en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/1965075 Comments by sam_sopo http://www.pressherald.com/news/nationworld/lepage-chooses-budget-advisers_2010-11-17.html#IDComment110219441 This is a really good group with both true depth of knowledge and understanding of the state budget and a breadth of political perspectives. Please keep making me wrong about you Governor-elect Lepage. I am more than willing to admit mistakes in judging you if you keep giving me such good reasons to do so! (That first transition panel of only far right wing ideologues was not so great, so you still have ground to make up. ) Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:19:05 +0000 http://www.pressherald.com/news/nationworld/lepage-chooses-budget-advisers_2010-11-17.html#IDComment110219441 http://www.pressherald.com/news/sussmans-private-jet-flew-dying-mainer-home_2010-11-17.html#IDComment110219066 The fact that this was kept hushed up until AFTER the election speaks volumes about the true heartfelt nature of this act. ... but that will still be lost on the haters and jealous folks who post nasty smears based on nothing from behind their anonymous little ID's. Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:15:42 +0000 http://www.pressherald.com/news/sussmans-private-jet-flew-dying-mainer-home_2010-11-17.html#IDComment110219066 http://www.kjonline.com/news/LePage-names-budget-team.html#IDComment110138204 I am pleasantly surprised at the depth and diversity of political thought for this team. Kudos to Lepage for making it so! Tue, 16 Nov 2010 22:28:18 +0000 http://www.kjonline.com/news/LePage-names-budget-team.html#IDComment110138204 http://www.kjonline.com/news/Mainers-to-average-553-in-heating-fuel-assistance-.html#IDComment110111343 Yeah - except my 93 year old aunt worked all of her life and rents an apartment with heat included. Similar apartments that do not include rent are over $100 per month less. You are making the completely illogical statement that just because she pays for heat through a contract with her landlord she does not deserve any help. Like I said, my aunt doesn't need or apply for this help because she has family looking out for her needs, but what of all the other elderly folks who do need help. Why are you declaring them to be freeloaders and moochers just because of the nature of their rental contracts? Tue, 16 Nov 2010 19:01:35 +0000 http://www.kjonline.com/news/Mainers-to-average-553-in-heating-fuel-assistance-.html#IDComment110111343 http://www.kjonline.com/news/Mainers-to-average-553-in-heating-fuel-assistance-.html#IDComment110110666 If your rent is $100 a month higher because it includes heat, that costs just as much as paying $1200 per year to heat the place on your own. Either way it costs $1200 out of pocket to provide heat. Why would you give extra money to people just because they have different clauses in their rental contracts but they pay the exact same costs? Your position makes no sense to me. Renters pay for heat too. Their payments just get bundled in with other stuff. If their landlords weren't providing heat their rent would be that much lower. Correctly and legally requesting help to pay the extra rental cost that goes towards heat does NOT make someone a "moocher". That is nonsensical. Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:56:16 +0000 http://www.kjonline.com/news/Mainers-to-average-553-in-heating-fuel-assistance-.html#IDComment110110666 http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/belgrade-rescue-recognized-for-dramatic-may-2009-call_2010-11-15.html#IDComment110098583 Awesome. At 75 the deputy chief is still having fun and serving the public, gotta love the guy! Congratulations to the Belgrade Rescue crew for a well deserved award and recognition. Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:28:29 +0000 http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/belgrade-rescue-recognized-for-dramatic-may-2009-call_2010-11-15.html#IDComment110098583 http://www.kjonline.com/news/Mainers-to-average-553-in-heating-fuel-assistance-.html#IDComment110096987 You're hoping Lepage will stop the federal government from giving help to the poorest Mainers? Why would you want that? My very elderly aunt would qualify for this benefit except that family members have taken over all of her heat and utilities costs. Elderly folks like her would die in their homes without help of some kind and not all have relatives who can or will help. Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:16:59 +0000 http://www.kjonline.com/news/Mainers-to-average-553-in-heating-fuel-assistance-.html#IDComment110096987 http://www.pressherald.com/news/out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new_2010-11-15.html#IDComment109872473 So far I'm not impressed in the least with the new Republican majority in the House. They decided to give their top leadership role, Speaker of the House, to a man who himself admitted to scamming the state (and taxpayers) out of hundreds of thousands of dollars - and he actually had the audacity to run this little money making scheme while he was a 3 term sitting state legislator! For a man who had voted on the very laws and rules he was breaking to systematically over-bill to the tune of somewhere between $600k and over $2 million is no better than a welfare recipient filing false information to scam the state - and Nutting took us for a whole lot more than any welfare cheat every dreamed of! Nutting claims it was all because of "mistakes". Riiiiight - except REAL mistakes would have resulted in about equal over and UNDER billing. How stupid does he think we are? Yesterday's stories also indicated that this deadbeat has never even paid back the amount he agreed to repay even though it was a fraction of what he scammed! He got a light little tap on the wrist (probably because he was a legislator - you or I would have gone to jail) and then thumbed his nose at the taxpayers by not paying the assessed amount - which was LESS than what he took us for. And that is what the Republcians have selected to lead them. We are in very deep trouble. Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:52:59 +0000 http://www.pressherald.com/news/out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new_2010-11-15.html#IDComment109872473 http://www.kjonline.com/news/nutting-in-line-to-be-speaker_2010-11-12.html#IDComment109818438 Wow! Did John Martin just get elected Speaker of the House? Oh, no he didn't. If he had then, yes his sordid past would be pertinent just as Nutting's is. Also Nutting STILL owes the bulk of the light tap on the wrist reparation he was ordered to pay. Nutting disrespects Maine taxpayers so much he hasn't even bothered to return the portion of what he stole from us that he was ordered to pay! ... and that is CURRENT information! Mon, 15 Nov 2010 02:17:02 +0000 http://www.kjonline.com/news/nutting-in-line-to-be-speaker_2010-11-12.html#IDComment109818438 http://www.pressherald.com/news/will-turbines-rise-on-rollins-mountain__2010-11-14.html#IDComment109817820 His utter lack of knowledge of the name of someone he is writing smears about displays pretty much the same level of knowledge he possesses about the rest of the subject of wind power. Mon, 15 Nov 2010 02:10:53 +0000 http://www.pressherald.com/news/will-turbines-rise-on-rollins-mountain__2010-11-14.html#IDComment109817820 http://www.kjonline.com/news/staffing-shift-also-likel_2010-11-13.html#IDComment109797247 What are you talking about? Republicans in the Maine legislature's House have been very vocal in their praise of the last two Democratic Speakers for their exceptional efforts to make sure Republcians voices were included in all discussions and that all members were treated fairly. Democrats could have easily passed a partisan budget without a single Republican vote but they specifically and intentionally set it up do that they had to meet the requirement of a 2/3 majority which required substantial Republican support as well. You ought to learn a little of what really went on before posting comments. ("girlie" to refer to the Speaker of the House - really? That kind of says it all about where you are coming from!) Sun, 14 Nov 2010 22:44:59 +0000 http://www.kjonline.com/news/staffing-shift-also-likel_2010-11-13.html#IDComment109797247 http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/Republicans-nominate-Nutting-to-lead-House.html#IDComment109782817 Nutting was a sitting legislator when he defrauded the taxpayers out of all of that money. Apparently scamming the government puts one in jail if you file incorrect paperwork for your taxes or to get welfare, but doing so to grab over a $ million that is not yours is OK if you are a legislator - you know one of the people who voted on the laws and rules Nutting broke. Apparently this is what the Republcians believe represents the very best possible leader for their ranks. Kind of makes you wonder what it is that makes the rest of them, those who didn't get selected, WORSE than he is? ouch Sun, 14 Nov 2010 20:28:07 +0000 http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/Republicans-nominate-Nutting-to-lead-House.html#IDComment109782817 http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/Rollins-Mountain-wind-farm-facing-financial-criticisms.html#IDComment109782242 Opponents tried to stop the permitting process at the local Planning Board - They lost So they sued to stop it - They lost So they appealed - they lost. ... and appealed again - they lost. Now they are trying to sell us up some far fetched made up conspiracy theories hoping that will somehow work. What a crock. When you lose, then lose then lose then lose AGAIN and the highest court rules that you are WRONG, it is time to stop try to throw a monkey wrench into the wheels of progress. Wind energy is coming. get out of the way. Your 15 minutes were up a very long time ago. Sun, 14 Nov 2010 20:21:53 +0000 http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/Rollins-Mountain-wind-farm-facing-financial-criticisms.html#IDComment109782242 http://www.kjonline.com/news/opponents-buffet-wind-project_2010-11-13.html#IDComment109781675 Pay attention to who opponents of wind energy are: The most extreme of the far left and the most extreme of the far right. The vast majority of Mainers are centrists who very much approve of wind energy development. In fact polls in Maine have shown over 70% approval. The more the out of touch fringes of society on the left and right complain, the more certain I become that wind is right for us. Sun, 14 Nov 2010 20:16:32 +0000 http://www.kjonline.com/news/opponents-buffet-wind-project_2010-11-13.html#IDComment109781675 http://www.pressherald.com/news/augustas-freshman-class-hopes-to-draw-on-new-clout_2010-11-14.html#IDComment109781029 So far I'm certainly not impressed with the new Republican majority in the House. They decided to give their top leadership role, Speaker of the House, to a man who himself admitted to scamming the state (and taxpayers) out of hundreds of thousands of dollars - and he actually had the audacity to run this little money making scheme while he was a sitting state legislator! For a man who had voted on the very laws and rules he was breaking to systematically over-bill to the tune of somewhere between $600k and over $2 million is no better than a welfare recipient filing false information to scam the state - and Nutting took us for a whole lot more than any welfare cheat every dreamed of! Nutting claims it was all because of "mistakes". Riiiiight - except REAL mistakes would have resulted in about equal over and UNDER billing. How stupid does he think we are? Yesterday's stories also indicated that this deadbeat has never even paid back the amount he agreed to repay even though it was a fraction of what he scammed! He got a light little tap on the wrist (probably because he was a legislator - you or I would have gone to jail) and then thumbed his nose at the taxpayers by not paying the assessed amount - which was LESS than what he took us for. And that is what the Republcians have selected to lead them. We are in very deep trouble. Sun, 14 Nov 2010 20:11:08 +0000 http://www.pressherald.com/news/augustas-freshman-class-hopes-to-draw-on-new-clout_2010-11-14.html#IDComment109781029 http://www.pressherald.com/news/will-turbines-rise-on-rollins-mountain__2010-11-14.html#IDComment109736601 When the furthest out fringes of the left and the right oppose something that the majority in the middle is in favor of it ... ... that just makes most of us support it more! So all of you left and right fringies; keep writing very, very long winded rants that no one reads about conspiracy theories - wind power is coming! Sun, 14 Nov 2010 12:54:25 +0000 http://www.pressherald.com/news/will-turbines-rise-on-rollins-mountain__2010-11-14.html#IDComment109736601 http://www.pressherald.com/news/nutting-chosen-speaker-of-house_2010-11-13.html#IDComment109640972 The Republcians COULD have used this opportunity to promote an up and coming leader. They COULD have given this very visible position to someone they are grooming to be a force to reckon with in Maine politics. Instead they select a singularly flawed, old school, dirty handed, self confessed swindler. Does this mean there is NO ONE of higher caliper that they could have promoted? ... or is this man actually what they think of when the question is - who is best to lead? Sat, 13 Nov 2010 22:18:27 +0000 http://www.pressherald.com/news/nutting-chosen-speaker-of-house_2010-11-13.html#IDComment109640972 http://www.pressherald.com/news/nutting-chosen-speaker-of-house_2010-11-13.html#IDComment109582435 Nutting was a 3 term sitting legislator when he got caught. You or I would have gone to jail. Sat, 13 Nov 2010 16:32:17 +0000 http://www.pressherald.com/news/nutting-chosen-speaker-of-house_2010-11-13.html#IDComment109582435 http://www.kjonline.com/news/nutting-in-line-to-be-speaker_2010-11-12.html#IDComment109570905 Maybe they've just given up the pretense. They will still move money from the middle class to the rich, they'll just laugh out loud instead of only in private. Sat, 13 Nov 2010 14:57:46 +0000 http://www.kjonline.com/news/nutting-in-line-to-be-speaker_2010-11-12.html#IDComment109570905 http://www.pressherald.com/news/nutting-chosen-speaker-of-house_2010-11-13.html#IDComment109543836 So a guy who admitted defrauding the state for over $600,000 is the best and the brightest of the Republican leadership? Yeah, that ought to work out great for us. Sat, 13 Nov 2010 10:04:32 +0000 http://www.pressherald.com/news/nutting-chosen-speaker-of-house_2010-11-13.html#IDComment109543836