RUMFORD — Road crews struggling to fix the damage from Tropical Storm Irene were visited by Gov. Paul LePage on Monday morning. Town Manager Carlo Puiia and Public Works Superintendent Andy Russell hoped to gain some empathy and assistance from LePage to fix damaged roads. “Damages from the storm will impact the budget for the […]
Paul LePage
Posted inMaine, Op-Eds, The Franklin Journal
Political Pulse: LePage channels Jimmy Carter with zero-based budgeting
Nuggets from the notebook while waiting to see if Gov. Paul LePage’s attempt at zero-based budgeting will fare better than that of former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter … The concept of zero-based budgeting has been bandied about, in some cases attempted, for decades. ZBB burst into the American nomenclature in 1976 when Carter, a Democrat […]
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Posted inBusiness, Maine, sj-web
LePage’s ‘Open for Business’ sign replaced
Vacationers heading into the state have been greeted by the “Welcome to Maine” sign in Kittery all summer, which also informs them that the state offers life the way “it should be.” Now they’ll know that Maine’s “Open for Business,” too. A group of businessmen pitched in to buy a new “open” sign to fix […]
Posted inMaine
LePage orders new state regulations to go through him
AUGUSTA — When it comes to approving new state regulations, Gov. Paul LePage wants the buck to stop at him. That has some people — environmentalists in particular — concerned. LePage this week signed an executive order that empowers the governor to delay and alter rule-making procedures at all state agencies if he deems them […]
Posted inOur View
Video dramatic, but we need to audit the system
Gov. Paul LePage reacted appropriately Thursday, without jumping to conclusions, to an undercover video purportedly showing Maine at risk of welfare fraud. At a news conference, two conservative groups unveiled a secretly recorded video showing an interaction between an actor pretending to apply for MaineCare benefits and two state employees. The response of the first […]
Posted inMaine
O’Keefe, conservative groups defend DHHS video
AUGUSTA — The conservative advocacy groups behind the secretly recorded interview at the Department of Health and Human Services on Friday defended their decision to aggressively promote the video despite criticism that it is designed to mislead the public about the occurrence of welfare fraud. James O’Keefe, the conservative activist who dispatched an undercover actor […]
Posted inMaine
Conservative advocacy groups unveil DHHS video; LePage says worker poorly trained
Gov. Paul LePage’s remarks about the video and potential welfare fraud in Maine. Stay on the latest political news by following Steve Mistler’s blog, The Maine Political Pulse AUGUSTA — In a dramatic press event designed to show that the state’s welfare system is vulnerable to fraud, two conservative policy groups unveiled a 45-minute secretly […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage won’t take sides on Quimby’s national park plan
AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage is watching the debate over Roxanne Quimby’s proposal to turn 70,000 acres adjacent to Baxter State Park into a national park, but has no plans to stake out a position immediately, Conservation Commissioner William Beardsley said Wednesday. “I think he feels that the dialogue is under way,” Beardsley said […]
Posted inMaine
LePage says he’ll help Snowe on campaign trail if asked
AUGUSTA — U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said recently that support from Gov. Paul LePage is “critical” to her victory in a Republican primary in 2012. LePage has previously said he would back Snowe in her bid for a fourth Senate term. However, it’s never been clear whether the governor would actively campaign for her, […]
Posted inMaine
LePage: No public events for Texas governor’s day of prayer
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage announced last month that he was supporting Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s national day of prayer and fasting. But LePage is neither attending Saturday’s event at Houston’s Reliant Stadium nor holding any public gatherings here in Maine. “The governor just thinks tomorrow should be a time of reflection and prayer,” said […]