AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage says he was impressed by his visit to central Maine’s Erskine Academy.
The governor took his anti-domestic violence message during the last week to the South China high school. In his weekly radio address, LePage recalls Erskine students telling him what they’re doing to prevent violence. The students have created groups that address bullying and domestic violence and try to stop both from happening in their community. LePage says “it was truly inspirational.”
In the Democratic response, Sen. Justin Alfond of Portland says LePage administration policies are undermining public education.
Alfond says the schools are underfunded, and LePage has cut millions of dollars in critical investments dollars for HeadStart and other pre-K programs.
Abuse and education are separate issues, though both are important and can be related. While Alfond has the right to speak out about issues regarding education, he should not use the Governor’s attempt to address a vital social issue like domestic violence as a time to criticize him on another issue. It can detract from the need to address violence in the home. And the reality is that if children are having to live with violence in the home, it will be hard for them to focus on learning at school.
…” if children are having to live with violence at home, it will be hard for them to focus on learning at school”. My father had a different approach. If you “lost” your focus at school and your grades dropped, you got the belt when you got home. I like to think that my brother, sister, and I had more focus than the rest of the kids, but the rest of the kids I went to school with got the same treatment if they “lost” their focus. We all knew the consequences for our actions and it helped make us productive, law abiding citizens, each and every one of us. In our new, kinder, gentler society, this would be called domestic abuse. I went to school in Florida back in the 60’s and if you got out of line you got the paddle at school, then you got the belt when you got home. It was very powerful incentive to keep your nose clean and play by the rules. Something today’s kids are seriously lacking. I think domestic abuse and domestic discipline are two different things. I am betting that you do not.
If the fat triple chined republicans could only come to the realization, that, their job is not to cut budgets, but find ways to pay for them, now I mean not cut budgets in the US. The programs in Maine are needed, cutting or reducing funding to health care, schools, or to children, the elderly in this State O’Maine are ideas from sick minds. LeRage fails to use what he has to fight the need of more funding, any damn fool can go and take bread and medicine from a kid or sick elderly person, that makes LePage a coward in his own right. He should be calling on publically Susan Collins and Snowe, it is time those two became really accountable to the citizens of Maine, and not just some figures that go on TV once in a while. This is a big, serious ball game, this sick cowardly gutless governing, has got to stop.
Seems kind of droll, a bully spreading anti bullying messages across the state of Maine.. Lets give tax breaks for the rich and cut school programs cause i didn’t get my way with Mainecare.