And so the race begins. Jim, luck is on your side and I look forward to signing for all five. Bangor! ! ! The time is NOW! ! ! Let get this ball rolling faster and get these in by the end of the year! Maybe we can get them out before Feburary!

good luck on your petition drive. a drive that is needed in a lot of communities here in maine. the arrogance displayed by some community leaders needs to stop. work for better communities don't try to drag them down because of your bull headedness.

I listened to the Rick Tyler and George Hale show yesterday and they had Pat Blanchette on the show and as she states its none of the citizens of Bangor business. She states that the city manager works for the council. I would be very concerned about how she speaks her words and don't recognize that she works for the people of Bangor and that the money that comes in on property taxes are from the citizens of Bangor. I would hope that the people of Bangor would stand up to that response from Pat Blanchette, good luck on the recall.

sounds like Pat has forgotten the "we the people" stuff. unbelievable.

They all have

That is exactly the type of arrogance that is making me sign these petitions.

This has indeed gone beyond the City Manager issue, and has become an issue of how our Councilors are performing their duties for the City of Bangor and it's residents. Clandestine meetings, deciding a vote before it's taken, or even before it's official business.... very nasty business. Dirty politics, right here in little old Bangor Maine America.

Those five must go. Or at least three of them... heh.

C'mon people. Make this happen.

I'll be in to sign the petition.

Good luck to Mr. Elmore. And, good luck to the people of Bangor. Show us how it's done!

Maine will soon need to change its slogan to "The Do-Over State".

Like many of you I too am in support of the recall. However, once we step up and terminate these bozos we need to have replacements that can do the job that we demand. I hope that those of you that have been the most vocal are willing to step up to the plate and consider yourself for council. I must admit that I am not one of those to step up. My current career would present a conflict of interest in such a position. I'm confident that there are some of you that are more politically savvy and business minded that can do an honest job. Although political and honest is a hard thing to find lately. How about morals, ethics and integrity.

Good luck on the recall buts lets have a plan to replace these positions. Incidentally, I don't believe this council needs to have 9 members - just a thought

I Just Hope My Town Is Listening

Very Closely

Go Bangor

Gee, maybe this will carry over to recalling the U.S. Congress and White House? Nah. Things couldn't get that good. Or can they?

This recall is the dumbest idea, and just an example of residents (Elmore and friends) who have too much time on their hands. You DONT recall elected officials due to alleged arrogance, you vote them out of office at the polls. This is a WASTE OF THE CITY's TIME and a grave injustice to citizens of Bangor who want to see progress in our city. Barrett could have stayed or left as far as Im concerned, his position is not that critical in the whole scheme of things. Regardless, Barrett AGREED to the retirement deal so where is the controversary here!? Elmore and his supporters call these councilors arrogant for how they handled Barretts departure, well I submit Elmore and his supporters are the truly arrogant ones for wasting all of our time and trying to circumvent election day with a recall process that should be set aside for true injustices. These people are tools.

Thanks for your opinion aaron. As for myself, I will be signing all five petitions.

Pat Blanchette's comments on the radio prove that she has done well for herself for not being the sharpest knife in the drawer. Combine that with a lot of arrogance and it makes her almost unbearable in that role. I look forward to signing the petitions. We need to open a window at city hall and let some fresh air in.

Elmore appears to be someone who just doesn't like who was voted in. and is using this as an oppurtunity to embarass some of the councilors and get them removed.

I wish I was a resident so I could throw them out. Blanchette's comments are the definition of arrogance.

As for aaron, how can you say that having councilors doing your business when they don't think it is your business is a good thing?

Looks like these arrogant clowns are on their way out the door. Good Bye

"None of the citizens' business?" Now THERE is governmental arrogance. If councilors won't do the people's will, the people will exert their will on them. They clearly forget who they work for.

Go Elmore, Go Elmore, Go Elmore.....smart move having a store front open for people to walk in.....being held accountable......

If that statement is true, then I'm concerned that ms. blanchette may have forgotten what she was elected for. It is sad to witness the failure of leadership and accountablility that has been happening over the past couple of weeks.

It's true.

Rick Tyler even said to her, I'm a taxpayer and you're saying this is none of my business?

She never backed down an inch.

I'm thinking she didn't get the job due to her high IQ.

According to "aaronprill" the logic goes like this: "I just put a new roof on my house, but it is leaking profusely. I'll just wait a few more years for new materials to be manufactured before I replace the old ones. So what if the interior of the house is damaged?". Yeah right aaronprill. With suggestions like yours we may as well resort to anarchy. Why have any govt at all?

newportres-

The city's charter clearly states that the city manager serves at the pleasure of the City Council (it is NOT an elected position), and they went about removing him using appropriate rules of that same city charter, and had two public votes on this topic

iconophile-

We just had an election this past year. In fact 3 city councilors are up for election EVERY year. If Bangor wants new leadership, then that's what elections are for. The Recall process should be reserved for true injustices, not some petty reason like the one that motivated Elmore. This is simply a hatchet job against politicians for no good reason, and now it's starting the typical mob mentality from people who are only half paying attention. If we took the time to recall every politician suspected of "arrogance", or with whom we disagreed, the democratic process would be in shambles.

Also, just curious why everyone posting on here is using aliases. Am I the only one willing to publicly state my viewpoints instead of hiding behind clever nicknames? - Aaron Prill

Here's the thing, aaron...I don't know any of the council members, don't know Mr. Barrett and don't know Mr. Elmore. I am NOT happy about their plans for the arena. I thought it was kind of shady the way they were ousting Barrett but that alone was not enough to make me support a recall. It has been the outrageous, obnoxious, arrogant and entitled attitude displayed by these councilors when citizens wanted to know why they did something that have led me to support the recall effort. Not my business? Really...but as a citizen of Bangor and the fact that they are elected make the citizens their boss and they don't think what they do is our business? Mmmmmkay...well, then maybe they should not be employed by the citizens of Bangor any longer. I'm certain that MANY more people are going to be on board after that council woman making such offensive and idiotic remarks on the radio.

Aaron Phil I have got answers for you! First you are not the only one on here that uses their real name LARRY DOUGHTY does too, or have you not been reading the comments!!!! Second Maybe their are a couple of reasons here that people DON'T use their real name... ONE, they maybe a councilor trying to get on people's nerves or maybe even trying to change our view (not going to happen here) . TWO, maybe some people are smart enough to know that if they use their real name they are not only opening themselves up to something on these comment areas, but also to the rest of the identity theft word out there... Larry... Is your identity still safe? Now Aaron, as I have said under other articles.... IF you HAVE been reading these (or maybe not) then you will remember the articles that came out just before the election.... You will remember the Gratwick letter, and the article on the "meet and great" night at the library. As far as I am concern Bangor was Blind back then even when Gratwick spelt it out for them. Bangor was deaf and blind when it came to the comments that Blanchette said to Gratwick, which made it clear which way she voted behind closed doors. And this CLEARLY showed after the elections were over! Out of the THREE councilors that were up for reelection, two were for Barret and one was against him... The two the WERE reelected, one is for Barret and one against... Bangor was blind!!! BUT, but now they see, and they are doing something about it!!!! Mr. Elmore I again commend you on what you have started, and will sign those petitions... HOWEVER I also say this... Two councilors tried to "save face" during the re vote on Barrett... This was ONLY because they are up for election themselves in 2010... Stone and Wheeler... Bangor is watching you closely and you may want to "play it safe" until the elections are held in November. For I think this will be in the minds of the people for a while. HOPEFULLY they will remember what the two of you helped to make happen!!!!

It's always nice to get a compliment, Bangor101, but what I'm doing is neither terribly complicated nor bold. I have the advantage of not being restrained by employment or family, so I can speak up and organize without too much concern for repercussions. On the other hand, and I say this without compunction or reservation, I seek no gain from this, particularly of a political sort. If any seats on the Council open up as a result of these actions, I can absolutely guarantee I will not be trying to sit in one. Period. JIm Elmore (Oh, gee, Aaron Pill, there I go again, using my name.)

It's always nice to get a compliment, Bangor101, but what I'm doing is neither terribly complicated nor bold. I have the advantage of not being restrained by employment or family, so I can speak up and organize without too much concern for repercussions. On the other hand, and I say this without compunction or reservation, I seek no gain from this, particularly of a political sort. If any seats on the Council open up as a result of these actions, I can absolutely guarantee I will not be trying to sit in one. Period. JIm Elmore (Oh, gee, Aaron Pill, there I go again, using my name.)