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Whether you agree with his politics or not, it's evident LePage has zero leadership skills. He's a bully, and when his bullying doesn't work, he throws a tantrum. It's like we have a 12 year old whose parents never told him "no" sitting in the governor's office.
He seems to think he's a plain-spoken man of conviction who doesn't mince words. But he's just a bully. If you're going to be in public office, you have to learn to work with people you may not like. It's a fact of politics. LePage is unable to do that.
I would argue that Homestead emptions are just another distribution of wealth. Someone has to pay extra so those can have an exemption. Same goes with Non-profits, and host of other tax loopholes. Do I like them for the elderly... YES! but who am I to say so? Maybe the bigger issue is Property taxes in general!
I am not well versed enough on the bond issues you mentioned accept to say that as far as I thought an approval of a bond does not guarantee that the bond will be issued or even issued in full... as in its the will of the people.. like when a town votes to approve a school budget, does the school HAVE to spend all the money approved? correct me if I am wrong..
And I will say that I have become offended (I mean this in a lighthearted way reloop ) at the constant referencing of our system of government as a democracy. Remember a democracy is a majority rules system.. we are a republic which stands on the constitution guaranteeing the rights of everyone even when they are in the minority.. "In a democracy the majority will ALWAYS vote for public gifts from the treasury until it ceases to exist."
I would counter that Homestead exemptions allow families to stay in homes when the federal and state government continues to mandate things without paying for them, and yes, I agree that the bigger issue is property taxes in general; however, one of my eternal frustrations is what seems to be that too many people seem to want the best of everything, but nobody wants to pay for it. The state saves money by withholding it from the towns, yet they don't lay off the mandates which must be paid for somehow correct? Therefore, you have towns which are economically poor and have several liens on properties which obviously is due to the fact that taxes aren't paid. Who pays those? Distribution of wealth indeed. When the state crammed school consolidation down our throats, my property taxes went UP over $600.00. I can't tell you how many people predicted that happening. Sure, it saved the state money, but I didn't see any of my other taxes go DOWN because of it.
As far as the bonds are concerned, no, a school doesn't HAVE to spend all of the money approved; however, if they don't, then they will be cut that much in the following year. Now next year, perhaps the state or the feds have decided in their infinite wisdom that the school must jump through another ridiculous mandate hoop, but your budget is going to be cut. Aren't you going to make sure you spend your entire budget? Why of course you are if you're smart. I don't agree with that practice either, but I certainly understand why it happens. The system is very broken IMO. LePage and his asinine comments aren't going to change that. All that's going to do is tick people off and we will continue to have a "nanny, nanny, boo boo...my way or the highway" situation and yet again, nothing will get done.
I don't care what party is in the majority or minority. I'm good and fed up with the pissing contests. I have a friend who is a small business owner. He met with our representative to discuss a law that was going to cost him a mint to be able to do what he wanted to expand his business. The legislature was working on a suitable compromise when his rep told him that she was not voting for it because it was not in line with her party, and the compromise was from the other party. Needless to say, he told her in no uncertain terms how he felt about that. LePage's comments just keep that childish behavior going. I've had enough of it.
I don't mean to offend, and I see your point, but to me it's in the semantics I guess.
Republic: Noun
"A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president."
We elected LePage for the "people" did we not? Isn't it the "majority" who votes anything through or down? I'm in the "minority" who voted against the bonds. Does the constitution allow me to refuse to pay my taxes and not go to jail? Maybe in the fine print, but somehow I think that ain't ah gonna happen.
If the majority of the people decided to vote those bonds in, shouldn't he be doing what he the people have voted to do? Does he have the right to refuse to abide by what the people have voted? Maybe he does. I don't have time to go digging through Maine law.
Democracy:
"government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system."
I would counter that Homestead exemptions allow families to stay in homes when the federal and state government continues to mandate things without paying for them, and yes, I agree that the bigger issue is property taxes in general; however, one of my eternal frustrations is what seems to be that too many people seem to want the best of everything, but nobody wants to pay for it. The state saves money by withholding it from the towns, yet they don't lay off the mandates which must be paid for somehow correct? Therefore, you have towns which are economically poor and have several liens on properties which obviously is due to the fact that taxes aren't paid. Who pays those? Distribution of wealth indeed. When the state crammed school consolidation down our throats, my property taxes went UP over $600.00. I can't tell you how many people predicted that happening. Sure, it saved the state money, but I didn't see any of my other taxes go DOWN because of it.
As far as the bonds are concerned, no, a school doesn't HAVE to spend all of the money approved; however, if they don't, then they will be cut that much in the following year. Now next year, perhaps the state or the feds have decided in their infinite wisdom that the school must jump through another ridiculous mandate hoop, but your budget is going to be cut. Aren't you going to make sure you spend your entire budget? Why of course you are if you're smart. I don't agree with that practice either, but I certainly understand why it happens. The system is very broken IMO. LePage and his asinine comments aren't going to change that. All that's going to do is tick people off and we will continue to have a "nanny, nanny, boo boo...my way or the highway" situation and yet again, nothing will get done.
I don't care what party is in the majority or minority. I'm good and fed up with the pissing contests. I have a friend who is a small business owner. He met with our representative to discuss a law that was going to cost him a mint to be able to do what he wanted to expand his business. The legislature was working on a suitable compromise when his rep told him that she was not voting for it because it was not in line with her party, and the compromise was from the other party. Needless to say, he told her in no uncertain terms how he felt about that. LePage's comments just keep that childish behavior going. I've had enough of it.
I don't mean to offend, and I see your point, but to me it's in the semantics I guess.
Republic: Noun
"A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president."
We elected LePage for the "people" did we not? Isn't it the "majority" who votes anything through or down? I'm in the "minority" who voted against the bonds. Does the constitution allow me to refuse to pay my taxes and not go to jail? Maybe in the fine print, but somehow I think that ain't ah gonna happen.
If the majority of the people decided to vote those bonds in, shouldn't he be doing what he the people have voted to do? Does he have the right to refuse to abide by what the people have voted? Maybe he does. I don't have time to go digging through Maine law.
Democracy:
"government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system."
I think we are coming from the same place. Most of the issues I have with government in general Lepage has been pretty much the antitheses to that... sooo I guess I can handle the childish behavior from him. I look at what he is doing.
You bring up a good point, if we vote for the government to do something then shouldn't they.... well, I guess it depends on what it is. I would argue the majority cannot elect representatives who then go to congress and enact laws that are unconstitutional! Doesn't matter what the majority wants.
There was a time that our supreme court said that any income tax is a direct tax and all direct taxes are against the constitution.. But eventually there was enough apathy that government was able to institute direct taxes.. Much like we see today with the IRS ect.. (speaking of the IRS I just saw where the IRS sent 30 million dollars in tax refunds to upteen thousand different illegal alien names to ONE ADDRESS in GA.) And I would argue that property taxes are direct taxes and I certainly feel that property taxes especially interfere with our right to OWN property.
Our rights and freedoms were not eroded overnight. There were taking slowly and by stealth. IMO nothing is going to change in our system until there is no more loop holes in tax revenues. Everyone should be paying taxes..... EVERYONE! And when everyone is paying I think we might see more people on the same page about where government is spending their money. Right now so few people actually pay taxes why would they care unless it is taking away something from them
Most politicians are smooth talking thieves. Thieves of money and freedom. It's actually nice to see a politician who just speaks his mind honestly.
Did you actually SEE the interview? It was by a set of stairs in what appeared to be the State House. He made his spittle-laced tirade for a second or three and walked away from the camera, then stalked back and stuck his face in the camera and made the "comment", then walked away again, then came back and, in a very agitated manner, blubbered. Very disturbing. Hate in his eyes, red faced and blubbering. Scary.
Taxes, to support the waste in Maine Government, are an affront on the voters. Maine government employ and retirement obligations go way beyond any actual entitlement programs. No doubt about it. I watched a DOT crew replace a driveway culvert the other day. Well, 2.5 days and up to 12 guys standing around for 120' of ditch on a lawn and 20' of culvert, if that. Backhoe, low boy, dually, dump truck, two DOT trucks and a blue van that the two guys just sat and watched from the whole time. $20,000 to $30,000 in expense for work that I could have done for $1,500. It took 5 of them 2 hours of lollygagging just to drop off the backhoe the first day. But the current Governor has done nothing to alleviate such problems or relieve taxes in any way save for some at the very top of the totem pole (e.g., boosting the Estate Tax credit to $2MM). His focus has been on teachers. And now he wants to take away the excise taxes formerly collected and utilized by the towns. I can't say there's a better candidate out there, either. It ain't Michaud. I was up in Millinocket the other day and heard what his contemporaries had to say about him. It ain't Cutler. He's just another King Anguish and an elitist. Give me a normal Republican, untainted by the rhetoric of the last election who gives a crap about the average Mainer and isn't "owned" by someone or a corporation or PAC out of State. But this one is out.
Did you actually SEE the interview? It was by a set of stairs in what appeared to be the State House. He made his spittle-laced tirade for a second or three and walked away from the camera, then stalked back and stuck his face in the camera and made the "comment", then walked away again, then came back and, in a very agitated manner, blubbered. Very disturbing. Hate in his eyes, red faced and blubbering. Scary.
Taxes, to support the waste in Maine Government, are an affront on the voters. Maine government employ and retirement obligations go way beyond any actual entitlement programs. No doubt about it. I watched a DOT crew replace a driveway culvert the other day. Well, 2.5 days and up to 12 guys standing around for 120' of ditch on a lawn and 20' of culvert, if that. Backhoe, low boy, dually, dump truck, two DOT trucks and a blue van that the two guys just sat and watched from the whole time. $20,000 to $30,000 in expense for work that I could have done for $1,500. It took 5 of them 2 hours of lollygagging just to drop off the backhoe the first day. But the current Governor has done nothing to alleviate such problems or relieve taxes in any way save for some at the very top of the totem pole (e.g., boosting the Estate Tax credit to $2MM). His focus has been on teachers. And now he wants to take away the excise taxes formerly collected and utilized by the towns. I can't say there's a better candidate out there, either. It ain't Michaud. I was up in Millinocket the other day and heard what his contemporaries had to say about him. It ain't Cutler. He's just another King Anguish and an elitist. Give me a normal Republican, untainted by the rhetoric of the last election who gives a crap about the average Mainer and isn't "owned" by someone or a corporation or PAC out of State. But this one is out.
I also think it's not just state workers. I watched a private contractor take well over 3 years to build a simple shack and a smaller building on a federal property. Talk about fleecing the system.
As far as PAC or out-of-state interests goes - I'd like to see that practice cease for both parties. unfortunately, I don't see that happening anytime soon. Here's hoping.
I don't doubt your description in the least, Maineiac, but it's hardly indicative of government. The same kind of waste and graft goes on in private companies. The difference is that if your government is corrupt, you can vote the corrupt out of office. You can even run for office yourself. If a corporation is corrupt and wasteful, they are accountable to no one but their shareholders.
Bad government is a huge problem in Maine. But privatizing everything isn't going to solve the problem.
No no no. I think privatizing of a lot of things is a bad idea. I'm not saying "corruption" either. It's a culture of entitlement, of increased pay every year, of increased departmental budgets every year. No privatization, but accountability for this kind of waste - I'd have fired 9 of the 12 guys involved. For the most part, except for the flaggers (each of whom had another guy hanging out with them), the guy on the backhoe was the only one actually doing anything.
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