Posted on 05/09/2010 3:19:03 AM PDT by maine yankee
In a move that seemed to surprise many members of Maine's Republican Party, a group of tea party-style activists redefined the party platform at the convention Saturday
(Excerpt) Read more at pressherald.com ...
LePage has a proven track record of fighting with Democrats and getting taxes cut. His focus on welfare seems smart, seeing as we really can't afford the generous welfare packages we provide in Maine, especially since we aren't a particularly rich state.
Otten volunteered in the last debate (not the one today that I noticed) that he'd like to do marketing for the state of Maine, help out the new Governor. Building the Maine brand. That sounds like something Otten might be good at.
Why doesn't Otten just take his money and build another ski resort. Your argument is that Otten built a kickass ski resort and everyone who ever worked there thinks he's just tops. Hey, no doubt. But the skills required for building a ski resort aren't the same for being a governor.
And, you have to remember, American Skiing failed as big as Sunday River succeeded.
The state of Maine is a lot more like American Skiing than Sunday River.
I'm sorry that there are stores for low income people to shop in. It's too bad that those high value stores are there and not ski resorts, which clearly you prefer. LePage wants to cut taxes, so people can keep more of their paychecks and shop at a wider variety of stores.
The real reason why Freepers from out of state should contribute to Lepage http://lepage2010.com is that LePage could challenge Collins in 2014.
Have fun with Mr Discount Man.
Maine cut taxes? When. He must have done such a good job keeping it secret. LOL
Have fun with the campaign and using the word bankrupcy in your Le Page ads. ;)
Enjoy your weekend hitting those flea markets and yard sales.
He's no Brown by a long shot.
American Skiing was a wall street plan--salespeople go searching for clients just like any business--bubble burst and they said oops we were wrong..but then you dont want to know the full story from those in the know past what you google. We successfully invested in the mountain (and what a great investment that turned out to be to this day!) and not some BB ski stock effected by weather--fun stock to own for emotional reasons, not anything anyone put their future into unless they were idiots. It was a ski stock! LOL
The Red Sox (when winners) were put together by a team of forward thinking people like Otten-that was why they were chosen to be part of "the owners". The alternative energy business started, a restaurant on the mountain, the handicap skiing program which he funded/backed and had another wonderful lady take full control over back at the onset-she later went on to have the idea for biggest snowman and woman in the Guinness Book of records to draw attention to the Bethel area-home of the beloved Gould Academy, but then I just am boring you with all facts. Good memories of entrepreneurial people in the Bethel area.
Doesn't hurt to dream, I will give you that. Maine voters will decide--they really don't have a real good track record for the past 30 some years.
Les Otten '10 ! ;)
http://lesotten.com/ottenjobsplan/files/otten_jobs_plan.pdf Otten Job Plan for anyone interested--
LePage has raised more money than Otten has. Otten has spent the most of his own personal money. Abbott has raised the most money, from his Collins connections. LePage has raised the second most, from grass roots / tea party supporters.
Now, of course, Otten doesn’t need to raise money like the other guys do, since he has all that money that American Skiing shareholders lost.
What’s “Menards”? For someone who complains about fact checking, you sure miss some biggies.
I’m not saying that LePage is looking at a challenge to Collins, I’m saying that Freepers, many of whom wonder why Collins and Snowe are Senators, might want to consider placing possible challengers to Collins into offices where they can get the name recognition and power they need to mount an effective challenge. I’m almost certain that Abbott is not challenging Collins in 2014.
Otten is more like Brown. Brown is showing himself more and more as a RINO, and Otten is a RINO as well (although, to be fair, not a DIABLO like Mills). LePage and Beardsley are the only 2 solid conservatives running.
Otten did not have to get himself wrapped up in American Skiing. Yet he did, he was the CEO. He exercised bad judgment. A failed company looks terrible for the CEO. Otten wouldn’t have had that failure on his record if he just kept Sunday River the way it was. Otten made a bold, risky move and it failed and a lot of people lost a lot of money. You seem to think that LePage is lacking in some way because he doesn’t have bold plans involving spending a lot of money. Right. LePage is conservative. I ask only of LePage that he cut taxes and cut spending. I’d like Maine government to be smaller after he’s done, and I think he can do that.
The Red Sox were a baseball team for 100 years before Otten got involved. It’s not all that hard to get someone to buy the Red Sox.
I’m not against successful entrepreneurs like Otten. I recognize that he built Sunday River. But he made some risky moves, which failed. We don’t want a Governor who makes risky moves and fails. LePage isn’t going to be dreaming big. He’s going to be conservative and responsible. And right now, we need conservative and responsible. LePage, responsibly, could listen to the advice of big dreamers and make a decision based on that advice. We need cuts in spending and cuts in taxes and LePage has proven he can do these things.
Key industries in Maine include Fishing and Timber.
LePage cut taxes as Mayor of Waterville. And he’s not keeping that secret.
I’m not paying close attention to what LePage is saying about Otten. But I think that only Poliquin seems to care about Otten’s record. Most people don’t care.
The mailer that Otten sent out about attacks on him was a joke, it really made Otten look whiny. No one knows or cares about attacks on Otten except Otten.
Collins has the lobster, BIW and fishing industry here.
You need skilled labor..in this state. You need the youth to want to remain--and timber and fishing is not going to keep them here.
Otten is well known in all parts of Maine in regard to the skiing industry, energy, building a successful baseball team, contacts in the business world is a strong point, etc...being mayor of Waterville--a real destination-lol. Mills (Waterville) failed in their redevelopment as had to be rentals before ownership-talked with the developers--the demise was imminent. Poor city planning like in Augusta. Lost even the famous Empire Grill over in Skow..no customers in a depressed part of Maine. I ride through--it's dead! Yard sales are the source of income or working at the mini-mart. Mainers deserve more.
LePage even added he never had been bankrupt as others had been..to his ongoing campaign slogan. He has no plan, just like Obama had no plan.
Government is big business in Maine. Too big. But it pays well to work for Big Government, DOT and not government related so they say but Natural Resources as well has the same government perks. The film industry is a failure unless you just want to call it like most arts "starving"..as no perks to draw film making into this state anymore. Once Newman passed away no one came for he had a love of Maine. Not to blame the people in the film dept of Maine as they have no incentives to give, hands are tied. Come to Maine and pay the highest taxes in the country, highest energy rates in the nation..but sure is pretty to visit. Just you don't live here unless you have to! or have money to do so.
Need to rehaul the system on that we can agree.
You really follow baseball???They were put back into the winning category.
The general manage of Sunday river has endorsed Otten for governor and stated if not for Otten it would not be the success it is today..ever even been there to see the building of homes, the prices they are getting and I mean solds!! The golf course other ownership was a struggle but one of the best noted in national golf magazines-the hotels..it all brings a smile to one's face when you start up the mountain. Great achievement. Was and still is a great investment long term and for family memories.
Tourism rules, vacations build memories and people return from the next generation. Tourism where I reside is doing well early..try to find a parking place, but there is energy and where there is energy comes growth/ investment.
Anyone vacationing I would suggest Bar Harbor--was shocked at how that has evolved, nix Camden and Boothbay Harbor same old same old-choose the Pemaquid, Small Pt areas or the reliable southern Maine coast too packed for some but easy to get to from neighboring states because of gas costs!! Weather is key but looks like a good summer for lobsters, haddock chowder, blueberries, strawberries and the occasional whoopie pie (how great a company is the latter rising up one little kitchen trying to make ends meet for family income??)
I think that with LePage we’d get a Chris Christie style government. Cutting taxes, cutting spending, taking on the unions. Nothing particularly exciting.
That’s enough of a plan to me. If LePage’s passion lies with being responsible and being tough, making the right cuts and not worrying what the Dems think and what the newspapers think, I think he’ll be successful.
It seems that D’s often have a vision which is partially implemented and then scrapped when the next administration comes in.
The Ds seem to love this wind power, which seems like epic fail to me. We’re tearing out hydro, which is pretty cheap, and replacing it with wind, which is expensive, unreliable, and tends to make people who live near the windmills ill.
I’d like to see something cool come from this “three ring binder” project. I’d like the tidal power projects out in Washington Couny not be overregulated.
But our primary problem in Maine is government is too big. And LePage’s big thing is a focus on that.
The cost to alternative energy is so expensive-look what it costs to even install tankless hot water heater, solar geothermal..its not like the same projects have not been around for decades they have never been affordable or reliable. I agree with Hydro! I had a friend decade + ago who put in goethermal but then he had the money to do so.
We both love our state. We want people in Maine to be able to afford to live in Maine. I won't use the word Change as it leaves a bad aftertaste in my mouth re: Obama.
Will see how it all turns out..I think we have worn each other down to agreeing on something past politics. A New Maine.
I think Le Page best represented the visual image of a leader in Maine. Spoke to the voters not at them... Now we have to get by Libby Mitchell. I don't think the Independents will be strong as the Tea Party has endorsed Le Page. Just runts of the litter waiting to jump on board.
Again congrats. I am not upset over the loss as just wanted the best for Les. Bethel area did stand behind Les, that says something about Les.
But the voters decided--well the Repubs and Democrats did anyways as regostered Independents could only vote on the issues. Great that Le Page did well in The People's Republic of Portand..that was surprising.
:)
Thanks.
Les was classy in his speech. People over at As Maine Goes are talking about including the other candidates as part of Team LePage. All of the Republican candidates had good ideas, areas of expertise that they could bring to the campaign. It was suggested that it would be a good idea to keep all of the Rs in the spotlight so that there when other races are run those candidates won’t have to work as hard to get known and liked.
I feel that LePage will be a good manager, who will make the right cuts. One of the problems i saw with many of the R candidates is that they had ideas, which seemed to cost money, which made me think that those candidates might be more interested in implementing their good, but potentially expensive, ideas instead of focusing on the main issue, which is shrinking government.
I can imagine LePage sitting at his desk, looking for places to make cuts. Tough work, work that is bound to upset some people. But I hope that he also has an ear for good new ideas. He can surround himself with the Rs and listen to their ideas and choose to implement those he likes. It was suggested that even Rosa (D) had valuable ideas to offer.
The race wasn’t particularly nasty and I don’t think that any of the candidates is particularly mad at LePage and I don’t think that LePage is mad at anybody, so we should be able to go forward united.
2010 looks like a bad year for Dems, go if LePage runs a good race, he’s got quite a good shot. I’m a little concerned about Cutler. I don’t know too much about him (what I’ve seen worries me), don’t know whether in Maine typically indie candidates lose, and Cutler is nothing to worry about, or what.
If he just stays with creating an environment friendly to Job Growth, should be ok. Brown's popularity was enhanced by the Howie Carr show Big Time and we know how that turned out.
I noticed Brian Williams last night would only say it was the year of the women in California, couldn't say the word Republican!!
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