AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage is telling state agencies that plan to sell bonds in order to complete major projects that they shouldn’t count on those borrowed funds, even though the borrowing has been approved by voters.
In a letter sent to affected state agencies and Cabinet members, the governor tells the agencies that they shouldn’t budget for bond revenue “without clear approval from me.”
“It is our duty as public servants to ensure each taxpayer dollar is spent appropriately to earn the highest return at the lowest cost,” the letter reads. “That is especially true when we are spending borrowed money — money that has to be paid back by future taxpayers, with interest.”
The decision by the LePage administration affects about $40 million in bonds that voters have approved in recent years but that the state treasurer’s office has not yet sold at market. Last month, the governor said he wouldn’t allow four bonds, which will go to voters this fall even though he declined to sign them, to be sold.
While the state treasurer’s office ultimately puts Maine’s bonds on the market for sale, the governor can keep that process from happening. The governor and treasurer must sign a financial order before bonds can be issued and sold, so either officer can withhold his signature.
The state has five years to sell bonds from the date voters sign off on them.
The affected projects range from improvements to community dental clinics to energy upgrades at University of Maine System campuses to airport, ferry and railroad improvements, according to a list of approved bond projects from the state treasurer’s office.
Ryan Low, the university system’s executive director of government relations, said staff at the seven-campus system are going through records to determine which projects might be affected by the governor’s bonding policy.
“We just got the letter late this afternoon,” Low said. “We’re just trying to pull together our stuff right now: what are the projects we have right now and what the timing would be.”
Officials from other affected agencies either couldn’t be reached or weren’t prepared to comment late Tuesday.
The letters from the LePage administration come about two weeks after the governor said he wouldn’t allow four bond packages set to appear on November’s ballot to be sold, even if approved by voters, until the state’s “spending problem is under control.”
LePage’s letter encourages the agencies to pursue their projects without using bond revenue. The governor says it “may be prudent” to issue bonds starting in January 2014.
The governor’s decision sparked criticism from Democrats on Tuesday who pointed out that the amount of money the state needs to pay in debt service is set to decline over the next three years.
“The governor is making a terrible mistake by holding jobs and economic growth hostage to partisan ideology,” Rep. Emily Cain of Orono, the House Democratic leader, said in a statement. “He will be halting needed investments, especially as Maine’s economy has already shrunk while other states are growing.”
LePage spokeswoman Adrienne Bennett said the governor recently signed a financial order allowing a bond sale and that he’s uncomfortable with devoting more than $100 million annually from the state budget to debt service payments.
Sounds like we need to amend the State Constitution to require the Governor and State Treasurer to follow the will of the people and duly complete the sale of those bond issues approved by a majority of voters. That is what is supposed to happen in a democracy.
“That is what is supposed to happen in a democracy.”
…and it’s a darn good thing we have a Republic!!
now the only challenge is to protect it from the type of ignorance displayed above
every man woman and child that is born as a natural citizen of these United States is entitled to due process under the law, they are entitled to the protection of their private property (which undoubtedly includes their money). These rights or entitlements are inalienable, meaning you CAN NOT vote them away, now matter how strong a majority you have. This is what differentiates us from a true democracy…..our rights are derived from god, not from man.
Now what gives you the idea that it is somehow a moral and just act to deny little innocent toddlers and the unborn children of this nation their god given right to due process under the law and ownership of private property? And what makes you think it is appropriate to do this without their direct participation in decisions regarding their future prosperity and opportunity in this world?
What gives you and the rest the “progressive” movement such authority to make demands of future, unborn generations?
IMHO, you have no such authority and it is truly alarming to witness what little regard progressives have for basic human rights.
I’m sorry, what? Is there a point in there somewhere?
Maine pays its bonds in ten years, so “unborn generations” are not involved at all.
Are you saying that Babies should have a say in the bond deals that they may have to pay back when they grow up? And how can you define a God in our Secular Society?
I am starting to think LePage is having the same delusions that Xerxes I of Persia did, thinking he is a god-king.
Whose God are you talking about? Yours or mine? What part of your bible tells you to ignore your fellow man and horde your money? You must have missed the part about the teachings of Jesus. Living in a free country comes at a price and we are all in this together. If you believe that Pauli is doing this for your benefit, you must be either rich or naive. He wasn’t elected dictator, you know. This is a Democracy! You can’t change that. Our lawmakers are elected by the general population. If you want the privilege and benefits of living here, you have to pay the price just like the rest of us. If not, move to some other country where you can bribe officials like our governor and keep what you want.
As the wise man said, “Go sell crazy somewhere else.”
If I was a Republuican, I would be really pissed that this man calls himself one. He lied about his political affiliation and is giving Republicans a bad name. Hw was asked if he was affiliated with the Tea Party when it came out that he was at one of their meetings and he said no. He is an embarrassment to the whole state. Isn’t a governor supposed to abide by the will of the voters?
Not if it is Paul LePage.
The Democrats didn’t abide by the will of the people on funding education by 55%
Neither have the Republican lawmakers now that they hold the reigns.
i don’t think either party abides by the will of the people
Your correct on that.It was very wrong.Now , will the R’s do the right thing and fund it?Oh , I forgot, they really don’t like teachers .
hmmmn…….RECALL.
So we vote them in and you say no….didn’t you say people before politics? Well Fred-Chavez Flintstone(see photo ) again you violated everyone’s trust and did your little dictator act. Great job…again.
Bully governance strikes again.
Only 950 days until we send this miscreant home to Florida.
This State needs a recall clause. This guy is out of control.
That worked out well for your ilk in Wisconsin, didn’t it?
You’ve gone and confused yourself. Wisconsin is known for it’s Elk, not it’s ilk.
His contribution was at least as meaningful as yours
It stimulated the economy in Wisconsin!
30 Millions of dollars where spent on TV adds campaign to keep their Miscreant!
The next stop will Millwauke county Jail and the Stand with Walker signs will mean that you are a cellmate.
you are liar about the funds .. its on all thre national news that its a lie.. stop spreading a lie you political hack
Wasted tax payers money is what it did…
The price of freedom from tyranny!
So what is it going to cost us to get out from under the thumb of Emperor LePage’s tyrannical rule?
Thats a tough one.
Maybe Karma?
I’ll check with Earl!
your on welfare right?
your silence.. remeber those of us that are speaking now are trying to be suppressed by you .. your the worst american there is .. the bottom .. my relatives fought in the revolution to give us freedome you woul give it away by you inaction.
It did work well in Wisconsin, the Democrats gained control of the Legislator. And remember there are investigations into illegal activities of the Governor.
Myopic Tea Party cohorts are unable to grasp the truth. The awakening occurs only after subjugation to Jack Boot rule.
except the dems have been the jackboots
It is much easier to turn one’s head and pretend that it isn’t happening.
The Wisconsin Legislature is not in session until after the next election. While the Democrats gained a seat, they gained no power at all. Until the next election we won’t have a clear idea of whether the recall had any affect whatsoever, other than getting the folks on the right to go to the polls.
Things seem to have a way of working out for those with the money.
See this for the explanation.
http://www.ellensplace.net/fascism.html
It gives a new meaning to the GOP!
Sociopathic comes to mind.
wage earners comes to mind you dependent sloth
Scott Walker is a whipped dog!
Like a dog that bit the neighbors child, He may have regained allowance to enter the house but he knows his place, as that house is not his masters. He survived by the skin of his teeth! He won’t boldly step out of place again as he now knows that he has more than one master.
get a job then hire employees the pay penisons .. you will understand -your the worst kind of human the parasite
Quite a few of the governor’s staff , as well as himself , seem to be guilty of campaign finance crime. Also stealing from the veterans. You have to be a democrat for that to go to court, however.
Face it. Scott Walker and the voters of Wisconsin won. The Marxist unions and their leftist supporters lost…Big Time!! If you have any specifics of any campaign finance crime, or stealing from veterans then describe in detail exactly what it is.
Who knows? Their elections are fixed.
Not satisfied with the worst economy in New England, he wishes to create the worst economy in the USA. Management at Mardens is glad to have unloaded this piece of used goods on us. Sadly, this sale is final for four years.
This kind of debt that LePage is avoiding is the same kind of debt that
Obama accused Romney of accruing in Massachusetts as governor in his recent advertising campaign. Democrats want it both ways. Hypocritical really.
Yep..
When he dose let the bonds go how muck more will be needed for those projects because the cost will go up the 40 million will not cover every thing that is planed .
He works for the voters and the voters approved the bonds. It is that simple.
No Not entirely. He has the power to send them out or not. It has been that way as long as can remember. Gov Longley held some for awhile so this happening is not new.
Dick Cheney Quote!
{ Ronald Reagan proved that debt was unimportant!}
reagaon is the only president to get us out of debtr by lowering taxes you have no education .. obviously
In a post with two spelling errors and four punctuation errors you have suggested that a fellow poster has no education. This has everyone laughing at you.
Public debt almost tripled under Reagan. It would have increased even more had he not raised taxes in 1982 and 1983. Google Reganomics, learn to spell and learn to punctuate.
It is all part of Tea Party totalitarianism.
Totally, tellingly true.
He has us in the bottom 4
I am a bit upset that returning him was not eligible under the no fuss return policy they have.
Our 30 days for the return have long since expired.
Baldacci did the same thing with gay marriage only he overturned the peoples multiple referendums or did you forget that?
The difference here is bonds are nothing more then a way to spend more money we do NOT have…
Haven’t you ever heard of —what goes around comes around?
If you stop all economic activity—–
It don’t come around!
What are you talking about? Baldacci didn’t overturn “multiple referendums”. The referendum overturned the legislative vote that Baldacci signed. At least get the sequence correct, even if your logic is flawed.
We don’t have it because he has spent it in other ways! He doesn’t even have the courage to say he is Tea Bagger. He has to lie about it and say he’s a Republican. Ask the good citizens of Colorado how well it works to abuse the public servents.
You sound like a bright thinker. Thanks for your meaningful
contribution to this post. We’re all so much better off now that you’ve
painted the world in black and white
Thanks for volunteering to take on the task of attributing meaning to the posts here. You’re going to be a busy boy.
Now why was it I bothered to vote?
949. Getting closer everyday
You haven’t learned anything from Wisconsin. We are going to support all those you care about this Country’s financial condition.
Since Maine does not have a “Recall” provision, isn’t there something like “forced resignation?”
So much opposition to him. His dictatorial blockage, is in line with the Tea Party-controlled Congress and its sabotage of government. In three and a half years the teapublicans have been ordered to block and defeat everything this president proposes.
Le Page has done the same in Maine. We are handicapped. We cannot move forward. All he is capable of is demeaning us – the people of the State of Maine. He should resign.
Actually, his wife lives in Florida. I think Penguin may actually have been born in Jamaica. Has anybody checked his birth certificate?
He will destroy the state before he is done and all of Maine will pay dearly for this action.
at least we’ll be paying a lower principle and less interest!!
Interest rates are at historical lows and are projected to be significantly higher in 2 years.
The fool is costing us money.
BINGO!!!!!
Lepage doesn’t understand it. Not all debt is bad, especially if it is used to leverage job creation (i.e., infrastructure, research, education, etc….)
Unless armageddon strikes before then, I can pretty much guarantee the debt that Lepage allows in 2014 will cost Maine taxpayers more than the debt financing terms available today. Smart.
If the EU splits up interest rates here will go through the roof.
I hate to tell ya, but I think Armagedon is in his Daily Planner!
LOL
projected to be significantly higher in 2
Maybe Thats why!
Think about it!
Maybe he is working for the banks!
He sure isn’t working for us!
Actually rates float, they are not fixed like your house. You are right, who knows what a ten year bond issued today will cost three years from now in this Greece like environment we seem to be heading for.
With What?
You can vilify him all you want but the basis for his action is clear. You cannot run on borrowed money forever. The State should pasy down its debt before it takes on anymore.
You TeaPublicans refuse to see or hear anything other than the corporate right wing lying propaganda sludge you listen to on FAKE News and Rush Limpmind. We have a great bond rating, pay our debts well on time, and LeBUFFOON has even touted these facts. It is a chance to take advantage of a terrific matching funds deal and very low interest rates in order to fix our infrastructure and invest in research and development. It would create the needed jobs that your big millionaire heroes refuse to create. Indeed, they are bent on destroying jobs as they send their tax cut dollars to the Cayman Islands. Go ahead Mr. BUFFOON. Fail to carry out the will of the people. Your party is already about to get CRUSHED in November. Come 2014 there won’t be a TeaPublican left in the legislature.
Government doesn’t create jobs unless you are in a socialist government. Lower taxes on business shrink government and private business will create jobs and not until then. Thank you governor for doing exactly what you said you would do.
I’m reminded of the saying, “it takes money to make money”. What business will come here if our roads are falling apart, or our universities can’t meet the education needs of business?
I have no problem with fixing the roads, but higher education shuld be paid for by those who want that education-the students, and their families, NOT from the rest of us who are not in school, in the working class.
Government money built the transcontinental railroad, the interstate highway system and a system of airports and ports that make commerce possible. If you want no government, try Somalia. Their economy is “booming” in a manner of speaking. It is booming with explosives produced by free market armies.
Jobs will be created through infrastructure. We need better roads, safer bridges, better coomunications.All things that government can help improve. The R’s really don’t wish to put people to work because it wouldn’t help them politically. These are things that make sense and are best done by government because of the huge costs. It puts people to work and helps businesses .LePage doesn’t want to do these things because the R’s on the national level don’t want to do these things.
Not hard to see , if one hasn’t got blinders on- that all they really care about is gaining the Whitehouse and congress. Then they may think about jobs, but only after they’ve taken care of the very rich and big corporations!
Not a lot of rich corporations up here…….
yeah, how are those bush tax cuts working for you? tax cuts dont create jobs- demand creates jobs and with the screwing the middle class is getting from the republicans there is less demand…. the liar in the blaine house is just blowing smoke and the deluded believe him
Government doesn’t bail out banks and corporations unless you are in a socialist government.
Lower taxes do not create jobs. Demand creates jobs, any business owner will tell you that. They do not hire someone just because they pay lower taxes – they hire because people are buying their products or services. Tax cuts for the wealthiest and austerity measures does not stimulate the economy, look at the United Kingdom, they are three years in to their austerity program and they have now succeeded in creating a double dip recession, something that has not happen there since the 70’s. What this country and state needs is a balanced approach, increased revenues, entitlement reform, and infrastructure improvement expenditures. At the very beginning of the Great Depression, (when it was still only a recession), private spending in this country dried up and the only entity that could spend, the federal government, followed Presidents Hoover’s belief that balancing the budget was the solution. The end result was, the government stopped spending and essentially triggered the slide into the depression. If we do not understand history, we are doomed to repeat it.
You guys really don’t get it do ya!
They keep telling you that Government has to shrink to create jobs!
Shrink What?— Thats right —–Shrink Jobs!
Shrink Goverment Jobs—— Create Private Jobs!
So you now don’t pay taxes!
Now you pay for the Private jobs plus the Fat Cat that owns them.
That was a very compelling argument on your part.
Lepage is wrong on this because if you can’t find a way to put money at historically low interest rates to work, you might as well give up.
But please, reconsider your posting style. Not sure how anyone can take you seriously…
I am not a tea party republican so for your first sentance is incorrect. I guess the Democratic ideal of spend, spend and more money for every problem is the answer. The system cannot continue on the pth of greater debt.
Either that or 2012 really is the end of the world!
So what is your excuse? We have passed every bond that came down the line, and our former Governor, never found a cause he wouldn’t throw money at, and here we are
with a poor economy, and you want to blame it on a guy that wants to balance the checkbook before he writes a check? Maybe you should take a wiff of what your shoveling.
He is an elected official, not appointed. If he doesn’t want to do the will of the voters, he should go back to Mardens. He can’t make up the rules as he goes along.
The time to run on borrowed money is when you dont have it and you need to pull yourself out of a hole.
Bush and company borowed to put us IN the hole when there was none and now we are in a freefall botomless pit!
Obama stopped it long enough to put a piton into the wall and provide an anchor to make a climb back out. the climb up will be long and difficult and he is being critisised for that.
But that is the only way out
As someone who is personally debt free, I can relate to the Governor’s desire to limit the state’s debt. This even though Maine is already one of the best states in rank of indebtedness.
I’ve learned though that if you don’t borrow, you must put money aside in order to pay for future expenses.
Unfortunately Mr. LePage and the Republican legislature have in their new tax law prevented the possibility of putting money aside. Now most of any surplus revenues, if there are any surplus revenues, will be used for automatic income tax cuts instead.
It’s our own little “Proposition 13” like the one that has driven California to the brink of bankruptcy.
But we voted that down in at least two referenda, you say? Yes we did. But now thanks to the Republicans, we have it anyway.
LePage and refuse in the same sentence? No way!
Now he just assured he won’t be re-elected next term because if this state likes doing anything, it is borrowing and spending, and telling people they can approve it but don’t get the money is not going to go over too well.
Hope you got your house ready in Florida Paul.
=========
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These Republicans are trying to tank our economy..
The progressives already succeeded….
Ya right. Republicans exist to send American jobs to China and their tax cuts to the Cayman Island. Right wingers live to destroy American jobs and the American middle class.
THIS is just a dumb comment, full of hate and knee jerk reactions. Do you recall the problems Reagan had? Do you recall the stellar success he had. It is called leadership. Something this state has been sorely lacking. We don’t need to agree with every single item, just the total direction.
Reagan begged the Soviets to embrace Liberalism.
Only because it was the next step UP from communism!
Oh yes! Ronny Rayguns. First president to triple the national debt during his term. Fierst to incur 10% unemployment since the Depression. Over 100 of his administration were charged with crimes. First to have his personal wealth increase by $10,000,000 while in office. What a guy! His answer to unemployment numbers was to change the way it was calculated. Of course, he did cut taxes for his rich friends by 60%. We can see how well that worked.
You’re forgetting one of his biggest achievements. The first to coin that great repugnican phrase “trickle down”. Feeling like you’re being trickled on? I am.
The Repubs know trickle down doesn’t work for the economy, it just works for the rich, that’s why they needed to re-phrase it to “job creators”
Don’t forget that he raised taxes 11 times while in office.
{ Do you recall the stellar success he had. }
Yes I remenber!
And we are still trying to recover from it!
Washington couldn’t tell a lie, Nixon couldn’t tell the truth, and Reagan couldn’t tell the difference.
Do you know what is destroying the middle class? Taxes, and inflation. Taxes on the middle class are insane, if you count all of the income taxes (state and federal), property taxes, sales taxes, etc. the middle class does not make out very well. To make matters worse, once the Bush tax cuts expire taxes on the middle class will increase even more. Yet what party is it that wants them to expire? Now I am certainly not cheering for the Republicans, just pointing out that your comment is incorrect. And finally, to top it off, about 70 years of deficit spending on state and federal levels has caused rather significant inflation, this detracts heavily from savings and drives up the cost of goods. Notice food and gas prices lately? Thank inflation.
It is so sickening to see time and time again people defending, and trashing political parties like they are sports teams. If political parties were sports teams, they would both suck, they would be uncoordinated, they would have no goals, and the only thing that would matter to them is they sheer number of tickets sold to their fans.
You defend your side as if they are the answer, when the fact of the matter is that both sides are equally screwed up. They all say one thing, and do another, they lie, they cheat and they steal from the American people. Yet, we keep voting these people in over and over again.
“Both sides are equally screwed up”. A common Republican talking point used (quite often lately) when confronted with facts that run counter to the narrative. The reality is that we have one party that is serious about running things, and of making sure things are running for the benefit of the broadest possible spectrum of society, and another which (like Bain Capital) is primarily concerned with tearing it all down and siphoning the proceeds to a few private, already wealthy hands.
What rock do you live under? They both work for the rich and no one else.
So, apparently there are only two schools of thought? Since I disagree with both Democrats and Republicans, don’t really care for either, and think that they are both doing nothing more than playing a game then I must be a Republican? Not sure how that makes sense.
It seems more likely that you have it in your mind that anybody who disagrees with Democrats must automatically be a Republican. It is funny how you can claim that the Democrats are serious about running things, when the truth is that Republicans and Democrats do a lot of shady stuff, there isn’t really a whole lot of difference between the two parties, they are all greedy, and selfish and only care about advancing their authoritarian agenda.
And please, give me a break with this “confronted with facts” narrative, everybody says it, it is meaningless. You have your data, I have mine, we all interpret them differently. Besides, what “facts” did I “run” from?
So, in conclusion, please do not stereotype me and attempt to fit me in a mold of a preferred political ideology. I agree with the Democrats on many social issues (because they represent freedom), and I agree with the Republicans on nearly all fiscal issues (again, because they represent freedom), but first and foremost I agree with Freedom and individual Liberty. And unfortunately I believe that both parties are corrupt, engage in crony capitalism, and desire to strip us of our liberties and mold us into their definition of a perfect society.
And progressives would have you believe they know how to fix it, they all seem to be posting that here. Problem is, you can say Government will create jobs all you want, and in the short term, that might work, but there comes a day when government cant bail you out. There comes a day when government has created too many layers, and too many generations of dependents. We are living in those days, you can look the other way all you want it doesnt change the FACTS.
Bush and Cheney were progressives?
Since when?
Since they switched from GEICO,
Ridiculous staement-thank God for once they’re actually in there. Baldacci and the Dems put the state in a huge financial hole with their ridiculous tax add ons and gross mismanagement and overspending. Mainecare alone, was in the hole for about two hundred and fifty MILLION dollars when LePage was elected into office. Thank God we finally have someone with the cajones to do what is right, and not to continue to increase overspending and continue raising and adding taxes onto us!
Is he waiting for the interest rates to go up? Someone should tell him that things are only getting worse under his rule of thumb. A majority of participating voters approved the bonds. Way less than a majority elected him.
The 1% like it when bonds have higher yields. He is catering to his wealthy handlers.
I’m sorry but was LePage ELECTED ‘monarch’ or governor ?? He seems to be confused between the two.
So the will of the voters is held hostage. I can just imagine what would have happened if Baldacci had done a thing like this, or hired two family members, or…well…fill in the blank.
umm he leased buidings from his friends to the state like angus did .. you dont see the corruption in the dems till theres a change in the admin .. get ready for more revalations .. they are huge
———–THANK YOU——–
We have given enough to these bottom-feeding taxpayer leaches at MTI, EMDC and U-Maine.
They have created jack-diddly-squat as far as job creation. They spin their need for these dollars, promising jobs and economic development, but when the smoke clears, they “may” create a hand full of short-term joke jobs, but thats it….
This is one reason I voted for Paul, and if he keeps cleaning house, I will be more than happy to vote for him again…!
Seems like this is illegal?
How is this illegal?
seems like spending money that future generations will be on the hook for, simply so you can be more comfortable in the present should be illegal….and constitutionally, it technically is….of course, who has respect for that old document anymore? I mean it’s pretty much common knowledge that most people prefer shackles and chains to freedom and liberty, the later requiring a bit more personal responsibility and principled integrity in defending the concept of justice, both old school values of a forgotten era where freedom actually existed….. for a short while….
Really? So when Bush and Co. borrowed trillions from China to have two wars, no bid military contracts for Halliburton, and the big giveaway to big pharma thus totally squandering the surplus he was handed and exploded our debt and ruining economy which Obama INHERITED, where were you??
and then obama continued to do this for 4 more years where are we?
are you nieve?
We voted on this and approved these bonds. The question isn’t about what the bonds do or whatever else you talked about in your tangent. We voted on it. I would imagine that the Governor openly refusing to adhere to what we voted on would be illegal.
Borrowing money to fix roads, since gas tax revenue doesn’t keep up(due to more fuel efficient cars) is not “shackles and chains”. I can’t exercise freedom and liberty if I can’t drive anywhere. I’d drink less tea if I were you.
What a pile of useless rhetoric. Elected officials are there to carry out the will of the people,PERIOD. It’s called a democracy!!
Just when I think our governor can’t do any better at his job, he hits a new high.
Thank you Govornor Lepage for righting this ship before it takes on any more water.
Ok when he dose let the bonds go more money will half to be added to the bonds because the cost of the projects will go up remember that
WOW…a politician with integrity and principle when it comes to fiscal responsibility
…what a breath of fresh air
Kick butt Paul, why should the State sell bonds and pay interest rates, Pay off our current bills and then pay cash when the time come.
Her’s just holding off on the bonds until interest rates will be much HIGHER.
WE will pay more and LePage’s corporate puppets masters will get higher yields – at Maine taxpayers’ expense.
2014? Makes sense because that is when this rotten disgrace gets sent packing in a big way. This guy is an unmitigated disaster. And his party will be punished badly for him and for supporting him come November. A Republican won’t be able to run for dog catcher in this state.
….
Well, sure. It makes perfect sense. Why pay any attention to electoral mandates? They were approved by voters, for pity’s sake. Ordinary people. Paul knows people like that are far too stupid to understand what’s really necessary in life. Otherwise they wouldn’t be so keen to build so much useless stuff. Who needs dentists, universities, airports, or any of that other extraneous junk? Not the great State of Maine! Infrastructure is overrated.
Isn’t it funny how the same people praising LePage for this are also the ones screaming about how Wisconsin voters “sent a message” last week? Which is it? Do the voters rule or not? These people have no principles. They’ll say whatever and do whatever based on the situation and how it benefits them. That’s it.
Yeah, but to get his 1% puppet maters higher yields he needs to hold off until interest rates go up.
Maine taxpayers will have to pay the difference, but hey – his minders will be delighted!
thank god for aleader with balls
I suspect it’d be better if they weren’t the only things he can think with.
Good boy Paul. Keep it up.
“It is our duty as public servants to ensure each taxpayer dollar is spent appropriately,” ………..
What part of the public servant thingy don’t ya get?
The monarchy’s charcoal jubilee….and it’s almost expired!
Guess who’s in the bottom 5? All bottom five have Republican Governors sucking Tea party kool-aid.
http://toolsforthecapitalist.com/5-fastest-growing-and-shrinking-states-gdp/
I for one am a proud Republican that loves what LePage is doing!
Remember that you said that when your car is damaged on a road that didn’t get fixed because LePage won’t borrow money to fix them or otherwise make up for falling gas tax revenue.
The roads have sucked for years despite all the bonding we’ve done. Don’t try to blame it on LePage.
So, they will magically get better because LePage does nothing? That is an interesting argument. Doing nothing is still a choice; and when you make a choice, you own it.
In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to
be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.
H. L. Mencken
I really don’t think it was the Republicans. I think they were hoodwinked too. This is some sick ideology that believes if they cut the government apart enough, there is more profit to be made.
gsgofer – So right! Sleight of hand for those not paying attention.
Politics before people.
This tactic sounds awfuly similar to Howard Dean’s little budget stunt in Vermont. Vermont had a big gap in their State Budget, and Dean was in the process of announcing for the Democratic nomination. But he couldn’t until he had Vermont’s budget under control. So what does he do ? He finds out how much revenue Vermont’s going to need to close the gap to ZERO, and then promptly raise’s Vermont’s PROPERTY TAX RATE just that much, by percentage, for their Bienial Budget Bill to be balanced. Then, after he does this, thru Executive Order no less, he promptly resign’s, all the while claiming that he ‘balanced the State’s budget so we don’t need any help from Washington’ and ‘suddenly’ runs for the Democratic nomination in the Democratic Caucus’s as ‘The Balanced Budget Governor’. Please, what drivel !!!!!!
LePage is looking do the same thing here. He’s gonna sit on the Bond’s until 2013-14 budget comes up for passage, then tell whoever is still State Treasurer to put them out on the market (without any notice to boot !) and then promptly, and without warning ‘suddenly’ decide to not run and leave both the GOP (Charlie, now’s the time to start thinking of who you want to run !) and the Democrat’s to clean up the mess he’s in the process of making. Given the fact that no matter who you talk to, or whatever organization you check with, LePage’s chances of being re-elected are now circling ‘The Bowl’ and sinking even faster. That he waited until Primary Day to make any endorsing statement alone should have told everyone that he has absolutely no clue as to just what Candidate can best represent the GOP. That Charlie and the Maine State GOP didn’t push Paulie on this is all the more sad, moreso given the complete mess that the State GOP made out of the Delegate Caucus’s. The time for this nonsense is over and for the GOP to decide to step up and decide if they are gonna stand up for principle or cave in to hysterical ‘Chicken Little’ing. Given the timing , one would not be far off the mark in saying ‘Maine where?’
I have to say that since LePage began his [s]rule[/s] tenure, it has been incredibly interesting to see the tone of the comments on the BDN shift. It seems many more people are seeing the emperor for the clothes he’s actually wearing.
“That is especially true when we are spending borrowed money — money that has to be paid back by future taxpayers, with interest.” I can’t figure his logic, he will not be here, so why does he care?
Given Paulie’s recent antic’s, you might find that there’s more support for you out there than you think. BUT, this needs to come from both sides, not just a Democratic or GOP position. This is a fundamental change to Maine’s State Constitution and that means that EVERYBODY needs to be involved. But given LePage’s antics of late, well, there’s a lot of folk’s who are tired of being made the 3 Stooge’s of the Country just because Paulie wants to make us all look stupid. Of such image’s and perception’s have come far more important decisons result’s. And Paulie, right now you’re odd’s of amking any decision, and it being actually upheld, don’t look too good…….
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No more good roads.
Should Not have to bond to repair roads..
It’s just like that sound bite, were doing it for the children.
Our government opted to reduce it’s tax income on the basis of “trickle down economics”. Obviously no government can reduce it’s income and increase it’s debt an expect anything other than an economic collapse. Okay… so that’s what we got, right?
The concept of tax breaks for billionaires was sold a second time to the public as “trickle down economics”. This bait was taken for 10 years and then preposterously the same concept was bought again a decade later, long after it was proven to be a failed concept. I couldn’t believe it! But apparently people panicked and bought into the already failed concept of trickle down economics. They were told that the only way that jobs could be restored or created was by extending those same tax breaks that drove us to the brink of poverty.
So tax breaks were extended and the billionaire corporations are turning their best profits ever which is no surprise at all. But what about the people who trusted that this “trickle down economics” concept would surely work a second time. What about them? Well, I’d hope they are starting to open their eyes and see that it was all an elaborate lie… tax breaks for billionaire corporations don’t benefit the average person, they ONLY benefit the billionaire corporations and the billionaires who own these corporations.
So now, we are stuck with less government income and not enough money to upkeep our roads, hospitals, airports and all the things that matter most to businesses. Big businesses always abandon poor states… they just do and new businesses are smart enough to stay away from impoverished states.
So, we now are faced with a dilemma – in order to bring new business to the state and in order to keep the businesses we have we need to upkeep our resources. If we don’t do that now… I shudder to think about where that will leave the people of Maine.
Right now the interest rates are at an all time low. It’s a phenomenal time to borrow money if money is needed and it is clearly needed. Maine must invest in Maine right now in order to keep businesses here and to attract new business. If we don’t do that we will find ourselves borrowing later at a much higher rate to repair roads and the buildings and facilities that were not maintained.
Think about this… have you ever put off a repair or maintenance and waited until it was broken to take care of it? THAT always ends up costing 10x as much. That’s what LePage is doing. He isn’t saving us money, he’s costing money in the long run. All you have to do to see this is look at the big picture… not the short term “put it off- it’s not broke during my administration” method to create a surface illusion of saving money while setting the state up for failure in the future making it someone else’s problem. LePage either doesn’t understand this or doesn’t care about it… after all, he will be living in another state when it breaks, when he’s done here. I guess that makes it our problem, not his.
stand your grand paul. thousands of us are counting on you.
Yes , stand your ground ,we are are counting on you slipping up and going to jail, like Zimmerman.
But the other million people in this state are not.
Stupid.
Impeach the bum !
Yes…let’s wait until interest rates are higher, that makes sense. For a guy who is supposedly business-savvy Lepage doesn’t seem to know much about the bond market.
So business savy he ran Mardens. C’mon, that place is a joke of a company, and hopefully not a model for our state. We can do better than Mardens.
I’m okay with this.
What I do want to see is how The Governor responds when one of those requests come in. If it’s reasonable and he okays it, than i’ll take one step further. If not, then you guys can kavetch away. I think that’s reasonable isn’t it?
I wish the article addressed this but is this legal?
These bonds have been approved with the full normal process of the law. Does he have any kind of legal authority to now derail them?
The letters from the LePage administration come about two weeks after the governor said he wouldn’t allow four bond packages set to appear on November’s ballot to be sold, even if approved by voters, until the state’s “spending problem is under control.”
What a breath of fresh air…Good job Governor…
Fresh Air?
You have your head buried, how can you even breath?
“What a breath of fresh air…” You must be hanging out in the outhouse!
What about we the people. We voted for the spending. If the will of the people is not followed is this a democracy?
He thinks he is king…
Paul LePage is a poster child for the recall petition and here’s why:
Civics 101
The State of Maine is a democracy with three branches of government, The House of Representatives, The State Senate, and the Governor. All three have equal powers.
Elections are held to elect members of each branch by a vote of the populace. (Pay close attention. This next sentence is important.) These people are elected to represent the will of the populace. They’re not elected because they’re shrewder or smarter or anythingelse-er. They’re elected to represent the people only because it’s more expedient to have a limited number of representatives voting on issues rather than polling the entire populace of the state on every issue.
The Governor has now decided to take it upon himself to ignore the will of the people regarding these bonds and that’s an authority he does not have. This is not his decision to make. The people have spoken and the Governor has no authority to override the will of the people. Hence he should be forced to either comply with the will of the people or be removed from office. Period. Plain and simple.
Even Ben Franklin & Co. had it right in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence when it says:
…governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes
destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it,
and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and
organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect
their safety and happiness.
2.4
…But when a long train of
abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to
reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to
throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future
security.
I like politicans who do what they say they are going to do if elected..
Thank you Governor Paul LePage.
There are a lot of people who’s only business in life is to feed off of tax dollars, through grants, corporate walfare and such.. Their businesses depend on drinking from the Public trough, so they put out all these sound cuts how the earth will stop spinning if they are not tax dollar fed.
Jah, You Vill Obey Me!!!
Uh-huh. Corporate welfare=oil company subsidies, farm subsidies, farm price supports, tax increment financing, subsidies for building WalMart warehouses and distribution facilities and the like. Get your own house in order before telling the rest of us what we should be doing. The next time a corporation actually pays for the public infrastructure improvements required for its operations, you let me know and then I’ll consider your opinion.
it’s about time someone stopped the madness in this country. We have to stop spending, giving, or whatever the politicians have been doing with tax payor money. For those of you who don’t seem to get this, you are the biggest part of the problem. If I ran my household the same way that the federal and state governments have been run for the last 60 years I wouldn’t be long for the soup kitchen line, but this country’s citizens have come to expect things that should never happen and now they don’t seem to understand………..we are broke. Stop giving our money away to other countries and stop sticking your nose in other countries problems and maybe just maybe extremists would want to kill women and children. DUH
I agree, Emily Cain, that the governor is involved in ‘partisan ideology.’ He believes, as do I, that the state needs to live within its means. Debt is servitude, and it is reprehensible that we have been willing to enslave not ourselves, but our children, by spending more than we have. Great job, Governor. Keep that pen in the desk!
Considering you know nothing about state budgets and funding it’s laughable that you pontificate about living within our means. Using LePage and his budget thinking as an example, living within our means (paying our bills) means quitting our job and reducing our income (tax breaks for the wealthy). On a federal level people like Charlie Summers want to reduce government spending (on keeping people alive and healthy) while increasing spending on the military (for killing people).
Borrowing is not a good idea. Raise revenue by ending the war on drugs. The tax revenue and economic boost will raise plenty of money, no need to borrow. Grow the economy forget about the bankers and their usury.
You either pay now or pay more later for theses projects . sat brower 40 million for theses projects that will cover them now but he browers the money in say three years those same projects could cost 45 million
Not only will inflation have driven the costs of the projects higher it is more than likely that the interest rates on the borrowed money will also be higher. But LePage doesn’t care because that means more profits for his masters.
Yes you are right
Raise revenue by ending the war on drugs? Uh, how does that RAISE revenue? Are you suggesting that recreational drugs be taxed? If so, then that’s what you should have said. LePage either fails to understand or, more likely, doesn’t care that by selling bonds and putting people back to work on infrastructure will actually bring more money into the state coffers.
Even though the borrowing has been approved by voters, chief of the teabaggie party, comrade La Pudgie has spoken. The beatings will continue, until moral improves.
The “voice of the voter” only matters if it says what he wants to hear.
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Your first point is correct, however, the real motivation here is to hold off until the state has to pay more interest, there ensuring more PROFITS for the oligarchs.
Go for it save save..
Thank you Mr. LePage…thanks for ensuring a Democratic majority in November!
Good for you Paul, don’t approve any spending until we get our financial house in order. Paul inherited a mess from the previous Governor.
I guess the WILL OF THE VOTERS is unimportant to you and Paul LePage-that’s why LePage and his enablers are going to be collecting unemployment starting in November.
Don’t blame Jock for what he left us, he was trying the best he could while busy dating Snowe:)
wake up maine…a Coup d’état has occurred in maine state government
I wonder – would roll-aids help:)
…
Stop spending on roads, schools and hospitals in areas that are predominatly repulitarded
While reading this article the name Hitler came to mind, did this happen to anyone else?
I know what is best for all of you, you’re just a bunch of dummies, I’ll lead you to the promise land of Tea-baggers and everything will be wonderful.
The Fuehrer has spoken. He is the man in control of this state and its people. Your legislators are nothing more than sweet syrupy candy atop Popsicle sticks. By Tea Party decree, all people are subservient to his rule.
Le Page is a loyal member of the Tea Party, just like the infamous national legislative sabotage experts Mitch McConnell, and John Boehner.
Nothing you can do. The country and this state are in lock-down until President Obama is defeated, according to decree of the Koch-initiated Tea Party. The Blockage Plan was formulated the night following the swearing in of the president.
Public approval of Bonds for the benefit of the state and its people,. will not be permitted by Le Page until the final victory is achieved.
Florida is open for NUT’S like you LePage. Hit the road , Mainer’s hate you.
no we don’t , we love the Gov!
61% of Maine did not vote for LePage…..he’s done in one.
wow- you need to get over it! I’m betting even more people would vote for LePage now- he is doing exactly what he said he would do! He won’t run for office again anyway- but when his term is up he will have cleaned up Baldacci’s ( and King’s by the way) mess as best as he could, and gotten a lot of deadbeats off State aid and on their own 2 feet. He is doing great! Thank you Governor LePage!
Comedy center has a delusion segment. Give it a try.
Ummm I believe LePage has already filed his paperwork to run again….and deblogger take your meds sweetie… it will help with the delusions you are having about LePage.
FYI: 61% of Maine did NOT vote for LePage…..he’s one and done….let’s hope he goes back to the nutty state of Florida and screws their state up by running for office…..pfffffffft.
Now you should not blame Jock for the mess he left the state when he was the Governor who today is again in legal trouble over the student loan program – remember:)
TLMMSW Your statement is disingenuious and you know it. He got more votes than any other candidate.
I am glad he is not approving the bonds, what is sad that people that do not work and do not pay into the system can vote on issues that impact my taxes and my paycheck. Very easy to spend someone else’s money….
Which of these bonds is funding DHHS?
As if they made a difference. Another sunspot theory of causality.
The point Jonathan is that if you have no money it is easy to vote any bond issue thru, because you have no accountablity to ever pay anything towards the bond repayment. I agree with LePage and think there should be a hold on all spending until we have our finanacial house in order.
Basic republican ranter on Heritage salary. Say Red and he will say it
is a lie, that’s the basic Republican response – and they get paid by
the Heritage group to continue the fake responses with no basis:)
….
actually that is not what i am saying at all, I am saying if you are on the dole aka general assistance, Tanif, Pencap, Emergency Assistnace, SSI and sucking the rest of us dry because you do not work, have never worked and have no intentions of ever working and earning any income…you have not rights…that does not include anyone on a pension, retired or any of the other programs you mentioned…entitlement has got to end…you should not be entitled to spend my money on something I have voted against…
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wrong place
….
Basic republican ranter on Heritage salary. Say Red and he will say it is a lie, that’s the basic Republican response – and they get paid by the Heritage group to continue the fake responses with no basis:)
LePage is doing what most Republicans desire, to rule by dictatorship. Time for “America, love it or leave it” to return, this time directed at those who would be happier in Syria.
As if he had been elected by mandate of the politically astute rather than by an angry and marginalized minority.
Does anyone still question that LePage’s and the Republicans primary goal is to sabotage the Maine economy and to force us back into the stone age. What more does he have to do to make his point. Maine, under his leadeership, is the only state in New England who’s economy shrank last year. And it shrank by more than just 2 states. Sure does take a businessman to wreck everything.
The Republicans in the U.S. Congress have sabotaged the American Economy since Obama took office. Why are you surprised that Tea Party LePage sabotages Maine economy any chance he gets. It is time to vote all Republicans out of office. If they don’t want to be Americans then it is time to get them out of all Government, and let them go back to their Corporate Dictators.
That is the reason the he is rated as the “Worst” Governor ever elected in Maine history. This clown should go on vacation till his removal from office before he completely bankrupts our state. Oh, how much is the Governor’s attorney Dan Billing being paid. He is a waste of state money in my humble opinion.
If we need road repair not covered in the regular budget, and its not considered disaster recovery, then the political dirt-ball that voted it down should, in all seriousness, be put into stocks for a week, and the project held-over until the next session.
Beyond that, all of the grant leaches at MTI, EMDC, and U-Maine shouldnt get anymore taxpayer fun money.
He’s asctuslly right here. They SHOULD be careful about how and where they spend (especially if it’s from borrowed monies).
I’ll be glad to see Mr. LePage go. Hopefully, then Maine will find a way
to increase job growth because for all of the grumbling about democrats
and the Obama Administration, I don’t see a d*** thing happening in (R) run Maine.
President Obama is a good Commander-In-Chief who was handed a huge pile
of virtually insurmoun table, long-term problems and when he didn’t fix
them inside of six months, many American voters gave up on him and
elected an obstructionist Congress. ” What we will get” from a second
term of the Obama Administration is far less important than what we will
NOT get. We will NOT get voting rules changed to exclude working
Americans, We will NOT have environmental protection laws rolled back to
the eighteen fifties, We will NOT get insurance that generates huge
profits for healthcare companies by leaving retirees, the young, and the
working poor to fend for themselves and we will NOT have our national
safety net systems removed to fund tax breaks for the wealthy. We will
NOT have trade laws revised to benefit global commerce at the expense of
American small businesses and we as working taxpayers will NOT see the
end of social security or be forced to foot the bill for massive
corporate tax breaks. With any luck we WILL see the ruling on Citizen’s
United overturned, WILL see better healthcare and we WILL see more
young people who can afford to go to college. And, over time we WILL see
the economy improve. The sluggish economy is not for lack of initiative
on the part of the Obama Administration, it is for the vigor of
obstructionist activity on the part of the GOP and if you can’t see that
then you’re being sucker-punched by marketing rhetoric.
this is the piggest pile of dung ive ever seen -your a liar.
I am honest both in fact and in opinion. You are uninformed or you are being deceived by the GOP.
Roads are a lot like your roof. If you don’t fix it when it leaks and the water gets in the structure, sheetrock etc, it will cost a lot more later. Not releasing the bonding for roads when passed will create a double whammy, greater construction costs and higher interest rates. This clown doesn’t have a clue, nor any idea where the clues are kept! No one would be a better gubner than him!
umm no money is whats about to happen so no money to pay interest either fella-depression cometh
Good move by LePlaque. We can wait to borrow when interest rates are much higher thus enriching the bankers.
LePage’s high handed ways may fly in the face of the voters now, but we’ll be ones he has to listen to later. Our votes have more power than LeRage thinks.
Hostage Negotiator: I got here as fast as I could, I heard on the scanner that there’s a hostage situation at the Blaine house?
Cop 1: That’s right. Governor LePage is holed up in the Blaine House and took Maine’s bonds and economy hostage. He says he wont release them till he gets Maine’s Fiscal House in order.
Hostage Negotiator: Get Maine’s fiscal house in order? Has he gone nuts?! Doesnt he know that now is a prime time to borrow? Interest rates are at a all time low….there’s federal matching funds……these bonds will stir economic development and help get the economy moving!
Cop 2: We know sir. We think Lepage may have been slipped TeaSalts at his last meeting with MHPC, he’s gone crazy with extreme rightwing ideology. When this whole fiasco started, the Governor’s daughter walked into the bathroom and caught Governor LePage attempting to drown Maine’s Government in the bathtub. Luckily when she walked in, it startled Lepage and Maine’s Government was able to slip away out the bathroom window. But this enraged Gov. Lepage, and now he went and took Maine’s bonds and economy hostage.
Hostage Negotiator: Have we been able to make any contact inside the Blaine House?
Cop 1: No sir, he cut the phone lines.
Hostage Negotiator: Oye vey….Give me the bullhorn. (Krsch) Governor Lepage! This is the Capital Police. Are you ok? (Krsch)…..Im sure you must be under alot of stress as governor (Krsch)….but taking Maine’s bonds and economy hostage will not solve your problems. (Krsch)
Maine needs these bonds sold. Maine’s infrastructure is crumbling, our universities need upgrading, your going to stall out maine’s economic recovery! (Krsch)
Governor: (from inside comes a faraway yell) Kiss my butt!!!
Hostage Negotiator: Those dang TeaSalts……it’s warped his view on reality……how am I going to reach him?
Cop 2: We have to try! For the sake of the children! There’s a new dental clinic that’s going to be built! Maine has a huge dental-care access gap!
Hostage Negotiator: (Krsch) Governor Lepage please! Come out and talk to us. Lets try to work this out. Lets try to find some common ground ….(Krsch)
Governor: Go to hell!!!
Hostage Negotiator: This is going to be along night…….somebody get me a cup of coffee.