New Maine Governor

[privateinvestor]

In case you haven't heard about this guy before, his name will stick in your mind! If you have, it would be from the "Lame Stream" media who has taken their lumps before and after the new Governor of Maine took office. Who said Republicans/conservatives don't have candidates to challenge Obama......the Lame Stream Media?

The new Maine Governor, Paul Le Page is making New Jersey's Chris Christie look like an enabler. He isn't afraid to say what he thinks. Judging by the comments, every time he opens his mouth, his popularity goes up.

He brought down the house at his inauguration when he shook his fist toward the media box and said, "You're on notice! I've inherited a financially-troubled State to run. Observe...cover what we do...but don't whine if I don't waste time responding to your every whim for your amusement."

During his campaign for Governor, he was talking to commercial fishermen who are struggling because of federal fisheries rules. They complained that Obama brought his family to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park for a long Labor Day holiday and found time to meet with union leaders, but wouldn't talk to the fishermen. LePage replied, "I'd tell him to go to hell and get out of my State." The Lame Stream Media crucified LePage, but he jumped 6 points in the pre-election poll.

The Martin Luther King incident was a political sandbag which brought him National exposure. The 'lame stream' media crucified him, but word on the street is very positive. The NAACP specifically asked LePage to spend MLK Day visiting black inmates at the Maine State Prison. He told them that he would meet with ALL inmates, regardless of race, if he were to visit the prison. The NAACP balked and then put out a news release claiming falsely that he refused to participate in any MLK events. He read it in the paper for the 1st time the next morning while being driven to an event and went ballistic because none of the reporters had called him for comment before running the NAACP release.

He arrived at that event & said in front of a TV camera, "If they want to play the race card on me they can kiss my ass", and he reminded them that he has an adopted black son from Jamaica and that he attended the local MLK Breakfast every year that he was mayor of Waterville. (He started his morning there on MLK Day.)

He then stated that there's a right way and a wrong way to meet with the Governor, and he put all special interests on notice that press releases, media leaks, and all demonstrations would prove to be the wrong way. He said any other group which acted like the NAACP could expect to be at the bottom of the Governor's priority list!

He then did the following, and judging from local radio talk show callers, his popularity increased even more: The Maine state employees union complained because he waited until 3 PM before closing State offices and facilities and sending non-emergency personnel home during the last blizzard. The prior Governor would often close offices for the day with just a forecast before the first flakes. (Each time the State closes for snow, it costs the taxpayers about $1 million in wages for no work in return.)

LePage was CEO of the Marden's chain of discount family bargain retail stores before election as governor .

He noted that State employees getting off work early could still find lots of retail stores open to shop. So, he put the State employees on notice by announcing: "If Marden's is open, Maine is open!"

He told State employees: "We live in Maine in the winter, for heaven's sake, and should know how to drive in it. Otherwise, apply for a state job in Florida !"

Governor LePage symbolizes what America needs: refreshing politicians who aren't self-serving and who exhibit common sense! (Where can we find some more of these???)


Source:.. Anonymous Member of the Conservative Male Club

[cme1201]

Source:.. Anonymous Member of the Conservative Male Club

That's a horrible source, do you have an actual news source as this sounds like my kind of governor.

[djAdvocate]

Jul 10, 2011 10:07:21 GMT -5 cme1201 said:

Source:.. Anonymous Member of the Conservative Male Club

That's a horrible source, do you have an actual news source as this sounds like my kind of governor.

smells like spam. wonder how it tastes?

[swamp]

He sounds like what the US needs. How about a credible link? Or maybe we could get Deminmaine to comment.

[djAdvocate]

i found this story repeated verbatim several places- none official. it smells like a viral piece to me. i doubt it is real.

[Deleted]

Governor LePage symbolizes what America needs: refreshing politicians who aren't self-serving and who exhibit common sense! (Where can we find some more of these???)



it smells like a viral piece to me. i doubt it is real.

Sadly I have to agree & if you think of it, it kind of doesn't sound right. If he had actually had a comeback against the media, we wouldn't have heard about it (because the media wouldn't have advertised it). NOBODY in politics (except a minority) would have dared say anything bad about MLK day or a MLK event. It just wouldn't happen because 50% of the country would have been on his ass. Crap, it's to bad too. We need real people with real common sense in office. Just once I would love to hear "I screwed up & it's my fault" from a politician rather than silence or excuses. Real people make real mistakes. Politicians just find a way to pass the buck.

[djAdvocate]

Jul 10, 2011 12:55:45 GMT -5 @oldtex said:

Governor LePage symbolizes what America needs: refreshing politicians who aren't self-serving and who exhibit common sense! (Where can we find some more of these???)



it smells like a viral piece to me. i doubt it is real.

Sadly I have to agree & if you think of it, it kind of doesn't sound right. If he had actually had a comeback against the media, we wouldn't have heard about it (because the media wouldn't have advertised it). NOBODY in politics (except a minority) would have dared say anything bad about MLK day or a MLK event. It just wouldn't happen because 50% of the country would have been on his ass. Crap, it's to bad too. We need real people with real common sense in office. Just once I would love to hear "I screwed up & it's my fault" from a politician rather than silence or excuses. Real people make real mistakes. Politicians just find a way to pass the buck.

lots of people thirst for reality in this unreal world. that is why pieces like this get passed along. they give you something to cheer for- someone who is brave and outspoken.

it is too bad that most of these pieces are fiction.

[privateinvestor]

LePage has been criticized for statements that supporters have viewed as being part of LePage's plainspoken style.[21] During the campaign, he told an audience that when he became governor, they could expect to see newspaper headlines stating, "LePage Tells Obama To Go to Hell."[22] At the beginning of his term as governor, he was criticized for refusing either to attend Martin Luther King, Jr. Day events or to meet with Maine representatives of the NAACP. When questioned, LePage said he would not be "held hostage" by special interest groups including the NAACP, and laughingly told a local news reporter, "Tell them they can kiss my butt."[21][23][24] The remarks were reported in national media, with The Portland Press Herald saying that the comments "sparked outrage... among civil rights group leaders who called his remarks 'astonishing and troubling'".[24][21] A LePage spokesperson responded, "He's got a directness about him that a lot of people find appealing".[21] LePage's office later indicated that he would meet with NAACP representatives, but only to discuss matters of concern to "all Maine's people".[23]

In February 2011, LePage again gained national attention when he spoke on a local TV news program saying he hoped to repeal the Maine ban of Bisphenol A, voted for unanimously by the Maine Board of Environmental Protection,[25] because "There hasn’t been any science that identifies that there is a problem” and added: “The only thing that I’ve heard is if you take a plastic bottle and put it in the microwave and you heat it up, it gives off a chemical similar to estrogen. So the worst case is some women may have little beards....and we don't want that.”[26][27] Maine women responded with "Little Beard Day", a Facebook organized protest that drew a response of over 1,400. The Facebook page described the event as "...a response to (and attempt to match the absurdity of) the much-reported recent statements by our governor about the safety issues surrounding BPA." Women were invited to don “little beards" and post pictures at the Facebook site.[28][29] On March 28, it was reported that the LePage administration had dropped its opposition to the new BPA regulations.[30] After a unanimous vote in the Senate and only three opposing votes in the House of Representatives, on April 22, the Maine legislature passed a bill to ban the use of BPA in baby bottles, sippy cups and other reusable food and beverage containers, effective January 1, 2012. Governor LePage refused to sign the bill and it became law without his signature.[31][32


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_LePage

[privateinvestor]

Positions on specific issues

[edit] Economy

LePage has said that the permitting process to start a business in Maine is too cumbersome and expensive and he will look for ways to make it cheaper and easier.[44][45][46] LePage opposes raising any taxes during his term as governor and supports the creation of a 5% flat tax on all households earning more than $30,000. During the gubernatorial campaign, he also wanted to reduce the auto registration tax by 20% and use the actual sale price rather than MSRP as the tax basis.[44][46]

[edit] Education

LePage supports a school voucher system and structuring pay to reward teachers for performance. He has stated that curriculum should be determined by local school boards, but that he does not object to teaching creationism in public schools.[45]

[edit] Energy and Environment

LePage supports not only the development of hydroelectric, nuclear, wind, solar, and tidal power within Maine, but also tax incentives for energy conservation initiatives. He has said he would support shallow-water offshore drilling in Maine waters, but not deep-water drilling, which he considers more hazardous. He believes that government policies should consider the effect of greenhouse gases, but opposes regulation, saying he is not convinced that greenhouse gases from human activities are a significant contributor to climate change.[45][46] He has stated that some requirements for environmental impact studies should be reduced or weakened because they frequently impose undue burden on economic activity.[47]

In February 2011, LePage drew criticism from environmentalists when he proposed zoning 10 million acres (40,000 km2) of northern Maine for development, repealing laws that require manufacturers to take back recyclable goods for disposal, and other sweeping changes to environmental laws. In a statement LePage said, "Job creation and investment opportunities are being lost because we do not have a fair balance between our economic interests and the need to protect the environment."[48][49][50] Lisa Pohlmann, executive director of the Maine Natural Resources Council, one of the state's largest and oldest environmental advocacy groups, replied to his proposed changes saying, "We are shocked and stunned."[51] Maureen Drouin, executive director of the Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund, said, "A dirty environment is no way to bring new jobs to Maine."[52][53]

[edit] Government reform

LePage expressed an intent to reform welfare eligibility requirements, though he did not specify how he would do so. He also supports lifetime limits on welfare support, requiring recipients to perform work in the community, and a tiered payment system that gradually removes benefits as recipients earn more money working, rather than cutting them off entirely at a certain income level.[45] He has stated that the size of state government is likely too large and that he would probably seek to reduce the number of state employees.[45]

[edit] Health care

He has called for repeal of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, saying he believes it is unconstitutional, and — as planned — has encouraged Maine's attorney general to join the federal lawsuit by other state attorneys general challenging the bill. He has said that coverage mandates for Maine insurance policies should be pared back because they make insurance policies too expensive. He believes that MaineCare, the state Medicaid program, has too many enrollees and is too easy to qualify for.[45]

[edit] LGBT issues

LePage opposes allowing same-sex couples to marry; however, in a 2009 interview with right-of-center Maine political blog Pine Tree Politics, he said, “I go one step further than many [be]cause I say if you’re going to get married by the State, it's a civil union, period. Whether you’re a homosexual, lesbian, heterosexual. Everybody. That way everybody gets the same legal standing.”[54]

On the topic of transgender students in grades K-12, he said he did not understand "how people, at least sane people, would want to allow transgender in our primary schools and our high schools."[55] LePage then pledged to oppose legislation for transgendered students, saying, "I think it's gone too far and we have to push back. As governor, I would never allow that to be signed into law."[55]


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_LePage

[djAdvocate]

Jul 10, 2011 13:23:09 GMT -5 @privateinvestor said:

LePage has been criticized for statements that supporters have viewed as being part of LePage's plainspoken style.[21] During the campaign, he told an audience that when he became governor, they could expect to see newspaper headlines stating, "LePage Tells Obama To Go to Hell."[22] At the beginning of his term as governor, he was criticized for refusing either to attend Martin Luther King, Jr. Day events or to meet with Maine representatives of the NAACP. When questioned, LePage said he would not be "held hostage" by special interest groups including the NAACP, and laughingly told a local news reporter, "Tell them they can kiss my butt."[21][23][24] The remarks were reported in national media, with The Portland Press Herald saying that the comments "sparked outrage... among civil rights group leaders who called his remarks 'astonishing and troubling'".[24][21] A LePage spokesperson responded, "He's got a directness about him that a lot of people find appealing".[21] LePage's office later indicated that he would meet with NAACP representatives, but only to discuss matters of concern to "all Maine's people".[23]

In February 2011, LePage again gained national attention when he spoke on a local TV news program saying he hoped to repeal the Maine ban of Bisphenol A, voted for unanimously by the Maine Board of Environmental Protection,[25] because "There hasn’t been any science that identifies that there is a problem” and added: “The only thing that I’ve heard is if you take a plastic bottle and put it in the microwave and you heat it up, it gives off a chemical similar to estrogen. So the worst case is some women may have little beards....and we don't want that.”[26][27] Maine women responded with "Little Beard Day", a Facebook organized protest that drew a response of over 1,400. The Facebook page described the event as "...a response to (and attempt to match the absurdity of) the much-reported recent statements by our governor about the safety issues surrounding BPA." Women were invited to don “little beards" and post pictures at the Facebook site.[28][29] On March 28, it was reported that the LePage administration had dropped its opposition to the new BPA regulations.[30] After a unanimous vote in the Senate and only three opposing votes in the House of Representatives, on April 22, the Maine legislature passed a bill to ban the use of BPA in baby bottles, sippy cups and other reusable food and beverage containers, effective January 1, 2012. Governor LePage refused to sign the bill and it became law without his signature.[31][32


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_LePage

well SHUT MY MOUTH!

point conceded (assuming wiki's citations are correct, of course)

[privateinvestor]

wiki is not 100% accurate but to their credit where they have inaccurate data they will go back and correct it....we had some die hard liberals on the MSN P&M Message Board who would not accept wiki as a credbile link...but it has improved over the past two or three years IMHO

Where wiki is inaccurate is their military history, events, dates, and numbers....but I think close enough for government work..but most military historians will not use wiki but rather rely on other sources.


maybe we can ask bimetalaupt to comment on wiki since he is a pretty good military history buff..

[djAdvocate]

Jul 10, 2011 13:49:08 GMT -5 @privateinvestor said:

wiki is not 100% accurate but to their credit where they have inaccurate data they will go back and correct it....we had some die hard liberals on the MSN P&M Message Board who would not accept wiki as a credbile link...but it has improved over the past two or three years IMHO

Where wiki is inaccurate is their military history, events, dates, and numbers....but I think close enough for government work..but most military historians will not use wiki but rather rely on other sources.


maybe we can ask bimetalaupt to comment on wiki since he is a pretty good military history buff..

nah. they have a lot of citations there. i am well satisfied. thanks for posting.

[Deleted]

He also supports lifetime limits on welfare support, requiring recipients to perform work in the community, and a tiered payment system that gradually removes benefits as recipients earn more money working, rather than cutting them off entirely at a certain income level.[45] He has stated that the size of state government is likely too large and that he would probably seek to reduce the number of state employees.[

Crap, this guy has got to be a long lost cousin of mine. I have been saying all of that for YEARS!

[privateinvestor]

Jul 10, 2011 15:28:19 GMT -5 @oldtex said:

He also supports lifetime limits on welfare support, requiring recipients to perform work in the community, and a tiered payment system that gradually removes benefits as recipients earn more money working, rather than cutting them off entirely at a certain income level.[45] He has stated that the size of state government is likely too large and that he would probably seek to reduce the number of state employees.[

Crap, this guy has got to be a long lost cousin of mine. I have been saying all of that for YEARS!

Yea I noticed that but didn't want to mention it too much here and have you feel the wrath of our resident so called liberal critics who really run this board as you know??

[Deleted]

Yea I noticed that but didn't want to mention it too much here and have you feel the wrath of our resident so called liberal critics who really run this board as you know??

P.I. I have to say that I think mostly we are equally matched here. Maybe there are more of one side (liberals or conservatives) than the other but I think we are mostly (on most threads) matched pretty well. I have only once been "corrected" & it did happen by a liberal MOD but they were right & I was wrong. Sadly had I been a MOD & seen my own post (after I cooled off) I probably would have suspended myself for a few days at least (one of the reasons that I would never have that job, how stupid would that make me...suspending myself). I have found in life that one of the hardest things to do is to look at yourself objectively or in this instance, your posts objectively.

Since I've been here I have seen only one time where I thought a MOD didn't do what they should have done BUT (I wish that I could make it a much larger BUT) I realized that in that instance I wasn't the MOD & hadn't had to deal the the ABUNDANCE of posts that the poster had been posting. In real life I have found that if someone continually gives me shit over a long period of time I will grab the sucker by the throat & squeeze until his eyes bug out. Sadly after the fact I am unable to really defend myself because that past history was minor stuff that just built up. Was it warranted, not at all unless you add everything up.

I'm sure that sometimes MODs do over react here but I believe that we should all (before we protest) give thanks that they aren't able to reach thru our computers & make our eyes bug out (cause I'm sure they sometimes would like to). That's why I always give the the benefit of the doubt. Just my thoughts.

[privateinvestor]

Just my thoughts


And very good ones I might add

I have been quoted for once for saying " I would like to rip your f******* head off and pee down your neck"...but I was a Mod when I said that and it didn't sit too well with the politically correct crowd, I guess

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2011 15:30:34 GMT -5 @privateinvestor said:

Jul 10, 2011 15:28:19 GMT -5 @oldtex said:

He also supports lifetime limits on welfare support, requiring recipients to perform work in the community, and a tiered payment system that gradually removes benefits as recipients earn more money working, rather than cutting them off entirely at a certain income level.[45] He has stated that the size of state government is likely too large and that he would probably seek to reduce the number of state employees.[

Crap, this guy has got to be a long lost cousin of mine. I have been saying all of that for YEARS!

Yea I noticed that but didn't want to mention it too much here and have you feel the wrath of our resident so called liberal critics who really run this board as you know??

Why would you? I've ALSO said nearly the same things.... but i still get branded a liberal.... hmmm...

[handyman2]

Well they don't call those in Maine Maniacs for nothing but you at least know where he stands. It is well past time some politician called a spade a spade. They for the most part always struck me as a very independent people. You have to be to survive the weather in upper Maine.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

[Deleted]

Yeah, i figured the line " judging from local radio talk show callers, his popularity increased even more" in the OP was telling...

[swamp]

Thank you, Dem.

[privateinvestor]

Jul 11, 2011 6:40:37 GMT -5 deminmaine said:

Jul 10, 2011 12:44:55 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

i found this story repeated verbatim several places- none official. it smells like a viral piece to me. i doubt it is real.

It is waaaay real.
In the last election cycle the Dems nominated a real old school liberal politician for Governor. A very nice and classy lady, but really out of sync with what the state needs/ wants at this point. Unfortunately at an event such as a convention where only party activists vote, sometimes a winner emerges who is more in sync with the party hard cores than with the population as a whole. ( I was there, and voted for a more conservative opponent who, alas, lost.)
Meanwhile, the Reps also nominated a candidate which came from the fringes of the political scale, but which appealed to enough of the Republican base that in a multi-candidate field he won, just as Libby Mitchell would do with the Dems. You guessed it, Paul LePage, the man who told our President to "Go to Hell".
But the story just gets better. Between Mitchell and LePage, Mitchell was way out in front in the polls; LePage was just too "out there", despite actually having some good policy ideas.
However the Field wasn't fully set yet. One of Mitchell's vanquished opponents, a wealthy attorney named Eliot Cutler, decided to Run as an independent. He was a credible candidate, and gained more traction as the season wore on. The Mitchell campaign panicked, and produced some tacky attack ads which only backfired. (We tend not to like gutter ads here)
By election day Cutler actually overtook Mitchell in votes, but the two split the Democratic leaning vote. Paul LePage won with 39% of the vote, and Cutler came in second with about 37%. Even with a split vote, he almost prevailed. However, almost doesn't cut it. Governor LePage won.
However his first few months were disastrous politically. The above comments are all his, and are all true, and there are more. It got so bad that he was publicly rebuked in a letter to the newspapers by several state Senators from his own party. Lately he seems to have mellowed some, and hopefully has realized that being the Governor is not the same as running a discount/ salvage department store.
And regarding his popularity, it does NOT go up when he makes these gaffs. It seems that his handlers realize that he is in danger of being a one term wonder, because he is more circumspect lately. Of course talk show radio loves him. But many of us find him to be an embarassment to the state. Having said that, we are fortunate to have in the state house some more centrist Republicans who can hopefully continue to put the kybosh on some of his more extreme ideas.

Where's the link for this post??? Or is it again Liberal bias or liberal control od the the discussions again??

[Deleted]

Dem actually lives in Maine... it was his own observations/experiences... for which i also thank him...

[privateinvestor]

Jul 11, 2011 8:22:52 GMT -5 oped said:

Dem actually lives in Maine... it was his own observations/experiences... for which i also thank him...

How about an opposing view from somebody else who lives down Maine to keep this thread fair and balanced or do you object to that also??

[swamp]

Jul 11, 2011 8:21:58 GMT -5 @privateinvestor said:

Jul 11, 2011 6:40:37 GMT -5 deminmaine said:

It is waaaay real.
In the last election cycle the Dems nominated a real old school liberal politician for Governor. A very nice and classy lady, but really out of sync with what the state needs/ wants at this point. Unfortunately at an event such as a convention where only party activists vote, sometimes a winner emerges who is more in sync with the party hard cores than with the population as a whole. ( I was there, and voted for a more conservative opponent who, alas, lost.)
Meanwhile, the Reps also nominated a candidate which came from the fringes of the political scale, but which appealed to enough of the Republican base that in a multi-candidate field he won, just as Libby Mitchell would do with the Dems. You guessed it, Paul LePage, the man who told our President to "Go to Hell".
But the story just gets better. Between Mitchell and LePage, Mitchell was way out in front in the polls; LePage was just too "out there", despite actually having some good policy ideas.
However the Field wasn't fully set yet. One of Mitchell's vanquished opponents, a wealthy attorney named Eliot Cutler, decided to Run as an independent. He was a credible candidate, and gained more traction as the season wore on. The Mitchell campaign panicked, and produced some tacky attack ads which only backfired. (We tend not to like gutter ads here)
By election day Cutler actually overtook Mitchell in votes, but the two split the Democratic leaning vote. Paul LePage won with 39% of the vote, and Cutler came in second with about 37%. Even with a split vote, he almost prevailed. However, almost doesn't cut it. Governor LePage won.
However his first few months were disastrous politically. The above comments are all his, and are all true, and there are more. It got so bad that he was publicly rebuked in a letter to the newspapers by several state Senators from his own party. Lately he seems to have mellowed some, and hopefully has realized that being the Governor is not the same as running a discount/ salvage department store.
And regarding his popularity, it does NOT go up when he makes these gaffs. It seems that his handlers realize that he is in danger of being a one term wonder, because he is more circumspect lately. Of course talk show radio loves him. But many of us find him to be an embarassment to the state. Having said that, we are fortunate to have in the state house some more centrist Republicans who can hopefully continue to put the kybosh on some of his more extreme ideas.

Where's the link for this post??? Or is it again Liberal bias or liberal control od the the discussions again??

Dem, could you post a picture of your tax bill and driver's license so we have some proof you actually live in Maine.

[swamp]

Jul 11, 2011 8:25:01 GMT -5 @privateinvestor said:

Jul 11, 2011 8:22:52 GMT -5 oped said:

Dem actually lives in Maine... it was his own observations/experiences... for which i also thank him...

How about an opposing view from somebody else who lives down Maine to keep this thread fair and balanced or do you object to that also??

As far as I know, Dem is the only Mainiac on the board.

[privateinvestor]

Jul 11, 2011 8:25:33 GMT -5 swamp said:

Jul 11, 2011 8:25:01 GMT -5 @privateinvestor said:

How about an opposing view from somebody else who lives down Maine to keep this thread fair and balanced or do you object to that also??

As far as I know, Dem is the only Mainiac on the board.

Governor LePage symbolizes what America needs: refreshing politicians who aren't self-serving and who exhibit common sense! (Where can we find some more of these???)

[mmhmm]

Thanks for the info, dem. It's always good to hear from someone who actually lives in the state/area being discussed. Otherwise, we've nothing to go on other than media hype.

[swamp]

Jul 11, 2011 8:29:30 GMT -5 @privateinvestor said:

Jul 11, 2011 8:25:33 GMT -5 swamp said:

As far as I know, Dem is the only Mainiac on the board.

Governor LePage symbolizes what America needs: refreshing politicians who aren't self-serving and who exhibit common sense! (Where can we find some more of these???)
Source:.. Anonymous Member of the Conservative Male Club

I agree that America needs more politicians who aren't self serving and who exhibit common sense. I have no idea if LePage is one of them since I know very little about him.

[Taxman10]

Jul 11, 2011 8:31:12 GMT -5 swamp said:

Jul 11, 2011 8:29:30 GMT -5 @privateinvestor said:

Governor LePage symbolizes what America needs: refreshing politicians who aren't self-serving and who exhibit common sense! (Where can we find some more of these???)
Source:.. Anonymous Member of the Conservative Male Club

I agree that America needs more politicians who aren't self serving and who exhibit common sense. I have no idea if LePage is one of them since I know very little about him.

I'd vote for you Swamp...ever consider running?? :-)