Grievances with government
To the editor:
As a candidate for the Maine House, District 145, I have three grievances with State Government I wish to address: 1) the State must fund public education at the promised 55 percent level; 2) robbing from Municipal Revenue Sharing for any reason must be reversed (this theft is particularly repugnant when it is used to pay back political obligations); and 3) burdening local taxpayers (through school budget addenda) for 30 percent of teacher retirement costs is wrong.
Teachers paid into the State Retirement System throughout long careers in public education and they deserve the promised benefits they accepted for reduced salaries, often difficult workplace conditions, blame for social fragmentation and dysfunction which could not possibly be their fault, etc. I would like to know why the necessary and sufficient funds are not available. Has the State mismanaged these funds or has “borrowing” for pet programs vitiated a once healthy fiscal resource? Nevertheless, local taxpayers have already paid once for this funding through our annual school budgets. To double bill taxpayers for the same service twice is criminal and should be recognized as such!
With regard to Municipal Revenue Sharing, if $140 million is the un-tampered-with amount, that amount should be allocated to municipalities to share. Property taxes were already plenty high before the State began tampering with Revenue Sharing and Aid to Education funding.
Many poor people in Maine are property owners who are having increasing difficulty paying their property taxes before liens and foreclosures ensue. It is morally bankrupt for the State to unintentionally burden the most fiscally afflicted by indirectly funding programs that rob municipalities of revenues that consequently require property tax increases.
State apportioned income, sales, and other taxes are the honest way to fund new programs, not robbing from Peter to pay Paul. Unfortunately, honesty and integrity are in short supply. We as citizens of this State and as citizens of this Nation have demanded more services than we are willing to pay for. This has been an historic and shameful legacy that will burden and haunt our children and grandchildren. We must fix this; we can not, with good conscience, ask the next generations to fix this.
Whether Republican, Democrat, Green, or Other, fault-finding and blame are not directional signs along the road to recovery. None of us can shoulder all the responsibility, all of us can solve the impediments to future well-being. Certainly it will cost us, but let us not fund those costs by raiding school and municipal investment by the State to do so.
Glenn Hines
Hammond
Plans to share video of Hodgdon
selectmen’s meetings
To the editor:
As of this writing I am planning on video recording the October 7 Hodgdon Board of Selectmen meeting and posting it on my Youtube channel, hodgdonyourway, sometime after the meeting. Barring any “technical difficulties,” the meeting video should be posted at this time. If not, please check back and I will make it public as soon as I possibly can.
My reasons for doing this are as follows:
• I feel there have been some decisions made by our selectmen relating to how our tax dollars are spent that are “questionable” and you have a right to be informed. I do not intend to persuade your opinion in one direction or another.
• The meeting minutes are prepared by the town manager and do not accurately reflect the nature of the discussions that have recently occurred.
The following is factual information that can be obtained through the town minutes or town office:
May 6, 2014 – The last item in the minutes states under other business, “Surplus purchase through the town. Consensus was to allow, but the surplus property guidelines would be followed.” There is no mention of what was to be purchased, an approximate cost of this purchase, when the purchase would be made and most importantly why there is a need for this purchase. Surplus guidelines require the town must own the property for six months before it can be sold. There is no record of a motion made at this meeting or any other time indicating a “consensus” of the selectmen.
Aug. 5, 2014 – A private contractor in attendance at the meeting gave the town manager “paperwork” relating to a purchase made at the state surplus sale July 31, 2014. (This is how I became aware a purchase had been made.) Town records show a purchase of a 2002 Case 580sm backhoe, cost $16,000 and a 2005 Ford F250 pick-up truck, cost $5,500. I requested a copy of this information under the Maine Right to Know laws. No mention of the town’s state surplus purchase included in August meeting minutes.
Sept. 2, 2014 – A request was made to have the selectmen meeting minutes recorded by a third (town secretary) or record meeting as a video similar to Houlton or a voice recording. The request was denied and a motion was made and passed to record meeting minutes as they have been done historically, recording only the information required by state, and “excluding discussions.”
The town manager has stated in writing, per my request, that the only person in attendance at the surplus sale was the private contractor. No town officials were present to inspect the equipment purchased.
The backhoe and truck have been stored at the same private contractor’s property since the date of purchase and very few people are aware of its existence as “town property.”
The town manager has stated in writing that the backhoe needs repairs but the nature of the repairs is unknown and as of Sept. 29, 2014 an estimate of repair costs has not been done. “It is unknown when the cost repair estimate will be complete. It is unknown whether the backhoe will be used for town work prior to the construction of a salt shed and will depend on the cost of putting the backhoe in operating condition.”
The town manager has stated in writing that the pick-up truck will be used for plowing the town hall, fire department, and fire hydrants, spreading calcium on gravel roads and hauling cold patch.
The town manager has stated in writing that the pick-up truck has not been registered as of Sept. 29, 2014 because he is still waiting for the title from the state.
There has been no explanation from the town selectmen as to why the town needs a second truck. Currently the town owns a 2008 Ford F250 pick-up truck which has been used in previous years for plowing the town hall and fire department.
The town manager has stated in writing that the town purchased a backhoe at state surplus because “they are not always available at state surplus.”
Regarding the Town Animal Control Officer:
• The ACO does not hold any certifications and has not received any training as required by Maine law. Maine law requires initial certification training within six months of his appointment and eight hours training yearly thereafter. The ACO has been employed in this position by the town for 13 years.
• The ACO currently receives a salary of $3,000 per year and is not required by the town of Hodgdon to keep any records of his activity (i.e. number of calls he receives, resolutions to problems, etc.) He has no formal “accountability” related to his position. The town selectmen are aware of this fact and have stated records are unnecessary.
Thank you for taking the time to read this editorial. All of this information may be verified at the Town Manager’s office. I invite you to attend the selectmen meetings so your voice may be heard or to view the meetings as they become available on Youtube.com. Maine Right to Know laws allow a person to record meetings and share them publicly.
Deborah Jagow Wynes
Hodgdon
Willette is best candidate for Senate
To the editor:
I write first of all to thank the citizens of Maine House District 8 for allowing me the honor of serving as your State Representative for the past four years. Although I am retiring from elected office, I will never forget the privilege that was given to me to serve as your voice in Augusta.
Today I write to advocate for Mike Willette (Presque Isle), who is seeking to replace retiring Senator Roger Sherman. I served with Mike in the Maine House and feel strongly that he will represent us well in the Maine Senate. His previous experience as a member of the Maine House will be an asset to the people of Aroostook County.
Mike has a strong record of supporting our small businesses and worked hard for fairer education funding for those of us in rural Maine. During his tenure in the Legislature, Mike advocated for Maine sportsmen and was endorsed by both the NRA and SAM. While serving, he accomplished many things including the Community Paramedicine Bill, which is projected to bring major cost savings for the state.
Willette, who also sponsored the legislation that allows soldiers to vote electronically while they are deployed, is a veteran of the U.S. Army, and achieved the rank of E-4P. He is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm where he served as a flight and hyperbaric medic. It was during this time that he received the Desert Storm Service medal and the Combat Medic Badge.
A former science teacher at Presque Isle High School, Willette holds a bachelor of science degree in biology and chemistry, as well as a degree in secondary education. He is the co-founder and co-owner of Big Bear Real Estate, and has previously worked as a firefighter, auto mechanic, store manager, shift supervisor and EMT.
I know Mike Willette and his entire family personally, and I know that he will work tirelessly for those of us living in rural Maine. We need a State Senator who will represent all of us, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Mike Willette will be that voice.
Your consideration of Mike Willette is much appreciated.
Rep. Joyce A. Fitzpatrick
Houlton
Northern Maine needs Carpenter in the Senate
To the editor:
Northern Maine has rich resources of timber, farmland, and watershed areas that deserve far more respect than we get from state government. We pay more here for all basic necessities — groceries, health care, and energy — while income, jobs, and the general economy suffer from policies that favor urban areas. To improve the economy, we need strong investment here in infrastructure, public schools, and local university branches; but our municipalities have had to make egregious cuts in all services to avoid raising property taxes. We have to travel long distances for much of our health care, for important legislative hearings, or for business meetings, and we need to speak forcefully when we get there.
Mike Carpenter has the strong voice, personal background, political experience, commitment, loyalty, and integrity we need to advocate for our needs. He has lived in Aroostook County all his life, married and raised his family here, has a law practice here, and with his family operates Carriages of Acadia in Acadia National Park from May to October. He won two Bronze Stars for service in Viet Nam.
He served 12 years in the state legislature, both House and Senate, including two years as Assistant Senate Majority Leader. He served as Attorney General under a Republican governor, so he knows how to work across party lines. He will work to restore trust, ethics, transparency, and accountability to state government. He is clearly the effective advocate we need to represent northern Maine in the Senate.
Alice Bolstridge
Presque Isle
