MADISON, Maine — Energy, education and cutting government red tape were the big topics of discussion during the Capitol for a Day town hall meeting at Madison Junior High School on Thursday evening.
Gov. Paul LePage and members of his Cabinet took questions from the audience during the hour-and-a-half meeting. Between 150-200 people attended including state representatives and senators.
However, the first question from the audience accused Treasurer Bruce Poliquin of the merits of his receiving a $5,000-a-year tax break on his waterfront property in Georgetown through the Maine Tree Growth Program.
“I understand why folks want to take shots at us,” said Poliquin, referring to the scandal of former Maine Turnpike Authority Executive Director Paul Violette pleading guilty to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars that were misappropriated during his tenure.
LePage stood by Poliquin.
“There have been a few instances where people have stepped on the line in my administration,” he said. “And they’re gone in less than 24 hours.”
The topic quickly turned to education, where LePage and Department of Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen had to defend the state’s policy on school choice and giving state money to religious schools.
“We’re not giving them money because they’re teaching religion,” said LePage. He emphasized that nonpublic schools such as religious, academies and technical schools all have to have the same certification in order to receive state money.
“It’s not a novel idea,” said Bowen. “The law was changed in 1981 [to restrict religious schools from receiving state tuition].”
LePage said students would benefit from having more options through school choice.
“[The United States is] 27th in the world [in education],” said LePage. “If parents are going to be more involved then we need to give them some choice.”
Having another option from getting from Nova Scotia to Quebec was also asked by an audience member. Commissioner of the Department of Transportation David Bernhardt said an east-west highway through Maine would cost about $1 billion. The state can’t afford it, he said.
LePage said the state is looking for private investors, but added that the federal government has also taken an interest in it.
“But they have less money than we do,” said LePage with a laugh. He added that the premiers of Quebec and Nova Scotia are both in favor of the highway.
While visiting area businesses on Thursday, LePage said he was often asked about energy costs. The town hall meeting was no different. The subject was brought up twice.
LePage said Mainers pay the 12th highest electricity costs in the nation at 30 percent above the national average. He said Mainers pay about 13 cents per kilowatt hour compared to Quebec which is 4.36 cents.
“For the next 10 to 15 years, whether we want to or not, we have to go with the most inexpensive form of electricity to have a prayer to stay competitive,” said LePage.
Cutting government regulations and red tape was also brought up.
Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture Walter Whitcomb said there are 1,200 pages of regulations involving people who process meat.
“Somewhere in 1,200 pages we should be able to cut back a little bit,” said Whitcomb.
Hack and Slash Maine and sell it to the highest bidder!
Private Postal Services,Charter Schools, Private Roads, Beach Front Treefarms Tax shelters for the Treasurer,Ect, Ect, Ect
Promise Mainers an Annual Average Family $134.00 Tax Break for Votes and this is what you get!
What a Crony Capitalist Agenda!
What are you whining about.
The Balcaddi administration has been gone for over a year.
Having been at the meeting, I would say this story is fair and accurate coverage. Good job Alex!
Not even close to fair on the issue of the treasurer. here’s what really happened.
When asked during the public forum whether he will prove he is not cheating the tax system, Poliquin suggested he is being unfairly targeted by political opponents. “I can understand why people are critical of the work… I’m doing in Augusta,” he told the questioner. “But we’re going to continue to do it undeterred and folks can take shots at us if they wish.” Poliquin stated that his is only one of 23,000 Tree Growth lots in the State of Maine, and implied that he therefore should not face special scrutiny.”Answer the question!” another audience member shouted in response.Poliquin said no more about the issue. Instead, Gov. Paul LePage provided his own comment. “The responsibility of the [local] community is to see that the people who benefit from the plan are abiding by their plan,” he said. “The town in which Mr. Poliquin’s land is located has not contacted me to tell me… that his property is in violation of the tree growth plan.”
http://www.mainesmajority.org/press-release-2012-feb-23
“Gov. Paul LePage provided his own comment. “The responsibility of the [ local ] community is to see that the people who benefit from the [ State ] plan are abiding by their [ State approved and State Forestry Dept. administered ] plan,”
This is the openness in State Government that they promised ?
Well, LePage was right about it being amazing, anyway.
Oh, and before we hear it from a conservative sycophant,
sure, they really are hardly very much worse than
the very worse of all the Maine State politicians in the past thirty-five years.
We are giving you that point, but so what about it ?
Paul you cannot wait that is what made the bridge fall. You cannot count on the towns to contact you you must research what the people are asking, implying, or alleging. How do you know that there is even an honest Local government. example: FACT:The town of Lincoln never contacted the residence around the surrounding proposed wind farm sight so that they could exercise their constitutional rights,and voice their opinions as tax payers,landowners, Americans, or seasonal resident,. —————— Got Vision
He certainly has no problem going after anyone receiving state welfare or MaineCare assistance. When it comes to his cronies we’re supposed to wait for someone to come to him!!! Give me a break. More of talking out of both sides of his mouth depending on who he’s talking about. It’s okay for the rich to commit fraud,but not the poor. The rich are automatically innocent and the poor are automatically guilty according to the LePage School or what’s right andwrong!!!
Hate to break it to you, but his tree growth plan was accepted by the town; which has suggested reviewing all of them. By involving more people you increase the # of opponents and unite them with Poliquin. As some have pointed out, Poliquin could seek perhaps a larger tax exemption under one of the other open space programs, as might the other 11.
“CHeating”…his plan was signed and sealed by all the legal authorities and he didn’t lie. I wouldn’t answer partisan haters either…let the questioner drown in their own bile!
If you say so it must be true.LOL
Mr. LePage seems to be giving Bruce a pass on his tree farm tax exemptions. Seems that stepping “On the line” is a bad thing to do in the LePage administration. However, if like Bruce you’re willing to take a running spread eagle flying leap over the line to keep some major taxpayer change in your own pockets, oh well that’s just fine. Thanks for nothing again Paul.
I have to admit, Poliquin completely dodged the question asked by the lady. It wasn’t even a graceful dodge. It made me laugh. I don’t know if he is scamming the system or not, but he sure didn’t defend himself very clearly. It makes me go hmmmmmmm……
Thank you and midmainer below for these details. They help to confirm what we all know/”suspect.” Mr. Poliquin is dirty and would in any honest political administration have been swept away months ago. Paul’s attempt to cover for him was just as weak/bad as the AG’s attempt to also delay and ultimately dodge the same question about Mr. Poliquin’s repeated efforts to unlawfully keep more tax money in his pocket. Poliquin’s best self defense thus far is that he didn’t do anything that others haven’t done and thus it’s unfair to pick on him just because he’s the State Treasurer. Sorry Bruce, most of us look at it just the opposite. It’s because you are who you are professionally and personally that we will never let you off on this theft.
Poor Poliquin just suffers from rich, entitled man’s disorder. He feels he is entitled to take advantage of the loopholes of a law/regulation or to push the envelope when it comes to the intent of a program. I am not saying anything he has done is illegal, but in my world of ethics, I would question if what he is doing falls into the unethical.
I admit I like how he has handled the Treasurer’s job so far. But I am concerned when someone who usually gives straightforward answers does the dirty dodge and deflect maneuver when confronted with a simple yes or no question.
Losing is hard to deal with isn’t it? Poliquin is still treasurer and doing a better job than Dale McCormick ever did; he’s survived an onslaught of hostile media criticism over his struggling beach resort; and many personal insults,,”rich, entitled man’s disorder’….sounds like you’ve got him infected with ALFOND’s (Justin) disease?
LePage is on a roll, especially with his progressive energy policies and restoration of Maine’s original school choice program.
Madison is symbolic because it has one of the few remaining municipal electric utilities and the rates are amazingly low….but I just know you want to pay ultra high rates for wind mill power, while LePage wants our economy to benefit from inexpensive electricity and thrive like Quebec’s.
I’m backing LePage all the way on energy.
LePage is on a roll alright. he’s a runaway snowball, but the bottom of the hill is fast approaching.
No he is trying to get us out of the mess you Liberals put us in. If Liberals did what the majority of us wanted them to do and that is focusing on jobs, infrastructure , fixing our pathetic failing schools. Instead of wasting our tax dollars and time on Welfare and Gay Marriage they would still be in office. Democrats only care about buying votes to stay in power. The Liberals need to get the heads out of the forest. They need to stop hugging trees , cuddling to Welfare Bums , and to the Gays and Lesbians and start doing their jobs. Fixing the Economy is the priority not the foolishness and the stupidity that Liberals want.
That is why they try to stall in Augusta holding Maine’s working taxpayers hostage. Why because they don’t want to hurt their voting block. To heck with them they need to get out and get jobs and stop living off of our tax dollars. Fixing Maine’s Economy and Fiscal House should be the top priority not appeasing to those mooching off of the Government dole.
“He survived an onslaught?” Are you serious. Surviving is not the same as evading and avoiding.
And you had better not be referring to the Harold Alfond who has done so much for this state.
You’re quite the piece of work.
First, LePage is roll right to sinking any chances his party has of keeping the legislature in November. They will definitely lose the House and very possibly the State Senate as well. It is folks in rural Maine, including plenty of Republicans there, who despise the school choice scheme the most because it is the schools in those areas which will be most negatively impacted. Giving public money to private religious schools should be held extremely unconstitutional all over this nation as a blatant violation of the first amendment. Like so many other of LePage’s schemes, this school policy is right out of the ALEC/MHPC playbook and will not fly in Maine. As to the US being 27th in the world in education, it is NUMB to compare such aggregates with countries like Sweden and Japan which are smaller,much more homogeneous, and who don’t include special education kids in their test scores. Now, if you want to compare just Beverly Hills ‘American public schools to Japan’s and Sweden’s aggregates, you’ll find a much narrower gap if there is one at all. You can’t make numb sweeping comparisons that are apples to oranges.
Madison’s electric rates are not low they are on par with CMP or Bangor Hydro/Maine Public Service. Madison used to have some of the lowest rates in the state for many years. Though since Cal Ames became head of MEW our rates have skyrocketed now at 16 cents was 20 cents total not long ago. With Madison Electric now trying to use gimmicks to have us spend tens of thousands of dollars on special water heaters and electric heaters to lower our rates. Madison has become a socialist town with spending out of control, the school district failing, government growing rapidly. This town now wants us to borrow $103 million dollars so they can play gas company. With Madison trying to take away KVGAS’ proposed gas pipeline that they already have preliminary approval for with the PUC. They have nearly a 3 year headstart on Madison and will get final approval in the spring. But to say Madison has low electric rates is not correct. Most of Maine’s electric companies have the some of the highest electric rates in the country that is why LePage is looking to Hydro Quebec for help.
You are absolutely right, StillRelaxin. It is because of who he is. His feeble attempt to excuse himself by saying, “I only own 1 ten-acre lot of the 23 thousand” is no excuse. Theft is not measured in acres, Mr. P. It is a reflection of who you are…and you have your hands in the state till. Maybe your boss will turn a blind eye to theft, but we hard-working Mainers will NOT.
If your boss condones it, he should be sent packing right along with you.
To further say, “We will continue undeterred…” shows how cocky Poliquin is and how he plans
to continue whether we like it or not.
It makes me want to create a volunteer civilian police review board with subpoena powers
that allows voters and taxpayers to regain civilian control of our criminal justice system
while restoring integrity to and counteracting he said she said good old boy system of injustice in Maine.
Whether it was done “legally” or not it says it all about the hypocrisy of Bruce Poliquin’s stance. The GOP wants to get rid of the wasteful spending by government, it wants to target people who are beating the system. Well what is Mr. Poliquin doing? BEATING THE SYSTEM. What bothers me most is that he has the money to buy 12 pristine acres of oceanfront property, but thinks he shouldn’t have to pay the taxes. And let’s not forget the lying about playing dumb about running his business while acting as State Treasurer. Maybe his next focus should be on all the tax dodgers to find some extra money for our state. He can start in his own backyard.
Democrats have the troops out daily to smear and discredit anything and everything LePage does. You’re doing a great job of towing the party line.
Nobody needs help discrediting LePage. He does that quite well all by himself.
Poliquin is a snake in the LePage snakepit. Kilts should be the required dress code for them, since all they know is how to skirt issues.
If they leave the ball in his park its going to sting but I do believe we are going to see the welfare buses continue to pull out. I think its going to get worse before it gets better, but he is going to clean up welfare.
I love his ideas on education as well, vocational schools and charter. School choice, let the parents choose, school vouchers. Lepage would even like to see the first year of college completed in high school paid for by tax payers rather then students, I think that would be awesome really, give our youth a fighting chance. That said, I do believe that if a private school cost more than a public system the parents should pay the difference and transportation costs. I have always transported my children to their private school. Public schools must recognize children with special needs and those gifted.
school choice will turn public education into special needs education. Private schools skim the top 25 % of the students from the public rolls. Does John Bapst accept students with disabilities or special needs? Isn’t that discrimination ?
….
Are you serious. If school choice is granted statewide it will help everyone. We won’t be stuck with the same failed one size fits all socialist that has failed Maine for the last 30+ years. We won’t be stuck with awful superintendents, school board members and administrators that refuse to make changes. Let us have choice, open enrollments etc.. Let the parents decide what is best for their kids if going to a new school is better for them than they should be allowed to have it. But to keep us in the status quo is unacceptable.
….
At least I’ m not kissing the butts of Liberals so I can get freebies like all of the Welfare Bums and Liberals in Maine currently do. At least some of us have the strength to get out of bed in the morning and get in the car and go to work we don’t sit at home being lazy. The Liberals like yourself would rather see us fall further from the 27th in the country that we are now in Education. Because of the failed one size fits all socialist system that Democrats in Maine and Nationally thinks works. It doesn’t now that is why Liberals are up in arms because most of us want change. We don’t want to be stuck bound to the failed public school that hasn’t worked for 30 years. We want to be allowed to send our kids to better schools. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid from Liberal Maine Democrats, Maine Teacher’s Union and the MPA. They are what is causing our schools to fail.
….
….
That is a very fair and respectful opinion. We need more of these types of comments rather than target practicing.
You can watch the video of Treasurer Poliquin not answering the question about whether he will release his Forest Management Plan here:
http://youtu.be/VMiGSxy0m34
They’re public documents..
http://www.state.me.us/doc/mfs/fpm/wwi/DOCS/wwi_fmp_forester_cert.pdf.
Your ignorance is astounding, or are you too lazy to drive down to the Town Clerk’s office?
And your point in providing a link to a blank document?
“I bet you write on bathroom walls a lot!…you’ve got a real talent for hate speak!” Look Og, what goes around really does come around.
Very interesting non-answer by Poliquin and ridicuous follow-up by LePage!!!
The big announcement overlooked by Alex Barber is that Gov. Paul LePage signed the supplemental DHHS budget compromise:
http://bit.ly/wBlZTC
Gerry,
That made it in my story on the budget. It didn’t make sense for Alex to include it in his as well.
-Eric Russell
This thing was just like the rest, LePage fields questions, really doesn’t answer them, throws out some false stats, a few lies, let’s his administrators do the same, and moves on. These forums are a huge waste of time and tax dollars.
All they are is junior high school cheerleader camps for the dim-witted.
Just for clarifications sake, Walter (not Bob) Whitcomb is the state’s Agriculture Commissioner. You know, the commercial dairy farmer, former minorty leader turned bureaucrat who wants the state to sue the gentleman in Blue Hill for selling minimal amounts of raw milk?
MORE ON THE ROAD TO WHERE ?
“Having another option from getting from Nova Scotia to Quebec was also asked by an audience member. Commissioner of the Department of Transportation David Bernhardt said an east-west highway through Maine would cost about $1 billion.” ….
even if would be neighborly for people, CANADIANS going to and from Quebec and NEW BRUNSWICK * actually,
… “The state can’t afford it, he said.”
* I’d have more confidence in an Administration where a Commissioner of the Department of Transportation knows his State and its geography.
But that just what these meeting are for, isn’t it ?
Actually the Commissioner is well aware of the CP bullet line from Montreal to Halifax that once was the real E-W corridor. But the advocates want Rt 2 turned into an E-W version of I 95. This is an old, old discussion and politicians (D’s esp) could care less.
So Organicgardener, do you understand why a road makes any since given the rising price of fuel and the hassles of crossing the border, TWICE ?
I guess I’m a “d” .
Halifax , you say, Sport ?
Well, you can’t get theah from heah, by road . .
You have to go to New Brunswick, Canada, first.
“I guess I’m a “d”. That isn’t something to be proud of. This highway has major benefits it would save on fuel , cut down costs to ship goods, save on travel time. It would cut down the wear and tear from trucks destroying our roads. It will help folks who want to go to Sugarloaf to ski their is alot of good things to come from this road. Liberals need to stop hugging trees. If we are going to grow jobs and the economy. We need better infrastructure we can’t live in the dark ages with bad roads, bad communications (Fairpoint–remember who brought us that one huh). We need to move out of the 18th century into the 21st century.
we got to get rid of this guy put him on a boat with abama and sink it far from shore so the crap stays far away
Lepage gave 17 million Maine tax payer dollars to a Canadian investment bank even though they had no business plan in place. Now all of the sudden he is against public investment. Lepage is clearly a sadistic lying crook. The people of central Maine will end up paying for this pipe line no matter who builds it. So we might just as well earn some of the profits.
LW, will you provide a link re. this? Thanks.
Lepage signed the illegal bill which requires the tax payers of Maine to take the Dolby landfill from Brookfield asset management of Toronto Canada
http://brookfield.com/content/corporate/contact_us-27.html for 17 million dollars and we are required to pay the $250000 per year operating costs in perpetuity.
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2011/06/16/politics/katahdin-landfill-bill-okd-despite-claims-of-corporate-blackmail/ The bill is illegal because .the Maine Constitution. Specifically, bars taking on liabilities greater than $2 million, unless approved by a referendum by Maine voters.
Section 14. Authority and procedure for issuance of bonds. The credit of the State shall not be directly or indirectly loaned in any case, except as provided in sections 14-A, 14-B, 14-C and 14-D. The Legislature shall not create any debt or debts, liability or liabilities, on behalf of the State, which shall singly, or in the aggregate, with previous debts and liabilities hereafter incurred at any one time,
exceed $2,000,000
http://www.maine.gov/legis/const/Constitution2005-14.htm
Greatly appreciate your help, LW. Hard to keep up w/all his bs, but will add it to the dossier. Sooner or later, we’ll have him.
“There have been a few instances where people have stepped on the line in my administration,” he said. “And they’re gone in less than 24 hours.”
Uh, Governor, perhaps you’re not aware of this, but Poliquin is not part of your administration. He is a constitutional officer elected by the legislature. Even though the Republican legislature stupidly licked your boots by appointing him, you cannot fire him. Sorry. That said, if Poliquin had even a shred of integrity and character he would resign immediately.
LePage doesn’t understand government rules yet. They are way beyond his grasp.
I bet you write on bathroom walls a lot!…you’ve got a real talent for hate speak!
He is just like all Liberals and Welfare Bums very angry at LePage. They will not be getting their handouts for much longer. They will have to find new sugar daddies to pay for them or have to get jobs like the rest of us. It’s about time these cuts are way overdue. Our state can’t keep having this massive shortfalls anymore its breaking the state’s fiscal house and the backs of Working Maine Taxpayer’s.
“Liberals and Welfare Bums, Liberals and Welfare Bums, Liberals and Welfare Bums”, hey dc I can cut and paste too. You need some new material.
Typical Liberal and Welfare Bum response. Attack folks because you have nothing to say , you Libs and Welfare Bums are losing the battle with Augusta. Maybe folks like you need to get out and get jobs and stop living off of our tax dollars. Your afraid you might lose your freebies waahh want a crying towel. Maine would be a better place if we didn’t have to pay for the Welfare Crowd. Instead of wasting our tax dollars so you can sit home being lazy and watch tv and playing on the computer all the time. Go get a job head to the career center.
Maybe my job pays more than yours. You don’t speak like a white collar worker. If so I pay higher taxes, unless I’m a 1%er. You too seem to spend an inordinate amount of time on the computer, so either you’re home or you’re at work, not working. Boo Hoo is someone picking on poor Paulie? I think you need the crying towel. Save it for November when all us Liberal Bums take our State back.
I don’t spend enough time in public bathrooms for that. Do you? Maybe you hang out there waiting for your fertilizer.
I knew a man bojangles and he learned to dance at Mardens.
If you want to be like Quebec and get electricity for 4.65 cents per kWh – then do like they do in Quebec.
Let the government own and operate the electric utilities – and build 3100 MW of wind power capacity.
Socialism is good for Quebec.
yessah
LOL…I love all the references to Canada and how ‘great’ socialism is working for them when we hear more and more every day how they are in the same debt-laden downturn the rest of us face. It’s only a matter of time before the canadian banks face their own financial crisis and end up singing the same tune as their European counterparts.
http://www.ctv.ca/generic/generated/static/business/article2347476.html
Central economic planning simply does work in the long term…never has, never will.
All it does is transfer wealth from the middle class to those who have access to power and write the laws to benefit themselves and their friends.
HUH? Quebec’s free market economy is booming …..best in Canada and N. America.
The electric power is so cheap they heat their houses with it and only wind turbines are for remote areas not serviced with transmission lines or hydro plants.
Sure build wind farms, tear off the top of wild mountains and scar them with access roads and clear cut transmission corridors….AND for all this permanent damage it will cost us $.50/Kwh and the turbines will have to be replaced or repaired after 10 years…warranty runs out in 20…put up 3 and 2 might work some of the time. And when the wind doesn’t blow, you need to fire up the fossil fuel generators(natural gas from CANADA) or buy coal fired power from the New England grid.
Maine should own all the hydro power, no one person owns all that water.
Anyone who steps on the line is gone? Paulie lives on the line and we can’t seem to get rid of him.
I wish I was paying 13¢ a kilowatt hour, my bill comes up with 18¢ per KWH!!
Vermont cut a deal with Hydro Quebec that dropped the rates in participating utilities down to 6 cents!
The tree growth program is another example of wealthy people stealing from the rest of us. Yes, there are a few poor folk who would loose their land without the tax shifting that tree growth accomplishes, but I’m pretty sure that most landowners who benefit from tree growth are similar to our fair treasurer. More welfare for the well-off.
One might think we could end the 1% er’s crap AND make sure no poor folks ”
would loose their land” .
I used think the grown ups of Maine could get that much done, at least.
Put in those natural gas lines
Governor!
Fletcher as well knows that dense
energy sources are needed in Maine for our remaining manufacturing
base to be competitive worldwide.
The new gas line to Lincoln’s paper
mill will save millions in electric costs making it world class and
preserving hundreds of good paying jobs (while Lincoln’s wind
turbines stand as a monument of green stupidity a few miles away for
all to see, creating 3 sometimes jobs, and little electricity )
What a farce the wind scam has been!
Now that the word is out, with the
Maine PUC coming down on First Wind’s breach of legal process in
merger deals as well as underhanded tactics to influence the PUC, the
heat will be on this scamming , process breaching , subsidy sucking
feckless electrical producer.
Without the Production Tax Credits,
wind is dead, and all know it.
Decades of support for this industry
has done nothing but feed the likes of snake oil salesmen Angus King
and Kurt Adams and others in state government.
Now get those gas lines up to
Millinocket,(and all over) get those bio-bricks going in Millinocket
and hundreds of more jobs will be created.
Drill off of the coast in deep water
like the Canadians do in the Maritimes, tap their cheap hydro,
redevelop our own, and watch Maine revive over the next decade.
Stop the green industrial scamming , and watch
Maine revive!
Develop dense energy sources we have in
abundance domestically (even Obama admits we must), and end the
stupidity of green scamming and self-imposed failure.
Oh , BTW, Obama just approved more
nukes. Enjoy!
Obama knows that to keep his job he has to get real in an election year, and he knows he needs dense energy sources for that as well!
He hurt the country by not approving the Keystone pipe line.
He started his term at $1.89 for a gallon of gasoline, now what is it?
November cannnot come soon enough!
There is little surpise in LePage backing Poliquin. There is honor among thieves.
So much for accusations that these events are “scripted,” and don’t include controversial questions.