2010 gubernatorial race is sure to be interesting.

Nice logo, Les. Who are you trying to kid? LES OBAMATTEN!??!!?!

Les Otten would be a good choice for governor. That is - if the taxpayers of Maine want to see Maine end up like the American Skiing Company, in debt up to their eyeballs.

I cant believe bauldie got two terms ! is everyone on oxy's here? ..........................Yeah I know stupid question ! LOL

PETER VIGUE FOR GOVERNOR!!!!

PETER VIGUE for Governor speaking of being on crack.....that would be ok if we didn't care how many people died like Cianbro!

we need a governor who is familiar with business, like Peter Vigue. Think of the baldacci family, almost like something out of an old mafia movie, the dems have had their time to shine (or rather, fade) its time we get some real leadership in Maine, someo.ne who has a PROVEN track record, not someone with rich brothers

We need somebody who's gonna flip this state upside down! What we are currently doing is not working. Elliminate all the special interest so called "task forces" that Barrachi put in place! Those are stupid and a waste of taxpayer money. Look at the welfare system and all it's branches, postpone unimportant meetings until problems are solved. This State waste a tremendous amount of money on a daily basis. Let's get smart people. Do not vote for people who have run businesses into the ground. This is not a proven track record! DO your research and lets hire the right person this time.

I am a registered Democrat but not like the Rush Limbough addicts I will vote for who I like no matter what party they belong to. SO should Kevin Raye run he will get my vote

I would keep your eye on Dawn Hill. She is Dem, progressive but relatively fiscally conservative. I think she'd be a good change. Just look her up.

excuse me: she is a fiscal moderate.

Baldacci, after serving two terms, is barred by the state Constitution from seeking re-election.

Thank God for this!!!

We need to elect a govenor who is NOT a career politician. I would like to see somebody who truely represents the average Mainer, it is high time we turn this state around.

Look people lets not vote someone into office that is already in our house or senate. hell they stick already why would we want to put them into a more powerful position.

The next Democrat Governor of Maine will be determined by the out of state, non resident college kids that are allowed to vote !

The next governor's first priority should be to trim state goverment positions. Just how many assistants to the assistant are necessary?

When the governor of the state of Maine is paid less than the womans' basketball coach at the University of Maine, something is wrong. You get what you pay for and it should be evident by now. Gee saws.........most the top level staff have a better salary than Baldachii! Maine needs a LOT less well paid do nothing high level positions and more hands on the shovels.......just look at the roads.

None of the above!

Whaleback, the comment "you get what you pay for" does not really apply. I'm the manager of a Nursing home and routinely pay staff more than I make on a daily basis. Their jobs are important but you cannot simply decide pay by worth alone. If that were the case I would pay all of the CNA's that work for me $50.00 per hour. They are worth more than that to me!!!

I do agree however that this state has too much waste. Specifically the tasks forces set forth by this snufilupigus of a governor! We see it on a daily basis! Too many road crews in the summer, too little in the winter, state employees getting state cars, letting them idle in the winter, government should not pay vehicles for personal use! Grants are a hugh waste of money most of the time a Grant Administrator is getting 20 - 30 GRANT dollars per hour to sit at a desk and distribute the money. Most of the time these jobs can be completed from a home office and an excellent homemaker can do it for $11.00 per hour. I took a ride on the interstate a few weeks ago and within 80 miles I witness over 20 police officers doing the same thing with a radar. How useless is this! There are cities in this country who need more cops to control killings, gangs, thugs, and violent crimes. Send these cops where they are needed! There are many more examples but I would run out of room on the net!

We need somebody that can compact our resouces without comprimising the services we currently receive. ATV Trials and Snowmobile Trail infrastructure should come second to maintaining our roads, bridges, and schools. Without this infrastructure you've got people moving out of state. Healthcare reform is a priority right now! Not expensive grants for methadone clinics! Theese people can get these services out of state. I know people who must receive other services out of state who have been contributing members to our society for over 30 years.

One thing that the prospective candidates have to LOVE coming into the race is that the bar this administration has set couldn't be much lower.

Taxes and fees to support the government? Yep they went up every year.

Infrastructure? Worsening.

Business Friendly? Bottom 10% in the nation.

Unlimited welfate benefits as long as you keep having kids you can't afford........ check.

Energy policy? Do we even have one?........... for any new candidates......... It's OK to have a vision, articulate that vision, and then act on it. Even if it's WRONG that's better than blowing around in the wind like a tumbleweed.

Are any of them someone you would trust to hold your wallet at the beach while you went in swimming?

Had the Maine GOP nominated an ELECTABLE candidate last time around instead of nice-guy-but-not-clearly-ready-for-prime-time Chandler Woodcock, we'd be discussing Gov. Peter Mills' second term. Baldacci's statewide approval rating at the time of the last election was abysmal and it was the GOP's race to lose. And did it ever! That boneheaded nomination was the straw that broke the camel's back and why I un-registered as a Republican. Smarten up Maine GOP and learn from your mistakes! (Oh, wait this is the same bunch that recently ran the unelectable laughingstock John Frary for U.S. Congress and now allows Charlie Webster to steer the ship.) Looks like another Democrat governor coming our way ...

I wish Tom Allen was running!

Who's buying what Les Otten's selling -- this time?

http://www.maineenergysystems.com/company_information.htm

Les Otten, a marketing man for sports venues, may run for governor as a Republican. So far, I haven't heard of his little Bethel company having any positive economic impact; even he says he's "willing to invest $10 million" with no certainty it won't fold. Do we want to share his gambles if he's Governor?

His website says it costs $15,300 to buy and install the Bosch system required (approx. double US-made pellet systems) It would take big government subsidies to get anybody to do it ; source(s) of such subsidies never mentioned. Read between the lines: http://www.bethelcitizen.com/story.php?storyid=6269 "...[Otten] has “a deep belief that government is here to support business, and business wasn’t created to support government — and I think we’ve got it a little bit wrong.”

"...Otten has declined to comment on whether he would run as a Republican, Democrat or independent. He said he’ll announce his political affiliation at the news conference...." Why?

See what his peers say about him: http://www.mainebiz.biz/news42838.html "...another example of Otten's greatest strength and his greatest weakness - his ambition....";

See esp. "Ups and Downs" -- he raised $265 million in an IPO; then "poof" (sounds like Wall Street and AIG execs.): "...By 1997, when Otten raised $265 million in an initial public offering of American Skiing Company, his majority share was valued at $270 million. And then, in an epic stroke of bad luck, a string of warm winters dried up revenue at a number of American Skiing resorts. Burdened by debt from its rapid expansion, American Skiing was never able to recover...."

http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080513/NEWS02/805130364/1003/NEWS02 Maine Conservation Commissioner Patrick McGowan, who's also a member of the wood-to-energy task force, wonders if Mainers instead will choose less-costly pellet-burning stoves over central heating systems. "It's going to have to be a hell of a selling job to get people to tear out their oil furnaces and convert," said McGowan. "But I think Les's motto is, go big or go home."

CONCLUSION: Les Otten has shown he's willing to try going big (esp. with other people's money) and, if it doesn't work, he goes home; who loses, if he does this as Governor?