LEWISTON, Maine — A Maine small-business coalition with about 3,400 members says it has a simple message for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: “Go home.”
“The U.S. Chamber doesn’t care about small businesses in Maine,” said Craig Saddlemire, a Lewiston city councilor and local small business owner. “These are the guys who lobbied for BP after the spill in the Gulf. They backed the health insurance industry over small businesses during the health care debate. Their CEO says that outsourcing is a good idea and that people who lose their jobs should ‘stop whining.’”
Sadllemire, a filmmaker who owns Round Point Movies, was responding to a three-city campaign sweep Tuesday by Maine Secretary of State Charlie Summers, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Summers made campaign stops in Bangor, Lewiston and Biddeford with the U.S. Chamber’s national political director Rob Engstrom touting the U.S. Chamber’s endorsement of Summers’ campaign.
Saddlemire is a member of the Maine Small Business Coalition, which issued a statement Tuesday criticizing Engstrom’s appearances in Maine.
“They represent the extreme agenda of multinational corporations and the health insurance industry and the fact that they’re trying so hard to influence our elections here in Maine is deeply troubling,” Saddlemire said.
On Wednesday, Lance Dutson, Summers’ campaign manager, took issue with the Maine Small Business Coalition’s political motives, saying the coalition was not a legitimate business group in Maine but a wing of the left-leaning Maine People’s Alliance.
“It’s a make-believe group,” Dutson said.
Suzanne Kelly of Kelly Realty Management in Bangor, another coalition member, also criticized the U.S. Chamber saying it was pushing a “far-right ideological agenda.”
“I was a member of my local chamber and I support the good work that they do, but I don’t support the U.S. Chamber at all,” Kelly said. “It’s basically a conservative Super PAC representing big business and health insurance companies. What they support is often directly opposite of what’s most important to Maine small businesses.”
Asked how many Maine businesses belong to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Engstrom said Tuesday he did not have that figure at hand but would provide it to the Sun Journal.
As of late Wednesday, the U.S. Chamber had not responded to additional requests for that information.
Dutson said he didn’t know how many Maine businesses belong to the U.S. Chamber but said, “It has to be in the thousands.”
The U.S. Chamber has 300,000 members nationwide, according to Engstrom.
Charlie, when you have both local business’s and real estate concern’s telling you to go home and toss the USCC into the dumpster it is time to SERIOUSLY re-consider just who’s interest’s your representing. The USCC has been almost to the point of fanatical in pushing the extreme right-wing’s agenda of ‘let’em die’ health insurance ‘reform’ and ‘screw the middle class’ in calls for any reality based tax reform. That they are now being funded by large Multi-national company’s, by their own admission’s, shows that they are more concerned about themselves than they are their customers and potential customer’s. Local Maine Chambers of Commerce, take note. Who’s more important to you ? A Congressman that’s looking out for the business’s that have raped Maine into almost economic oblivion or a Congressman that understands that your Member’s business’s can’t work without customer’s to buy their product’s. Your balance sheet should be be all the guidance required, along with those Customer Survey’s that keep going around. They’re a lot more important than a source of Charmin when things get ‘tight’ than you realize.
Now, if you want to keep on representing the USCC’s current talking head collection, fine. But at least have the guts to come out and say who your representing to the voter’s. Maine’s already had enough of the hidden agenda crap from the Penguin, Plowman’s bunch, the ‘Take Roxanne to lunch’ bunch and Dill’s suppossed backer’s.
Charley sez back;
But, but, but, Mike !!!!
Those outta State concerns are where all our policies and money come from.
What could I do without them ?
How can anyone expect me not to continue to stand by those those people who I will be representing in Congress, Mike ?
Our personal experience, in Augusta, shows us that all the important outta State interests and institutions do not respect Maine people.
So, why should we ?
That is not what butters our bread.
So would you under-educated, dumb Maine Men, and breaded ladies, really be so un-business minded as to criticize the Koch Bros. and the smart ALECs, next ?
Don’t you understand how we have been open for business for two years in Augusta, now, and in the free market the highest bidders win not only our best efforts to do their will, but our loyalty and integrity, too ?
They’re our best clients… or we are theirs , I always get that part all mixed up …
but I do know being loyal to who pays me the most is called personal integrity.
You damned liberals just don’t understand personal integrity like that, do you ?
So why would you ever, try to stand in the way of our business expansion into the more lucrative Washington DC market , now, at this critical point in our business model?
Are you a damned socialist, or worse, a RINO, who would put the general welfare
of the Maine people ahead of our corporate business model of governance ?
You just do not understand how conservative politics works, now, do you, Mike ? ; )
LOL. Priceless.
I love it.
“On Wednesday, Lance Dutson, Summers’ campaign manager, took issue with the Maine Small Business Coalition’s political motives, saying the coalition was not a legitimate business group in Maine but a wing of the left-leaning Maine People’s Alliance.
‘It’s a make-believe group,’ Dutson said.”
Yep, the usual suspects.
From their “About” page:
“In addition to work on making health care more affordable for small business, members of the MSBC have spoken out about the need for:
– robust environmental protections in Maine
– stronger regulations for Wall Street
– repealing the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthy
– extension of unemployment benefits
– comprehensive immigration reform
http://www.mainesmallbusiness.org/
Yes, these are all things the left likes…what is your point that the U.S.C.C. is right?
That would be the point.
If so, wrong.
So how does that make them “make-believe”? Seems like they truly exist to me!
There is a page there. Not one list of all of these members they claim to have.
And Dutson can’t list the Maine members of the US CoC. Your point?
The Maine State Chamber of Commerce (50 local chapters) has 17,100 members.
I would not provide a list of members due to concerns of leftist terrorism.
Re ; the Maine Small Business Coalition
> “There is a page there. Not one list of all of these members they claim to have.”
> “The Maine State Chamber of Commerce (50 local chapters) has 17,100 members. I would not provide a list of members due to concerns of leftist terrorism.”
So why should the Maine Small Business Coalition do so, given the atmosphere of hatred here, even as high profile conservative leadership dehumanizes them by denying their existence
… or is their really their right to exist and express themselves…
and right wing terrorism like the recent attack on a peaceable house of worship ?
Who gets to have things two different ways at once, like that, and be credible ?
Get real, or lose relevance AND VOTES.
I don’t think the MSBC needs to provide anything. All that needs to be known is that it is merely a front for the Maine People’s Alliance. The reason I would not release lists of members is because they are a private organization and because of the atmosphere of hatred being generated by the left that resulted in an attempted assassination yesterday in our nations capital.
Did you say that to ea6bmarine ?
Why not ?
Wasn’t asked.
I didn’t turn over your rock, either.
The “H” word again. Too much of that going around, especially from conservatives. Some deeper, underlying problems?
The hatred seems to emanate from the left. Do you have any real examples from mainstream conservatism?
er … I didn’t think so.
Is the “h” word hatred?? I’d agree – thrown around too much. Disagreement =/= hate.
So why should the MSBC provide a list of members given the hostile climate, including from conservatives?
I don’t have a problem if they don’t.
I think the question was “how many?” not “who?”
Click on the link I provided to their website. Notice that there’s no address or phone number listed for them.
Last year, 120 alleged business owners belonging to MSBC sent letters opposing Governor LePage’s regulatory reforms proposal. Most of these letter senders didn’t include the names of their small businesses.
On the cover page attached to the letters, MSBC’s address is shown as: 145 Lisbon Street, Suite 204, Lewiston, ME 04240.
Just by happy coincidence, Maine People’s Alliance in Lewiston is listed at: 145 Lisbon Street, Suite 200.
Weird, huh?
“So how does that make them “make-believe” ? Seems like they truly exist to me!”
It is a faith based thing.
If they are politically inconvenient then, the Neo-Know Nothings do not believe that they, or anything such thing, could even ever really exist or be permitted to stand in their way, no compromise.
.
And then, even if they do actually exist , the conservatives’ no compromise philosophy
takes care of that political inconvenience, too.
It makes whatever you don’t understand or don’t like, just not matter, to you.
While I support people’s right to be that way in our free Country,
I can’t see any reason to respect, support or ever vote for people with such a deluded political philosophy.
Who would ?
Your point?
Gee, I don’t know.
Maybe that it’s another one of those Potemkin Villages the left is so fond of constructing.
Can’t this group represent small businesses AND work toward these (admittedly left-ish) goals?
If the USCC is behind it, it is bad for workers, bad for the environment, and bad for small business. Thankfully, most Mainers are not so easily duped by slick ads from Washington. Buy local, buy American, and screw the USCC.
How is that Tom and Dickie Hardware Store computer working for you now? Did Suzie Comfort finish writing the code for the new Pong 16.8?
Yeah, Buy Local!
And in a related story, today;
Portland Regional Chamber Loses Two of Its Largest Corporate Members
“Both corporate spokespeople told the Bangor Daily News their respective company’s decision to leave the Chamber was in no way a reflection of the Chamber’s performance, but rather the result of reviewing their overall needs and corporate objectives.”
Connect the dots.
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/08/16/business/portland-regional-chamber-loses-two-of-its-largest-corporate-members/
The Maine Peoples Alliance pretending to be small business owners is pretty laughable. The goal of the Maine Peoples Alliance is a complete government take-over of the state. They would like to turn the entire state into a national park if possible. Business is the last thing they would support – unless it is government subsidized organic farming or something similar.
If the Maine Heritage Policy Center created a group called “The Liberal Justice League” and criticized the Obama administration or the AARP, would the BDN also give it space in the paper?
Re your last paragraph, the LJL from the MHPC would obviously be fictional and a hoax. No ink.
“The Maine Peoples Alliance pretending to be small business owners is pretty laughable.”
So running with this persons implied bigotry, just why would he say that organic farmers, independent eco- conscience home builders, river rafting operators and medical marijuana operations, are not legitimate small businesses in your mind ?
They are all growth industries, so real job creators, in Maine.
“It’s a make-believe group,” Dutson said.
————–
Most of what he and LePage say is true is make believe.
True, Gadael, as evidenced by all the groaning that listeners utter following their every word.
Unfortunately for them, MSBC and Mainers in general are an intelligent lot not easily duped.
\@///
~
“Unfortunately for them, MSBC and Mainers in general are an intelligent lot not easily duped. ”
So who are the new GOTea Party sorts really trying to dupe, then ?
Think about that, for a moment…
…. especially you , my respected, traditional Maine values, moderate Republican, conservative friends and neighbors
… or anyone else who might have ever voted for Sen. Snowe, too, just for starts.
And their text is Grimm’s fairly tales? Pretty grim alright.
//
There is that no compromise, conservative faith based thing, again.
Instead of dealing with the political points, or the messy business of actual elimination of all of your political opposition, just adjust your personal reality.
“These Mainers are not real, in my belief, so those political points don’t matter to me. ”
It is so much easier than dealing with the commonly shared reality .
Then they say any political opposition to our plans, be it too liberal, RINO, or scientific based, does not have the right to question our conservative faith based beliefs, and there can no compromise on that.
Done, you have win, which is all that matters to them, in their own deluded minds,
at least.
So what place do people like that, who can’t, or will not ever compromise, have in making policy ?
“Dutson said he didn’t know how many Maine businesses belong to the U.S. Chamber but said, “It has to be in the thousands.” ”
Why does it have to be in the thousands? Because MHPC says so?
Charlie summers is a dead eyed robot for every Koch Brothers anti-working class proposal that they can come up with. Talk about a road to nowhere, well, charlie is helping build it right now, and if elected, he will have it paved by next summer. I hope the voters will detour him to wolf creek pass in November.
make believe group….lets call them ‘Shrek”…he’s pretty cool, but not real…..
Charlie & Lance, peek at the mirror to see true make believe.
You’re both out of touch and are going down in a spiral of teaphonies.
“A Maine small-business coalition with about 3,400 members says”
How about a list of these businesses?
Nothing on their website at all and a pretty chintzy site at that.
Maybe they don’t waste good money on fluff and carpetbagging like the US CoC. Does the US CoC list members? Maine members? Guess not or Dutson is even more inept than he sounds.
You will find their membership list mingled in with that of the Maine People’s Alliance.
Maybe you should look before you claim to know something that you do not.
http://www.uschamber.com/chambers/directory?state=me
Search Androscoggin and you can see all the businesses that are signed up.
http://www.androscoggincounty.com/search
Yeah, strange that their own website doesn’t seem to want to share their address, phone number or e-mail.
Maybe they’re just shy.
Looks like we can’t trust Dutson’s statistics (and therefore we can’t trust Summers?). He grossly underestimated the MSBC membership and called them “make-believe”. And we’re supposed to believe that? He also doesn’t know the number of Maine members of the US CoC. Why not?
Even more telling is the response from a Maine CoC member who disowns the US CoC.
More falsehoods from Summers and his clueless mouthpiece.
This man is supposed to be doing his job. Instead he is out campaigning.
Like many others, I’ve strongly suggested that he resign as SoS (cool abbreviation, eh?).
Like Obama?
I don’t do party politics anymore. But I do think with all the major issues we have at the moment it’d be a nice touch if the officials did their jobs, don’t you?
The MSBC is exactly what was stated. It is a front group out of the leftist Maine People’s Alliance. It is akin to having LePage claim to be a Democrat and calling for party reforms.
Perhaps you just can’t accept the idea that some of us in the private sector agree with some of the ideas on the left. But it’s true.
Oh, I’m certain there are a lot private sector residents of Maine that are leftist. I have several of them in my own family.
Well, then perhaps you can accept the idea that folks like that are entitled to join an organization of like-minded people. Engaging in the use of the ad hominem argument that they are affiliated with MPA, as you and Ken Capron have done, is just name calling which doesn’t advance the debate in any useful way.
Of course they can join any organization they wish. The problem here is that this is a deceptive campaign that is really just a sub group of the MPA. They give the appearance that they represent business issues but in fact only represent the issues of the MPA. How would the story have been perceived it if was the MPA taking on the COC? It would be no surprise. That is one of the primary functions of the MPA.
private sector= business. YUP many are owned by them there liberal lefties — OH the HORROR!!
Remember all the hoo-haa about driver’s licenses needing to be more secure? How does this fit into that picture? http://kennebecvalley.wcsh6.com/news/news/135239-renew-your-drivers-license-aaa And yes, this is on-topic because he isn’t in his office, doing his job.
Come on BDN. The Maine Small Business Coalition is the creative fiction of the Maine Peoples Alliance. Members are all people who get public funds in one way or another. They are a sham which has been quite successful at duping everyone. They are the politically corrupt pimple of the progressives.
That is the truth. I asked above what I think is a very relevant question that a sharp reporter at BDN could investigate.
When the MSBC claims it has over 3,400 members, are they including the employees of these “businesses”? I suspect they are which is even more devious than pretending to be anything other than the MPA.
The MSBC was started in Jan 2010 and had 3400 members within a month. Really? No Way any group can grow to that membership – not even with outside funding. It is a wholly fictional entity created for the purpose of deceiving the legislature into thinking they spoke on behalf of hundreds of Maine small businesses. It is a fraud portrayed upon the taxpayers of Maine and their representatives in government.
Dutson says, the Maine Small Business Coalition is a “make-believe group.” I guess that means he doesn’t agree with its position. If only we could wish away as make-believe all those folks with whom we disagree. FYI, I own and operate three small businesses and am a member of the coalition.
So, you are counted three times. How many times are your employees counted?
What you’re getting at, I suppose, is how the coalition counts its business members. I’ve never told them I own three businesses. They only know I am a business owner.
Now here is a question that should be addressed. When the MSBC claims it has over 3,400 members, are they including the employees of these “businesses”? I suspect they are which is even more devious than pretending to be anything other than the MPA.
hey Lance The MAINE chamber of commerce came out against the US chamber ads too. ARE they a “pretend group” too?