ROCKLAND, Maine — Rockland city councilors defended themselves strongly Monday night from criticism from a former councilor who claimed they were arrogant, incompetent and had done nothing to save the former Lincoln Street Center for Arts and Education from closing, resulting in the loss of a private school.
Former Councilor Joseph Steinberger issued his criticism of the council as he made what he acknowledged would likely be a futile attempt to persuade councilors to allow a group he is part of an opportunity to inspect the former MacDougal School as a possible home to replace the Lincoln Street Center.
In the end, Mayor Brian Harden ruled the item on the council’s Monday night agenda sponsored by Councilor Elizabeth Dickerson — to allow Steinberger’s group, The Old School, to go through the city-owned building — as out of order. Harden noted that the City Council had twice previously this summer rejected the same proposal.
But the ruling did not occur until near the end of the meeting. At the public comment session of the meeting at the beginning, Steinberger issued a lengthy critique of councilors. He listed his accomplishments during his 30 years in Rockland and said he wanted to “emphasize his despair over the extreme incompetence and arrogance which has become a majority on this city council.
“In all my 30 years here, I have never known a time when our city was so badly governed,” Steinberger said.
He claimed the council stood by and did nothing when the Lincoln Street Center closed. And, he continued, the council did nothing when the independent Watershed School, which had leased space in the Lincoln Street Center, looked for alternative space and ended up announcing it was moving to Camden.
“We had wanted to keep them in Rockland by housing them at the North School [now known as the MacDougal School], but the council has made this impossible. Now the Watershed School is moving to Camden, a great loss for our city. The blame must rest squarely on this City Council,” Steinberger said.
He said the future of the city rests with its ability to attract the middle class residents who can support Rockland’s development as a successful and vibrant city.
“Without them, we have tax rates among the highest in Maine, failing schools, and a bleak future,” he said. “Rockland’s median family income is half that of Camden, a prescription for failure. This city council does not understand this basic equation.”
Steinberger said the city needs to vote out these councilors.
Councilors responded when the issue of the MacDougal School came up.
Harden said it was absurd to blame the city for the departure of the Watershed School. He said city staff worked with school officials to try to find space for them in Rockland but that the lack of time was the biggest obstacle. He noted that the directors of the Lincoln Street Center gave its tenants very little notice before the closure in June.
Harden said if Steinberger thinks the council was this bad, he should take out nomination papers and run for office himself.
Harden’s seat on the council is up for election this year. He has taken out papers to seek another term. Limerock Inn co-owner Frank Isganitis has also taken out papers for the seat.
Steinberger said Monday he has no plans yet to run for the council this year but that he would wait to see who the candidates are. Steinberger served one term, from 1998 to 2001.
Councilor Eric Hebert said he was disheartened by Steinberger’s criticism, saying he would chalk it up to the former councilor’s disappointment that he was not able to save the old school building.
Councilor William Clayton said some of Steinberger’s comments were outright lies. He said all the people on the council serve the community because they love Rockland and they should not be subjected to such statements.
Councilor Larry Pritchett said the former MacDougal School had no value left in it.
Councilor Dickerson defended the community’s school system, saying it was not a failing system as Steinberger claimed. Dickerson works as a computer teacher in the school district.
Hampden?? Oh wait Rockland…..
Joe knows..
Joe, just stop. You have neither the means nor the plan to save LSC or MacDougal. Stop trying to over-emphasize what you think you’re capable of. The community appreciates what your trying to do but your devaluing your opinion by proceeding this way.
also, I should add that Betts went out of his way to select a subject/title for this article (and many others) that reflect his personal opinions on bodies such as the council (or the school board). no need to drum up sensationalism to get us to read.
A common trait for anyone who runs for office, or becomes a politician, is self-serving egotism. Does every councilman, woman or politician have this defect? Obviously not, but it is a common trait. Local government does not have the responsibility to “save” non-profit groups, or even “attract” business. Government is supposed to govern so we can freely exercise our Constitutional rights and privileges. But most government simply taxes and spends (or overspends). The business proposals for both non-profits in this article were weak, to say the least. The first thing the organizers need to do is learn how to craft a viable business proposal, and don’t expect other people to pay for your mistakes. As for local government and taxes, I agree with Joe. The “effects” of their counsel, leadership, wisdom and acumen is clearly displayed for all to see: higher taxes, no business, empowering unions, bloated (ineffective) schools and government workers, and an incredible drop in community vibrancy. Of course the councilmen and local politicians will disagree — if they agreed they would be out of a job and suffer ego damage. We can vote for other representatives. But this rarely works, because in most cases government consists of self-serving egotists, and will do what comes naturally: tax and overspend.
Great points. I would add that it seems that politicians seem to get their motivation from pet projects. I’ve seen, all too often, people run for office to leverage their platform. Governing is about governing for the plurality, speaking up for the plurality, and instilling the will of the plurality
.
Good that you raise that issue, as I am pondering whether Frank Isganitis, if elected, would need to resign his office as President of the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, on the grounds of “incompatible offices, ” as, as the Maine Municipal Association explains “incompatible offices,” as “the nature of the duties of one office would prevent the office holder from discharging his or her duties in the other office with undivided loyalty.”
Maybe the council doesn’t want even more tax exempt properties on the cities already too exempt tax rolls!
if you’ve followed the recent nonsense going on at the meetings you may agree with him more, Harden needs to be replaced, at the very least, IMHO
How many times have we been told by School Boards and elected officials that the school buildings were unsafe and should be condemned, only to have the building find two or more lives after the new school was built. Many of these so called condemned building are being reused all over the State
actually in this case MacDougal needs to be leveled. LSC, that’s another story.
This is true. It is part of the corporate con. The old Thomaston high school building is a case in point. As soon as they condemn the old building and the contractors get a new one up, the old building suddenly takes on a whole new life and the contractors renovate it. They very quickly tore down the Maine State Prison and some very good buildings there so someone could make a fast buck putting up something else.
The humble Farmer
Councilor Dickerson.Look at the 9th grade that is coming to Oceanside East ,more than 60 kids failed more than one class. Some have failed like 4 classes this year.And you say there in no problem. Who are you fooling.
hate to burst your bubble again Rob, but you’re wrong on these threads and forums too often.
instead of blaming teachers or ‘the system’ for the kids failures, let’s call it what it is. parents these days are spread remarkably thin, and they just don’t spend as much time helping their kids at home. a majority of successful students have strong reinforcing agents at work at home, not in school.
so before you take the approach of inferring that teachers are the problem with education, or nurses are the problem with health care, why don’t you self-educate yourself about the root of these problems that you casually throw your 2 cents in on.
sometimes based on your posts I can’t tell if you 5 years old or 95 years old.
Hit a soft spot GaulLeRage
yeah the one in your head.
As it relatest to education there are several problems; teacher, parents, school management, federal government, teaching schools and State government. We cannot place blame just on the teachers. For instance; there are federal performance standards required for certain federal funding. Those performance standards are measured by standardized testing. Would quality increase if we used that time to teach real world “stuff”? Schools devote much time and many resource to preparing for the “test”. Are teaching schools really preparing teachers for the “real world”? Is there too much admniistrative over head? Are some of the restrctions on ability to get teacher credentials in Maine turning away better teachers? Schools do not teach morals and values, home economics, civics, or anything that might be “politically incorrect” or cause a parent to become upset and sue! We mainstream students who may be a disruption to a classroom. Teacher hands have been tied in the area of discipline in the classroom, if you say the wrong thing your career is done! On and on it goes.
I agree-ish with you…. I think? The role of the schools is to provide information covering a variety of subjects. A lot of ‘real world’ things like morals and values or even common sense should be the responsibility of the parents. And a lot of those federal imposed education standards do cause teachers to marginalize those who would ordinarily excel in order to teach to the bottom, no child left behind for example.
The problems with schools/education, are the same problems with hospitals, prisons and even the military. Anytime you privatize an ‘industry’, and in these cases ones that deals primarily with the treatment and interactions of human beings you’re essentially putting a suggested retail value on human life and well-being. So of course there are preposterous amounts of self-preservation at the administrative level. That’s capitalism for you. Enjoy!
The one thing that no one seems to be teaching kids, either at school or at home (especially) is how to learn.
I disagree with your comments about privatization. I would
much rather have privatization then business run by government. Government has
proven time and time again that it incompetent and ignorant. The current dysfunction
at all levels of government demonstrates this point. Government spends with no
attention to not having any money left. Our education system is run by the
government. Fortunately for society, private schools and charter schools have
grown in popularity. It is ridiculous that we are forced to send our children
to schools that we know do a terrible job at educating our youth.
The government needs to spend time ensuring our
constitutional rights and protecting our freedoms and less time trying to run private
business by regulating.
sorry lizzie…yup, a failing school system. and south school is a failing school period…facts the super’s office try hard not to release.
This if for the Councilors! THE CITIZENS HAVE THE RIGHT TO CRITICIZE YOU. YOU WORK FOR THEM!!! they do not have to run themselves if they feel you’re doing a poor job. I”m sure you work hard, I”m sre you love the community, I’m positive you put the most effort you can into your position. However, the community does not owe you, it can criticize you, it can tell you you’re incompetent, it can even fight to have you removed. You work for us and we should not be made to feel badly because we call you ignorant and incompetent. I would hope there would be facts to support any position.
This is not the first time that City Council has felt the sting of public comment. Any one of the Council members can call a point of order if any speaker is engaged in ad hominem attacks, and the speaker can be redirected to more substantive argument. Yet again, no Councilor intervened. Why is this?
So, too, must the Council intervene when there are attacks from the floor directed at other residents. There is enough on the city plate without appearing to sanction destructive behavior.
At the close of that meeting, Brian Harden mentioned that the September 5, agenda-setting meeting would address the possible establishment of a policy for the use of city parks, including harbor park, and the various festival uses of the city parks.
I have sent the following letter to the City Council:
“Dear City Council:
It is good to learn that there may be a parks use policy established for
the City of Rockland.
In conjunction with that, I ask that a policy for the distribution of City
funds, whether direct financial contribution, or in-kind, to nonprofit
entities, be established as well. (That said, I do not think it the role of the
City Council to act as a charitable foundation for nonprofit
organizations).
If these practices are going to persist, however, at minimum, there must be
a written policy. Furthermore, you would agree, I should think, that part of
that policy must include a thorough annual review of nonprofit financial reports
in detail.”
The September 5 meeting, and those subsequently related to policy-setting, is very important.