A legislative committee on Thursday approved a bill that would give the board of the Maine State Housing Authority the power to fire the executive director.
That post is now a four-year term and the governor can remove the executive director only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty or misconduct in office.” Unlike other quasi-governmental bodies, the board cannot fire the executive director.
MaineHousing, and its director, Dale McCormick, have been at the center of an increasingly intense political debate as Treasurer Bruce Poliquin and new board members appointed by Gov. Paul LePage have sought to assert their influence over leadership at the agency. Lawmakers recently voted to have the Legislature’s investigative arm look into MaineHousing’s expenses over the past five years related to memberships, contributions, travel and other areas.
One brief sticking point Thursday was whether the legislation, LD 1778, should take effect immediately or in 2014 — after McCormick’s term expires.
On Thursday, as the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee opened its session, co-chairman Sen. Christopher Rector, R-Thomaston, said a provision delaying key parts of the bill until 2014 had been stricken from the bill. It was then unanimously approved by all lawmakers there. Not present were Sen. Thomas Martin, R-Benton, and Rep. Erin Herbig, D-Belfast. The issue was over in a matter of minutes.
The bill, which makes other changes in the authority’s governance, will now move on to consideration by the full Legislature.
Asked after Thursday’s vote about removal of the delay provision, which was part of an amendment he had drafted, Rep. John Tuttle, D-Sanford, said lawmakers from both parties discussed the issue and decided that it would “delay a lot of the changes” that they felt were important. Those included staggering terms of board members to prevent massive turnover, and having board meetings run according to Robert’s Rules of Order.
“It’s a question of good governance,” said Rector.
If the bill provided for good governance at MaineHousing, then it should go into effect immediately, he said.
Asked if passage of the bill would lead to McCormick losing her job, Tuttle said he supported the director and had confidence in her. Rector responded that it was a question for the board to answer.
Neither MaineHousing board chairman Peter Anastos nor a spokesman for the agency returned calls for comment.
Ding dong the witc………………well, you know the rest.
Another plum appointment of the failed Baldacci administration will be forced into retirement for the good of the state.
The republicans need to ram through as much of their regressive, out of state special interests agenda as they possibly can as fast as they possibly can because come november we will be telling them to go to their rooms and don’t out until they are ready to behave.
If Poliquin has to resign his Treasurer’s post, guess who is first in line when the MSHA board fires Dale McCormick? Why Poliquin still has his job is beyond me? Let set aside the pending Maine Supreme Judical Court case, and talk about property taxes.
The treasurer went out of his way to avoid paying the full amount of taxes on his property. First, the treasurer went to the Georgetown Town Council to knock a million dollars off his property tax assessment, they said “NO”. Then he went to the Sagadahoc County Commissioners, they too said “No”, Then he finds out that he can file a forest management plan and pay Tree Growth Tax Rate on 10 of his 12 acres, EVEN THOUGH his property deed says future owners can only cut down trees for the betterment of the view. His property is used as an example of tree growth tax rate abuse by the department of forestry. Why hasn’t the Sagadahoc County District Attorney brought property tax evasion charges against Poliquin?
Poliquin also uses tax payer money to fund his blog’s e-mail list.
I also find it slimy that the committee is not waiting for the OPEGA audit to be returned before making an informed decision. Maine Heritage Policy Center and People before Politics is behind this ultra-conservative agenda.
Wake-up Mainers! The conservative agenda in the Governor’s office comes from out of state. Meaning our Governor is not working for us, he is working for some out-of-state political group.
Wait for the OPEGA report? Here is what they had to say about the Maine Turnpike Authority, “OPEGA observed that MTA’s current expenditures are consistent with the culture of a regulated private entity that is financially sound, values quality, desires to stay current, believes in being a good corporate citizen, recognizes its employees and assertively promotes its own best interests. From this perspective, MTA’s expenditures overall could be judged as reasonable.”It took the Government Oversight Committee to uncover Paul Violette’s activities.
I think we’re talking about MSHA here, not turnpike. One has nothing to do with the other.
One does have to do with the other. They are both quasi
government agencies within the State of Maine that were/are financially
mismanaged for the personal gratification of the Directors in charge of them.
Sounds pretty connected to me.
Just because one director is guilty of something, does not mean the other one is. I don’t believe that would stand up in a court of law.
I think we are talking about OPEGA and OPEGA. Have they changed all their personnel? They missed it at MTA. Have they learned anything from that audit?
I thought this article was about MSHA, its Director and the Board of Directors. Sounds like deflection to me. Typical liberal tactic.
The whole organization should be close and all employees fired. They are about as useful as the dept of energy.
My grandmother, who raised 12 children on a rocky little Aroostook farm, and who had go to work in a french fry factory at 68 to earn some social security benefits, lived her last years in affordable housing built through the MSHA, as have thousands of our elders…the people who raised us, who worked their entire lives…do they not deserve safe and affordable housing?
Too many who post on here seem to have forgotten the Golden Rule…
Yes…affordable and more could be built for your grandmother and her friends if Dale had kept costs lower.
Have you actually compared MSHA’s rehab/new construction costs per unit with other NE states?
Given the federal standards, they are not out of line…
I really don’t think that most posters have forgotten; but I do think nearly all politicians have. Your grandmother was helped during the time the department was not rife with corruption. Nowadays, most people seem to have the ‘You Owe Me’ or ‘What Can I Get Out of This’ mentality. And those in office (political and private) seem to be setting the new LOW standard. This once great Constitutional Republic is quickly slipping down the abyss to no-where-land. The elderly and the young who don’t have support from family or friends do need help from us. And I suspect we have the money to do so, if only the ‘vacations’, parties, nice vehicles and family perks are taken away from those who control the purse strings, be they democrats, republicans, independents or just plain crooks. In my humble opinion, kick ’em all out and let’s start over again! But, alas, that will never happen because YOUR (inclusive, not you in particular) politician is not the problem, mine is. Sorry for the rant.
I fully undertand the sentiment, NBO, I’ve been active in both parties over my lifetime, spent much of a decade unenrolled, and have supported two “third” parties. They will all break your heart if you are at all idealistic about the Promise of America…our experiment with democracy.
Having shared that, I do not see today’s Republicans and Democrats as equally culpable for the mess at the state or federal levels over the past threee decades. But blaming is looking backwards & we likely need to be looking forward…
That’s what the housing was designed for, but whats happened is a 30 year unwed mother with 3 children and a boyfriend living there.
They do deserve affordable housing and there could be more of it for the people that need it if it was not for the spending / social policies of Dale McCormick. Do you think that it is reasonable for the cost of one, yes one, apartment in a complex has a price tag of over $200,000 ? If this was done in the private sector all the landlords would go out of business.
Where where YOU when you grandmother needed help? I moved my dad up here from down south and set up mobile home on my property for him to live in all without single program or tax dollar.
This is one of the issues that annoys me to no end. This lady had 12 kids raised them but when she needs help she has to look to the state and get a job! It is not the governments place to care for people. It should also not be paid for with money I earned. Welfare breeds more welfare. Nowhere does welfare decrease it always grows as people see it and give up on any other means of getting something done.
It is sad you grandmother is forced to take welfare and work at 65. It is embarrassing that her family allowed it.
My Grandmother was fiercely independent. By the time her husband – who never had more than 30 acres of potatoes – passed, they had lost all three sons in WW II. All but one of her daughters (my mother) married Airforce guys and left New England, none went to college, and perhaps two of them managed to subsist on much more than poverty levels. My father always held at least two jobs, and we kids were earning money by the time we were 7-8years of age. I can remember when we got plumbing…
Grandmother refused to consider leaving Maine. She did move in with our family after Grampy died…but with 7 people and 3 bedrooms, it didn’t offer her any sort of piece and quiet, which after raising all those kids she craved. That is when she went out to earn some SS credits and put her name on a list for elderly housing in the community in which she was raised, within walking distance of her childhood church, and with people her own age…some of whom she’d gone to elementary school with. It was what she wanted, and she deserved it.
It was a rare day that one of us didn’t stop by to visit. We took her shopping, medical visits & at times – without her realizing it – helped her financially. She passed at 97.
Social Security and Medicare are not welfare…
McCormick needs to go. She clearly used the MHA to advance a social agenda that had nothing to do with housing in Maine and clearly inflated unnecessarily the cost per unit for housing. She needs to go NOW.
The director of MSHA is obligated to institute policies given to them by the Fedral Housing authority, which supplies nearly all of its funding.
McCormick was only doing what was REQUIRED of the job.
Is signing a contract for MSHA with a company and telling the board that they can’t see it doing what is required? If she doesn’t have to disclose what she is doing to the board how do we know she is doing what is required? LIHEAP funding comes from DHHS, weatherization funding comes from DOE. How did they get to MSHA? Dale McCormick as legistator in 1992 helped transfer them from direct state control to MSHA.
One state legislator out of over 150 does not make major policy decisions by themselves. What a silly suggestion. And your implication that McCormick predicted her appointment more than a decade in the future and then set up this system is definitely very, very deep into tinfoil hat territory.
The funds you mention are federal pass through grants and the state gives them to a different agency to administer.
Your new claim that contracts with MSHA were “withheld” from the board is something I’ve never seem claimed by anyone. Did you make it up or do you have a citation to an actual news source to verify?
From theMaineWire; “McCormick Tuesday emphatically praised herself for her work on the carbon trading program, saying that her overview of the project in 2010 resulted in the only applause she’d ever received at a board meeting. McCormick insists that the program will yield over $4 million, based on a contract she has signed with auto-giant Chevrolet. However, when pressed for details of the transaction, McCormick cited a non-disclosure provision that prevented her from revealing the pricing details.”
One legislator can submit legislation and I didn’t say she did it alone. She didn’t have to predict her appointment to a particular job, just create enough political jobs out there she and other members will fall into one of them. Make sure you get on the right committees and you can pronouce yourself experienced in an area and thus suited for the job.
The explains it. You believe the MHPC rag is gospel!!!
And of course, Tyke has NO relationship to MSHA or McCormick. Snort.
I think you are right on target. Tyke may even be the Director, never know.
I suspect you’re spot on. See this exchange also:
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/01/27/politics/legislative-investigation-into-mainehousing-launched-in-wake-of-political-firestorm/#disqus_thread
I remember it well.
Also have to LOVE how McTyke seems to be arguing that because the money is fed money simply passed through HUD to MSHA, we haven’t a leg to stand on because it’s not “our money”–
http://www.maine.gov/portal/government/legislatureGo to this website to get the email address of your elected official. Then WRITE and DEMAND that McCormick be fired.
I don’t see a connection other than he sticks up for members of his party. Rightly or wrongly? Remains to be seen on this issue but be sure he won’t be back if the “gift cards” turn up in the wrong places.
Not gospel, but it was a direct quote from McCormick. Do a little research, instead of defending on the basis that McCormick can do no wrong.
Nope, I always verify. I checked with someone I know who was there not connected with MHPC.
HMMM. Looks like that whole “not allowing the board to see the contract” may be a completely made up story??? No source legitimate for that one I see.
When or if the contract is furnished we will see. Are you saying there was no contract with GM or that the members of the board were already allowed to see it if it exists? Why have they spent a fortune on documenting carbon credits if there is no contract? You going to be back with grilled crow when and if the contract is revealed ? I know I will if there is no contract and I will eat the crow. You see I have a contact that was there and Dale McCormick stated that was a contract and they could not see it. But attack the source if you must. In this case I don’t think it will help your credibility but as I said I will grill the crow if I am wrong.
A portion of a contract that contained company confidential business information and a clause forbidding disclosure was held back.
Doing otherwise would be illegal.
That’s not the same as refusing to let the board see an entire contract which is what was alleged.
Most housing authorities and all state housing authorities have a variety of roles. Folks might want to check out http://www.phada.org/ha_list.php
I reviewed pages and pages of documentation in MHA and HUD and find nothing in the policies that mandate the cockamanie policies instituted by McCormick. If you want to highlight a webpage, be my guest.
McCormick was using TAXPAYER dollars to push HER OWN PERSONAL agenda. She should be fired.
Oh, so THAT’S why every federal audit has found her in compliance with their rules and policies (and there are thousands of pages of them – so your having reviewed them all is extremely impressive!).
Where is it mandated that state housing authorities institute a carbon offset program? Where is it mandated by HUD that rehab programs MUST use solar energy panels that triple the cost of individual units?
I reviewed HUNDREDS of pages, and I learned, among other things, that convicted felons are the LAST to be considered for available housing. SO of course McCormick spent valuable tax dollars for a theatre group involving convicted felons. Pray tell how that’s a good use of our tax dollars?
Based on your comment, I can only assume you have reviewed the “thousands” of pages as well. Are you confident that there has never been any critisism within previous audits?
I did not make any specific claims about the content nor did I (very naively) claim to have reviewed the laws, regulations and polices in place like xxskier did.
Why not ask xxskier?
Audit findings are published separately and are quite easy to review since there are not too many of them. By law the MSHA must reply formally and in writing to any audit finding. OTOH A search of HUD for the term “felon eligibility” yields thousands of hits.
Answer the question I posed to you in another post please. Do you work for MSHA?
Holmes, I think we should request a FOI for the websites McCormick visits and responds to.
I don’t think we need to.
http://www.maine.gov/portal/government/legislatureA website for everyone to use to obtain an EMAIL ADDRESS for their elected state officials. CONTACT THEM and DEMAND that McCormick be FIRED.
No, it was too silly to be thought a real question. Whenever someone posts a valid argument there are always trolls who claim others must be 1) employed by whoever the person wants to attack without being called on any lies or made up “facts” , 2) on welfare or 3) a socialist, communist Muslim Kenyan.
I am a retired former business owner. I have never been involved with construction or with MSHA in any manner.
Thanks for playing and trying so hard to change the subject. It just highlights your lack of real input.
I was not trying to change the subject; I was attempting to
gain some insight as to your knowledge of how MSHA works and the audits
performed. I cannot imagine defending this as hard as you are without being
directly related to the agency.
I dislike witch hunts. There is an audit in progress which will give facts instead of the partisan witch hunt being pushed by Poliquin and the Heritage Foundation weenies. A lot of misiniformation is being bandied about as “truth” and that annoys me. I do not and have not ever worked for MSHA. I have never even met Ms McCormick nor do I have any mutual friends or acquaintances that I know of.
I ma a former business owner and am very familiar with federal audits and how they work. MSHA comes under their scrutiny with great regularity.
Do you work for MSHA?
I assume your failure to answer the question (posed to you twice) would indicate the answer is yes.
no one should have a public sector appointment that keeps them out of oversight
Step one should be the removal of McCormick, this should be followed by an extensive review of MSHA practices and policies. I would think that any housing project that is in the planning stage should be suspended and a cost review completed. It is not even within reason to expect that the cost per unit for low income housing should be anyway near 200 – 300 thousand dollars. Think of all the additional housing that could be provided to those in need if the cost per unit was more in line with the private sector. It has been stated many times that there is a waiting list for affordable housing, MSHA has the ability to provide more for those in need. Stop the ridiculous expenditures on wellness days at Wet and Wild, meetings at expensive resorts ( I think the expensive office complex they have would sufficient) and donations to outside interests that MSHA Director McCormick seems to have an soft spot for. Let’e get costs under control, a superior leadership team in place at MSHA and provide more for less for the people in need here in Maine. As a side note, here is a little advice for Mr. LePage, take the opportunity to make an appointment that is in the best interest of the agency and not a political reward.
amen
MSHA projects are funded by federal money and the feds audit them at least twice every year. The feds are the ones giving priority to renovating historical and asbestos filled buildings, which is what drives upo the costs.
What you are proposing is to spend a significant amount of the Maine General fund (which is already going over budget) to investigate something already investigated regularly and involving almost no state funds.
Additionally MSHA is already being audited by OPEGA.
Why are you so much in favor of bigger more wasteful state government?
Stop rehabbing old buildings and use the money for new construction to keep down costs. The number one priority (housing for the elderly and homeless) has been lost by her team for the sake of leftist social policy and environmental concerns. (Green energy and gentrification)
So call the federal agency that makes the rules and suggest that and stop pretending that implementing policies dictated to her is the director’s fault.
Again, waiting for you to cite chapter and verse where it is mandated by federal policies that MSHA require carbon offsets, solar energy in rehabbed buildings, give preference to contractors that provide employee benefits, etc.
No I will not so your homework for you youngster.
The feds audit MSHA twice a year or more and they haven’t cited any hint of misuse of funds. If you contend that they are wrong it is up to you to tell us exactly and specifically WHY you know that in spite of repeated Federal audits that say the opposite!
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/01/27/politics/legislative-investigation-into-mainehousing-launched-in-wake-of-political-firestorm/#disqus_thread
I cited sources. You do not. That’s because there ARE no federal requirements for the programs I listed.
That is a news source about partisan accusations. Is that really all you’ve got? :)
Taken directly from MSHA policies: all applicants are screened. They must be over 18 yrs old. THey cannot be felons or have drug convictions. Yet the MSHA donated PUBLIC MONEY to work with a prison’s theatre group to address juvenile homelessness. And you don’t see a problem with this, taken DIRECTLY from MSHA? FIRE HER@!!!!!
Reducing the number homelessness if a core HUD goal. Felons have a much higher homelessness rate than the average population. MSHA gets grants from HUD for many things other than building housing. —– but of course they could not have possibly gotten a grant to address one of HUDs core goals. Do you even bother to think before you post?
AND I REPEAT: Felons and juveniles CANNOT be served by MSHA, so why are we using tax dollars for these constituencies? DO you even bother to read before you type???
OK. Read slowly. It might help. Felons and juveniles cannot apply for directed benefits awarded by MSHA, but not everything MSHA does results in a directed benefit. MSHA does more than build houses and apartments.
They can benefit indirectly from programs run by MSHA if those programs meet the HUD policy goals. Try not to continue to commit the very errors you accuse other of. It is clumsy and counterproductive.
AND AGAIN–tell me where it is MANDATED that the MSHA spend our tax dollars on programs that can in NO WAY result in housing for felons or juveniles? You said it was mandated and I challenge you, again, to point me to the source of your statement.
In light of the incredibly long waiting list for housing in Maine, the decision of McTyke, err, McCormick, to push her own personal political agenda makes her worthy of BEING FIRED.
You refuse to understand that MSHA manages many programs and grants that are specified for programs that do not have anything to do with building housing. It is very difficult to have a conversation with someone who cannot understand such a simple point.
Your “cute” little name calling attempt is only making you look childish.
… and please note – you and you alone have been spouting about mandated programs. I never even implied any of these were mandated, only that they are allowed and appropriate under the HUD rules.
Stop making crap up and claiming others said it.
Wait — you are actually making the laughable claim that millions upon millions in federal funding does not entail copious laws, regulations and policies on how it is to be used??? OK. That explains a lot!
One of the main reasons they rehab is to stop sprawl and to have people living close to the center of the town or city. I would suugest you read up on why this is done indtead of just making atatements. If these people lack transportation its easier to have them in town.
I did not make any suggestion for bigger government. It
sounds to me from previous articles that McCormick is giving preference to
contractors that met certain social criteria that she deemed important to her.
If MSHA is audited on a regular basis, then why is it that the expenditures
there are so far out of whack with what the mission should be for this agency?
Yes, your suggestion is a clear expansion of spending at the state level with no hope of a return and that is an expansion of state government.
The policies that drive MSHA decisions come from the feds and if you think they are out of whack then by all means contact HUD and let them know!
Yes! Holmes has the issue correctly! If the mandate of MSHA is to provide low cost quality housing for low-income families, how can it be a benefit or wise expenditure of funds for the MSHA to fund a theatre group for convicts, who must by law be LAST on the list to be considered for housing??? Why is the MSHA making donations WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS to public interest groups with extremely liberal agendas?
MSHA manages some grants and programs that have nothing to do with providing housing.
duh
Read the details, McTyke. The issue that drove the appalling cost per units for one of the rehabbed buildings was because McCormick wanted solar panels, which required additional steel beam structures, which required the construction of a cuppola, ALL of which required numerous blueprint changes (very costly) and once the solar panels were dumped, we were still left with the cost of the beam and the cuppola—for WHAT?? Sounds like gravy for all of McTykes, er, I mean, McCormick’s buddies in the construction fields.
Good one.
This is a new myth I had not seen pushed before. You are very inventive.
200-300 thousand would build a very nice 3-4 bedroom,2 bath home with attached garage on a nice 1 acre lot in a good neighborhood. But, as a per unit cost for subsidized housing, it is totally off the wall. Somebody’s getting very rich. Now, I could be mistaken and a unit may mean something different than a single apartment. Maybe it means a facility with 4 or 6 or 8 apartments. These numbers just don’t work for me.
Other than the political ambitions of our fine and honest Gov and Treasurer, there seems to be no real reason for removing Dale McCormick from her position. There has been no evidence of wrongdoing by Dale McCormick whatsoever, just a lot of noise from the LaPlague group. Seems he just has to be able to appoint someone who walks lockstep with his MHPC led administration. What a waste of time and energy this “witch-hunt” has become, time and energy that could be used to create the jobs that he promised. Jobs, jobs, jobs he promised. Instead we get this.
Yes, just wasted money on back rubs, lavish hotels out of state, and catered dinners. Money that could have been used to HOUSE people in need, the elderly and children.
Liberals like her have no shame.
You have facts or only able to repeat the rumors and gossip from the MHPC? It’s the right wing extremists like the LaPlague gang that have no shame.
You have got to be kidding. Did you read the list of expenditures listed at themainewire.com? Dig your head out of the sand. She has mismanaged funds at MSHA almost from day one. You may want to do a little more research before defending the McCormick.
No expenses were listed at that partisan web site you mention, just names of vendors. There some known are cases where employees wanted to purchase tickets and management allowed them to do so as a group to get a better discount (with their own money). No MSHA money was spent on those items – none.
MANY of the ones listed by those hacks at your partisan website occurred years before McCormick ever went to work at MSHA.
OPEGA is looking into the expenses. Until that report comes out no one knows what was spent or whether it was justified or not.
The partisan hacks pushing that list know its bogus but they just like getting the web tarffic from it.
Well done, LCRED Committee!
this seems like the old adage”if i muddy the water enough people will forget i did anything wrong”maybe a few free memberships would help me get the law passed
Keep up the good work Governor LePage!
Clean up the bureaucrats!
The director can already be fired for cause so is this change just to also allow firing for political reasons?
If any director is found to misuse even one dollar of funding they could be subject to immediate dismissal under existing law.
It screams volumes about what actual facts Poliquin and LePage have against McCormick if they haven’t been able to come up with even ONE instance of her misusing even one dollar of funding!
The FACT that an Agency Director used Tax Dollars for Political Contributions is enough to FIRE them immediately.
Period!
If it was a conservative, giving Tax Dollars to right-wing political groups, they should be FIRED!
And if it’s a liberal, giving Tax Dollars to left-wing political groups, the answer is exactly the same: FIRE HER NOW!
(…and based on her other wastes of money and un-accounted-for “expenses…” it is clear that she should end up in the slammer… just like Mr. Violette of the Maine Turnpike Authority!)
Allegation, not fact…
Uh huh. Sure.
That must explain why LePage has fired her since he has the power to do so if she has misspent even one single dollar.
What’s that you say? LePage hasn’t fired her?
Oh – apparently he can’t find anything that she has done wrong.
So do suppose LePage is incompetent or McCormick has not done anything to get fired for?
We don’t need any untouchables in governement… The People win with this Bill… Imagine That the governemnt doing something that helps the people…
I ask everyone reading this to go to the Maine.gov website (given below) and follow the instructions exactly (spell out “street” not “st.” or “st”) to get the email address of your elected officials. EMAIL THEM and DEMAND the firing of McCormick!
http://www.maine.gov/portal/government/legislature
Lepage has had the authority to fire McCormick for any kind of wrong doing all along.
Gee, wonder I why that hasn’t happened, don’t you?