LePage-Speak -- A New World of Vocabulary

Conservation is a Ponzi scheme.  Political dialogue is "bullshit."  Our governor flew to Virginia to lay wreaths at the graves of the dead in the same week that he stated his intention to cut access to medical care to the still living.  This and more at www.appalledbylepage.com

Paul LePage's Approval Ratings Are Up . . .

 . . . But not for the reasons you might think.

It's called scapegoating.  You can read about LePage's "Operation Scapegoat" in our recent post at AppalledbyLePage.com 

LePage Education Plan for 2012 and Beyond

Paul LePage has some ambitions in terms of reforming education in the state of Maine.  That's a scary thing, since not so long ago, he hadn't seemed to have thought about it much.  His plan then was to promote home schooling, reduce federal mandates, and allow more control on the local level.

More recently, LePage has more ambitious goals such as changing the way teachers are paid, putting new requirements on teachers, promoting more technical and practical education in high schools, and promoting a 5the year of high school.  More details and commentary at:
Appalled by LePage -- Education Plan for 2012 and Beyond.

Paul LePage and ALEC: Suspected Connection Confirmed

The cozy relationship between Paul LePage, ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange Council, and the Koch Brothers (a major donor to ALEC) is brought to light in a recent Colin Woodard article in the Portland Phoenix. Most of the inner workings at ALEC remain covert, but Woodard reveals that the new corporate chair of ALEC for the state of Maine is Ann Robinson, a close advisor to LePage and also a corporate lobbyist at Preti Flaherty Beliveau & Pachios.  Continue reading at:  www.appalledbylepage.com

Open for Business: Sign of the Times

“Open for Business,” read the sign that was presented to Paul LePage on the day of his inauguration by the Maine Refounders, A Knox County Tea Party Group.  Last weekend, the sign was removed from its place along I-95 by pranksters or political activists in a covert late-night act reminiscent of the LePage-ordered removal of the mural from the Labor Building.  The sign is now gathering dust in someones barn or basement. 

I have wondered about the propriety of a governor putting up what is essentially a partisan sign (funded by a partisan group and representative of a partisan agenda) along a federal highway.   You and I don't have the right to do that.  Why does the governor?  

More at http://www.appalledbylepage.com

Maine is Open for Exploitation of Workers

Based on current legislation being proposed by Paul LePage, Maine is all about corporations and not at all about workers.  Just once, we would like to see Paul LePage stand on the side of workers and give corporations the cold shoulder.

But this week, it has been all about the corporations.  Changes in laws affecting health insurance coverage, removal of laws protecting Maine loggers from losing their jobs to Canadians, and elimination of collective bargaining rights for family care providers are three instances, just this week, in which LePage has come down on the side of corporations.  More at www.appalledbylepage.com

LePage Administration Brain Drain Continues

Today's news just confirms what many of us already know:  The LePage administration is a circus within an arrogance within a sham within a zealotry.

Today LePage lost two cabinet members, one apparently having made racist comments; another did not specify his reason.  A third was transferred to a new post due to allegations of conflict of interest.  This is after LePage lost his director of communications (Dan Demeritt) last week (financially overextended) and one of his top advisers (Tarren Bragden), formerly of the Maine Heritage Policy Center stepped down to move to Florida ten days before that.

More at www.appalledbylepage.com