MILLINOCKET, Maine — Town leaders are proceeding with a lawsuit against Gov. Paul LePage and the state over $216,000 in education funds LePage denied the town, officials said Wednesday.
Town Council Chairman John Davis sent Town Manager Eugene Conlogue a letter formally authorizing the lawsuit last week that Conlogue passed to the attorney representing the town in the matter, Conlogue said.
It has not been a matter undertaken lightly, Conlogue said.
“The town does not want to be suing the state of Maine. We are doing this with great reluctance,” Conlogue said. “That said, it appears we are not going to get the funding the town is legally owed but for this action.”
LePage spokeswoman Adrienne Bennett’s only comment Wednesday was, “The administration is aware.” In previous statements, she said LePage expressed indifference to a lawsuit threat.
The fight began when LePage claimed that town leaders broke their pledge to pay $50,000 annually toward the estimated $250,000 annual cost of the maintenance and operation of the Dolby landfill in East Millinocket used by the region’s two paper mills. He issued $504,000 on March 7 instead of the $720,000 the town is owed in Sudden and Severe Impact funds.
As part of the $250,000 deal that state officials were engineering, East Millinocket pledged another $50,000 in cash and services to complement the $150,000 the state would have offered.
Sudden and Severe Impact funds are given by the state to municipalities to cushion against steep tax losses — in the towns’ case, the closure of their paper mills. The LePage-engineered sale of both mills to a New Hampshire investor was crucial to the East Millinocket mill’s restart last October, restoring more than 200 jobs.
Millinocket officials angrily denied LePage’s claim. Saying LePage had connected unrelated issues and acted illegally, town leaders produced a string of correspondence that showed they never agreed to more than one $50,000 payment.
East Millinocket officials, who also said they never agreed to fund more than one payment, received the first of several payments in late March.
The town government, which effectively controls education spending with schools being run by the Millinocket School Committee and local Education Department, will use the town’s undesignated surplus to cover for the missing $216,000, Conlogue said.
This is why we don’t elect “business managers” to run a state……We are not a for profit business….we are people…..
It is because of people like you, that really believe this nonsens. That thinking is why the state is in this financial mess.
You tell em gramps.
And we the people shall put our current “Business Manager” out of business on November 6th. Of course he’ll still be able to hire more LePage family members, but without House and Senate majorities that’s about the only harm he’ll be able to continue to inflict upon Maine citizens.
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Unrelated issues . . . like his brain and his mouth?
BUT, the officials don’t deny that while he may have made the connection he didn’t do it for spite and has an issue of the town not holding up its end of the bargain. Seems odd.
It is not odd, not the first time Millinocket has not held up its end of a bargain.
Why does the town have a surplus of tax dollars?
I’ll be looking forward to seeing how this one plays out.
Whatever your beliefs, you have to love that picture! It seems like the BDN does. It reminds me unavoidably of Charles DeGaulle, when questioned about the needs of ‘the state.’ DeGaulle is reputed to have answered, “L’etat? L’estat c’est moi.” (The state? The state is ME.)
The quote “L’etat c’est moi” was reputedly first uttered by King Louis XIV. Some say that Voltaire actually put those words in the King’s mouth, that the King never said it either.
DeGaulle was said to have said it, but nobody ever quoted him as saying it until late in his life, and he never owned up. He would have had he said it.
Like the belov’d governor LePage though, DeGaulle was known for knowing everything. He once said that when he wants to know how France feels about something, he just asks himself. Doesn’t that sound like something out of the mouth of the Sage from Waterville?
Could someone please confirm the last time Adrienne Bennet was heard from? I’m afraid she’s missing.
She made a comment on 6/18:
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/06/18/business/technology-institute-president-resigns/?ref=mostReadBoxNews
She needs permission to speak first and then needs to be told what to exactly say.
It’s a 3 part process. Starts with the Tea Party, goes to puppet LePage, then to Adrienne.
Why should the rest of the tax payers in the State pay for this mess that
Millinocket and East Millinocket created? They reaped the benefits of the paper mills for years. It is only fair they should help pay for this.
I agree we have been propping up this town for way too long. It seems to me if they can’t stand on their own let the town declare bankruptcy. They want the money so they can blow it on more pet projects that have done nothing. It’s time to for this town to stand on their own. East Millinocket has worked with LePage and is doing fine. It seems to me this socialist town manager wants everyone in Maine to bail him out. LePage is doing the right thing keeping the money. They should cut all state funding for education to them as well.
Maybe we should cut money from every other town the State gives money too. I wonder how much Bangor and Portland get from state. One word staggering.
When you look at % Portland pays for their education compared to the % the state funds and look at Millinocket (and East) the percentage is quite different! Portland taxpayers foot 85% of their education budget….Millinocket not even close to that amount.
that 15% amount doesn’t come close, interesting.
Be careful. Your comments will be flagged here because your views are unpopular. The reality is that the Millinocket area is in serious trouble and there is no clear path forward. Penguin purchased the toxic dump as an incentive to lure the charcoal factory to Millinocket. He also gave them millions of dollars in corporate welfare and tax gifts. All to create two dozen factory jobs. It’s time for Maine to cut its losses in this area and come to terms with the post-paper mill economy that we now live in. Millinocket was literally created to support an industry that is becoming obsolete.
Where do you get some of this stuff anyways. What serious trouble is in Millinocket that others are not aware of? I think we are moving forward pretty good, with the exception of this lawsuit, and the other ones.
What about the rumored sale of #11 papermachine and the scrapping of the rest of the mill? That will mean less tax dollars for the Magic City.
That rumor has been circulating for a long time. Though the person who started it is been quite admonished. Tax dollars, it would hae to mean re-negoiating the TIF again.
Not entirely true. The paper industry will return when we reach par with China on wage and lack of environmental protection. We are well on the way.
Wrong.
Not entirely true. The paper industry is dying a slow death. Computers,iphones,ipads and kindles are being used more every day. Now there is talk about electronic books in the classroom. I worked for 38 years in the paper industry and have seen many changes and they are not for the good. Remember when there wasn’t any plastic bags? I do. The only paper that will survive is computer paper and tissue paper. Plastic can’t replace toilet paper.
And it should be becomning obsolete. It should be growing and expanding into additional products as well. Time we started INsourcing some jobs again in Maine.
Exactly. And that’s why the state is focusing its attention and resources on research and development, and helping technological businesses succeed and grow. Wait. What? Governor LePage vetoed the bonds for research and development? And he’s withholding R & D and technology commercializations bond funds already authorized by the voters? And he just fired the highly respected head of the state’s technology investment agency? Okay, I get it. Forget the economy of the future; we’ll focus on the economy of the past. Break out the chainsaws. And as our incomes continue to decline against the rest of the nation, at least we’ll have Marden’s for cheap junk.
While you have a point, however, if someone owed me money legally and refused to give it to me, I would probably sue too.
From my understanding the Governor has final say over the rainy day fund, or whatever they want to call it by law.
Go Millinocket!
Paul this is not Mardens, will maybe with all junk and crap around it mite remined you of it.
Anyway this plays out, it will only serve to alienate the governors office from the Katahdin region.
Anyway this plays out, it will only serve to alienate the governors office from Millinocket…not the Katahdin Region as a whole.
I hope your right
East Millinocket’s selectmen have been working well with the Gov’s office on the whole landfill issue….you can’t clump us all in together here. It is going to cost them (Millinocket towns people) and the taxpayers of Maine more in the end in lawyer fees….
Your right East has it own messes to clear up. How much will it cost to fix the school? You’ll find this is probably more politics than the town people wanting to sue. Just listen to some of the council meetings, and read the papers that purport such an agreement as they think.
what does a school roof in East Millinocket have to do with alienating the governors office from Millinocket over a lawsuit?
The state opened applications to the revolving building fund just a day or so ago, read up on it, some of the amount is repaid and some is ‘forgiven’. They specifically mention roofing costs as what they are looking for as far as projects go….thanks for your concern though regarding our school down here. Hope that the $150,000 in cuts the council has mandated don’t mess up the programs that are in place for the children of the school and that they (the students) might enjoy some new computers, ipads and smart boards this year.
how about the flooring cost, or the cost to ge it up to code? No programs messed up here as of yet. The fact though it is not the whole council that is alienating the Governors office, I think it has more to do with politics then it does funding. Those few who think the Governor is lieing forget how easily what their word is worth.
Did you miss the fact that the Millinocket town council voted to pass the school budget after cutting an
ADDITIONAL $150,000 from what the school board had already agreed to cut? Those cuts that town council decided on are at least 1 teacher and a social worker among other things.
Instead of worrying about a floor you might want to look at the fact your elementary students do not have access to smart boards in all the classrooms (Easts K-4 classrooms all have one) they are needed to teach that age group of students, and that your computers at the high school need to be replaced in order to start the dual enrollment program and I could go on but why bother. Both schools have areas they need to improve on….your point is? You have a great building! My point is the building might be amazing but where is the investment into actually EDUCATING the students and providing them with what they need to learn?
IF you get kids away from smartboards and computers, you might educate them. Regardless what is cut the town still has to pay the budget as it will be approved. 150, 000 compared to 720 million is a big difference.
A nice building doesn’t turn out good students a good program does.
As well as a bad building can have adverse affects on learning.
State already pays for their lawyers. It was not all on the council that wanted this, some bull headed ones.
thats not entirely true
what isn’t entirely true? That the state funds only 15% of Portlands school budget? Or that the Millinocket council cut the school budget?
you might be right about the lawyers fees, but its how the governors office has deals with the area has changed
I’d imagine that the fact that the landfill is in your town. You did get all of the money you were eligible for. You have mill which is running has nothing to do with the fact you have a good relationship with the Gov’s office????
The sooner we get rid of the poor-excuse-for-a-governor, the better. We can’t afford this dictator whose specialty is lying and deceiving.
what lies or decit, It’s the truth you hate. just like that Pat lamarche and her radio show,, you all hate the truth.
Just like their liberal love fest it will go away like the last of the progressive spenders in Augusta.Can not wait for November. Voters of Maine now see the scandalous over spending from the progressives over the last thirty years.
So the State of Maine is about to get sued by one of its towns. Both the State and Millinocket will end up spending a whole lot of money
. Perhaps more then the amount at question. What does the Governor of the State of Maine think ? ”
LePage expressed indifference to a lawsuit threat.” I bet if the money to defend the law suit were coming out of Paul Richard LePage’s pocket he wouldn’t be so indifferent about it. How about if LePage loses he gets to pay Maine’s share of the cost. After all he is always sooooooooooo concerned about the tea party parrot’s taxpayer dollars.
Isn’t the idea of having a State of Maine to take care of our fellow Mainers and do things we cannot do by ourselfs? What purpose do State government according to you?
And when you call people socialist do you actually know what a socialist is? Neither Baldacci or King or Obama for that matter is a socialist. Come back with that statement when all schools are free of cost with no private option, when we got universal healthcare ie when you only need to pay for 2 insurances (house and car), when you got public transportation to all villages and towns, when pensions are guaranteed, and finally when banks and major industries are controlled by the government.
Try not to be so hard on Darkcat. I really think there is something wrong with his computer. If you notice each and every time Darkcat post anything it has to include the words Baldacci, King, socialist and Welfare. As a matter of fact he isn’t the only poster who seems to have this type of computer problem, Naran’s computer seems to do the same thing. In fact it is very difficult to tell Naran’s post from Darkcats. It gives the impression they are both working off the same exact talking points. But I’m sure that couldn’t be the case.
Really well your computer keeps posting the same failed Maine Democrat Party talking points. You sound alot alike the Chairperson of that party. Maybe you should take a job with them because you would fit in well with them. As I stated to you above you claim to be a conservative well no Conservative or even Independents would defend the job performance of Angus King, John Baldacci and the Democrats in Augusta.
All one need do, though, is check the “likes,” to see that most people w/functioning brains skip right over their nonsense. Can’t spell, can’t punctuate, makes no sense. Next?
Do they recieve the funds forever… They are only suppose to get these funds when the mills closed. One mill is running and another is retrofitting to produce wood for fuel.. Time to pass a law that states towns can only be on welfare for 5 years. Heck welfare for all… 3/4 of the people there are on welfare why not put the town on welfare tooooooo
And yet you dance for joy every time the government cuts a subsidy welfare check for an oil company or or a no-bid welfare check contract for Halliburton or helps a millionaire hide his money in the Cayman Islands and pay half the tax rates as the rest of us. The Republican Party and their corporate masters receive more welfare than anyone else, all the while destroying our jobs. Repubublicans are born job killers. And in this state, they will be CRUSHED at the polls come November.
Nope, I don’t.. the war was created for the industrial war machine.. I don’t believe in the war against terror because it will never go away… it’s revolving and was probably created by money makers on all sides…
What????…..Once again, you say nothing at all about the article that people are posting about. Once again, you say nothing; using words like “socialist” and “liberals” and referencing Baldacci…….What on earth does that have to do with this article?….Nothing.
The governor refuses to release the bonds, voted upon by the electorate, us! He refuses to release those funds that are owed to these towns, try talking about that DK!
Probably didn’t have any cut and paste for Millinocket suing LePoopoo
If you and the rest of the Liberals care so much about bailing them out Well Pay For Them then. Yeah let’s continue to follow the Failed Democrat way of doing things like President Nobama loves to do and that is bailout everyone because we feel so sorry for them . BOO HOO want a crying towel for these folks. It’s time these folks man up take it like everyone else does. If things aren’t going well cut back, but don’t expect us to bail you out like has been done the last 30 years.
Mainers shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s mistakes.
In this country, conservatives and progressives are both Liberals.
Since he’s ALWAYS talking about Baldacci long after Baldacci is gone that must make him a lifetime fan of Baldacci’s!!! :-) He can’t live without him!
Good. Stand up to LeBUFFOON. He is a bully and a walking disgrace to his office. And his TeaRadical allies in the legislature will be SLAMMED come November.
And I hope Millinocket ‘s town leaders are aware that as individual taxpayers who’ve had quite enough of this lousy governor, we are more than prepared to help them fight him all the way.
Angus and Baldacci are both intelligent, thoughtful, reasonable moderates in the tradition of Maine leaders such as Smith, Muskie, Cohen, and Mitchell. Your boy is an arrogant foul mouthed nasty ignorant bully of a buffoon and a walking embarrassment to this state. Own it. Underneath your chest thumping bravado you know it to be true. And you can spout all your utter foolish nonsense about “socialism” that you want. It is a foolish pack of LIES that you get from the drug addict Rush Limpmind. Watch what happens in November. Your ultra radical TeaRadical Party is going get pounded out of sight, and Angus King will win his race for the US Senate overwhelmingly.
Yes real thoughtful Baldacci strapped the state with dirigo entitlement and Anguish got his pockets lined from our electric bills. Real nice fellows.
Yeah they are real thoughtful folks both of them leaving us with $1 to $1.5 billion dollar shortfalls. Both had massive job losses, factories closing with both being in the bottom 10 of states in job creation . With Baldacci hitting dead last before he left office. With us being in the top 5 to 8 states in terms of high taxes, Top 3 states in the amount of folks on Welfare ( Either # 2 or # 3) every year with them in control. With our schools and roads in such bad shape. If you weren’t on Welfare , Liberal Special Interest Group, Liberal Non-Profit Group or Former Liberal Politician well we all took it on the chin to fill their pockets. Real nice Fellas that Angus King and Baldacci are. They are nothing more than Maine’s version of Boss Hogg and J.R. Ewing both are venomous crooked snakes looking out for themselves.
Good work Town Council. I am back being proud of my community for sticking up for a principle, knowing full well how much this litigation is going to cost the town. To me, it’s tax money well spent. This town has been kicked in the teeth for the past twenty years but we continue to fight the good fight. Remember Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke? Kept getting back up, refused to give in no matter what? I appreciate the Council’s stand on this issue and look forward to LePage’s response.
Sudden and Severe Impact funds clearly are owed to the town. Since this is presently law, it’s unfair to withhold them based upon LePage’s opinions about who promised what. Those who don’t like this should work to change the law to prevent future such situations.
How were they corrupt?Examples please. for once.While I don’t believe that these men are socialists, if they were, it much more preferable to the dictaorship od Lepage.
Pure crapola.
About Time !
You have bought into their lies. We can end welfare as we know it and it changes nothing. Not your paycheck or taxes and not my paycheck or taxes. The rich, powerful and our elected officials have their own welfare system that is stealing billions of taxpayer dollars. LePage is trouble, always has been, as a kid, as a young adult and now as our governor. He’s alway’s in the mood for a fight, hopefully with a girl.
Go get him Millinocket!! Good luck!!!
Why is it that the only way you can find to defend him is by pointing out the short comings of others? What does one have to do with another? You know… Some of us want a good governor… not one that you think isn’t as bad as another one. Bad is bad. We don’t need any bad governors… we need a good one and this guy isn’t it.
The more that Paulie and Company keep ‘ticking’ off the local and County Gov’t’s, the worse this is gonna get. And with the Nov. elections coming up, as we can all see, this constant disrespecting the voter’s and electorate is gonna cause a HUGE shift in the State House makeup’s, especially in the Appropriations and Judiciary Committee’s. The ENTIRE STATE HOUSE has already given Paulie his expected ‘smack in the face’ political warning shot when they overrode his Budget temper tantrum veto. He keeps poking the Legislature in the keester with this constant neediling of the voter’s patience and Paulie is gonna wind up with an almost dead certain State House that’s gonna be doing the governing, not Paulie, who they are going to be overiding at every opportunity they get, and because of every word that comes outta Paulie’s mouth. Imagine, 2 years of the Legislature, not LePage, actually getting the State’s work done thru discussion, debate, negotiation and compromise. Democracy does work, when it’s left alone to work and not turned into some kind of kowtowing slave to a political ideology that’s taken from the ‘Old Southern Plantaion” mentalty back in the 1840’s.
Just the regular bunch of progressives whining for more. The state got their economy going now we have to pay all their bills. Just another reason to vote the rest of those money squandering liberal progressives out of Augusta.I am sure Miss Cain has room on our credit card to pay Millinocket.
From: Addicting Info:
What the residents of these states may not realize is that their governments are hoarding increased revenues in either their general funds or their rainy day funds, or both. Below are the 11 states and where to find the money, according to the Report By The National Governors Association for Spring, 2012:
Alabama:$51,000,000, general fund
Indiana:$1,124,000,000, general fund; $57,000,000, rainy day fund
Maine: $20,000,000, general fund; $7,000,000, rainy day fund
Michigan:$554,000,000, general fund; $2,000,000, rainy day fund
Minnesota: $1,289,000,000, general fund; $9,000,000, rainy day fund
Montana:$340,000,000, general fund
New Hampshire:$27,000,000, general fund; $9,000,000, rainy day fund
North Carolina:$582,000,000, general fund; $296,000,000, rainy day fund
Ohio:$845,000,000, general fund
Pennsylvania:$1,073,000,000, general fund
Wisconsin:$86,000,000, general fund
These eleven states account for fully 40.5 percent of 2011’s total job losses in the public sector. Texas alone ($1,136,000,000, general fund; $5,012,000,000, rainy day fund), which was already in the hands of Republicans, accounted for an additional 31 percent of the losses. In other words, a total of 71.5 percent of the losses come from 24 percent of the states, all of which are controlled by the GOP.
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Mardens paid 1 mil for junk in a warehouse fire. They don’t always know whats behind the doors. The money that is owed to Millinocket should be under scrutiny. I think this should go to court and it can be decided on there. The truth ( good or bad) should be put in the light of day.
Thank you Mr. LePage.
Sincerely, The Lawyers.
Use the half of a brain that you still have! Here’s some facts, Millinocket is entitled to the money that is being withheld. There is no documented paper work that states the money owed to the town under law can be subject to being withheld because of a disagreement. There also is no documented evidence that if the town doesn’t do what the Governor wants on landfill he purchased the money will not be granted. Say what you want, this money issue starts with a Republican, who you praise. He wanted to be a hero, bought a landfill, trying to pass the expense to a towns that cant afford it. He looks like a hero for doing something for the area but all he has really done is cost the entire state more money and now a law suit. Congratulations Mr. LePage, your not making me proud……