AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage on Thursday used his authority to veto a trio of Democratic-sponsored bills that passed during the Legislature’s first session last year.
The bills were:
• LD 1264, an energy efficiency bill sponsored by Sen. Phil Bartlett, D-Gorham.
• LD 338, sponsored by Sen. Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, which sought to create an income tax credit for logging companies that hire Maine residents.
• LD 205, a bill that exempted nonprofit performing arts organizations from sales taxes, sponsored by Sen. Stan Gerzofsky, D-Brunswick.
In his veto letter to lawmakers, LePage urged the Legislature to uphold all three.
“Performing-arts organizations are important to the cultural fabric of Maine,” he wrote about LD 205. “However, simply because something is worthwhile and good does not mean it should enjoy tax free status. Exemptions from the sales tax should be saved for the necessities of life — food, shelter, medicine — as well as for important initiatives meant to foster growth and create good paying jobs in Maine industries, increasing our overall tax base.”
LePage and Jackson have been bickering back and forth for months about logging issues.
On the energy efficiency bill, the governor wrote that the bill gives Efficiency Maine the power to craft rules without any oversight.
Bartlett said his bill would have saved Maine taxpayers’ money.
“It is disappointing that the governor is shutting the door on options that would have saved taxpayer money,” he said. “This proposal was seen as a way to encourage efficiency, rein in energy costs and be prudent with tax dollars.”
Before the end of the last session, the governor had vetoed 12 bills, all of which were upheld by the Legislature. For a veto to be overridden, it needs a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate.
The recently vetoed bills will appear on the Senate calendar for reconsideration next week.
The People exercised their veto power over LePage’s voter suppression law last November – and they will again this November.
We wield that power over his Tea Party ideological excess.
Expect us.
Well we know what Paul thinks about the arts already right? Just something to ignor or hide in a closet. Saving energy cuts into oil/gas profits, we can’t have that can we? Helping Maine loggers “Puts people first” which is a nice campaign slogan, but we can’t really expect someone who lies as often as Paul to stand by what he told us during a campaign can we? Just another day in the life of Paul LePage. Brace yourself for more to come.
Each bill was a cost shift from one taxpayer to the remaining taxpayers. If you think that is good government, then I understand why Maine is last in about everything but welfare. The only thing I agree with is “more to come”. Hopefully a lot more.
How was the bill about hiring Maine loggers over Poor Paul’s countrymen in Quebec a cost shift?
While your waiting for a answer…I’ll cue the crickets.
Because it was providing a tax credit to the company doing the hiring thereby reducing that companies tax. Presumably, the tax would need to be recovered from someone else, namely, you and I. Also, isn’t the tax credit a form of the corporate welfare that democrats are against? You should be thanking LePage, not criticizing him.
Thank him? That is rich! Lol. Maybe before his term is up he will say something truthful and I can thank him for that. Maybe he will do one thing that does not have an ulterior motive and I can thank him for that. Trust me, politics aside, you are defending a dishonest, dim witted bully. He will say or do something else that will make hiim look like a complete fool before his term is up. I predict he will end up locking himself in the bathroom at the Blaine House and refuse to come out until the press is gone.
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However, by hiring loggers who would, in turn, pay income tax that they currently aren’t paying because they aren’t working would off-set the hiring incentive. Too bad you’re too biased to see that. And while we’re following YOUR logic, how do you rationalize LePage’s handing tax exemptions and credits to the wealthy and big businesses, especially in light of the fact that despite their promise to do so, they are NOT CREATING JOBS? Like LePage, you’re a hypocrit.
So in this case, corporate welfare is okay because you have figured a way to justify it but generally speaking, you are against business incentives?? Talk about being a hypocrite, you take the cake.
Let me translate what you just said for those among us who don’t really follow the oddity and negativity of conservative thought. All government is wasteful especially when it’s spent on those who are the most hated by conservatives, poor and needy neighbors among us. A society is judged by how they treat such people. I’m sure glad that the majority of American/Mainers don’t think like you. Paul’s time is short and his party’s time will end (Thanks largely to him) next November. I’d say for someone with your perspective, in the long run you should brace yourself for disappointment.
You seem to be an expert on everyone of these vetoed bills. Did you take time to read each bill and did you hear the arguments for and against each? I’d be willing to bet my last dollar you didn’t and are just shooting from the hip like when you did when commenting about the news coverage on the governor’s meeting in Fort Kent.
I will say one thing about one of those bills that I happen to know something about. The bill sponsored by Troy Jackson giving a tax credit to logging companies who hire Mainers would deny that same tax credit for hiring Canadians. That would be a violation of the North American Free Trade Act, also known as NAFTA because it would essentially create an artificial barrier for hiring Canadians, thus putting Canadians at a disadvantage. Such barriers, whether for goods or services, have been declared to by violations of the Act before. There are other concerns as well, but this one concern can only lead to a trade war with our Canadian neighbor.
We can’t afford to give US/Maine jobs to other countries. In case you missed it, this is what has put so many people in this country out of work – outsourcing to foreign countries. It’s time for our jobs to come home. Foreign countries do not reciprocate by providing jobs to US citizens, including Canada – they hire from within first. So… by your standard it would seem that Canada is already in violation of the North American Free Trade Act since they obviously aren’t equally hiring US citizens and Canadians alike. As it is right now, almost every country hires from within their own country first except for the USA – we employ people from foreign countries because it’s cheaper than employing our own citizens. When we do that we are contributing to the financial growth of foreign countries while reducing our own financial growth. This has got to stop before we totally bankrupt the USA.
So, don’t even go there that if we give preference to US citizens for US jobs that we’re violating anything. That’s a poor excuse for hiring Canadians, Mexicans, or citizens of other foreign countries. Until these foreign countries begin to reciprocate and start providing US citizens with jobs and/or stop giving preference to their own citizens, then I don’t think we owe them anything.
I understand your concern, but you missed my point nonetheless. Putting Canadian workers at a disadvantage like the Jackson bill would do is an outright violation of the treaty that not even the state can change. If you feel the treaty is flawed, then that matter needs to be taken up with federal officials, not state officials.
Another point: please tell me how Jackson’s bill will profit Americans. I doubt it will for the simple reason Canadians may be hired for skilled and unskilled manual labor only after the employer has demonstrated through a Labor Department permit application process a lack of qualified and available US workers to meet the employer’s job needs. Thus, if an employer needs 3 skidder operators and only one qualified U.S. worker is available to fill one of those 3 vacancies after a certain required period of advertizing, then the employer becomes entitled to hire two Canadians to fill the position. Thus, giving the employer a tax credit for hiring that one American does not help the US job market if there are still an insufficient number of available and qualified US workers.
Well… I’m not sure I agree 100% with the bill either but I’m not convinced that it violates any treaty. That’s all I’m saying.
Any employment barriers in addition to those stipulated in NAFTA are not permissible. Look, I know the treaty is not perfect, but compromises were made by both federal governments when it was agreed to. Some areas like in the Northwest profited by its provisions, while other areas of the US economy suffered. In the woods industry in Maine, it’s a contentious matter. With a very scant number of US workers in the relatively unpopulated northwestern part of Maine near the Canadian border to run harvesting equipment, what recourse do employers have if nearby Canadian workers are not made available?
Employers make sure that conditions are such that Americans can’t take the jobs… for instance, undercutting wages such that subsidized Canadian workers can survive on the paychecks, but American workers can’t… or giving the American workers the crappiest sections of forest to cut while giving Canadians the choicest sections to cut. Once the American loggers are driven away, the less expensive Canadians, subsidized by the Canadian government, can be hired legally by companies that are seeking to pay the least amount possible for the labor to harvest the wood.
When all is said and done, it appears that Governor LePage cares more about his Canadian brethren than Maine’s workers.
Assuming what you are saying is true, that is, that employers are favoring Canadian workers, please tell me how you will find Americans to commute 80 miles daily to work in tree harvesting areas near the Canadian border in Northwestern Maine where Canadians are readily available. Would you be willing to travel that far on logging roads to and fro on a daily basis? I doubt it. Also, with Canadian money trading roughly at par with the US dollar and the cost of living in Canada being higher than in the US, Canadian workers need higher salaries in order to survive as compared to their American counterparts. The subsidies these workers get from their government is “free” government insurance that they pay for in the form of much higher income taxes. Lastly, if there has been any abuse of employees, Canadian temporary workers are the ones who historically have been abused, not Americans workers. Americans almost always have the option of securing employment with another woods contractor if conditions are not satisfactory. By contrast, the Canadian may only work for a contractor that has an approved petition to hire foreign laborers. Most contractors don’t bother to get one. The petition process usually costs the employer over 1 grand, and, if successful, is good only for several months at a time. Besides, it’s an awkward process that takes several weeks to complete.
How do you find Americans willing to commute 80 miles a day to work in tree harvesting areas near the Canadian border? It’s simple when you have Maine loggers living in northern Maine who have families to feed and mortgages to pay and logging is their best source of income. As I’ve mentioned, I personally know of Maine loggers who are traveling hundreds of miles away from home to other states in New England to seek logging jobs because of the inability to get a fair shake from employers in Maine who prefer to hire cheaper Canadian labor. The bottom line is: this is Maine land we’re talking about. Maine loggers should have first refusal on harvesting the wood. Why are you so interested in sticking up for the Canadian loggers who are stealing the jobs from fellow Maine citizens?
Had you been involved in the industry you wouldn’t be making the assumption Maine workers are available everywhere in the Maine woods. I know that’s not the case because I know first-hand what the situation is. Along the northwest International line there are hardly any Americans living there but plenty of Canadians.
Since you seem to be so sure there are sufficient numbers of available and qualified Americans, you ought to get in the business of locating these folks for tree harvesting contractors. Just think, if Americans are as available as you maintain, you ought to be able to make a very good living charging each contractor a relatively small fee of $1,000 annually contractor for referrals. What are you waiting for?
As I’ve mentioned, it doesn’t matter if you put an American in front of a tree harvesting contractor, because the contractor doesn’t want Americans. Americans cost more due to the fact that Canadians are subsidized by their government. The contractor is going to do everything possible to discourage the American from taking a job in the woods, because when the American is forced out of the labor pool, the contractor is then free by law to hire the cheaper Canadian. You don’t have to believe me. Talk directly to Senator Jackson if you want the story straight from a Maine logger who has seen the unfair system in action for decades. His information is all a matter of public record.
Jackson’s argument doesn’t hold much water. The permit process for obtaining competent Canadian laborers is costly and time consuming (I’ve been directly involved in this process myself) and has to be repeated on an annual basis. What Jackson’s proposal would do is give each and every harvesting contractor a tax credit for hiring Americans no matter how few Canadians, if any, the contractor hired in prior years. That’s ludicrous! Besides, there are relatively very few Canadians left working in this Maine industry to make a difference to Maine workers.
Are you Canadian? The treaty is not only ‘not perfect’ it is flat out wrong. How could you be in favor of any treaty that gives foreign workers (NAFTA includes 3rd world Mexico) an advantage over local residents. I remember when the treaty first went into effect in the early 90’s. I was living in Texas at the time, and its ill-effects were felt immediately. Canada subsidizes most of its businesses, and those same businesses are allowed to bid on jobs in the States at prices that are lower than the costs of American owned ventures. An example is the now-closed biomass electricity plant in Patton which employed around 25 people. When their contract expired and it was time to bid out the power, they couldn’t compete with a Canadian electricity producer, subsidized by the government. Their bid to sell power was less than what the plant in Patton could produce it for. Now its doors are closed. Maine should have imposed tariffs to make the Canadian electricity the same price or more expensive, thus protecting Maine jobs. This goes on everywhere, and rather than promote it, our government should protect us from it.
Full-blooded American of European extract with a possible tinge of Indian blood, I am, going back many generations, that is. I agree, it’s probably time to reassess the treaty, particularly with Mexico that has a cheap pool of workers. We mustn’t forget however that Americans have had the benefit of cheap foreign goods for a long time. Now, as they say, this free ride is coming home to roost, as the US economy goes south or appears to be headed there in the long run.
“…please tell me how Jackson’s bill will profit Americans.”
The bill would help by giving employers a reason to hire the American instead of seeking to force the American out of the labor pool in order to provide the legal basis for hiring the cheaper Canadian worker. I don’t understand your concern about the tax credit, in any case. If there are legitimately no Americans to take the job, as you claim, then the employer is merely losing the opportunity to gain the tax credit, and all other factors remain at the status quo.
You miss the point again. Why should the government give these contractors tax credits for hiring Americans when they are already doing all they can to secure them for employment purposes? Do you think tax credits for employers will mysteriously create a labor pool of American workers? It just doesn’t add up.
Anyway, I am closing this conversation…because it’s not going anywhere.
You are closing the conversation because, for some biased reason, you don’t want to acknowledge the truth of the situation.
Yes, I do believe tax credits for employers would create a pool of American workers, and it’s no mystery. The tax credit would give the employer a monetary reason to hire the Americans that the employer now forces out of the work force in order to hire cheaper Canadians legally. The Canadian worker would no longer have the monetary advantage of being subsidized by the Canadian government. The playing field would be leveled. And the Maine loggers I know personally, who are traveling hundreds of miles for logging jobs, can come back home and work in Maine.
I call shenanagins, if that were true, then the reverse is also true, which we know it isn’t. Due to our minimum wage Mexico would have that same advantage over us. Since we trade tons of goods with Mexico daily then we know its not the case. It’s the Maine woods, not the Canadian woods, we can do with them as we please. If that wood is going to Canada, there may be an argument, but those loggers that are servicing American companies have no such barrier.
NAFTA is one of the reasons our country’s economy is in the toilet. Local logging companies shouldn’t be hiring Canadians, but Mainers. Let Canada take care of her own.
But what if there are not sufficient US workers available? Does the employer lay off, say, truckers hired to haul logs, when there are not enough US workers to harvest the amount of logs needed to keep the truckers busy.
But that’s the oldest excuse in hte book. Remember when Nike said they were moving production overseas and the city of Flint, MI found 2000 willing workers to staff a new facility, placed for free in an unused auto plant? Yet Nike still left, because i ntruth it had nothing to do with finding willing workers but with increasing CEO pay.
There are people HERE that want to work. THEY should be hired by our companies.
Here’s your opportunity to prove me wrong:
If you know of any qualified US workers willing to commute 78 to 80 miles daily through logging roads to reach wood harvesting areas near the Canadian border, then you can notify me, or, better yet, the U.S. Labor Department.
There are qualified Maine loggers who would love to work in their home state, but must travel HUNDREDS of miles now to get jobs in places like Vermont where companies hire Americans instead of relying on unfair laws that allow unscrupulous companies to give Americans the shaft while hiring cheaper Canadian labor. This scam is as old as the forest products industry.
No, there are no scams if any. Most contractors who hire help are small operators that usually don’t hire more than 10 to 20 laborers. It makes a lot more sense to hire nearby Canadian workers in those areas that are very remote for Americans workers. There are several reasons why salaries in the wood harvesting industry are relatively low when compared to yesterday, none of them having to do with employment of foreign laborers. In fact, there are far fewer foreign laborers in the Maine woods then there were 10 to 40 years ago on account of modernization and mechanization. These jobs are not easy and are usually a test of the metal of those hard working individuals involved. We need to be grateful for the valuable service these men (and some women) perform.
“These jobs are not easy and are usually a test of the metal of those hard working individuals involved.”
Oh, so Maine loggers are soft slackers compared to the Canadians, eh? Is that what you’re saying? I know Maine loggers who are some of the toughest, hard working Mainers I’ve ever known. But they can’t compete against an unfair system that is constantly bolstered by soft politicians like our Governor and many other Governors before him.
Secondly, when faced with hiring 10 Canadians with subsidized healthcare provided by the Canadian government, or hiring 10 Americans for whom you will have to provide healthcare, who are you going to hire? Now that LePage has failed to help level the playing field on behalf of Maine workers, you can bet that the Canadian loggers will continue to have the upper hand in Maine’s woods.
Sir, you’re putting words in my mouth. I never stated nor implied “Maine loggers are soft slackers.” Besides, I’ve answered all your concerns already. If you read all my posts you will find all these concerns of yours answered.
Your answers, unfortunately, have been ineffective.
Hooray for violating NAFTA. More, more, more.
Nafta applies to trade in goods, not people. Are you longing for the “good old days” when plantation owners used to import slaves?
NAFTA has special provisions for employing workers on a temporary basis, usually up to a year at a time. It has provisions for skilled and unskilled workers, for members of certain professional classes, for treaty traders and investors, among other non-immigrant classifications. Unless one lives near the border, one likely would not be aware of these provisions.
conservatives do not use the poor and elderly as pawns for payoffs. We leave that to the dems
Not a good argument. You could say the same about any tax cut/credit. When that huge tax cut was made for dead estate owners, costs were just being shifted. That’s what you’ve said essentially.
Another way to phrase it is ‘income distribution.’
I agree with your assessment that this is just a tax shift, what one gets another must pay for. Instead of a tax break for those that hire Maine loggers, why not charge a tax penalty for those that don’t. That should take away the incentive to hire that cheaper Canadian labor.
Actually, the only thing that counted was NOT the content of the bill. It was sponsored by a Democrat. Therefore, the veto.
This economic whine is ludicrous. Some claiming we’ve lost 4 million jobs because of Democrats, when we only have slightly more than 1 million inhabitants.
We’ve always been regarded as being on the bottom rung of the economic ladder in the country. Always. The chicken factories and shoe factories left years ago. Many hated chicken feathers floating over the highways and their innards polluting the bays. Shoe manufacturers hated battling shoe workers’ unions so Italy picked it up. Some of the larger companies couldn’t make the dollars they wanted because of distance between bench and shelf, and shipping costs. So they moved, too.
But we still have so much more. Out-of-state people can’t get enough of it during the summer. Many more ignore the winters they once dreaded and move in permanently. They’re all looking and discovering a certain something no other state has, and sharing it with those who were fortunate enough to have inherited it at birth.
It’s hard to describe what it is exactly. But it is something that can’t be bought. Even if you struggle at a low paying job, work long tiring hours, and wonder sometimes whether you’ll be able to buy five dollars worth of gas to get to work, nothing will stop you. You’ll even work two jobs, or, sometimes more, just to get by.
So, they can brag about other states’ economies, scoff at our struggling poor, our physical looks. We still have so many untapped opportunities that have yet t be exploited by the people who have made it their business to make Maine their home.
We need to brush aside outside elements that strive to divide us, and work together, like we once did.
Just like this :
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2011/10/21/business/new-funding-source-might-keep-kestrel-jobs-in-brunswick/
Well put. The man is not a thinker. He is a myopic ideologue. Next election, let’s Turn LePage.
A few *Forgotten Facts* to them *Dems.* Read it and WHINE !!! ;<) Google Mr. Baldacci.
In 2004, Baldacci signed executive order 13 FY 04/05 titled "An Order Concerning Access to State Services By All Entitled Maine Residents", which, among other things, prohibited state employees from inquiring about immigration status when people apply for public assistance or services. Due to this executive order, his political opponents have labeled Maine a "sanctuary state" for illegal immigrants.
Following info courtesy of, The Kennebec Journal…October 10, 2010
Maine’s welfare system offers one of the most generous benefits packages in the nation.
Almost 30 percent of our population receives some form of benefit. Between 2003 and 2010, Maine’s welfare enrollment grew 70 percent (from 226,000 to 381,000), according to a report from the Maine Heritage Policy Center, a conservative think tank.
Is that really “Maine, the way life should be?”
Maine ranks second in the nation in all three major welfare programs: Food stamps, cash public assistance (TANF) and in Medicaid enrollment as a percent of total population, according to the Maine Heritage Policy Center
Gov. John Baldacci’s executive order in 2004 effectively turned Maine into a sanctuary state. According to the last census in 2000, Maine’s population of illegal immigrants ranged in the thousands.
How many may be currently accessing our tax funded welfare system? How can we possibly know? Maine employees are prohibited from inquiring about immigration status.
A residency requirement could save our state hundreds of thousands of dollars paid in benefits to illegal immigrants as well as immigrants who aren’t qualified to receive benefits under the federal umbrella
Recovery begins one step at a time. Let’s take our first step toward protecting Maine people by empowering Maine employers to ask for immigration status before asking, “What can we give you?”
Yeah! Them preformin’ artists don’t provide no jobs no way
A Dem looking for a tax break, that sounds about right!
Yeah – according to the GOP/Tea Party – only millionaires and billionaires deserve tax breaks.
And…they got them from LePage and “Million Dollar MaineCare Overcharge Honest Mistake” GOP majority leader Nutting.
Lauren LePage “likes” your post.
yessah
I like taking home more money in my weekly paycheck and I am far, far, far from being a member of the “1%”.
I work for a living, but i’m so broke the “99%” turned me away!;
i’m not sure where you go but most of the “performing arts” productions that i know of charge for tickets…
Him hates energy efficiency!
the Koch brothers hate energy efficiency, that’s why.
Governor “politics before people” LePage strikes again.
Important to people of Maine but pushed by democrats…….veto it.
Creates Maine jobs but introduced by democrats…….veto it.
Long term solution that saves money in the future, democrat idea…….veto it.
People before politics? I don’t think so.
So you believe that it is good government to give a company a tax credit for hiring a Maine resident, kind of like bribery but it’s government for crying out loud.
Like tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires because they’re “job creators”? Kind of like bribery?
Yea cause hiring Canadian loggers is a tons cheaper. Why shouldn’t they follow in the footsteps of Nike and all the rest, foreign labor is cheaper so why hire neighbors. I mean, why would you want to hire local people who are going to spend on goods and services in their communities. Lets ship those dollars to foreign lands instead. Yea that’s much better. Government regulations are why American workers cost more than foreign ones. Unions don’t help either, but in this case unions are not an issue. The Dept. of Labor, OSHA, and the Unions all had good hearts at the start, safety and fair wages on the job. They have over regulated and gotten greedy, so this tax break would have been a quick red tape avoiding measure. Yea the company pays less in taxes, but the Maine people they hire now have jobs and money so they go out and buy a car or a house, and guess what? The investment of a tax cut has been returned to the states money pile via sales, income, excise, and property taxes.
Then the message is we need to get ourselves on a level playing field with the foreign competitors or continue our slide to doom. On that, we agree.
Sure, all we need to do is force every nation in the world to adopt human rights and pay a minimum wage. When labor is so cheap that the Chinese can ship our scrap metal from the U.S. to China, recycle it and ship it all the way back to the U.S. and still sell it cheaper than we can sell our own recycled metal, why would you buy it for more? It is things like this vetoed bill that would make things a little easier toward the equality we are looking for. Unless getting the entire world to go along with a minimum wage and safe working conditions is easier than signing a bill into law.
My point is that government redistribution has never ever worked and it never ever will. It is a short term band-aid to a much more complicated problem. How do you get the world to agree to do business the American way and submit themselves to the same regulations and red tape that we have? The same labor laws, unions, out of control regulatory agencies, corrupt government, entitled citizens, blah blah blah. America is down and out and all you can think of is Maine should give a tax credit to a business to hire a Maine worker instead of a Canadian worker. That’s the kind of thinking and leadership that got us to here –
Ok so we will do things your way, lets level the playing field. I have an 11 year old son, so I am sure there is a coal mine he can work 80 hours a week in, or since he is small we will put him to work repairing assembly lines cause he can crawl right into the inner workings to oil the gears. Of course we can’t afford the loss in productivity of shutting the line down as he does it, so he will have to be quick not to get a hand or foot ripped off in the gears. But if he does no biggie we can just go down to the orphanage and get some more workers…
Let me guess….your a Irving executive??
Irving… isn’t that french for “fair”?
No. i am the butler at the Blaine Mansion and want to keep my job:)
It isn’t that the bills were introduced by Democrats…it is the kind of bills Democrats introduce. For instance the energy bill gave the power to regulate to non-elected people: the same as your President is doing and the Democrat congress put into legislation. NO laws or details of regulation should be created by people over whom the citizens of the country have no control.
Our elected representatives should solve problems. We need jobs and we need efficiency and these bills address those issues, unlike bills that restrict our rights or transfer wealth to the already wealthy such as those that seem to be the focus of the republican ideologues. Your governor is a puppet of the forces that are destroying our country.
Gov. LePage has proven to be a very thoughtful and insightful leader, with common sense being one of his strong points. Now lets listen to him on this welfare fraud stuff.
BEST (bad) joke of the night.
Haley Barbour looks like Einstein compared to LePage.
yessah
Another comment from the Blaine house?
How insightful and thoughtful was “kiss my butt”?
I’d rather have a leader that is rough around the edges but tells the truth than a leader that smiles and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy while stabbing you in the back and robbing you blind.
Be sure and let me know when LePenguin starts telling the truth, and he isn’t “rough around the edges” he is the Captain Caveman of politics.
Caveman Politics have worked from 1783-1980, it has been the new world of politics that are crashing this country as we know it.
Well, you can swim around in your Tea-cup full of off-base, untrue, irrational hyperbole all you want (i.e. Baldacci CUT taxes), and then we will see you in November. Maine’s sane moderate and progressive majority of voters CRUSHED the TeaNuts in November on Question-1, and come this November you can say buh-bye to at least one chamber of the legislature if not both. LePage is a walking embarassment and a scourge on our state, and you will find that out come November when your party takes a major league pounding.
“How insightful and thoughtful was ‘kiss my butt?'”
Apparently, that passes for insight in MS.
“Gov. LePage has proven to be a very thoughtful and insightful leader…”
Maybe you can do us a favor and draft him to be your next Governor.
Just imagine if we could have Lepage for four more years, after we get through the next three…RIGHT!
Sounds even more hellish to me.
Just a question for the BDN.
If Governor Baldacci vetoed a bill how would the headline read?
“Baldacci vetoes three Republican bills”, or
“Baldacci vetoes three bills”?
“Sale on spaghetti at Momma’s place”?
The same article in the PPH was headlined “Gov. LePage Vetoes three bills”.
The implication or the headline is certainly that LePage vetoed them because they were sponsored by Democrats. So, I wonder how the BDN did phrase Baldacci’s vetoes? I am going to search a little to find out….be back later.
Fact: Republican Governor vetoes three bills
Fact: All three were sponsored by Democrats
Everybody can draw their own conclusions from the facts. You may, or may not, like the conclusions you reach. You may, or may not, like the conclusions others reach.
Given the current propensity to blame “the other guy”, it is understandable that many people with a liberal leaning would conclude the Governor has some “evil intent” in vetoing these bills — just like many people with a conservative bent see evil intent in everything Obama does.
Thank you for taking on the task of researching how the BDN phrased the former governor’s vetoes – that information could be most helpful.
Why on earth are you questioning BDN? If you don’t like the publication, don’t read it. They are not expressing any particular view point, if they did, then they would be labelled, and that’s the last thing any public new publishing corporation wants.
I see it time and again on these post, blaming the messenger. What is it with you guys?
The BDN shows its bias with such partisan headlines as well as the inclusion of ” lepage and Jackson have been bickering” those are both divisive and partisan choices of wording.
In reality Lapage and Jackson and many others have differing opinions
We are stuck reading the BDN becuase they dont have competition for thier total area of coverage.
why don’t you think they have any competition? didn’t you hear about the major cuts newspapers had to make recently?
they barely have money to run the already running newspaper, you think any one has enough money to start one right now. all the reporters and equipment and space and time, seems risky in this economy.
I’m certainly not buying into that. You have a computer, obviously. You can read whatever newspaper you wish. You are not “stuck” reading anything. And as far as naming specific articles, I’m sure I can come up with an equal number of articles that are tainted the opposite way jd200.
Again, if you don’t like what the article says doesn’t mean that it is wrong. They are as equally patriotic as we are. That’s the beauty with the freedom of speech.
Be thankful that you don’t have to read the KJ or Portland Press Herald, solid repug newspaper:)
I felt the headline was suggestive and not objective.
And who are “you guys”? And before you answer that question please be aware that I did not vote for Governor LePage but the guy that came in second.
Here are some examples of previous BDN headlines”
June 01, 2011 “Vetoed health insurance bill sent back to lawmakers” – AP Wire Story
June 07, 2011 “LePage vetoes bill prohibiting foreign loggers on state land” – BDN Staff Writer Kevin Miller
June 18, 2011″LePage vetoes three Dem-backed bills” – BDN Staff Writer Christopher Cousins
June 23, 2011 “LePage vetoes two more bills” – AP Wire Story
and now this BDN written story.
So two AP Wire Stories and no mention of party affiliation and three BDN Staff Writers (including this story) and 66.66% of the time party affiliation is mentioned.
Don’t you find that odd?
Is that really all you have to do-go back to June to prove your point?Must be nice to be cashing those government checks.
Well GP since the Governor has only been in office since January 2011 and the first bills came out during the second quarter I couldn’t very well go back much further now could I?
All you have to do is look below the above article at the section called “Similar Articles” for the proof.
Now, you should never assume much about posters. I work 2-3 jobs 6 days a week and today I will be hitting the road for Lewiston in about 50 minutes so I hope you have a wonderful day slamming the posters rather than attacking the posts.
careful where you drive in lewiston, it’s got a bad section now.
You mean LePage has a home there also?
What’s the difference between “slamming the posters” and “attacking the posts” And, what is it exactly that you are doing yourself?
Well comments like “Must be nice to be cashing those government checks” are slamming the posters and personal attacks.
If you do not agree with the substance of a post you attack the post, not the poster.
gotcha
No! Not when you read the posts after every article.
Everything is partisan! I would say BDN is giving its readers exactly what they
want.
Well if that is the case, and I don’t personally believe it is, there are plenty of small close-minded conservative backed local papers like “The Maine Wire” or “Hometown News” which would probably slant the news to your liking.
I am pretty sure but news reporting is supposed to be done without bias or preconceived notions.
how are these bias? they are stating facts. he vetoed – they reported. fact.
Well let’s see.
The AP Wire reports make no mention of party affiliation. Unbiased and objective.
2 of the 3 BDN Staff written articles make mention of a specific party affiliation. Biased and subjective.
And as a matter of fact, once a bill passes both the Maine House and Senate it is no longer a “Democrat” or “Republican” bill.
Oh, I did not know that bills lost affiliation going through house and senate. It is odd then that they are still titled to show what party that person presenting the bill belongs to. I still don’t really see how it is bias though, they were bills presented by Dem.s vetoed by LePage, so not biased, just more detailed perhaps.
I will say that if a human being is writing – about anything, it is going to be bias. Bias based on the way they were taught to write, bias based on their past experiences, bias on the information they have received, it is impossible to be completely free of bias. If a person creates somethings, a book, article, drawing, whatever, they leave a piece of themselves in it, regardless of it being a conscious decision. So I say good luck finding a piece of writing that shows no bias at all. If you prefer a different slant, try a different paper. I mean, its news it politics its news, you can really only read and rely on so much of the information before you make your own conclusions, right?
“If you do not agree with the substance of a post you attack the post, not the poster.”
Thank you for that, I know it was not directed to me or anything, but I appreciate it being said.
I appreciate your thoughful response.
When a bill has been voted on by both the house and the senate and moves to the Executive Branch for action I believe it loses its party affiliation. It was voted on by all parties involved in both houses and has to win approval by a majority vote to move on. At that point, I believe that it is a piece of legislation pending a signature which is no longer a “partisan” bill.
Thank you Paulie for your comment:) Oh, yes odd.
Thanks for the chuckle.
If you believe that BDN and many news organizations do not express a particular view, no one taught you critical reading and thinking.
You really are defending the BDN from bias reporting! Do you really believe BDN is not in the tank for the democratic party! Just look to the right of this page.How many direct links to conservative articles do you see.How many rush to judgment articles have been printed and revamped later.Take of the Obama glasses and put down the kool-aid.
How can you think the BDN is bias?! Just because you probably work for yourself, have made millions off your small business, hoard your all of that money you made, expect people to work for a living, and didn’t sign your name to a mortgage you couldn’t pay doesn’t give you the right to say the BDN is bias! And then bash Obama? Just because I have never worked, write bad checks, have 3 kids with 4 different men, and do bath salts doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be entitled to a lifestyle equal to yourself and health insurance that requires no co-pay.
What are you thinking? You don’t think that the BDN doesn’t hire politically motivated writers? Of course they do, they are a newspaper. You know the guy that writes Pine Tree Politics? Matt Gagnon is a Republican strategist, and is one of three people Governor LePage follows on Twitter. He has a column now doesn’t he?
“Exemptions from the sales tax should be saved for the necessities of life — food, shelter, medicine” —
Last time I looked, I payed big time taxes on all three of those things.
What’s this guy smoking?
Apparently you lack basic comprehension skills and don’t know what veto power munebaght was referring to.
“create good paying jobs in Maine industries”??? Is that why he veto’d LD338?
He should not have vetoed Troy Jackson’s bill.
On item #2- You have the wrong bill. You are talking about Senator Saviello’s bill, LD 1383. His bill takes away all restrictions on hiring foreign workers. It does not help…MAINERS!
I did have the wrong bill He should have passed Troy Jackson’s bill.
“An Act to Improve the Process by Which Logging Contractors Hire Legal Foreign Workers” is an entirely different bill from 338. The one you’re talking about is sponsored by Sen. Saviello of Franklin County, and would make it easy to hire cheap labor over Mainers, and also give these foreign loggers unemployment.
338 was sponsored by Troy Jackson, a logger. I would have vetoed it just because of the potential conflict of interest ! It appears yet another politician was about to grease his own pocket. Dosen’t matter which political party he was from !
There’s plenty of loggers in Troy’s district.You don’t think he was trying to help his constituents?
Then why not give everyone in his district an income tax break ?
Im sure you’d have been outraged by that as well, poormaniac.
Another example of LePage not governing just enforcing his will. As a hard working small business owner in Maine and someone not so impressed with LePage…. I must say LePage has had one good idea since he got in office. Drug test all recipients of our state tax dollars….I think HE should definitely be tested on a regular basis….of all the people my hard earned money goes to….I’ll take a welfare recipient over him any day. About 20 years ago I went back to college…a welfare recipient, single mother with two children…..got my chemical engineering degree and walked out of school at about $50,000 a year….a taxpayer…..I now run my own environmental company.
Good for you.Nice to hear of a success.Continued blessings to you and yours in 2012 and beyond.
is it nice to hear that your hard work didn’t go to you? it went to freeloaders.
must be nice to get a free ride huh?
where do i sign up? i need free shlt.
Lose your income, apply for help get your $483 per month and then apply for college.
Oh and while you are on welfare you are required to work 20 to 30 hours a week to keep it.
Go to any tea party meeting.They’ve all got theirs and could care less about anyone else.
Must be nice to think you know everything…..then you don’t have to think thru what you say. Go sign up at UMO and let’s see how well you do…far from a free ride…I paid back $25,000 in student loans….and I’ve got all the free bs you could handle.
Another example of LePage not governing just enforcing his will. As a hard working small business owner in Maine and someone not so impressed with LePage…. I must say LePage has had one good idea since he got in office. Drug test all recipients of our state tax dollars….I think HE should definitely be tested on a regular basis….of all the people my hard earned money goes to….I’ll take a welfare recipient over him any day. About 20 years ago I went back to college…a welfare recipient, single mother with two children…..got my chemical engineering degree and walked out of school at about $50,000 a year….a taxpayer…..I now run my own environmental company.
So you got your degree for free, while I’m still paying for my student loans, becuase you had children before you thought your future out???? Sorry, I really do not mean this as a personal attack, but this is what’s wrong in the state. I’m sorry you were in that position, and I’m not saying you shouldn’t have gotten some food/housing, but instead of going to school, maybe you could have picked up a couple of crappy jobs and went to night school! I wish I hadn’t had to work full time when I went to school, but I did as I went a little later in life. It took me a little longer than some to graduate, but I did it, while working to pay for the roof over my head and with a 3.8 average.
yep, it’s the entitled mentality.
I see it all the time, people screw up and expect others to pick up the tab.
The stories of “I went back to school while i was on welfare, while getting free housing and food stamps” makes me sick.
I have to pay for whatever i have, my college education, my own way in life, and I have fallen on hard times before, but i don’t get a free ride. And I don’t want one. I know that if everyone thought like tp then there wouldn’t be any money at all, no one would work.
screw the people that get a free ride on the backs of others. They are essentially rewarded for idiocy and are enriched by making and repeating mistakes.
they are what’s wrong with the system and why we’re nearly bankrupt as a state and a nation.
What makes me sick is the inability of people like you to stop and listen to yourselves…blah blah blah….and you hardly know what I got and didn’t get. Nor is it any of your business. And whatever I did get in help I’m so glad it came from your pocket. Thanks for the ride.
Did you do all of that with the responsibility of two children? Do you know how much childcare would cost for a single parent who would need it almost 24 hours a day to “pick up a couple crappy jobs and go to night school”?!? The circumstances that all children are conceived under are different from one child to the next, so to suggest that she didn’t think of her future until after having children is a personal attack. It could just as easily be assumed that it was her concerns for her children’s future that motivated her to get her degree, but I know what I would look like if I based my opinion off of ASSumptions. Either way, I would be glad she used the assistance to better her and her children’s lives, and is now able to contribute to the system that helped her get out of a bad situation.
Exactly cicchino84….why would you look at the negative aspect of a welfare recipient getting a college education to make her life better instead the positive fact that she has been a high taxpaying citizen for over 20 years since college and many before.
Hardly for free Amanda and please don’t assume that you know me. I just finished paying off my student loans about $25,000. I was working except for the first year of college. I received about $5000 a year in welfare benefits when I was in school for the first year, then I worked, went to college and raised my children alone ….fulltime. Never been on welfare till then or since. I received about $15,000 a year in scholarships, grants and loans. I also interned my last two years in college and got paid (don’t worry no welfare benefits in those years). Actually I did think out my future…but…oh my….the fairy tale didn’t come true….I had children while I was married, got a divorce and prince charming didn’t think he had to support his children. I decided to make my life better and get a education. Oh yea I had a 3.6gpa in chemical engineering…… and I did it raising kids, working keeping a roof over out heads and college. Ta Da.
And really I don’t mean this as a personal attack but people like you are what is wrong with this state. Judgemental and somehow think you know it all. What’s your degree in business…just what we need another one…maybe instead of going to school you should have just kept that crappy job you had and not wasted your time.
I used to be 100% against welfare, until my PAA100 course at Umaine. In a debate, a mother stood up and convinced me that it is a much needed support system. This story, very similar to the one in class changed me forever. Maybe it was you. You should be extremely proud of the things that you have accomplished and I am happy to pay taxes for cases like this. However, I invite you to come into Bangor and visit the subsidized housing complex. It is disgraceful, you would be disgusted with the police records, out of work mothers and fathers, disrespect for human life, drinking and drugs. It is these stories that we (the republicans) are tired of. I would give anything for a person that is struggling and still trying to make it. I don’t understand the support for such an abused system. It is time to control it, so that people like you are able to get the help that they need.
I thinks he is going to cut the budget. There goes the budget, bye, bye….. Now, I hope he really does attack welfare fraud. He needs to cut fat, and I’m not talking about cutting veterans and elderly.
Cut the fat, you mean he is going to lay off his Daughter:)
Certainly, if her job amounts to fat :-) What is good for the gander is great for the goose. No job should escape the cutting board, if its not absolutely necessary.
Could have been predicted. What script is he using? From ALEC? MHPC?
Smoke screens about cutting Welfare. Think about all the big items he will do to support his special interest folks. Don’t deny he has to pay back his buddies.
What a dope.
GOOD!!
Shoot from the hip politics, shoot first and ask questions after it’s too late!
Clothes are necessities, why are they taxed? A car is also necessary, so why is that taxed? Why is toilet paper taxed in this state?
He’s not referring to the Governor….you dolt…. he’s referring to the Legislature. The Republicans hold a marginal majority. 40 of them are not able to run, 35 of the dems can’t run. They hold like a 6 seat majority……do the math
Why doesn’t the Governor’s own web page display his veto messages? Is that part of his “personal papers?”
Interpretation= ” There,,,take THAT for cancelling out on my DHHS budget meeting. Do it again and I’ll veto MORE of your stuff !!!”
D’ya think?
Why is anyone surprised by this.
I agree with the Governor’s veto’s on these 1.) efficiency Maine. The legislature is supposed to approve building standards. To give one board the authority over Municipalities making their own rules up is wrong. Here are the excerpts from the bill…
“The trust shall adopt by rule a green design building standard for energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable public building construction and renovation and historic public building renovation.”
“Notwithstanding chapter 111, this subchapter provides express limitations on municipal home rule authority.”
“A municipality may not approve the construction of a new or substantially renovated municipally owned or municipally leased building or of a building built or substantially renovated with municipal funds, including a building funded through municipal bonds or
the Maine Municipal Bond Bank, unless the requirements of subsection 3, paragraph B are met.” (If a town is paying for it’s own construction the state needs to keep it’s nose out of a town’s business)
2.) Removed had the wrong bill He should not have vetoed Troy Jackson’s bill
3.) I can see exempting Non-profit performing arts organizations, not for Profit performing arts organizations i.e. Ogunquit playhouse…you sure have to pay up the “ying” to attend that place.
On item #2- You have the wrong bill. You are talking about Senator Saviello’s bill, LD 1383. His bill takes away all restrictions on hiring foreign workers. It does not help…MAINERS!
They know they have the wrong bill. The point is to support LePage at all costs and to muddy the waters using misinformation.
And I’ll bet LePage does not Veto LD 1383 either.
Edited for spelling
I did have the wrong bill. He should have signed Troy Jackson’s bill.
Again, Sir, you’re referencing a bill by Sen. Saviello – totally different bill than LD 338. Saviello’s is about making it easy to hire foreign workers, 338 is about making it more attractive to hire Mainers.
You are correct, I had the wrong bill. He Should not have vetoed Troy Jackson’s bill
performing arts should be taxed more not less. Hollywood salaries and profits are the 1%
It was non-profit performing arts organizations according to the story. What county is Hollywood in, Sagadahoc or Piscataquis? I forget.
The last Governor signed into law a sweeping, across the board tax increase which included paying sales tax on movie tickets. The people repealed the law.
LePage is a TeaNut cement-headed walking joke.
Let’s review the “accomplishments” of our previous governor…
* – The failed Mainecare computer billing system that cost us $80 million in direct
costs (and probably twice that in real costs) for absolutely nothing.
* – A former prominent Dem legislator stealing the MTA blind while no one in the Baldacci administration had a clue what was going on.
* – The sale of the state liquor business to politically connected Dem insiders at a fire
sale price (we’ll be paying for that one for years to come).
* – The “loss” of a hundred million from DHHS without a trace. The clueless Baldacci administration didn’t even seem to care where it went.
* – The sale of prison system property to connected public employee in a no-bid deal that once again the clueless Baldacci administration was unaware of at best. Turns out this was SOP in the Baldacci Regime,
* – The failure that is Dirigo health that was going to… Insure ALL of the uninsured in 5 years (FAIL), Lower premiums for everyone (FAIL), be self supporting and NEVER require any tax money (EPIC FAIL).
Compared to the previous administration LePage is a freaking genius.
um yeah, neither of them were good. comparing poo to poo here.
how the people of Maine, MAINERS, a wonderfully unique culture of people, vote these kind of people into office blows my mind.
So lets see how this works, LePage is on favor of giving wealthy people, with cash estates if between 1 and 2 million dollars tax free status which cost the state over $100 million, but not willing to give logging companies a $1000 dollar bonus to hire Maine loggers. He gave wealthy people, who own airplanes, a break by eliminating sales tax of airplane repair parts, but no sales tax break for people who attend performances put on by non profit arts organizations, and finally he is not in favor of requiring state buildings to be constructed using energy efficiency standards which would save money through reduced taxes for all Maine citizens.I really wonder if Mr LePage even has the slightest idea how to do his job. Number 1 requirement for any elected official, represent the citizens of your jurisdiction, ALL of them!
Edit
Reply
The airplane thing makes sense in terms of jobs , it’s easy to fly over the boarder into N.H. to have your plane repaired potentially saving hundreds of dollars. By the way , the sales tax on Troy’s logging equipment is a legal deduction on his business tax . Just think about it !
Troy doesn’t own any logging equipment. He is just an operator for contractors. Just think about that!
He’s a friend of, if not working with John Martin. Just think about that.
I’m sure he’s an ‘Operator”. I thought I had read a few years ago, when he was running for re-election, that he worked in his familys logging business. Does the family own the logging business? If someone in his family does, then Troy should not have introduced a bill that he, or his family would benefit from. In typical Martin fashion, I’m sure all corporate paperwork is completed so he is just an officer. It’s a paperwork shuffle.
TERM LIMITS.
He’s an operator and doesn’t own any equipment.
I guess you forgot the Democrat controlled legislature wanted to tax movie tickets, the labor portion of car repairs, etc…In fact the bill was passed and signed into law but repealed by the voters.
We cannot spend out way out of the mess we are in.
That same bill would’ve taxed haircuts too! That had barbers and beauticians upset at the thought of having to collect sales tax for the State.
Unless it is to give his rich friends more tax breaks:)
The tax re-structure lost because the Democrats did a poor job of informing the public more thoroughly, that I will give you. Otherwise, after years of jibber-jabbing mainly from the R’s, the Dems finally DID reform the tax structure. The taxes you mention would have resulted in a few bucks a month of added sales taxes. Given those taxes that would have been cut (income, etc.), every single study showed a net tax CUT for Mainers. But the other side had a strong business lobby, and people focused on the little stuff instead of the bigger picture. It would have been a more balanced system and, again, most everyone would have received a significant NET tax CUT. And so now the R’s are more interested in suppressing voting rights per their ALEC/Heritage Foundation corporate masters than they are fairly and effectively re-structuring the tax code. So we’ll see you in November.
Guess what, I don’t want the government taking any more money out of my pocket. If we cannot afford the programs and services we currently have then we need to cut programs and services. And there ARE programs and services which can be cut or privatized to save money. Save a few dollars here and a few dollars there and pretty soon you are talking about real savings.
And didn’t we vote LAST November of “voter suppression”? Oh, my vote is still be suppressed because now I must vote absentee not later than the Thursday before the general election. Why didn’t we repeal the WHOLE law instead of only single piece the Democrats found objectionable? Isn’t my vote just as important as your vote?
There are non-profit community theater groups all over the state that operate on shoestring budgets, get funding from corporate sponsors, such as Norway Savings Bank, and from their ticket sales, or from fund raising drives. They provide mid- to high quality local entertainment, often using local volunteer actors, set builders, lighting and sound techs… being exempt from a sales tax on ticket sales would be a boost to their revenues that would primarily benefit their local communities by letting these groups provide better opportunities for everyone involved: those on stage, behind stage, in the audience.
I have watched real skills passed on to young participants of these productions that have served them well as they mature and move on with careers. The ability to stand in front of an audience and speak, or sing, or dance, or dramatically enact a provocative scene is a skill that serves a person well in their everyday lives at work. The technical skills required to do lighting and sound translates well into specific careers, giving the young people involved hands on training at low cost. I know of people that were involved in community performance art that have gone on to sing at Carnegie Hall, to perform on Broadway, to make careers out of the experiences they were exposed to by their participation. I have seen young folks gain confidence in themselves, even when they were only helping behind the scenes, doing the support functions for a production.
I don’t know the specifics of the bill in question, but for all the reasons above helping these local cultural treasures (even the out of key, out of step productions have their merits) thrive seems to not require much thought. Making life hard for these groups seems small minded. Nobody’s ever accused the gov’nah of being small minded, now have they?
It is against national law, which was signed into law by Mr. Clinton. I will make a deal with you, I will vote to impeach Lepage because he doesn’t represent ALL of the citizens if you vote to impeach Obama, who doesn’t represent ANY of them. Get real, don’t you get bad breath when crap like that comes out of your mouth?
Is it legal for Gov. Paul Lepage to do this?
Oh.
And if you were Gov, you could too if you wished.
I’ve been disappointed with the way Maine’s government has run for about 30 years. It is going to be hard to undo a lot of the damage done.
How are the poor and needy helped when we have agencies with Baldacci appointees spending close to $300,000 per unit so they can green up Portland instead of housing the poor and needy? How are those folks housed when the same appointees donate some of their funding to help prisoners put on plays?
Send LePage back to where he went to dodge the Vietnam War: Canada…
as well as for important initiatives meant to foster growth and create good paying jobs in Maine industries, increasing our overall tax base.
Isn’t that what the logging bill was all about?
Seems there must be more why he vetoed this.
Thank you Governor. Keep it up!!
He is exactly right. I agree. Tax exemptions should only be for extreme cases such as food and shelter. Go Paul!
I agree on that but why not offer the tax incentive to logging companies to hire Mainers?
You guys take Politics way too seriously. Get off your Butts and run yourself if you think you can do better.
What rubbish. Maine’s minority governor vetoes a bill designed to make Maine homes more energy efficient, a bill to give tax incentives to Maine companies to hire Mainers, and a bill to allow non-profits in the arts (who, once again EMPLOY MAINERS!!) to avoid sales taxes. Arguments about cost-shifting the tax burden are nonsense- increasing the energy of Maine’s homes would save tax money over any period of time longer than LePage’s attention span; the tax credit offered to Maine logging companies would be offset by the revenues generated by employed Mainers working for these companies; and, though it may come as something of a surprise to Maine’s self-appointed tsar of acceptable artwork, non-profit performing arts organizations in Maine employ Mainers, too. Considering that the American corporate world that bankrolled LePage exists on TIFFs and other tax dodges, I find it curious that LePage would choose to veto three bills in Maine that promise increased savings and employment via reduced taxes. Isn’t that what the Tea Party types are always going on about?
Hey LePage, where are all the jobs that you promised Mainers over a year ago ? No jobs, just LIES from you.
“Before the end of the last session, the governor had vetoed 12 bills, all of which were upheld by the Legislature.” I am beginning to wonder if we need a Governor at all?
Why should I be surprised that a GOP Gov would VETO a Demorats Bill?
The BDN presented this article as Democratic bills. Well of course our Governor should veto them if they do not have bipartisan support.
It is interesting the way BDN stated the veto of the logging bill. The two have been at odds over the logging issue. That says Lapage vetoed because of Jackson and not the real issue!!!!!!! Or am I wrong?
LePage always looks out for the Canadian Loggers who rape the Northern Maine Woods. LePage could care less whether Mainers ever see a paycheck from these Canadian Logging Companies.
Cheer up. Only 1,090 days left to savor this tea party jewel.
Good to see some representatives of the people have shucked their brick wall Republican stance by telling this dictatorial monarch not everyone enjoys the privileged life of the few.
I have not read the bills, but I believe that we should be putting Mainers to work before we out source the jobs to other states or countries. We need to take care of the people in Maine not worry someother country or state. Who will spend more money in Maine the person living here or a person that take thie money home to a different place? I believe that the more we spend in our community the more we help ourselves and neigbors as keeping the money here we provide more work for ourselves. Maine business’ provide the work for us not some company from across the border.
LePage is the man! Maine needed someone to shake things up and he is doing a fantastic job!
No surprise here. Wonder if he even read more than just the title and who the bill was presented by.
What would you expect?
three democrats will not get their payoffs this time.
It’s good to be king!
A few *Forgotten Facts* to them *Dems.* Read it and WHINE !!! ;<) Google Mr. Baldacci.
In 2004, Baldacci signed executive order 13 FY 04/05 titled "An Order Concerning Access to State Services By All Entitled Maine Residents", which, among other things, prohibited state employees from inquiring about immigration status when people apply for public assistance or services. Due to this executive order, his political opponents have labeled Maine a "sanctuary state" for illegal immigrants.
Following info courtesy of, The Kennebec Journal…October 10, 2010
Maine’s welfare system offers one of the most generous benefits packages in the nation.
Almost 30 percent of our population receives some form of benefit. Between 2003 and 2010, Maine’s welfare enrollment grew 70 percent (from 226,000 to 381,000), according to a report from the Maine Heritage Policy Center, a conservative think tank.
Is that really “Maine, the way life should be?”
Maine ranks second in the nation in all three major welfare programs: Food stamps, cash public assistance (TANF) and in Medicaid enrollment as a percent of total population, according to the Maine Heritage Policy Center
Gov. John Baldacci’s executive order in 2004 effectively turned Maine into a sanctuary state. According to the last census in 2000, Maine’s population of illegal immigrants ranged in the thousands.
How many may be currently accessing our tax funded welfare system? How can we possibly know? Maine employees are prohibited from inquiring about immigration status.
A residency requirement could save our state hundreds of thousands of dollars paid in benefits to illegal immigrants as well as immigrants who aren’t qualified to receive benefits under the federal umbrella.
Recovery begins one step at a time. Let’s take our first step toward protecting Maine people by empowering Maine employers to ask for immigration status before asking, “What can we give you?”
Lepage is MPHC, ALEC, AFP and Koch brother approved.
In my opinion Paul, You are completely and utterly worthless to the entire State of Maine. The fact that you would be happier with Canadians taking ‘our’ jobs, as I have seen/and dealt with in Calais, Maine for many, many years is astonishing! The idea of keeping Mainer’s working and not letting our jobs being taken from people living~NOT IN OUR STATE, let alone OUR COUNTRY is a no-brainer! As you whine and cry about welfare! Please, it’s because the majority of the State’s jobs are taken from out-of-staters and Canadians! Just something to ponder. You actually vetoed an energy efficiency bill? LD 1264 to be exact! What is your reason for that? Just can’t imagine! Also, The Performing Arts? Seriously? Okay, I’m all for the Arts. I love the entertainement; some people are very talented. You may consider them for your cabinet! You also confused me & many, many other Mainer’s with your little veto on LD 338……No income taxes for logging companies that hire Maine residents? Is that to make the logging companies richer? They can hire the Canadians and pay less taxes? Hhmmmm……Us Mainer’s, screwed again!! I thought during your campaign you bragged to “Put People First”…..bawhahahaha……you have done nothing of the sort!! You need to take a step back, open your greedy, little eyes, and realize what you are doing and how you are affecting the People of the State of Maine….please? You have vetoed over 12 bills so far, all which were upheld from the Legislature. We are just hoping for a 2/3rds majority vote in the Senate, and your veto’s are overridden!! You have vetoed so many bills in such a short time; I think we should of waited and nicknamed you McVeto, and not Governor McKernon. Thank you for your time. Thank the U.S. for allowing me to vocalize my opinion…..while we still have that freedom left! Maine needs a new Governor and quick!!
I ran into a pregnant young woman and her boyfriend, getting a ride from her mother to Massachuesetts today. She was angry with Lepage. Seems her benefits and boyfriends have been cut to nothing in Maine. Her mother has custody of her son, and her new baby is going directly to mom as soon as he pops out. She has decided to flee to Massachuesetts with the promise of great benefits. With her was three other shelter men! She is just 2 weeks from her due date and said she was on several phych drugs, poor baby. She said, that Boston hospital was so much better then Maine hospital for delivery and no cost down there. Her mom said, that Mass will take custody of baby and make sure grandmother gets him.
Looks like our welfare buses are heading for Mass. I talked to 2 other men at shelter Tuesday and they were on way to Conneticut.
LD 205, a bill that exempted nonprofit performing arts organizations from sales taxes, sponsored by Sen. Stan Gerzofsky, D-Brunswick
Oh spare me the tears really. The “Arts” as you call them are nothing more than an opportunity to give an unbalanced group of Socialists,i.e.,( Moonbats) the ability to promote their slanted ideology to the younger generations and portray themselves as normal (progressive) thinkers.
In reality, Our tax dollars have funded some or the MOST perverted and anti-American philosophy know to modern man.
Need I mention, under the protection of FREEDOM of SPEECH, the following items…
#1- P–s Christ is a 1987 photograph by artist and photographer Andres Serrano. It depicts a small plastic crucifix submerged in a glass of the artist’s urine. The piece was a winner of the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art’s “Awards in the Visual Arts” competition, which is sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a United States Government agency that offers support and funding for artistic projects.
#2-The Holy Virgin Mary ,The work employs mixed media , including oil paint, glitter, and polyester resin, and also elephant dung and collaged pornographic images. The central Black Madonna is surrounded by many collaged images that resemble butterflies at first sight, but on closer inspection are photographs of female private parts.
I believe my point to be verified by the Facts !
Your rebuttal Please. ;<)
The bill as proposed was to exempt “nonprofit performing arts organizations” from paying sales tax on purchases made and nothing to do with the examples you presented.
Well I see Disqus is having “issues” today by posting responses as a new post.
What I find disappointing about this article is the headline. Instead of providing readers a way to understand the issue comprehensively, it kicks off with a headline that is sure to polarize.
I’m wondering if the comments would have been different had the headline been “Le Page follows in Baldacci’s shoes and vetoes another Jackson logging-related bill.”