Considering moving to Maine, but Gov. LePage scares me..... (Augusta: houses, taxes)

[Submariner]

He is not a good public speaker.

[blueskiesforever]

I do admire his "up by the bootstraps" hard luck story. The whole mural and renaming the conference rooms thing, the "little beards" comment about BPA, the vaseline comment, telling school children not to read the newspapers, and "any kid can go to any school" are just confounding. He does come off as irrational, and these are not just gaffes, like George W., but things that he seems to take pride in, and I worry about that. I would think that he would have more prudent advisers around him.

I was in Portland and I thought that the jetport looked great, it had a fun mix of the lovely old architecture with the new, very urban feel for such a small city. I saw a documentary with a female US rep in it recently from Maine. She was young and blonde, I think she was opposed to some fossil fuel issue. I do not recall her name, but I will try to look up what she is up to now. I am looking for a pleasant, easy going place to live, where we can keep active, but not be too stressed.

Thank you for the insight, all. I am sensitive to him because I am a dyed-in-the-wool New Englander, but I lived in Texas for awhile, and that was a traumatic, scarring time.

[newonk]

Don't let it scare you. He is much smarter than his unfortunate, profane outbursts would have you believe, and I respect that he is self-made and business savvy. It is a shame that he has embarrassed us, needlessly, over and over again. You'll see many bumper stickers with "61%" around Portland especially, which mean that he was first elected with only 39% of the vote, because the Dem nominee was weak and the Independent nearly won the first time around. Since we are a pretty independent minded state with a real challenge attracting jobs and businesses, it is too bad he is not a stronger leader able to bring folks together, or we really would have an opportunity to make alot of progress. I doubt he will run again after this, and hopefully we'll find a more viable independent candidate who can bring both North and South common sense voters together.

I have a few friends who work closely with him and say they wish the public could see him behind closed doors, he is actually quite reasonable. He lets his insecurity get to him and so those public statements have become too much a part of his image statewide.

[newonk]

Also - Chellie Pingree is fantastic- very forward looking and engaged with her constituents. Angus King is going to be a productive player in the Senate because of the divided parties. Emily Cain is a rising star up north, as is Shenna Bellows. There is a great progressive/independent cohort of leaders, if that's what you're worried about.

[Maineac]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Paul LePage is a kind hearted pussycat. He has been on his own since he was 12 years old, worked to support himself, graduated from college with a business degree and went to work improving Maine companies. He went back and got an MBA from Husson University. He understands the system. He was re-elected with more votes than any governor ever received in Maine history. The also-rans split their votes.

I had lunch with him on Wednesday this week. He says he has two primary priorities right now. Maine people are overtaxed and our energy costs are too high. Both of these can be fixed by the legislature. Those who want government to be bigger and spend more will resist these ideas.

It is clear that the current "plan" advanced by the Lepage administration was hatched elsewhere. If Lepage had any effect on Government, the DOT crew that replaced the driveway culvert across the street from my house wouldn't have take 2.5 days, one of which with 12 people standing around, 2 pieces of heavy equipment and 2 supervisors sitting in a car. For a 20' driveway culvert and 50' of ditching. Lepage's only focus is on the wealthiest in the State. I don't see the logic in taxing a homeless shelter and shifting the savings over to Maine's top taxpayers. Yet another reallocation of wealth. I would bet my life that NONE of this plan originated inside the State of Maine.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Paul LePage is a kind hearted pussycat. He has been on his own since he was 12 years old, worked to support himself, graduated from college with a business degree and went to work improving Maine companies. He went back and got an MBA from Husson University. He understands the system. He was re-elected with more votes than any governor ever received in Maine history. The also-rans split their votes.

I had lunch with him on Wednesday this week. He says he has two primary priorities right now. Maine people are overtaxed and our energy costs are too high. Both of these can be fixed by the legislature. Those who want government to be bigger and spend more will resist these ideas.

I don't doubt your opinion in the least. But a smart, kind man doesn't always make a good leader. Jimmy Carter is one of the nicest, kindest men in the country, not to mention probably one of the most intelligent men to have ever sat in the Presidency. But let's face it. He was not a good President.

Lepage is not a good leader. He is not a good communicator. And he tends to get a bit nutty when confronted by the media. He's a Boss, and not a very good one.

I have never put much stock in the old saying: "If God had meant for me to vote, He'd have given us candidates." But our last gubernatorial election sure put that one to the test. We had a choice between a Bully, an Ego-maniac, and a Party Puppet.

[Maineac]

And we elected the one that defines all three.

[Maineac]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Paul LePage is a kind hearted pussycat. He has been on his own since he was 12 years old, worked to support himself, graduated from college with a business degree and went to work improving Maine companies. He went back and got an MBA from Husson University. He understands the system. He was re-elected with more votes than any governor ever received in Maine history. The also-rans split their votes.

I had lunch with him on Wednesday this week. He says he has two primary priorities right now. Maine people are overtaxed and our energy costs are too high. Both of these can be fixed by the legislature. Those who want government to be bigger and spend more will resist these ideas.

Actually, Lepage received about 38% of the vote in 2010 and 48% of the vote in 2014. The largest percentage vote ever received was on the order of 61% to Joe Brennan. The stupidity of all this is when Lepage comes out with "I have a mandate" when less than half of Mainers felt he was the best choice for Governor. Politics is a swinging pendulum. Baldacci did little or nothing for Maine. Some of Lepage's activities may become permanent - hopefully the parts about shrinking Government for the benefit of the people. But I don't see it happening. Just a reallocation of wealth. The problem is, his entire focus is on benefitting the wealthiest and playing obstructionist party politics. Not my father's Republican party. Mine either. Might be time to shift back to Independent.

[kellysmith]

Originally Posted by Maineac

Just over 1/3 of Maine voters thought he might help, and the alternatives would not. They were wrong. That's life in Maine. I love it.

1/3? Final results...
LePage--48.2%
Michaud--43.3%
Cutler--8.4%

You can say the majority voted for someone else, but don't say LaPage only got 1/3 of the votes.

[Maineac]

Read the post immediately above yours. Either way, just sit back and let him do what he's going to do. I know how to take care of my finances. Straight up wage earners are going to be the ones footing the bill. It doesn't matter what Lepage does, there's a segment of voters that feel he'll never be wrong. He beat Michaud by less than 5 points. BIG deal. By the way, I voted for Lepage. But I'm not a blind follower of "leaders" who are led by out of state interests.