Maine state Rep. Dick Blanchard (right), D-Old Town, speaks in support of Sen. Barack Obama?s economic plan during a press conference in front of Red Shield Environmental, the former Georgia-Pacific paper mill, in Old Town on Wednesday. Behind Blanchard are laid-off workers from the mill (from left) John Plummer, Dale Shorette and Sheila Feero. Buy Photo
OLD TOWN, Maine — The handful of union men and women waved their blue “Obama” signs Wednesday afternoon in the shadow of the former Georgia-Pacific paper mill.
The laid-off millworkers and DHL drivers chose a desolate spot for a press conference to denounce Sen. John McCain’s proposed economic policies and protest Gov. Sarah Palin’s visit to Bangor today.
“My family’s point of view is, the economics have not been good,” said John Plummer Jr. of Bangor, who worked for four years as a crane operator at Georgia-Pacific and then at Red Shield until it shut down in June.
“When we started there, the working people were middle class,” Plummer said. “Now we’re the working poor. We want to get our jobs back in the community.”
Organizers from Sen. Barack Obama’s Maine campaign office assembled the short-notice press conference.
Plummer and others spoke near the mill’s empty parking lots under a blue autumn sky where no plumes of smoke drifted to spread the pungent smell of money around the area. It was a place where the only visible sign of salvation came from the “Revival Tonight” placard at the nearby Great Works Mission.
And this concerns Rep. Dick Blanchard of Old Town, who had no trouble linking McCain with President Bush’s economic policies, which he said have done Old Town no favors.
The Old Town Georgia-Pacific mill employed 400 people before it closed in 2006.
“Look behind us and you see no smoke in these empty smokestacks,” Blanchard said. “Families are falling behind, but it’s not their fault. … Basically, it’s a disaster. Sen. McCain wants to give America four more years of the same Bush. It ain’t working, in plain English, as they say around here. It ain’t working.”
Unsurprisingly, Maine Republican Party Chairman Mark Ellis did not agree with Blanchard and the laid-off workers.
“There is no question that John McCain’s economic policies will move this country forward,” Ellis said in a statement. “McCain has a proven track record of fighting against wasteful Washington spending. … Obama’s reckless policies will put our economy on a downward spiral and will stifle job growth.”
The Mainers who gathered at the closed-down mill said that they have higher hopes for how the local economy would be boosted in an Obama administration.
“I hope Barack Obama and Sen. Biden can pull it off,” Plummer said. “I think they’ll stimulate the economy and help people get back to work.”
Plummer, who has been out of work since June, said that “uncertainty is very scary.”
In Old Town, where the economy has been uncertain since Georgia-Pacific shut its doors, officials such as Blanchard said that Obama energizes them with his plan to jump-start the economy.
“He’s going to supply thousands of green jobs,” Blanchard said. “What will work for Obama and Biden is to rebuild America’s crumbling infrastructure and put Americans back to work.”
On 10/16/08 at 1:17 AM,
Johninphilippines wrote:
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I doubt these fat, overweight union organizers in Old Town, Maine, have much respect for any government, by the way they are proclaiming their dislike for Bush. It's not Bush they are protesting! They cannot separate McCain and Bush in their minds, so off they go into the wild blue yonder, wearing their little blue Obama political shirts, and try their best to use their tatics against the Republicans through any media outlet they can muster up. They cannot comprehend the difference that the Democratic Party representatives they themselves elected into office, also had a major hand in this mess in DC as well. They also cannot comprehend that in a democracy, there are votes that the House and Senate vote on...both Republicans and Democrats, and Independents, that initiate the decisions this government uses to operate the country. To blame one political party is biased, inconsistent with the machine of our government and seem to not understand that the unions, themselves, helped in a big way, through lobbying and spending millions of dollars in Washington and in every state in the union, in their state house corridors, brought this country to its knees, just as well as the Democratic Party. These are the type of guys, friends and neighbors, that are the modern-day gestapo...get them into corporations and this is what you get for scare tatics, intimidation and control. Throw these bums out. Unions are organized in and for themslves...it's their way...or the highway! Unions across the US are using every method in the books to get their way, as they know that the Democrats will katow in bended knee unto the union organizations and union bosses out-of-state. Above the picture of these "fat cats" lies a header..."Obama office organizes protest". Does this not tell you the entire story? BDN...you had to cover this story, but these guys, to me, just are making fools out of themselves.
On 10/16/08 at 4:07 AM,
mainefem wrote:
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Vote absentee for Obama--STAT!
http://tinyurl.com/56xa84
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/mehome
On 10/16/08 at 7:17 AM,
downbeat wrote:
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I hate to break the news to these guys , but Unions have played a role in killing this economy. It is amazing how uninformed these people really are.. very sad
On 10/16/08 at 7:28 AM,
SteveyDee wrote:
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downbeat : Totally agree with you, look at the auto industry.
On 10/16/08 at 8:19 AM,
chemaine wrote:
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Clearly the unions played a role intheir demise, but they did so with agreement of cmoapny management.
Bush's absurd policy of cutting taxes while suffering the expense of a war that was begun based on lies to the American people did contribute to this mess, however. McCain's voting with Bush >85% of the time shows he obviously agreed with the President. Apparently so do the rabid GOP supporters who wish 4 more years of this failed polcy on America.
On 10/16/08 at 9:53 AM,
PabMainer wrote:
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I think it quite odd that the republicans are being blamed for the failing industry of our state when the controlling party has been a democratic gov and democratic house and senate. When Baldy started his intervention with the closing of our mills and local industries all we heard from him was how things would turn around and now look where the democratic intervention has led...I think it would have been more efficient to have a Dr Phil intervention then Baldy and his demise!
On 10/16/08 at 10:44 AM,
Desertdweller wrote:
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Downbeat is right. Union's failures to negotiate contracts that would allow who they worked for to be more profitable and in the long run benefit themselves greater have priced themselves out of their jobs. You only look at companies such as Toyota of America where work based incentives and profit sharing are the negotiated items in the contract. In turn they receive very good wages, bonuses and profit sharing. Their jobs will not go anywhere and eveyone is making a comfortable living.
Don't look at the Bush, Clinton, and other recent leaders to blame for your problems. And don't even think for a minute that Obama's socialists rule will change anything. More than likely it will get far worse because his tax plan will send even more jobs overseas. The union's role in America was worn out in the early 80's. Remember when Reagan pulled the mat out from under the air traffic controllers? That should have been the sign to other unions that they should change their protocol when it came down to negotiations. The unions are the cause for most of the manufacturing and production jobs in the country. The ONLY beneficiaries in the unions are the union bosses. They are the equivalent of the CEO and CFO's that have lead to the cause of our current economic crises. The only difference is that they've been doing it for over 50 years.
OBAMA: The Fresh Prince of Bill Ayers.
On 10/16/08 at 11:02 AM,
Tikitorch wrote:
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PabMainer EXACTLY and not to mention our Goc Baldacci is a DEM! what has he done to help bring new business to Maine? Zilch!! because business's can't afford to operate in Maine!!!!
On 10/16/08 at 11:11 AM,
Knightscross wrote:
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I hope you unemployed Republicans are enjoying Sarah Bimbo's hate speech today.
On 10/16/08 at 12:03 PM,
Thinkaboutit wrote:
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Has anyone noticed that JOE PERRY is running the exact same add for re election that he ran 4 years ago..saying the same old thing - I want to work for you - Blah - Blah - Blah..He deceitful ad's on tv .. trying to mislead the voting public the he is sincere and sending a false message that is over 4 years old..Maine citizens...don't be fooled by a career politician. If the best he can do is run 4 year old adds with the same old message .. essentially lying to the public..Well I say..I'm fed up with Career Politicians that are DISHONEST with the PEOPLE of Maine..VOTE OUT JOE PERRY FOR BEING DECEITFUL. We need new leadership!!! SHAME ON YOU JOE PERRY !!!!
On 10/16/08 at 12:12 PM,
Thinkaboutit wrote:
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Has anyone noticed that JOE PERRY is running the exact same add for re election that he ran 4 years ago..saying the same old thing - I want to work for you - Blah - Blah - Blah..HIS deceitful ad's on tv .. trying to mislead the voting public that he is sincere and sending a false message that is over 4 years old..Maine citizens...don't be fooled by a career politician. If the best he can do is run 4 year old ads with the same old message .. essentially lying to the public..Well I say..I'm fed up with Career Politicians that are DISHONEST with the PEOPLE of Maine..VOTE OUT JOE PERRY FOR BEING DECEITFUL. We need new leadership!!! SHAME ON YOU JOE PERRY !!!!
On 10/16/08 at 1:23 PM,
mainbad wrote:
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BDN most have a really slow news day. Keep rootin' for Obama! You think your circulation and advertising is down now, wait untill he's elected!
On 10/16/08 at 1:30 PM,
rock wrote:
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IF YOU STILL BELIEVE THAT LARGE, STRONG LABOR UNIONS ARE THE BEST ANSWER THEN KEEP VOTING IN THE DEMS. IF YOU PUSH SMART BUSINESSMEN TOO FAR YOU FORCE THEM TO MAKE OTHER PLANS RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF JOBS.
On 10/16/08 at 4:18 PM,
Johninphilippines wrote:
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Hey, Mr. Dick Blanchard...next time you try to attach yourself with dead, dying and highly controversal issues and people, you may ought to realize the political climate, the history of unions and the current desperations of the nationwide unions in today's world view and in actuality. Seems your head is somewhere in a place very dark and moist.
On 10/16/08 at 4:21 PM,
David889327 wrote:
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GP was shut down, like much of the rest of Maine's pulp & paper industry, because of Maine's willingness to implement stiff environmental policies, by Democrat-led Augusta, over the last 30 years, making Maine too risky a bet for capital investment. Throw in a dose of militant unionism, and it's not hard to see why the mill owners are willing to walk away.
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