Judy Taylor Studios
Maine Governor Paul LePage has given a couple of reasons for why he removed a mural depicting the state's labor history from a Department of Labor building in March.
In arguing for his right to do it, lawyers for Governor LePage said it was a matter of free speech -- that he was saying something by taking the picture down. Dirigo Blue today posts a local news report from the time in which Mr. LePage explains what he meant: "I think that it's inappropriate to be in the Department of Labor, when everyone comes in -- employers and employees -- and they're confronted by just one side of the equation."
So the problem was the mural's message, right? But this week, Governor LePage gave NBC's Brian Williams a different answer:
"My objection to the mural is simply where the money came from. The money was taken out of the unemployment insurance fund which is dedicated to provide benefits to unemployed workers. They robbed that account to build the mural. Until they pay for it, it stays hidden."
The U.S. Labor Department says Maine owes it either $38,000 or the proper display of the mural. Dirigo Blue's got both videos of Mr. LePage's answers, then and now, and an intriguing question: If Maine's $22,000 share of the cost goes back, would the governor put the mural back up?
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The man is simply a pathological liar who is constantly coming up with different stories depending on who he is talking to about many issues his administration has been involved in.
I have an idea....lets create a mural to honor "Job Creators"...(KEEP IN MIND THE PERIOD)What would that look like? Who wants to pose for the guys sitting behind big desks, counting their cash and signing papers denying child labor raises, giving orders to lock workers in building that are fire hazards, setting up company stores that charge so much interest you will owe for the rest of your life, sending Pinkerton Goons to beat the crap out of workers?....Are these the businessmen that we are afraid to OFFEND?
So basically, he's in the "right" party......
I guess he's saying we should applaud all businessmen and kiss the feet of all job creators.....no matter how low the wages, harse the treatment, long the hours are, unsafe the conditions or the lack of heathcare. We should just thank our lucky stars that the Job Creator Gods love us. Who would want Americans to go backwards when all that has be gained.....??? Plantation Owners come to mind....(there are a great number of good business owners out there, who in the hell is Le Page representing...Koch industries?
He won't put it back up no matter what. LePage is a teabagger and he hates labor with every fiber of his knuckle dragging, neanderthal being. Who does he think he's fooling? Is anyone actually buying his Free Speech snake oil?
Will someone please tell me what in common does the present day tea party have with the oringinal?....I heard Bachamn's view of history....Palin's view...Who came up with the name Tea party for these guys and gals?....To me it is a disgrace to the original concept and framing!!!
That came from Taxed Enough Already, a Koch Brothers supported group.
oh.....so the organizers and participants of the original Tea Party were rich oil guys?.....Grassroots has sure lost some ground since back in the day. Or is it more like...Rich Businessmen Funded the poor dirt farmers to stick there necks out? Sounds more like it.......
Yes, the voters of Maine who elected him. Please dump him quickly Maine voters.
I don't think he'll win a second term, too many people in the state don't like him.
Right now, our best bet for damage control is to give the Democrats control of the Senate and House when 2012 comes around. Maine Senate and House terms are both only for two years.
I would just like to know where in the hell these two-faced Fascistic Politicians on the Right think they are going to get enough votes to ever get elected or re-elected again. . .
Especially if they keep insulting and assaulting the Workers and Middle of America ?
How insane is that to beat down the very people who you need to get votes from ?
There are relatively few Right-Wing nuts . . . and surely not enough of them to elect even a local Right-Winger . . . let alone any national ones . . . coo coo for cocoa puffs . . .
Yeah...just how much Voter Supression can ya rely on?
Totally Vampire Press . . . all the dirty dollars they collect, all the cheating and voter suppression they engage in cannot change the fact that they have nearly eviscerated the very population that they need to get votes from . . . thereby cutting off their noses to spite their faces . . .
What is that saying about doing the same things over and over and expecting different results ?
Oh yeah . . . its the definition of INSANITY !
Yeah ...I feel ya....but who are the people still clinging to their insane ideas. How many times can Rush say Porch Monkey or Magic Negro before guys like Micheal Steele, J.C. Watts or even Ron Christie stop calling him their best friend? Maybe Rich Hispanic Republicans think that Rush and the Koch brothers are just kidding when the use words like Wetback and Laz-i-cans? The very people that are being degraded are the same who are voting for and supporting these Crazies!!!....WTF?
That is a very important point to make . . . they would have NO voters at all if it were not for the wing-nuts that they abuse and use and lie to along with all of the rest of us in this country . . .
it is all soooooooo Alice Through The Looking Glass bass acwards isnt it ?
What a crock of s--t! LePage couldn't tell the truth if it bit him in the behind.
Mike....I think a crock of s--t would be offended to be compared to Le Page. (one we can flush...the other, hell we are just stuck with)
What's next- the Art Nouveau WPA bas relief sculptures because they have such a pro organized labor feel to them?
Flashes me back to the Taliban blowing up the Buddhist sculpture. Ever get the impression that the
Moral MajorityT-Party guys are really Taliban wannabees? Their Monoculture theories of politics are basically the same. My way or death to you. (EG all that crap about exercising their 2nd amendment options- Perry's secessionist rhetoric.)"Flashes me back to the Taliban blowing up the Buddhist sculpture." EXACTLY RIGHT!
And I feel very comfortable with the comparison of today's Republican Party to the Taliban and Al Quida. Both are extremist religious organizations that want to be part of every facet of our lives.
If the issue was that the mural did not represent both "sides," then why is it called the Department of LABOR? With all his authority, perhaps LePage can open a Department of Management and include a mural with a bunch of pasty guys in suits.
If it's the second argument (money was taken from unemployment insurance coffers), wouldn't it be easy to validate that comment with a FOIA request?
So Paul LePage is a vicious tyrant with a hatred for working Americans AND a flat-out liar. He underestimates the intelligence of his constituents and everyone else that watched in disbelief as LePage and his Tea Party minions waged holy Tea Party jihad against a painting. This was not he language he or his allies were using months ago, when they were openly questioning why no mural existed as a memorial to the great corporate greedsters of Maine. This sort of behavior is utterly offensive. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
What is their problem with labor? They complain about people on welfare. They complain about people who are unemployed (all while saying they care about employment). And they even have a problem with people who are employed, apparently. There's no pleasing these people.
They allegedly love America- but hate the people that built America. Labor built railroads, skyscrapers, bridges, farms, etc. Why is it such an issue for those contributions to be recognized ? Do they just hate us all? I guess they only give darn when you contribute a few million to their campaigns. And your contributions to this country are only recognized if you own a railroad, or skyscraper, or a corporation. Then you get treated like a real person. Nobody else Need Apply.
It's not workers in general, Sean. It's ORGANIZED workers. Employees who seek a fair wage, reasonable hours, competitive benefits. That's what they hate. We should all keep our heads down, and say "thank you" and "please" when it comes to the big bosses throwing us crumbs.
Yeah, it is workers in general. They ruin the myth of individual achievement.
He is back pedaling just like Scott Walker of Wisconsin. I saw Walker on a talk show yesterday and he was say everything was just wonderful in Wisconsin now....
Free speech my butt! His is not the only speech. I find Haley Barbour' speech offensive as governor of Ms, but I didn't remove him! Talk about abuse of power...
I live in Maine and the folks up here can't stand this lying bag of s*it. He has said some terrible things and runs everything by the Koch Bros. ALEC playbook. He is a 1 term wonder...
As are all the other tea baggers who took us in with their crock of sh!t about removig government from our lives. Unfortunately, many of the guvs won't be up for re-election in 2012 but I'm sure there will be many other tea baggers failing to get their party nominations in the primaries and those that survive will be defeated in the national elections.
Maine elected him, Maine can dump him.
Yes, umptim...hopefully we will. Remember that 61% of the state DIDN'T vote for him - we had a strong Independent candidate who split the vote.
People seem to be forgetting that we can really curtail LePage in 2012, even if we can't vote him out until 2014. If people are smart, they'll give control of the Senate and House back to the Democrats because their terms are only two years. There are term limits that come into play too, but I'm not sure if any of the incumbents are reaching those limits come the 2012 election.
Department of Labor
NOT Department of Employer
nuff said
The problem with all of these tyrants that would be one termers is that we gave them the keys to the kingdom and they are now working diligently to use them to lock us out. The number of bills forwarded changing election law and the redistricting that has transpired since 2010 is mind boggling. The facade has come down and the gloves are off now. The angry and malicious TEA party is fed by foulness and vitriol, so the lower the politicians go the more base support they receive. What once would have been career killing revelations ferreted out by the press are now campaign ads for conservative politicians. The big question is "where is the bottom".
Gov. LePage's Office sent along the following statement:
"The Administration originally removed the mural because of its messaging. The mural portrays only one party that the Department of Labor serves – workers not job creators. In order to change the culture the decision was made to find a more appropriate location for the mural. It was then discovered how the mural was funded and that these funds could have been put into the Unemployment Trust Fund for Mainers to benefit from. When the Governor learned of this it further supported the decision.
"The Governor took part in this panel discussion to speak about education; however, it is clear that NBC had an entirely different agenda for Governor LePage. With limited time to answer the question the Governor chose to speak about the most disturbing aspect - that this money could have been put into the Unemployment Trust Fund rather than used on a mural. This information was underreported by media this spring."
I hope they had their muck boots on when they wrote that crap.
"I think that it's inappropriate to be in the Department of Labor, when everyone comes in -- employers and employees -- and they're confronted by just one side of the equation."
Uh, that's why it's called the Department of LABOR. I don't see anyone arguing that the Chamber of Commerce has to give equal time to the perspective of labor.
The mural might be inappropriate in the Department of Fatcats but it's perfectly appropriate in the DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, you idiot! Put it back.
How did my fellow northern New Englanders ever manage to elect an anti-labor pig as governor of such a wonderful state?
Actually I recall they called themselves teabaggers until the jokes just started to write themselves. They have a history of missing little details like that, from their misspelled signage to the teabagger rallies.
what it actually means in street talk...find that here warning that it might offend some folks: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=teabagger
Perhaps this is a picture that would appeal to the Guv? I think it clearly represents the other side.
Snark, whadda ditz this clown is.
The Gov's action is a republican effort to wipe out labor unions. The only organized voice of american workers. Labor unions set the standard for all workers, not just union workers.
Republicans view this as good policy. When working people dare to fight back it is considdered "class warfare".
Putting the "con" in conservative.
Okay, if his "only objection" is where the money came from, let's call his bluff. Labor Unions can come up with 22,000. Let them make a donation to the fund, and then the mural HAS to go back up? Right?
I'm sure he'll come up with another excuse though, so maybe that money is better spent campaigning against him.
I am from Maine and this so-called governor Lepage is a blatant liar! He had the mural removed without even looking at it back in March The money was a grant, just for the mural! I want him recalled as I did last year when he came into office. Rep. (now a Senator) Cynthia Dill (at the time), got a petition going. It was on the table at the Capital in Augusta, but was never picked up because the house speaker is a Republican, Robert W. Nutting. I even called his office and asked one of his people to look at it. I am sick of these Republicans and crooked politicians and there lies. Now, our so-called Governor has lied again, only on national television to Brian Williams. You are a fool and you are making Maine look stupid!
Governor LePage recall petition article http://bangordailynews.com/2011/03/31/politics/lawmaker-seeks-process-to-recall-maine-governor/ Let me make this crystal clear. The people did not vote him in! He was voted in by default. I am part of the 61% of Maine that did not vote for Paul LePage for Governor. He is a poor excuse as one.
There's no provision in the Maine Constitution for re-call. That would require an amendment to change.
We could hope that Lepage does something so over the top we could impeach him...
I have said it once, twice and three times. Put the mural back! It belongs to the people. Not you, coward LePage.
Have pity on we poor folks in Maine. Can you believe he's only been governor for 8 months? It seems like a lifetime.