Some one "please" (Bangor: buy, cost, move)

[KellyJSmith]

You are definitely onto something with the symbolism thoughts.
The Soviet Union was to be a workers paradise and would have such murals in government and public places.
I seen an interview with AFL-CIO president in maine.
The AFL-CIO has done a good job over the years to gather up unions and control them thru collective bargaining.
Problem is that the collective bargaining is a tool of corruption.
It creates a false sense of worker rules that would have control costs of a government project.
And the perceived rules for sure are used to bill the government and create falsified extra work orders to overbill.
While the workers do not get the perceived benefits of the contracts.
Oh sure there is political patronage that gets that cushy job that the public thinks all union members get.
Most union members are very hard working people that do not get all that is promised.

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

when I first heard this, I thought well, these are traditional symbols, what's the big deal?

but then again, the christmas tree in a school is a symbol, and reflects traditions, and that got abolished-even in towns that are 99% christian
yes, this may be religious, but they are still symbols and traditional ones at that

In this politically correct time, we seem to lean towards the lowest common denominator-if something "offends" anyone-take it down, or abolish it

personally, it doesnt offend me, but neither did christmas trees in school
and ironically, it's many of the same folks that are "outraged" by the thought of removing the labor mural, but easily look the other way when other traditions are eroded

An auction,that is a great idea.
The AFL-CIO is very wealthy off of the backs of workers.
Believe me my back could tell a story.

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

I saw where the MDOT has had to cancel a big award ceremony and dinner for the employee of the year too.

I would like to see governments stop wasting so much money on this kind of junk.

Can the mural be sold at auction so at least we can recoup some of that waste?

Maine needs cash and jobs. Maine does not need $100K+ employees, nor does it need fancy art work; all at the tax-payers expense.

[msina]

Originally Posted by Kristin85

I'm with you on the media comment. All of the discussion about Maine's dessert and removing the mural probably took a whole 5 minutes out of LePage's day. I can't imagine him sitting around for hours debating either of these topics. My suspicion is that the media is overemphasizing these decisions to make people think LePage doesn't do anything when he goes to work. The mural (ex Rosie) stands for labor unions standing in the way of work getting done for the taxpayers; it's pretty clearcut to me why it's getting repainted and I could have made that decision in no time. Again, I don't think LePage needed much time to think about it either. Expect the media to find some other unimportant LePage decision to harp on in the next few weeks.

The mural stands for people uniting for better working conditions.

[Maineguy04654]

Originally Posted by msina

Some say tomatoes, some say tomah-toes. I guess it depends on what you consider an "affront. I Saw John Stewart address the issue of the illustrious Gov. of Maine last night (along with some other idiots). What a petty, sweaty man Pepe is. (IMO)
I do know that well over 1k faxes have been sent to the Governor's office in protest of the mural's removal.
"A mural, celebrating labor, at the dept. of labor" How Ironic eh?

Why does the government need a dept of labor, energy or most of the others?
1k nay but how many pro removal I know I sent mine.

I have always been a believer in gov building belonging to the PEOPLE they are paid for by those of us that work. That said we should both build and furnish them appropriately IE plain buildings no lavish building materials or furnishings. We do not build our homes or furnish them like that we have a budget. 60 grand to paint a wall is IMHO stupid no matter what the painting represents.

If I knocked on you door and said give me 5 bucks you would ask why? If I said because I am taking 5 bucks from everybody in the county to paint a 60 grand painting on a wall in my house and that this was mandatory would you be happy. I would not be.

[msina]

Originally Posted by Maineguy04654

Why does the government need a dept of labor, energy or most of the others?
1k nay but how many pro removal I know I sent mine.

I have always been a believer in gov building belonging to the PEOPLE they are paid for by those of us that work. That said we should both build and furnish them appropriately IE plain buildings no lavish building materials or furnishings. We do not build our homes or furnish them like that we have a budget. 60 grand to paint a wall is IMHO stupid no matter what the painting represents.

If I knocked on your door and said give me 5 bucks you would ask why? If I said because I am taking 5 bucks from everybody in the county to paint a 60 grand painting on a wall in my house and that this was mandatory would you be happy. I would not be.

We need a Dept. of Labor to deal with unfair labor practices (which do occur). I do understand that it wasn't a good idea in the first place to spend so much to have the mural done BUT, how much is it going to cost to remove it and have it reinstalled elsewhere? It's just throwing good money after bad at this point.
If I knocked on you door and said give me 5 bucks to remove a grand painting from a wall on my house, you wouldn't be happy either. In my opinion this is just LePage being petty. He's anti-union. During his campaign he said he was going to cut spending. The only proposals I've seen thus far to "cut spending" have been at the expense of the working class and the poor.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Such wonderful works of art should be in a location where the broad public could appreciate them as much as the three $70,000 Weimaraner photos on the Maine Pike. The Labor Department images are portable, you know. It isn't like they had been painted directly on the wall as some imagine.

I have not seen whether these images were purchased, rented or loaned by the artist.

[msina]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Such wonderful works of art should be in a location where the broad public could appreciate them as much as the three $70,000 Weimaraner photos on the Maine Pike. The Labor Department images are portable, you know. It isn't like they had been painted directly on the wall as some imagine.

I have not seen whether these images were purchased, rented or loaned by the artist.

AND, spend more $ to move them. The mural depicts the history of labor in Maine. Where is a more suitable place than the the Dept. of Labor?
It comes down to the Emporor doesn't like it. Although many citizens have contacted his office to protest, he is going to do just as he pleases.

[moughie]

Originally Posted by msina

AND, spend more $ to move them. The mural depicts the history of labor in Maine. Where is a more suitable place than the the Dept. of Labor?
It comes down to the Emporor doesn't like it. Although many citizens have contacted his office to protest, he is going to do just as he pleases.

Surely there are many more pressing crucial issues for Gov LePage to deal with than these murals. Priorities, people!

[diablogun]

Originally Posted by elston

I think most Mainers are still opposed to having children work in dangerous occupations for 12 hour days.....and most would still support the historic struggle of paper workers and mill workers to organize to earn a living wage....most still support Social Security.....most value the heroic contributions of our fore bearers.....and celebrate the contributions of our immigrant parents and grand parents.....there isnt anything divisive about acknowledging the contributions of working people.....anymore than a library given by the Mellon or the Carnigie family is an affront to working people.* I hope the Gov. doesnt propose the demolition of these monuments to the extravagent wealth of an industrialist... or removal of the Carnigie name in the interest of fairness. Similarly the display of Rockerfeller family's wealth at Arcadia isnt an insult to working people.

I would expect that a governmental office serving veterans......might have a mural celebrating the contributions of soldiers, sailors and marines.....and an agency serving Agricultural interests might have a mural celebrating the production and abundance of the American farmer.....public art and murals capture our history. Our civil war monuments are legitimate reminders of the War to Preserve the Union......I would hope that our governor, driven by some infatuation with States Rights and a notion of Nullification won't start melting down the monuments to our heroes.

* There were 20 libraries built by the Industrialist Andrew Carnigie and given to towns in Maine....they all bear his name emblazoned over the portal. The receiving towns were responsible to maintain and support these gifts from a philanthropic industrialist. Waterville is one of the cities that received and maintains such a public building. )

List of Carnegie libraries in Maine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You might note that the "living wages" of the espoused present-day unions have bankrupted two large auto companies, are in the process of bankrupting several states, and have driven down the percentage of private workers who are represented; in short, they are an abomination to our market system, and when unions gain, it is always the consumer or taxpayer who are the victims of their profligacy.

That is why this "art" is better having been removed

[msina]

Like meeting with the President? (Go to Hell) The NAACP? (Kiss my butt) Examining the effects of BPA? (little beards) Studying labor issues in Maine? (undermine unions, working people and collective bargaining)
He's a treasure trove of faux pas.

[RMoore007]

I finally got a glimpse of the mural in this 2 minute video. From the article: "The mural wouldn't be removed from public view altogether. It was suggested it could be placed in the Maine State Museum, among other locations." I would make an effort to go see it if it was somewhere I go to regularly. If it stays in that lobby area, I will probably never see it in my lifetime. I don't get to the Dept. of Labor much. Now that LePage has woke a sleeping giant in all pro-labor supporters, maybe this is a blessing in disguise to those who see an opportunity.

WLBZ2.com | Bangor, ME | Video