Normon Olsen, Governor LePage’s appointment to head the Department of Maine Resources, resigned yesterday.
Today he published a scathing letter explaining his decision.
It turns out that anyone with wild accusations could get an audience with the Governor, but Olsen, a cabinet member, could not. The Governor directed Olson to make certain constituents happy or he would be fired by Labor Day, but wouldn’t name the constituents.
Worst of all, when Olson finally did get a meeting with LePage to discuss plans regarding Marine Resources he discovered a petulant, petty Governor who, among other things, ordered that Olsen not collaborate with Portland in bringing back groundfish boats because Portland was against LePage. LePage said he would rather build a port somewhere else.
Refusing to help Maine’s largest city because it voted against him. Nice.
The letter really is a must read. It shocked me, and I already had some amazingly low expectations about LePage’s day-to-day behavior. Even I wouldn’t have expected LePage explicitly direct a cabinet member to not engage in job-creating activities merely because those job-creating activities involved a city that did not vote for him.
Terrible, terrible, terrible.
the letter is fascinating, primarily because we do not often see (or no longer expect to see) honesty at this level of governance. That is not to say that we know without doubt whether Mr. Olsen’s specific claims are true – but anyone who has done business at any political level will immediately recognize the climate he so accurately depicts: political chicanery and gutlessness.
I imagine the in-group at AMG has already begun devouring their young.
The Mayor of Portland wants to meet with the Governor and the governor’s spokesman says Mr. Olsen must be a liar, the governor never said these things.
Nick will probably get an appointment with the Governor in 4-6 months (after the Fryberg Fair) and he’ll staight faced tell Nick he never said these things. Meeting over.
I wonder how we get across to LaPage that the Marden’s model for the selling of Maine’s renuable resources is not satisfactory?.
Really. What comes next?
Melvin Udall (aka Pembroke Schaeffer of Brunswick) has just made the most incredible statement (and that’s saying a lot) I’ve ever read on AMG:
“Mavadones is an unprincipled, self-serving dirt bag, who will lie for any purpose.”
That really pisses me off, as I’ve known Nick for about twenty years and that description couldn’t be farther from the truth. I won’t waste my epithets on Schaeffer — his kind don’t come any lower.
Melvin Udall is an unrepentant piece of crap. Calling Mavadones what he did, and not getting called out by The Naran or anyone else, simply proves how most of the AMG’ers grovel at his feet.
Who’s the most obnoxious a-hole on that site? It’s pretty much a tie between him and John Frary. Some of the regulars (Tom C., etc.) are batshit crazy. Schaeffer and Frary are just dicks.
[url=http://www.asmainegoes.com/content/local-conservative-pem-schaeffer-transition-team] Gee, Melvin looks harmless enough.[/url].
Who knew such vileness existed beneath such a kindly face.
Here’s a very well written article that appears to give both sides of the story: http://www.sunjournal.com/state/story/1063173.
A lot is being said about “he said / she said.”: But whether or not LePage said, in effect, “to hell with Portland,” his actions speak more loudly. Olsen said LePage rejected his proposed initiative to develop measures to return our groundfish boats to Maine. If that rejection isn’t true, what steps are the Governor and his yes-man administration taking to bring the fleet back? And taking credit for the Legislature removing the state tax on marine diesel fuel doesn’t count. What has LePage done?
I think the answer is obvious. And as many, many people have noted, who do you trust to tell the truth? Who has a recent history of “disremembering” the facts?
Except for adding three years to my already advancing age, I really wish November 2014 would get here very soon.
I agree that Melvin Udall and Flammenrectum are the most obnoxious of that crowd.
I cannot remember why it is I feel the need to even go to that site any more.
It’s disgusting enough to me that the LePage cheerleaders are allowed to run the board but the fact that Naran Row-Spaulding will not allow anyone to contribute to the conversation unless they agree with her is literally making me sick to my stomach.
The fact is Governor LePage could don a submachine gun and open fire in the legislature and she and her minions would find a way to blame it on the press and “progressives.”
That is fine enough, but due to her shutting down all opposing voices, either by censor or by banishment, that would be the prevailing opinion on As Maine Goes, and of those who believe that As Maine Goes has its finger on the pulse of the movers and shakers of Maine.
It is a shame that the media found it expedient to read that blog back when there was actually open discussion. That was back when anyone could post without going through the background check they are now required to go through.
Pembroke Schaeffer, John Frary, Roger Ek and the insufferable Thrasybulus are all grouchy old men who are quickly hurtling toward Alzheimers. And it shows.
Tom C and Robert Reed are just idiots.
Naran Row-Spaulding was a boor and a shrew when she was a moderator but has ascended to a dictatorial buttswab now that the board is hers to rule as she pleases.
I wish there were more postings here so that I could satisfy my need for forums here and could stop looking at that den of party-line ideologues.
Joe, do yourself a favor and just stop looking at it. AMG fascinates in a Grey Gardens sort of way, but it is an unhealthy voyeurism. That’s not reality – rest assured. It is a group of misfits who have settled in together, an erstwhile family of like-minded lonelyhearts.
Poor Naran, whose only fault, really, is that she’s staunch, and the relatives didn’t know that they were dealing with a staunch character. And I tell you, if there’s anything worse than a staunch woman … S-T-A-U-N-C-H. There’s nothing worse, I’m telling you…
Hey, Doctor David “Chebeague Net” Average Joe — what if someone were to put your real name on here? I wonder how you’d like it.
You guys need to know that there’s people who read this and won’t hesitiate to do the same to you. What goes around comes around.
stay cool
“AMG fascinates in a Grey Gardens sort of way, but it is an unhealthy voyeurism. That’s not reality – rest assured. It is a group of misfits who have settled in together, an erstwhile family of like-minded lonelyhearts. ”
zooey – what do you think THIS place sounds like?
hahahahahahaha
Here’s one BIG difference Emmaline. The moderator on this site is not afraid of actually allowing dissenting opinions.
it still sounds like nothing but a bunch of complaining from people who couldnt cut it on AMG. What about your own ideas?
Your ideas are more fun to play with. Now, what about your moderator banning any dissenting opinions. What are you all afraid of over there?
Nobody afraid that I can see. You guys need to make your own party and stop com[plaining about that one.
I’m laughing, hard, at the concept of “not cutting it on AMG.”
Update: I’m still laughing at the idea that someone could “not cut it” at AMG, as if it were a prestigious institution of higher learning.
Okay, I’ve calmed down a little. I’m just chuckling now.
Awesome. Thank you.
Gee, Naran (Emmaline Greensward, I’m sure), it would appear that you’re violating the ironclad AMG anonymity policy. You should be banned for life, no pardons, no appeals, no amnesty.
I used an alias on AMG because I was ashamed to be seen posting there. Having established that identity I carried it here for continuity’s sake.
Now that I’ve demonstrated that I’m “not cutting it on AMG” (God, what a joke!) I’m proud to say that my name is David Hill from Chebeague Island.
Nice guessing but you’re wrong. Think more about another female on AMG. keep trying.
You should be ashamed, but not for what you write above, David. Nobody cares who you are, but you have no right to post someone else and their information. That is just lousy.
stay cool.
Ya, c’mon Joe, it couldn’t be Naran, she didn’t complain about the mil rate in any of her posts. Hmm, unless she’s being crafty!
amglolz: you can laugh all you want, but what zooey wrote is exactly right about this place. Its just like the noncool kids table at lunch. Nothing wrong with being noncool, but being nasty? another deal. your choice, but not what I’d do.
Emma, you’re right…it is totally uncool at the non cool kids table to “out” a secret identity. Why, imagine if someone tried to divine amglolz’s real name…what a travesty. Oh, wait, I think Naran did exactly that…and couldn’t even get it right.
By the way, my identification of Schaeffer isn’t exactly a revelation. It’s all over the Forecaster website.
According to Mylife.com Emmaline Greensward is a female located in Kennebunkport, Maine.
http://tinyurl.com/3avdr9s
I do with there was an image feature here so I could upload whit finding.
Sorry, I moved to Auburn from Biddeford a awhile back, now. Left Kport cause I couldn’t afford the rent any longer. Its expensive down there. Got a great place in Auburn – love the parks here.
ps – known Naran for years, she was manager at the chamber when I worked there. That’s how I got to know her.
I don’t have a subscription to mylife.com, but does the picture look like this:
http://mediacdn.disqus.com/uploads/users/469/9281/avatar32.jpg?1311375480
If you right click on the picture in mylife, select properties, and then copy and paste the URL, you may be able to show the mystery lady.
Can’t imagine that you actually want to go to all that trouble over Emma, though.
Look, Emmaline, I don’t mind if you think I’m being nasty. A lot of the time I am. What I great disagree with you on is your double standards.
Regulars on AMG are just as nasty, or nastier, on a daily basis and have been for years. Why am I singled out?
Because youre not doing your own thing. You’re just feeding off them.
Emma, you ignorant slut. (Just trying to be nasty like that good man Melvin Udall, whom you seem to admire so much)
You obviously have not read amglolz’s reviews of issues of importance to Maine, such as his analysis of the health care question, or marriage equality, or voter registration, etc., etc. They’re in depth, thought provoking and almost totally devoid of AMG dumping.
Obviously, you’re just interested in looking for points of contention between AMG and this site. You are also missing the fact that AMGers regularly dump on other sites or media outlets such as DU, DirigoBlue, or MSNBC. Go ahead, deny it.
That just doesn’t make sense. Nastiness is okay if you meet the undefinable standard of not “feeding off someone else?” Seriously, think about it.
Not that AMG is very original (Nearly everything they talk about comes from a mainstream media story, and all their arguments are very similar to what I hear on talk radio) but since when does originality give a pass for nastiness? And why would it, specifically?
And, Emmaline, I just thought of something else. You used theoretically confidential information to expose my identity. I used information freely available on the Internet. So who’s nasty? Or unprincipled? And you’re getting on my case? And on amglolz’s case?
As your clever little friend Naran would say, “Pot. Kettle. Black.”
Emma, this place is awesome because it exposes the ignorance of people like you who post there. Feed away amglolz, feed away. You are obviously getting to them. I am thrilled to know the true identities of Melvin and Distributist. What if one of them ran for office? Fat chance of that now, eh?
amglolz – you let your members call me a slut, and other abuse. That’s you, not me. buh bye.
Probably too young for an old Saturday Night Live reference or void of a sense of humor. I vote for the latter.
It was a cultural reference.
But anyways, it was inevitable you were going to leave without explaining your weird anti-logic regarding how AMG is allowed to be mean but I can’t. The only question was which excuse you would conjure up to make your exit.
Buh bye, Emmaline, you ignorant slut.
At 35 years old, a woman who comes on to an open forum with thinly veiled threats of outing a poster is rather juvenile, imo. I was brought back to high school, when I’d see girls getting in each others’ faces and sneering, with their drama queen threats of ‘You’d better stay away from my boyfriend!’.
I understand why many of the posters on “the other forum” are anonymous. With some of the stuff I’ve seen coming from them, I wouldn’t want my real name associated with such commentary. And that’s not even a partisan comment; it’s amazing what people seem to think that forums allow them to say that (for most upwardly mobile, thinking humans) really go against the nature of common decency and tolerance.
I don’t know what kind of Kool-Aid they serve at “the other forum”, but it must be delectable.
Thinly veiled, hell, anybody with access to Google could figure out my “secret identity” from the information provided from AMG’s confidential vaults. Class act, indeed, with all the impeccable logic which is the hallmark of AMG.
Buh, bye, indeed.
My guess is that Emmaline is mainemom, the ignorant slut who posts quite regularly and arrogantly on AMG.
My guess is that Emmaline’s identity truly doesn’t matter. So many of the posters there are interchangeable. They wait until one poster throws out a comment, insult or baseless assertion, then pigpile until any hope of civil conversation is lost. Could be mainemom, could be Naran, could be Tom C pretending to be a woman. Wouldn’t that be the height of irony?
wait…there’s another chick on AMG? How’d I miss that?
I could tell you who mainemom is, but since I figured it out on my own, I feel a misplaced loyalty to the concept of anonymity. Ironically, the phrase “ignorant slut” could figure into the identity, but I don’t think it describes this person.
I’ve enjoyed the irony of listening to E.G defend her site and it’s participants on another site that allows her to do what can’t be done there, express her point of view, wacked though it may be. But much like my younger sister, who as a child would plug her ears and insist she couldn’t hear me, even after she replied “No I can’t” after I stated that she could, Emmaline will sleep contentedly under the blanket of ignorance and misinformation she’s weaved for herself. Although it’s more accurately a quilt, as folks like E.G. are content to let others add to it rather than finish it according to their own vision. Return to your cave o’ hate and cover up your sunburn before you do, lest the Morlocks get wind that you visited the surface and expel you. They can’t risk having you infect the herd.
I guess I owe all you anonymous folks a tip of the hat. Take a minute and imagine what it’d be like if everybody typed under their own names, here and there. Pretty quick to know neither site would exist.
Nah. There would be still be people who wanted to see their stuff and thoughts in print. Look at the SJ since they moved to the “verified poster” stuff. A few less people posting, but still the place survives.
I must say that I’m a bit disturbed by Matt Gagnon’s report calling into question some of the claims Norm Olsen has made: http://www.pinetreepolitics.com/2011/07/24/the-credibility-or-lack-thereof-of-norm-olsen/
It looks like this is going to devolve into a true mud-slinging fest.
Not related (kind of not related) I heard a good one the other day referring to the “Mural Majority.” I guess that would include me.