Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Unions Decry Maine Gov‘s ’Mean-Spirited‘ Removal of Labor Mural From Gov’t Building
The Blaze ^ | 24MAR2011 | Merideth Jessup

Posted on 03/24/2011 6:38:32 AM PDT by Cowman

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP/The Blaze) — Maine Gov. Paul LePage has ordered the removal of a 36-foot mural depicting the state’s labor history from the lobby of the Department of Labor headquarters building in Augusta. In addition, the LePage administration is renaming several department conference rooms that carry the names of pro-labor icons such as Cesar Chavez.

LePage spokesman Dan Demeritt said the mural and the conference room names are not in keeping with the department’s pro-business goals and some business owners complained. “The message from state agencies needs to be balanced,” Demeritt told the Sun Journal.

The mural was erected in 2008 with a $60,000 federal grant. It depicts several moments in Maine labor history, including a 1937 shoe mill strike in Auburn and Lewiston and “Rosie the Riveter” and a paper mill workers’ strike in 1986. The idea for the art panels reportedly came from Charley Scontras, a labor historian at the University of Maine.

Judy Taylor, the artist who created the mural, called LePage’s decision to remove the work “terrible,“ adding that her 2007 selection by the Maine Arts Commission represented the ”commission of a lifetime.” Taylor also insisted the artwork was never meant to be political. “There was never any intention to be pro-labor or anti-labor,” she said. “It was a pure depiction of the facts.”

Demeritt said the administration‘s decision was not designed to antagonize organized labor and was not timed to coincide with the groups’ recent budget protests at the state capitol building. Gov. LePage has proposed pension cuts for unionized state workers and teachers and plans to pursue “right-to-work” legislation that has riled union leaders.

Labor advocates claim the decision to remove the mural is “mean-spirited” and a purposeful provocation by the Republican governor.

Mike Tipping, a spokesman for the Maine People’s Alliance, a progressive organization, said LePage had been “elected to create jobs, not to be the state’s interior decorator.”

“The LePage administration is going after Maine workers on a bunch of different fronts,” Tipping said. “I guess ‘Rosie the Riveter’ is just another casualty.”

Additionally, Matt Schlobohm of the Maine AFL-CIO chapter condemned the decision, saying a depiction of history should “rise above” political differences. “To remove a mural that is a historical depiction just seems arbitrary and mean-spirited,” Schlobohm said.

“It’s a very small thing,” Demeritt countered. “I just want to emphasize that we were merely looking to achieve a little aesthetic balance. It’s very minor.”

As for renaming the building’s conference rooms, Demeritt said they could be named “after mountains, counties or something.”


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: artwork; lepage; maine; paullepage; poorbabies; unions
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last
I'm going to be smiling all day after reading this.

THe only thing that could make this better is if the confrence rooms were renamed after anticommunists -- The Reagan room, The Mccarthy room....

1 posted on 03/24/2011 6:38:38 AM PDT by Cowman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Cowman
UNIONISM = COMMUNISM

Pass it on.

2 posted on 03/24/2011 6:39:29 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun." -- Barry Soetoro, June 11, 2008)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cowman

This is hilarious.


3 posted on 03/24/2011 6:41:30 AM PDT by achilles2000 ("I'll agree to save the whales as long as we can deport the liberals")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cowman

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2693631/posts

Yesterday..The Blaze was just a tad late in coverage.

The Cesar Chavez room and others will be re-named after Maine related people, places or things.

http://audio.wrko.com/a/38404034/gov-paul-lepage-of-maine-makes-waves.htm

FULL Interview definitely worth the listen!
With call-ins on other pertinent issues, some American history, drug issues and some humor thrown in as well, after all it is the Howie Carr WRKO talk/radio show.[dated March 23.11]


4 posted on 03/24/2011 6:46:21 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: achilles2000
In addition, the LePage administration is renaming several department conference rooms that carry the names of pro-labor icons such as Cesar Chavez.

What? No rooms dedicated to Che Guevera?

5 posted on 03/24/2011 6:47:23 AM PDT by Northern Yankee (Where Liberty dwells, there is my Country. - Benjamin Franklin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: achilles2000

Bwahahahahaha! Repaint it with Reagan’s face and have him firing PATCO members. What a waste of taxpayers money. Who approved this expenditure in the first place? Is this more art-in-public-places trash or what? This mural is a representation of welfare for loser “artists” who can’;t make it in the free market.


6 posted on 03/24/2011 6:47:53 AM PDT by hal ogen (1st amendment or reeducation camp?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: fight_truth_decay

How about a room dedicated to Joshua Chamberlain?


7 posted on 03/24/2011 6:48:38 AM PDT by Northern Yankee (Where Liberty dwells, there is my Country. - Benjamin Franklin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Cowman

That’s strange.

I don’t remember the British “decrying” Buma’s mean-spirited removal of the Churchill art from the WH.

It’s always the left who “decrys” stuff huh. Normal people just get on with life.


8 posted on 03/24/2011 6:49:38 AM PDT by Christian Engineer Mass (25ish Cambridge MA grad student. Many younger conservative Christians out there? __ Click my name)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Northern Yankee

The Bathroom?


9 posted on 03/24/2011 6:54:44 AM PDT by Walkingfeather
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Cowman

How can a union call anybody “mean spirited” without everyone ROTFLTAO.


10 posted on 03/24/2011 6:54:57 AM PDT by OrioleFan (Republicans believe every day is the 4th of July, democrats believe every day is April 15.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cowman

11 posted on 03/24/2011 6:56:05 AM PDT by paul in cape
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: achilles2000
..as governor LePage said yesterday in his phone interview with Carr—”Elections have consequences”. The governor also repeated sarcasticallyWe have nothing to do up here in Maine”.

LePage has redone the sign coming into Maine from N.H. which says "Open for Business" beneath the "Welcome to Maine" sign along Interstate. It has been between 40-50 years since Maine has had a Republican legislature. This is a real shock for the Liberals...audits have been ongoing as well with surprising results [well maybe not so,]. http://www.wlbz2.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=152127

As one Republican committee worker, I spoke to, said in regard to ongoing meetings at a local pub where a petition was introduced by the Left to void the last LePage election "by the people":

"What a bunch of cry babies".

A place to cut..the Governor could decide to save money and the environment by shutting down the public restrooms off the halls of the capitol building and replace them with newly constructed "out houses"[yes they still exist in Maine]. The Governor enjoys building furniture for relaxation...he could display his craft. That would make the true greenies happy, for a little while!!

12 posted on 03/24/2011 7:14:03 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: hal ogen

The Reagan idea is brilliant - it could have a subtitle: “Restoring freedom and excellence”.


13 posted on 03/24/2011 7:17:59 AM PDT by achilles2000 ("I'll agree to save the whales as long as we can deport the liberals")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Northern Yankee
In Brunswick probably, the home of Bowdoin College, [to familiarize others], where Tea Party leader, Andrew Ian Dodge, writes “has a yearly salute to all that is Castro & Che”.
14 posted on 03/24/2011 7:22:25 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Northern Yankee

Yes..was he mentioned in the interview? I forget.


15 posted on 03/24/2011 7:24:21 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Walkingfeather

Touche`!


16 posted on 03/24/2011 7:27:51 AM PDT by Northern Yankee (Where Liberty dwells, there is my Country. - Benjamin Franklin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Cowman
...Taylor also insisted the artwork was never meant to be political....

Geez...union goons really are demented....
17 posted on 03/24/2011 7:28:45 AM PDT by rottndog (Be prepared for what's coming AFTER America....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fight_truth_decay
I've been to Brunswick!

I was struck at the gravesite of Joshua Chamberlain. I almost walked right past it, so humble in its presentation.

A beautiful town. Joshua Chamberlain's home is a thing to tour. It's just amazing to see all the artifcats in the house.

18 posted on 03/24/2011 7:30:16 AM PDT by Northern Yankee (Where Liberty dwells, there is my Country. - Benjamin Franklin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Cowman
Is this the mural they're talking about?


19 posted on 03/24/2011 7:30:47 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cowman

If ordered to restore it, LePage should get a big blow-up of a union crowd scene from the WI capitol building that the nation has witnessed the past month. That would be a more accurate depiction of the union movement...and would look a lot like the anarchist rallies around the globe.


20 posted on 03/24/2011 7:45:00 AM PDT by kittymyrib
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson