AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill Thursday that would provide $250,000 starting July 1 for the operation of the Dolby landfill, a key element of a dispute between Gov. Paul LePage and Millinocket town leaders.
LD 1683 now goes to the Senate for review. If the Senate approves the bill, the Legislature’s appropriations table will review it to ensure the funding for it is there, according to Rep. Herb Clark, D-Millinocket, the bill’s sponsor.
Clark said he hoped LePage, who earlier declined to support the bill, wouldn’t veto it.
Adrienne Bennett, the governor’s spokeswoman, did not immediately return messages left Thursday.
Legislators “know at the end of the day that this needs to be done,” Clark said Thursday of the bill’s passage. “It has gone so much further than I thought. There was so much reluctance initially. But members of the House, with all the communication going on, know that we have to do something with it.”
“Communication” was Clark’s word for the accusations of lying, bullying and deal-breaking hurled between town officials and LePage over what the governor called “a handshake deal” to fund operations at the landfill in East Millinocket.
East Millinocket and Millinocket agreed to provide $50,000 in funding or in-kind services for landfill operations, with state government contributing $150,000, but Millinocket and state leaders disagreed about the duration of the partnership. Millinocket leaders maintain that the $50,000 payment was a one-shot deal; LePage said it would be an annual payment.
Bennett announced on March 7 that because Millinocket leaders had failed to keep their word, LePage was withholding from Millinocket about $216,000 of $720,000 in Sudden and Severe Impact funds due the town. That is state money given to municipalities that suffer severe tax valuation losses, such as those caused by the devaluation of the two towns’ paper mills.
The devaluation and the state assumption of ownership of the landfill last spring were key elements in the state-engineered sale of the two mills and the restart of the East Millinocket mill in October. The restart restored 216 jobs to the region.
A heated conversation between LePage and Millinocket Town Manager Eugene Conlogue on March 6, Bennett’s announcement on March 7, and the March 8 receipt of a certified check for $504,000 — with what Conlogue called LePage’s threat to “use it or lose it” — prompted town leaders to call the governor a bully who had lied about the Dolby deal.
They said LePage’s actions were illegal and that the landfill and tax relief funds were separate issues. They pledged to meet March 22 to consider whether to sue the state for the money. Clark has also asked Maine Attorney General William Schneider to rule on the legality of LePage’s withholding of the $216,000.
On Thursday, Conlogue said he was pleased at the House’s vote.
“There is no other known source to finance the operation of the landfill going forward except state government,” Conlogue said.
Clark had hoped to meet with House and Senate leaders on Thursday to discuss support for another bill of his, one in which legislators would give Millinocket permission to sue the state, but opted not to pursue the meeting.
“Sometimes,” Clark said, “you don’t want to push your luck.”
Augusta is starting to crank out bills faster than the Feds!!
And all of the most radical ones are thrown in at the last minute to minimize public input. It sounds like Paulie is trying to railroad us again.
Remember Pelosies’ words of wisdom from Washington pertaining to the Obama care legislation, ” lets pass it , we can fix it later” ?
Now go for impeachment!
Those who hate Lepage are the ones who created the mess that Maines in. Viva Lepage !!
your from canada
*you’re
I think the word would be embarrased.
I think you mean, “Mange le merde, LePage.”
My comment here was taken down. I can’t remember what I said that was so bad, but if I offended you, I’m sorry.
So LePage ordered that Millinocket get $216,000 less for not paying for something they say they never agreed to and now the legislature wants to hand them $250,000 to pay for the thing that Mr. LePage appears to be lying about. Hmm…so if it passes I guess that means Paul just cost us $34,000 right off the top. That of course doesn’t include the cost of the potential court fight he’s created. Wow! Paul could have used that 34K to hire another family member! Let’s face it, if someone tried to tell you that stuff like this would be happening in Maine prior to Paul’s arrival on the scene, you’d never have believed them. Everyday and every new story is like a new surreal waking nightmare. Come November it will be time for all sides and all dismayed voters to finally wake up and get back to making Maine a respectable State to come to and work, live, or visit.
“A respectable place to work?” You’re joking, right?
A job is a job, no matter what it is, or where it is, if it is honest work it is respectable.
True enough. And once again, the rich summer schlubs will pour into maine this summer and find the “locals” working in the same dead-end jobs as waitresses or short-order cooks or nannies to their mewling offspring or deckhands on their yachts or maine guides up in the woods or housekeepers etc. etc. Which is just the way the schlubs like it.
This is all perfectly respectable, honest work. But there is a difference between working 2 or 3 jobs at once and being nickled and dimed and having 1 job earning a living wage and some semblance of health care and maybe be able to put away for retirement.
It’s all about choices, you choose your own path. If you don’t like it, choose another path and make it happen.
righhhhhht.
And if you choose a poor path you alone should be responsible for getting on the right path. Leave the working persons money alone.
So what is you plan to fix it, if you do not want to be a guide do not do it, go learn how to do something, my son went to welding school, and is now with the Wall Street Protesters, he made his choice, and wants a hand out instead of working for it. There are welding jobs in all 50 states. No Excuses. You choose, you live with it.
Obviously, I do not know your or your son’s circumstances. Welding is a skilled, generally well-paying occupation and if your son is physically and mentally able to work and is choosing not to do so, I agree with your basic view of “handouts”, if that is what he is seeking.
However, what is wrong with protesting against a banking, business, and corporate culture that nearly brought our economy to its knees and wiped out the savings and investments of so many people who will never live long enough to get back what they lost? Did you also notice the intense lobbying, with a fair amount of success, to “waterdown” Congressional legislation to curb many of the most egregious practices?
As one example, credit card companies began instituting new policies before legislation went into effect to circumvent the law as much as they could. For instance, many, if not most, now begin charging interest immediately upon purchase of an item if the previous statement’s entire balance is not paid by its due date. This penalty applies until each statement balance is paid in full for three consecutive months.
Apparently, they are not making enough money from interest on what is owed on ATM
cash advances or when a consumer pays less than the statement balance, but still makes at least the minimum payment on time. Keep in mind that the interest rates are compounded at 14%/15% – 29%/30%. Compare these interest rates with what you may be getting on bank acounts, CDs, etc.
We haven’t been burned by any of this, yet, and hope not to, but you can be certain that once someone gets into this hole, they may never get out. We are a credit oriented society and, except for those who have an abundance of cash, a credit card is essentially a necessity. While living within your means and using credit judiciously is critical, there are many “living” expenses in relation to income that can’t be avoided.
The banking, business, and corporate culture to which I previously alluded is costing you, me, and every other middle-class American in many, diverse ways, some overt and more in ways that we are barely, if at all, aware of. So, I hope that your son is gainfully employed and continues to protest (and that you would support, encourage, and perhaps even join him).
As Edmund Burke, an English philosopher whose ideals are incorporated into our Constitution, stated, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
Someone else up here quotes Burke ? Thank God. I thought I was the only one who remembered my Poli. Sci. 101 .
But why should a young person have to leave the state to find work in the profession of their choice? There is no reason that Maine can’t develop an economy that doesn’t pander to the moneyed classes in the coastal regions.
YAWN!!!!!
11/6/2012
Legislators = grownups
LePage = childish petulant ignorant arrogant bully
Lepage is LE Page from a previous book!
How to destroy the government by,
George Bush!
Tax Breaks for the Rich and infamous, Benefits Cuts for the Masses and take the unwanted liabilities off from the Corporations and give it to the Tax Payers.
At the end of the Term heap it all up on the defecit and call it a Democrat Spending Problem!
Declare more of the same as the answer!
Obama = Tripling the deficit.
If it wasn’t for Bush getting us into 2 wars their would be no deficit.
Tell me that when Obama gets into Syria and Iran. Hopefully we will get him out before that. The deficit trippled afterwards.
You are incorrect.
It is not the Democrats calling for war, that is all coming from the Republican side, unless John McCain has changed his party affiliation. You really have no clue, do you. Only an internet connection and knowledge of how to type.
I never said, Democrats were the only ones. Though people are so easy to blame the one who is in office, though I am sure someone will blame what is going on in Syria on Bush, and what could possibly happen in Iran. Also, when is Obama going to remove All our troups out of Iraq, and Afghanistan?
Earth to Bruce: American troops left Iraq at the end of last year (2011). Boy, you really are not paying attention are you.
Really now, we do not have any American troops in Iraq? I guess I am on the wrong planet then. I pay very good attention.
Deflect from the topic
That is an opinion, because it is not even remotely connected to facts. Can you show a source that says Obama has been responsible for tripling the national debt? Or are you the so-called echo chamber for rush and Fox?
Look at the numbers, after he got into office. 2+2 still equals 4. 1 trillion plus 2 trillion equals 3 trillions. An old Johnny Cash song, how highs the water Obama 3 Trillion high and rising….
Wow, so you can add, but where do your ” 1 trillion plus 2 trillion equals 3 trillions” come from? Are we talking budget deficit?
There was indeed a huge jump in the deficit in 2009, but you need to remember that the 2009 year was from the 2008 budget, when Bush and the Republicans controlled the House (from which all money bills originate) and the Presidency. The bank bailout in 2008 of almost 1 trillion was engineered by the bush White House. The auto bailout was the first big Obama stimulus. Which one do you suppose was more helpful to middle class America?
I could go on, but your simplistic reading of everything means that writing facts to you is like singing opera to a water buffalo.
yea right and your over zealous support of Obama blinds your eyes, and I suppose Obama did not add to the deficit. Even if he were to win, you would still be blinded by his smile.
Wow, no facts that time either, but a lot of supposition. I wrote nothing like you say I did, you just want to change the subject from the fact that there was no tripling of the deficit like you say.
I understand, you have no facts, just repetition of some lies you heard somewhere. I wonder how it is to go through life never having to have an original thought. I imagine there is comfort in never looking up anything for yourself and thinking everything you hear on Fox is a fact.
oh ok, the deficit did not increase like that after after Obama got into office. Spoken like a true Democrat. The supposition is people thinking Obama has done so great. Tell me that next time you fuel up.
Exactly what do you think any president (Bush or Obama) can do about oil prices? Did you know that the US is a net gasoline exporter? This means that more than 50% of the gasoline refined in the US is put on a boat and sent to another country.
Do you think the government should step in and restrict exports? See, if gasoline in Europe is 8 dollars/gallon, and it only costs you 10 cents/gallon to ship it there, why would oil companies sell it here? What is going on is called capitalism.
The reason the Keystone pipeline would go to refineries on the Gulf coast is so that it could be exported from there. The Keystone pipeline is for export, not for domestic use. Only political demagogues try to link Keystone and domestic prices. Read a little about what is being said in Canada about this pipeline. They don’t even pretend it is for US use.
Additionally, gas prices here are so low that 3 refineries are being shut down in the Northeast. 2 in PA and one in NJ. The Sonoco refinery near Philly is the largest in the Northeast, but they 9Sunoco) claims it is losing money. They too are shifting resources to TX and LA , because the refineries there are set up for export. If you Google Sunoco refinery and Philadelphia, you’ll see why gas prices are headed up, but in your mind it is still Obama’s fault, I know.
Yes, I know; I think it is more than that we export. Though he refuses to drill a little more? Also he stresses alternative energy. Well, electric cards and other forms of energy do not work that well in colder regions of the U.S.
Yes, he is obviously a ditto head.
Bush = Triple the gas prices. Well until the last 3 months he was in office!
Interesting what the gas prices are now? and will be this summer?
Ya it is, after 6 years of these prices under Bush, the fuel companies have figured out how to keep the prices high! Iran’s continued threats have influence the gas prices in the past few years. The summer prices are only speculations, how many times have we been threatened with $5 a gallon or even $4 a gallon and has it happened? Ya it did under Bush.
Because the economy went to blazes.That’s the only reason they fell.
Awww… he was just thinking “Marden’s”…
He already spent some money to hire another family member. According to the Waterville newspaper he hired his sister-in-laws husband as the director of administrative services for the State planning office. Job pays almost $70,000 though not $34,000. Nepotism at it’s best.
town leaders own up
millinocket is famous for its lies and decifulness in the past .look at our past history with the transfersite between the three towns . and alot more like the chinees and consolidation of the schools and so on .it neveer ends cand blame it on Lapage when he wasn’t in power can we
Good luck in November. GO LEPAGE!!!
Yes, go LePage…go anywhere-Canada, China, we don’t care. Just GO!
He is , and he don’t care how you feel about it. LePage is up $120 million for the working person so far. GO LEPAGE!!! Another $100 million is just around the corner.
knowitall617, let me give you some interesting information. A poll was done a few months ago which showed the amount of formal education the average TeaPartier has. It came as no surprise that they are the least educated group of voters there is.
Your comments prove my point. I’m sorry you didn’t stay in school long enough to learn that it is “he doesn’t,” not “he don’t.” Even sadder is watching people like Lepage laugh all the way to the bank at how easy it is to sucker you in. Maybe some day you’ll see how much he’s taken from you and how little he’s given.
He hasn’t costed me any more than any other govna has. It’s also been poled that all poles can be slanted to any way the poler wants. I understand your education wont let you grasp what’s wrong with our economy. You’re like a drug addict, once you’ve are clean and sober you will be able to see the error in your ways. I’m not on welfare so there for he has taken nothing from me. I can’t wait to see how much better the state is after seven more years of his rule. GO LEPAGE!!!
Mr LePage had the State of Maine purchase a toxic waste dump for 17 million dollars so that someone would restart the mills in East Millinocket and Millinocket. Does 17 million seem a little steep for a toxic waste dump? Shore front on the ocean would have sold for a lot less. Oh well 17 mill for 200 jobs. Does not sound like Mr Lepage got much for his investment ( oh our investment) and I am willing to bet it was done with more than a hand shake.
Seems like the mill or mills are still generating waste that is going to the dump. Are we charging them for the disposal? Surely that would offset some of our costs to operate the dump. Or was that another part of our hand shake deal that Mr LePage has yet to let us in on.
If no one is using the dump site then seed it over and lock the gate no need to spend $ 250,000 to maintain something no one is using. Willing to bet there is more to story. How about letting us the taxpayers in on it Mr LePage?
Insisting that businesses pay to disposal of the toxic waste they generate would be one of those “job killing” regulations Republicans are always railing about So, in order to attract jobs that have toxic waste associated with them, Lepage would have to have negotiated those costs onto someone else…
In the end someone has to pay for it…
Looks like it’s going to be the taxpayers who foot the bill…
But it wouldn’t be the 1%-ers paying for it . It will be the rest of us.
Privatise Profits———- Socialise Losses!
I hope you support Lepage’s teacher evaluation proposal .
as far as I know, the mill in Millinocket is still idle…..
Maybe you should read the link below. 17 million is the estimated closing cost.
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2011/12/09/news/state/is-east-millinocket%e2%80%99s-dolby-landfill-the-next-juniper-ridge/
You cant get them to see that, Ive said the same thing three times. Its a fact it is closing costs. There has been a proposal already sent out to bid to run the place for profit. Cassella will end up with it. Cassella has already told many people there is not going to be any competition.
Correct. There seems to be a very distorted views around here. This whole lanfill issue can be solved with good leadership.
So do you support 500 mil for solindra that obama gave out?
Democrats won’t comment on that one they’ll avoid the issue. Just like they have up to now.
I’ll comment. I’d rather have the government send money to a plant making solar panels that have billions disappear into the coffers of Haliburton, KBR with no bid contracts. The plant had some chance of success, but the money wasted in Iraq never benefited a single American who wasn’t connected with the Bush White House. Solyndra money kept Americans employed for a time. If there was shenanigans at Solyndra, the Republicans would be trumpeting it from the roof. The auditors sent to Iraq were stymied by political pressure. The Republicans wouldn’t let them look at anything associated with the military, and they claimed all the money sent to Iraq was for military reasons.
Remember when the republicans said the Iraqi oil would pay for the war? Remember when bush said tax cuts for the wealthy would pay for themselves? Turns out the tax cuts added about a trillion to the debt, and the Iraqi war was 100% added to the debt, they never even pretended to appropriate any money to pay for it.
Where were you when Baldi let GP off the hook for millions of dollar’s of Environmental Trust Fund obligations when they walked away from Juniper Ridge in Old Town?
The Dolby landfill “solution” is nearly as short-sighted as the Rape of Juniper Ridge pimped by Baldy with his “single bidder” buddies from away!
I like Herb Clark, but he’s placed the “wants” of his constituents far too high above the “needs” of Maine taxpayers.
The only way to “pay” for Dolby will be to fill it with MASS trash just like Juniper Ridge, but of course the extra drive will force that site to charge a great deal less than Old Town and CASELLA appears to enjoy a 30-year monopoly on that little gem.
If the Mural casued Maine to be the “laughing stock” of America (which I don’t beleive is true), we might as well become the “dump site” for the rest of New England and Canada as well… At least the dumpers from way will make a buck or two.
You would know about bringing in trash from away, Tom.
But I’m happy that you – now that you got rich from bringing in out-of-state garbage, and now that you’re out of the business – are on the citizens’ side.
However, Hampden and downstream (you moved upstream) will be dealing with contaminated water from toxic leachate from your dump, aka Sawyer Mountain, for many decades to come.
Sorry to crimp your imaginations, but with the exception of a little oil-fired ash from one NH power generator, NO WASTE from out-of-state crossed the gates during my ownership.
That changed, substancially, once the CASELLA folks had the need to feed their stockholders.
You can “thank” Prince John Baldacci and King John Martin for BOTH the out-of-state ownership of landfills in Hampden and Norridgewock as well as the Rape of Juniper Ridge.
Of course our recycling a million tires a year as well as being Maine’s biggest recycler of paper products also bit the dust when CASELLA found out it costs money to recycle.
Now, doesn’t knowing the truth really set you free?
Tom – During Washington County’s 3-year fight against the Twp. 30 dump, in which you were a shill for the New Jersey M-word guys, truck drivers who hauled to your dump called me. They told me what they were hauling and from where.
I won’t get into it here because this isn’t the exact topic, but more than a little “ash” came in from out-of-state on your watch.
But, to reiterate, I’m glad you’re putting your knowledge and experience to reasonably good use now that you sold out to the truly evil Casella, and you’re resting comfortably in retirement.
I’ll wave to you next summer when you are the drum major of the pipes and drums in Fourth of July Parade in your kilt and kit.
I appreciate the tenor of your response. I’ll try to respond equally.
Ralph Leonard and I were REQUIRED by Maine laws, supported by Prince John and King John, to include the owners of PERC since it was THEY who were the “generator-owned” co-owner of any potential landfill under the then-laws.
Trust me; I didn’t trust them them, and don’t trust them now. Ralph, as a fellow life-long Mainer, son-in-law of Herb Sargent, and West Point grad… could be trusted at every turn.
No, we did NOT make it a policy to accept out-of-state waste, other than through Sprague Energy’s connections at that NH power plant.
Feankly, I’d be VERY surprised that any trucker would be calling you, any more than the MASS drivers heading up to Juniper Ridge are apt to “cut off” their valuable trucking business.
Please feel free to continue this dialogue as my email is WTSAWYER@AOL.COM since I don’t feel the need to hide behind some cute “handle” as far too many on these pages do.
@AOL:disqus
Tom – Thanks for your email address. I use “cleanearth” as a political statement, but more than one post-er in this venue has “outed” me by name, which is fine with me.
Cleanearth is also the name of my website, http://www.cleanearth.net and my email address which is cleanearth@acadia.net .
Then it must have been the PERC toxic ash after burning all the out-of-state waste they took in (and take in) that was dumped at your site.
Those garbage incinerators were a bad deal and still are. We’re still not recycling as we should be because towns have to come up with a certain amount of garbage for the incinerators or pay extra – now isn’t that ridiculous!
I will not hector you further – 25 years ago is 25 years ago.
What? We’re not taxpayers also? I get hit either way. The benefit of a large number of jobs extends far beyond the towns borders, as it always has.
I’ll bet management of “our” dump is given to Casella (as Baldacci did the Old Town dump) or another garbage contractor who will – as Casella does every day – bring in tens of thousands, nay, millions of tons of out-of-state garbage for which the “management” will get the profits, not us.
Then they’ll fill it up and ask for an expansion, as they’ve done in “our” dump in Old Town.
Out-of-state garbage, once it’s burned in one of Maine’s garbage incinerators, is then called “Maine waste,” so we won’t know it’s from NY, Mass., NH, NJ and beyond.
Pattie Aho, now Director of Maine Dept of Env. Protection, is a lawyer who was the chief lobbyist for Casella, the monopoly garbage guy.
Nice appointment, LePage. Fair and balanced, right?
It was stupid to buy this landfill and how long is Millinocket supposed to pay the 50K?
1 yr, 5yrs, 50 yrs?
Publish the contract, if there is one…
The article said something about a “hand shake agreement.”
So, I’m guessing there’s no written agreement.
It appears that LePage was too inebriated to hear and understand what everyone else heard.
It would truly be appreciated if you’d actually contribute something useful to these pages.
Are you up to it?
At least read this:
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2011/12/21/news/penobscot/millinocket-votes-to-spend-50000-in-effort-to-settle-its-part-of-dolby-landfill-talks/?ref=relatedBox
What I read from the paperwork, the State talked about “annual cost” The sate also set “Please let me know if the aove correctly reflects your recollection of what was discussed and agreed upon so that we may proceed further on these offers of asstance. If not, contace me so we can clarify it. Than you again for taking time to meet and to assist un in managing this facility.” The next thing is the order from the town saying they offer $50,000 for for this fiscal year. I guess one can read what they want into this.
unconditioner–sorry, he’s closing all those places…….
Those places were slated to close way before LePage
Lots of people will have years and years to consider this gift wrapped and legally binding blivet from penguin to the taxpayer.
Lepage bought the Dolby landfill for $17 million from his friends in Canada. That is in direct violation of the Maine constitution.
Specifically, Article IX, Section 14 of the Constitution requires that before the state can take on any liability greater than $2 million, the Legislature must approve of the action by a two-thirds vote and then be approved in a general election by Maine voters
Which is true but nobody has the gonads to hold him accountable for breaking the law….now on the other hand if you or I did……
So what are you going to do about the government mandate to require everyone purchases health insurance ? We’ve already bought GM and Chrysler and several big investment firms . You sure you want to go there ?
The mandate is not the way I would solve the healthcare crisis we are in. But since the Republican’s demanded we do it that way I see no other choice.
What is your solution to the crisis?
Try passing a law that we can buy health ins from all 50 states, competition is a good thing in this area.
Even with a completely open market ealthcare cost will keep going up because we are all living longer.
Being rather old myself I consider this a good problem to have but it is expensive. We need to make everyone pay into the system that is giving us this new longevity or else we need just let millions of Americans die from curable conditions. Since we are a Christian nation, I don’t think letting people die in the streets is culturally acceptable.
Perhaps you’re right.
But any time something is essentially “free”, its consumption goes through the roof.
That’s why Canada’s solution is to Ration access to health care, and especially the high-tech solutions (chemo, MRI’s, PSA tests and mamograms) we all take for granted on this side of that border.
There is no rationing in Canada. That is a false rumor put out by the private insurance industry to keep us from creating a public option.
It is a sad fact that American’s who pay for health insurance are being “taxed” an extra 50 billion a year to pay for all those who can not or will not pay their hospital bills.
These unpaid bills drive up the cost of insurance ,which in turn makes even more people stop buying insurance which in turn drives up the cost yet again.
This problem is getting much worse now that Lepage plans to kick 19000 people off of Mainecare and he has closed Dirigo health.
And again the arguement for Public Option is made. It’s also interesting to see that the one’s who are so adamantly opposed to P/O are the insurance companies and, here in Maine, the MHPC folk’s. Gee, I wonder why ? More interestingly, who’s fundng them here in Maine ? Transparency reveals all, don’t it ?
Less government involvement in my affairs ! What’s yours ?
That’s a nice slogan. Do you live on a deserted island with no human contact?
Did Baldi do that when lettnig GP off the hook for millions in legal obligations?
I sure don’t recall any such discussion when all that went down!
Should we ask King John Martin for his “legal opioin” of these two events?
Baldacci got a private company to pay for the Juniper ridge landfill so we the people of Maine are not on the hook for those costs.
Lepage bought the Dolby landfill for $17 million plus and we the tax payers will foot the bill because no one wants that dump.
GP was facing bankruptcy
That brought the State into the equation by association with the landfill.
We would have absorbed it anyway.
The exiting company in Millinocket was fully solvent. They had the resources to manage the liabilities of the landfill but refused to sell their asset ( The Mill ) and threatened to dismantle it unless the State took the liabilities.
Baldacci comprimised rather than absorb the landfill liabilities by way of bankruptcy, at least suring up some jobs in the paper industry.
Lepage gave in to corporate terrorism, taking the liabilities or facing closure irrelevant of any bankruptcy proceedings!
The two situations are (Rotten) Apples and (Rotten) Oranges !
The Toxic Avenger!
http://www.laserdisken.dk/billeder/diverse/anmeldelse/10145866796296278-116907.jpg
Governor by day!
Avenger by night!
If that were true you can bet the liberals would be all over it. But because of the silence I’m guessing that it’s not true.
Maybe the “liberals” don’t control the media like the %1 claim they do.
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2011/11/17/opinion/contributors/the-high-cost-of-saving-millinocket%E2%80%99s-mills/
And now we finally see Penguin’s motive – he wants to be the one credited with closing the (latest) deal to save Millinocket, but also wants to be able to blame the toxic dump purchase, that saved the town, on the legislature. I am amazed that I still find ways to be disappointed by this administration.
Governor Le Pétomane lays another one on the citizenry.
IBID.
“Affairs of state must take precedent over… um… affairs of state” – Gov. William J. Le Petomane
Well by the same instance you listen to some say it was Baldacci that orchestrated this whole deal, so in your thinking we should blame Baldacci.
Hhmm, I’ve stated this before and got people disputing it left and right. He had just as much to gain with his ego as anything else. If it was great and with no problems, LePage would of taken all the glory but now its going bad, he wants to blame everyone else.
Soon the only place for that will be your place, he will be knocking on your door asking if you remember the comment about giving him a warm place and 3 meals…
if the payoff for reopening the mill(s) to the areas economy and tax revenues on wages etc exceed 17 million dollars in the coming years then it will be a good deal. I myself am very skeptical about putting the burden of maintaining and cleaning up a toxic waste dump on the taxpayers.
It’s easy enough to figure out the cost of operating the dump vs the number of loads expected and to charge accordingly.
Never happen.
No one will pay such a huge fee.
Remember, under Super Fund Laws, anyone using that site will also be responsible for any contamination cleanup required into eternity.
Why buy a toxic waste dump for $17 million? He needed a place to put the mural.
Astronomers hope to one day find proof that black holes exist in the universe. I think we all know where they should start looking.
Actually the proof is already there (black holes).
Milli is like a black hole, a DEAD ZONE. Milli is a great place to put a Dump. Maybe they can hire LePage to be the Dump Custodian.
Sorry, the dump is in East Millinocket.
Please oh please Milli, E Milli, Both the same DEAD ZONE you people up there are so into yourselves. The Mills are DEAD and they ain’t coming back. No more thousands of jobs on multiple shifts. A DUMP is perfect for that AREA.
You know, you really need to learn a new song. That one is getting pretty old. The mountain I am looking at is still beautiful. For a dead zone, we sure do have a lot of people coming to the area. The dump has not stopped them yet.
Seek Anger Management!!!
LePage saw the writing on the wall and he blinked first. He screws Millinocket by reneging on the agreement he made with them and no business in their right mind is going to come anywhere near Maine. Plum Creek is about the last business development that’s going to put up with this nonsense, given that they have so much money in this project invested. But you can bet the farm, literally, that with the Kestrel mess fresh on everyone’s financial mind no business is going to come near us with a Governor that now has a publicly demonstrated habit of using his personal judgement as the basis for keeping, or not keeping, any type of agreement that Maine has entered into. In short, if any part of the State’s DECD manages to get any business to either start, expand or move into Maine, and Paulie doesn’t like them, or the deal that his own DECD made to make it happen, then he is free to junk the agreement and everyone associated with it (can we all say ‘toss’ed under the bus’ ?), except for Paulie, is stuck with the bill and the consequences. I wonder just how many of you business folk’s out there would even considering doing business in Maine if the State’s business environment was as stable as this type of judgement ?
The business community across the nation is calling for a more stable and predictable business and economic environment. By reneging on the Millinocket Agreement publicly he’s showing that he’s going to use his judgment, in place of whatever agreement’s are reached, as the basis for business’s to come here and operate. That he gave in tells me that someone had that ‘closet counseling’ session with him and showed him just how vulnerable he is right now, more so since the AG’s both running for the Senate and has to provide him with legal opinion’s that are going to be at best a 50 / 50 gamble in both the press and the Court’s. With the recent Bald Mountain mining issue coming up is LePage really ready to go ‘high diving’ into a Legislative pool that may, or may not be, full of the water he needs to land in safely ? The Millinocket Agreement is going to go a long way to answering those question’s. And you can get the farm that everyone, from all sides, is going to be watching this one.
Perhaps the Millinocket councilmen should show us the agreement they reached with Lepage. I’ll bet they are so on top of it that there are copies of this agreement everywhere. It’s just good business isn’t it ?
Agreed. Open and transparent government (and all of you Obama hater’s do us all a favor and put a cork in ‘it’ ! ) prevents any type of secret agreement’s from screwing the public’s interest’s. If nothing else, as you point out, the copies of this mess are out there then we all see just who’s on the hook, as it were, for this nonsense. I’m just wondering if Lepage is gonna use his ‘get out of jail free’ card and try to claim privilege to keep the agreement hidden until the Legislative session is over.
And as much as this is sounding like an old record, the Kestrel fiasco should be used as a guide whenever these types of deals and agreement’s are considered. The DECD, to their credit, pushed the deal to make it happen but ‘canned’ it when Kestrel refused to provide their half of the required disclosure concerning marketing and their financal’s. Hidden agreement’s and non-disclosure provision’s are the beginning of corruption. When the Kestrel mess was looked at when they left for Wisconsin (and just see the mess they’ve gotten into there) Kestrel was found to have left a huge trail of debt and unpaid bills in the Dakota’s and Minnesoata to both private companies and local government’s for hanger space, supposed employee training and tax credit’s that are now all but swimming pool’s of red ink that local and State Government’s are going to have to cope with for a very long time. The Millinocket Agreement needs to be examined the same way and by a 3rd Party that has is beyond any Undue Influence. Then at least we all see where this whole mess began, who’s finger’s or other body part’s are in this and have a common starting point to begin working things out. Until that happens it’s going to be nothing more than a ‘moose with a football’ festival with everyone cheering for their favorite football.
I was merely being sarcastic of both Lepage and of the Millinocket council. Anyone who actually knows about this situation knows this was a back room deal and no paper trail was created. Thanks for sharing your vast knowledge !
What I read from the paperwork, the State talked about “annual cost” The sate also set “Please let me know if the aove correctly reflects your recollection of what was discussed and agreed upon so that we may proceed further on these offers of asstance. If not, contace me so we can clarify it. Than you again for taking time to meet and to assist un in managing this facility.” The next thing is the order from the town saying they offer $50,000 for for this fiscal year. I guess one can read what they want into this.
but LePage put up a sign
and took down a mural
doesn’t that count for anything?
lets all throw Paul under the Bus.
Gee don’t you all wish the election for governor were held today?
He didn’t get my vote the first time and sure as hell won’t next time either
Make him Pass a Drug Test First!
I’d be willing to support drug testing for ALL elected officials and bet the governor would be OK with it ! Some of the Millinocket town council wouldn’t. You would see the recreational use of marijuana legalized in short order !
Why is it that for private companies they seem to drug test often for employment but when it comes to government employees and people getting funds from government programs do not require drug testing? The working man can’t do as they wish on there own time but the people not working or working in high power can do what they want when they want and still get whatever they want.
We are in agreement , perhaps it’s time to propose this to our leaders !
Give the Governor a Lie Detector Test and watch the machine go into meltdown!
If you hooked any , I mean ANY , politician up to a lie detector it would cause him / her to stop talking ! I’d favor this along with drug testing !
Don’t remember what I said, but I’ll agree with you. Was it all that bad?
With the exception of the uniform, I think we are already providing for him. Candidates for powerful government offices should be required to pass a psychological evaluation test before taking office. Then we wouldn’t be in this mess.
Anyone wanting to serve in high office in these times could never pass such a test, so it’s a matter of picking the ones who will do the least harm. Until “we the people” decide to be responsible grown-up citizens who take our community obligations seriously and cease behaving like petulant children we shall attract and reward the types who now steer the ship of state.
Thank goodness a few people have some common sence. LePage surely doesn’t
But, alas, we are providing those things – except the uniform, which he must supply (no French cuffs on the institutional model.)
Sure sounds like hate to me.
As a municipal officer I’ve worked out handshake agreements in the past and when we found out that we didn’t agree on some component of the agreement we sat down and worked out the issue like responsible adults. We didn’t say, “I’m right and if you don’t agree with me then sue me”, or “I’ll find another way to get my own way by (in this case) withholding money designated for another purpose”.
There can be no good word for LePage’s behavior in this instance other than “bullying”.
Legislators, Municipal Officers, and anyone doing business with the state, beware. There’s a lesson to be learned here and it’s this: When doing business of ANY kind with LePage’s administration be sure that every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed. If this is what we get when someone says he’s going to run the state like a business we should be VERY WARY of doing business of any kind with him.
Would you buy a used car from this man?
As a tax payer, I wouldn’t allow the paper mills to use the landfill. Case closed.
I hope he don’t get too comfortable in the Blaine House…
Here is an interesting bit of history published before the landfill was acquired which call into question LePage & freinds’ truthtelling on this issue.:
”
“Sen. Cynthia Dill is a Democrat from Cape Elizabeth. “A gun is being held to our heads and we’re given the false choice of preserving jobs or accepting a landfill,” Dill said.
“Dill and other critics worry the acquisition is an economic and environmental nightmare-in-the-making for Maine. The state Department of Environmental Protection estimates it would cost as much as $17 million to clean up the landfill and shut it down. Under the legislation, the state planning office gets permission to buy the dump for a nominal purchase price and take over the $250,000 annual cost of running it.”
“The LePage Administration insists it will only move forward with the acquisition if the new owner of the mills follows through and restores the lost paper jobs. But Sen. Elizabeth Schneider, an Orono Democrat, says the proposal is too risky. Schneider says she was contacted recently by a constituent who worked at the Dolby Landfill for 30 years.
“When I asked him, if he was in the governor’s shoes would he take on that landfill, he indicated, perhaps not in these exact words, but that he would not take it at all, under no conditions,” Schneider said. “Clearly, the costs could exceed well beyond $11 million or $17 million, we just don’t know.”
Sp the Governor very clearly knew that the dump was an unwisw $17 million liability with annual operating costs of $250,000 and he went ahead any and acquired , relieving a speculator of this enormous liability at our expense,”we the people” and went ahead without a legal agreement on performamnce, without a bail out keeping the landfill with the speculator should the sale not got through.
Also I noted that the Portland Press Herald wrote an editorial in support of the poorly thought out bill and that Congressman Michael Michaud also supported it.
My little bit of reserach also turned up that the entity the state let off the hook in buying this toxic landfill was a Mitt Romney Style capitalist who strips off assets turning businesses into abandoned shells and leaving hunndreds out of work in their wake. This is the entity the Governor adour legsilators let off the hoo on this toxic landfill. After stripping out all this mills assets they approached the state with the tale they had a buyer who would operate the mill but didn”t want to take the toxic landfill. That sale never happened.
But the Governor and our Legisiators went ahead and relieved this predatory company of this huge liability ..and now is trying to lie his way out of resposnbility for this actions.
Weren’t there some alternatives in that siutauion??? Like suggesting the seller sell the mill separately from the toxic land fill for a start? Or at least entering some sort of agreement with the buyer, not the seller, conditioned on specfic performance in regards to the mill. No instead we bailed out the useless predatory owner .
It looks lie they have now found a excellent buyer with a biomass burner and a green approach. But I don’t think we had to stick Maine tax payers with this toxic landfill and this huge ongoing expense to get there. Would have been cheaper for the state to buy the mill and find a buyer and leave the owner with the toxic landfill. maybe? Would have been wiser maybe to put this mill under the ownnership pf the mill workers. That would have been a wiser in vestment thna taking over a $17 million landfill liability.
Cynthia always speaks up and speaks well. And in this it appears Senator Schnieder also spoke well and wisely..and prophetically and no one listened
including the editor of the Portlad Press Herald and Michael Michaud.
Great Picture Governor Paul Lepage…
Can’t we just mandate that the host communities take ownership of the Landfills.. Old Town and Millinocket requested the State do something to save their mills, Now the mills are saved, lets send the liabilities back to the towns…
The State is well known to send unfunded mandates to towns and cities on other issues throughout the Baldacci years in office…
If I were Governor, I would not support anything for the town of Millinocket as long as Mr. Conlogue was Town Manager. Town Manager Eugene Conlogue is a bully and dirty politician and is a control freak as well as a little dictator. The Governor knows what it is like to be out of work for long periods of time and worked very hard to get the people of Millinocket back to work. Mr. Conlogue could have been smarter and worked with the Governor and other members of the town to correct any misunderstanding but choose to make a stink publicly because he wanted to make the governor look as bad. Mr. Conlogue is a dictator always trying to intimidate others, so he can make himself look good and people seldom challenge or oppose him. People in Millinocket know this to be true and those who sit on the town board don’t dare speak because of retribution from Mr. Conlogue. For the past 12 years or so town’s people have experienced Mr. Conlogue lack on humality, cooperation, and understanding. Mr Conlogue does not set a good example for others. I believe the people of Millinocket keep quiet because Mr. Cologue get’s them what they want in any way he can. The day will come when this will knowlonger be the case.
Mr. Conlogue has a friend on the BDN staff who he calls whever he wants something in the paper. He feels by being first makes him right. Mr. Conlogue needs to go!
250,000 here and 250,000 there, sounds like the folks in Millinocket and the rest of us are getting the shaft.