everyone has them. BUT,,,,, driving with that sort of wreckless abandon, with no concern for the legal consequences, or the danger he put the rest of the drivers and their passengers in around him???? 20 MPH over the speed limit is a danger, that's why it's illegal. That is a sign of a lack of maturity, and a sign that in his mind his need to be on time is more important than the safety of others around him. I'll pass on Mr Levesque, I don't need a bulldog ready to mow me over.
Some of the candidates
Some of the candidates (LePage) say all Maine needs to do is allow citizens to buy health care insurance from companies currently not doing business in this state. Going across state lines is NOT the answer to this problem. Does Mr LePage thing that automatically these other companies will offer lower rates than the few firms doing business here? Why would they do that? Firstly, what private business ever charges less money than they can for a product? Sure some might offer some teaser rates to attract business, but sooner or later they'll hike the rates. The real problem is the amount charged by our health care providers! The prices levied by our hospitals and the doctors attached to those hospitals are ridiculous! Go to Miles Hospital in Damariscotta and get a blood, all over the country it's a procedure that costs right around $100, but miles bills nearly $400! I'm told by a Doctor there (he doesn't even get his own blood tests there even though he gets a hefty discount) that it's because so many are on Maine Care, Medicare, and simply don't pay their bills. The hospital inflates the charges to try to get as much as possible from those of us with regular insurance. So we are left holding the bag for the balance over what insurers will pay. When those practices change in Maine, then other insurers will open up shop here and rates will come down.
Not so fast is right!
I see this Forbes list as just another pile of you know what, put together by half assed journalists looking to write a big headline.
You know the old saying, figures lie and liars figure? That's what this is all about. You can tweek and pull and prod these "stats' all you want but it means nothing!
Like the tax numbers, remember a few years ago, Maine was listed as the most taxed state in the country? Now we're middle of the pack, and second lowest in the northeast. Why? Because they fixed the way they figure it. They now factor out the millions of property tax dollars paid by out of state land owners, and sales taxes paid by tourists!
How about that cost of electricity? Just a week ago a new study showed that Maine had the lowest electricity cost of any northeast state except Pennsylvania! the numbers that showed we were so high, were from a decade ago!
Very interesting article, if
Very interesting article, if you look close you really can see this "win at all cost" attitude in all facets of life.
I've been involved in youth sports for quite some time, and I often hear people say that winning is whole reason for playing the game. Couldn't be further from the truth. And it's the same in politics, do politicians throw their hats in the ring to win at all cost? Will they do anything, say anything to get enough votes to win the election?
What a story!
And you believe everything he is saying?
Look at 2 things
LePage is trying to win by promising everything that pops into his head, to everyone he talks to. Those multi vows are now coming back to haunt him, as is his tendency to make things up.
you can't rely on campaign promises, too many things change in economies, and society. Our next governer (whoever it is) will oversee the state in a period that sees an economic recovery on a national basis. If they take credit for it they are being dishonest, if they acknowledge they were just a caretaker then they are being honest.
You can however vote based on character and honesty. Paul LePage has neither of those traits.
Hang on, look deeper.
Before you scrap Mainecare, look deeper at the reimbursement rates to hospitals. Part of the reason that reimbursement rates are low, and the state has trouble paying hospitals for all they bill, is that the hospitals in some cases are passing along ridiculous fees for services. Miles Memorial Hospital on the coast for example has a very high rate of Medicare and Maine Care patients, they also have a high number of people in the area that can't or don't pay their bills. To make up for that they have some of the highest fees in the state, perhaps in the country!
Just one example, a basic blood test, full screening for lipids cholesterol etc, nearly $400! Insurance companies won't pay it, and if CMCC and other Maine hospitals put forth similar charges then I can see why they are behind on reimbursements, and I can see why the state can't keep up!
They're doing it all wrong
This is being put together backwards. Every other place in the country, where casinos recently have been created, are first voting to approve, then coming up with sites, plans, investors, operators etc. Case in point is Indiana, over a decade ago their referendum allowed for a certain number of riverboat casinos in designated zones. Once that was approved then experienced casino operators came to the sate with their plans and proposals. It ended up being a bidding war between companies, and the winner was Indiana. Billions of dollars got thrown at the state, money that was used for infrastructure improvements, school upgrades you name it. The state got to set the ground rules on exactly where the money goes, and the results for them have been stellar. What Maine gets, again, is a company formed behind closed doors, one that set the ground rules themselves, and is giving us nothing but promises. Casino operators can make billions of dollars per year, if they do it right. Let's thing very very hard before we hand over the reins to a group of people that has never run gambling operations of any kind.
Good point Brian! He'll go by
Good point Brian! He'll go by the letter of the law, and stretch that as much as he can. You'll see minimum wage start to deteriorate along with all the programs in the state designed to help the poor. But the biggest thing is his plan to open the state up to business, he'll be bending over ready to give the state away to anyone with a small wad of cash. Why do you think electric rates, gasoline, fuel oil, health insurance and dam near everything else in Maine is more expensive than other states? It's not because of taxes, it's because businesses can get away with those higher prices. It's great to try and attract job's but a leader has to do it without selling us down the river. I don't TRUST LePage to do that for me.
Beware if your vote in for
Beware if your vote in for LePage, sports will go, after school activities will go, special ed will be slashed to the bone, arts, music gone. You want the three r's??? A vote for LePage will give you that, and nothing else!
most importantly, you can
most importantly, you can cast your vote on honesty and character, LePage has neither.
35 violations and 21
35 violations and 21 suspensions!! Wow, that's a ton. Can see that Scott's one of those annoying "i've got to be first" guys on the highway. 94 in a 65,, 83 in a 65,, 74 in a 55, that's unsafe and irresponsible! Slow the F%*# down man, the fact that you are late does not give you the right to endanger others lives.
LePage can't fix it. He's
LePage can't fix it. He's shown that he can't even keep track of the business going on in his own house, how can we expect him to be responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars?
He didn't know whether his name was on his house deed or not, even though after purchasing it he went through the effort to transfer the deed into his wife's name. He didn't know that his wife was claiming homestead exemptions on 2 houses, did he also not know that his wife changed her state of residence? Did he not know his kids were getting in state Florida tuition? And he has no idea how many points he has on his driving record?
Honestly, that's alot of things not to know.
Yes by all means elect Mr
Yes by all means elect Mr LePage. Then be sure that he allows anyone from "away" with vacation property here to file for a Maine drivers license and receive in state tuition for their kids in Maine universities. Not to worry that they don't actually live here and support the economy or pay taxes other than on their property. That should be good for our state!
Not so fast
This is much more than a $191 "mistake"
The LePage family made a decision to change Ann into a Florida resident, the reason,,, to save thousands of dollars on FSU tuition. Is this legal? Maybe, perhaps they followed all the proper rules and regulations to squeeze in as a legal resident. But is it ethical? Is it honest? I say now, the LePage family has enough money to send their kids to school and pay for it like the rest of the world does, through savings and student loans. By doing this they have taken money away from the Florida University system, and potentially taken money that could have been used for someone in need. Also, what does this say to people who live out of state and send their kids to University in Maine? Says to me that if Paul LePage is governer here, those people are welcome to bend the rules, or bend ethics, and become residents on paper to save themselves money and cheat our in state kids!
Apologies
Instead of writing an editorial that features an apology from Mr LeBlanc, you the Sun Journal should be apologizing. You as a newspaper show your lack of journalistic integrity by printing that comment. Mr LeBlanc is far from an expert on the extent of the bedbug problem in Lewiston or any neighborhood in Lewiston. He was merely a man with a machine taking care of a problem.
Any "hubbub" or any "embarrassment" his comment caused was not his fault, but the fault of the Sun Journal, it's reporter and editors. You don't print statistical information given to you by people without the knowledge to cite accurate information. Period! Be journalists, not just headline writers. You do not have to print what is obviously false data to beef up a story, you're readers are intelligent enough to know how important the news is without a dose of false sensationalism attached.
I figured it out!
So, let me get this straight. Mr Bilodeau, owner of 24 acres of prime land that could be developed bringing him in lots and lots of money, is in favor of easing the rules about use of the lake and the land around it. And those rules about septic systems, not necessary he says, and he must be an expert, right? We know that all he really wants is to allow a very small swimming beach way over in one corner of the lake, if restrictions were easd he wouldn't do anything else, right? It would be much better for him if more development, with less rules, was allowed. It would also be better for him if taxpayers picked up a millions of dollars tab to build, and then who knows how much to operate, a water filtration system, so he can enjoy the land that he purchased with the full knowledge that these restrictions were in place and why they were in place. So, to recap, go ahead and let the lake absorb more pollutants, and let taxpayers deal with the consequences, good deal! I have an even better idea, what if there is the slight possibility that there might be oil way down deep below the lake, why don't we let an oil company, like maybe say, BP, come in and try to make some money from the lake?
Ridiculous
Officer should be fired for endangering the lives of citizens by pursuing this at high speed. The innocent victim will pay for his idiocy for her entire live while recovering from the injuries received, and who knows what physical problems her unborn child will have to deal with. Of course it will be us, the taxpayers, that bear the cost of the police officers stupidity, and of course an investigation by the state will show that he followed procedure and his actions were well within the law.
WAKE UP MAINE! It's time to start holding the police responsible for their actions, common sense should tell you there was no need for a high speed chase to pursue what was in essence a suspect in a petty theft case.
Another exapmle of stupidity in Augusta
Once again, the state legislature has taken action, without understanding the consequences. I'm neither for or against boxing, doesn't matter to me whether it happens or not. However, this points out a very obvious question, how many times to we have to put up with action from our elected lawmakers that brings on unintended and damaging results. Remember the law against parking RV's for free in WalMart parking lots? That one gave the state a nice black eye with the million of money spending RV'ers in the nation, how much money did that bad impression cost our state in tourism dollars? What about the wine tasting law? The legislature all but put small independently owned wine stores out of business because of one law maker's fear that a child might see their mom or dad participating in a wine sampling.
We have twice as many legislators as we need in this state, maybe that's why we get a bunch who's favorite thing to do is write and approve "yes dear" legislation, that appeases one constituent's fears, but is never researched enough to find if it has unitnended consequences.
One vote to abolish the Maine Athleitc Commission, all the legislature had to do was answer the question, "what does the commission do?" and this problem for an otherwise legal business would have ben avoided
IDIOTS!!!!!!
All the rest of your column
All the rest of your column aside, your final point deserves a section in newsprint all of it's own. Why does Maine end it's winter season so early, why is the regular season crammed, 2 or even at times 3 games per week into as small a galp into the calender as possible? The tourney too, high schools all over the country are still playing, why does the MPA feel compelled the squeeze the best part of the basketball season into a couple of weeks?
My opinion, it appears all comes down to the adults who run the show what to get it done and over with as quick as possible so as not to inconvineince them any more than absolutely necessary. Time to get back to where the sports are done for the benefit of the kids playing, not according to the adults timeline.
The world calls it March Madness. Here, Early Spring Solitude, "Do Not Disturb The Adults"
Good luck to Coach Morong
Good luck to Coach Morong and Oak Hill this season. I suspect we'll see that Mr Morong will do alot to support the "feeder" system in Litchfield, Wales and Sabattus much like he did during his very successful tenure in Bath.
You called it a "stunning
You called it a "stunning gamble", no going on 4th and 2 was a bone head decision.
Schott said. "Would the
Schott said. "Would the government sell something it knows to be harmful? No."
Ha!!! Yes the government would sell something harmful, the lackeys in the GSA have a job, that is to get rid of the junk that they overpaid for. SO they sell them in big lots of people for pennies on the dollar, then those people, like George Schott, turn around and quadruple the price and shove them on a mall lot somewhere to be an eyesore here for the next few years.
I'd love to see the entire "bio" on these trailers, from when they are purchased till now.
It would be nice to be able
It would be nice to be able to listen to the 911 calls to see why there was so much confusion. Why haven't Sun Journal reporters challenged the outdated law that doesn't allow taxpayers the right to listen to the tapes that we pay for?