Westbrook Rep. Proposes $100M Transportation Bond

PPH:

The bill, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Ann Peoples, would allocate $65 million to road and bridge repairs, $20 million to improve rail lines, $10 million for public transportation and $5 million for pedestrian trails. It is too early in the process to determine the specific projects that would receive funding.

- John C.L. Morgan

State to Reduce Funding to Westbrook Schools

AJ:

According to information released by the state Department of Education, the $12.6 million in state aid to the Westbrook School Department will be reduced by slightly less than $205,000, a cut of 0.7 percent. The cut is a small percentage of the $30.9 million 2012-2013 school budget passed by voters in June.

- John C.L. Morgan

Full disclosure: I am an employee of the Westbrook School Department.

Local Entrepreneur Looks to Develop Water Park on Presumpscot

PPH:

Rob Mitchell's commute has taken him over the
Presumpscot River in Westbrook for the past 15 years. But when he took up
kayaking about 10 years ago, the river started to look different to him.In it,
Mitchell saw the potential for a recreational water park -- a project he thought
he'd take on once his kids graduate from high school.

- John C.L. Morgan

Mayor Hilton Joins Group of Maine Mayors Focusing on Economic Matters

Morning Sentinel:

The group, Mayors Coalition on Jobs and Economic
Development, includes mayors from Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Biddeford, Lewiston,
Portland, Saco, South Portland, Waterville and Westbrook. Its first targets are
changes to the state General Assistance program proposed by Gov. Paul
LePage.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Joins Cities in Political Fight Over General Assistance Funding

PPH:

[Gov. Paul LePage's] plan calls for the most
far-reaching change to Maine’s General Assistance funding in 20 years, said
Portland Mayor Michael Brennan."It will increase local property taxes and make
hundreds of people homeless in Portland," he said. Portland is joining with nine
other cities--Biddeford, Bangor, Lewiston, Auburn, Waterville, Augusta, Saco,
Westbrook and South Portland--to pressure lawmakers to reject LePage’s
proposal.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Schools Take Hit in State Aid

PPH:

Westbrook Superintendent Mark Gousse was "stunned"
to learn that his district's state-aid allocation will decrease an estimated
$607,000, from $13.3 million this year to $12.7 million in 2012-13. "It's
devastating," Gousse said Friday. "It's a game-changer." Gousse fully expected a
reduction in state aid. Last September, the education department had estimated
it would be a disappointing but manageable $215,000 loss. But when the
department released updated figures last week, Westbrook's hit had nearly
tripled.

- John C.L. Morgan

Full disclosure: I teach at Westbrook High School.

Legacy Publishing Expands, Nearly Doubles Workforce

AJ:

The event celebrated a major expansion for Legacy
Publishing, which already has one 10,000-square-foot office on Speirs Street.
Now the company, a call center that produces multimedia personal development
products for families, has leased another 10,000-square-foot building on
Larrabee Road.

- John C.L. Morgan

Maine DOT Begins Bridge Repairs Early

PPH:

Construction is under way to replace the bridge in
Westbrook that got its 15 minutes of infamy last fall when President Obama cited
its deterioration as an example of the nation's desperate infrastructure needs.
Workers from Reed & Reed, the contractor for the $5 million project, are
erecting a temporary bridge next to the Cumberland Mills Bridge, which is to be
replaced and ready for use by the spring of 2014. Traffic is expected to shift
to the temporary bridge in May, said Ben Condon, project manager for the Maine
Department of Transportation.

- John C.L. Morgan

Cuts in State Spending Could Close Westbrook Drug Rehab Center

PPH:

At Mercy, the cuts would lower revenues by an estimated $6 million a year, said
Eileen Skinner, president and chief executive officer. As a result, the hospital
would likely close the Mercy Recovery Center, the largest substance-abuse
treatment center in Maine. Closing the Westbrook facility, which serves people
from all over the state, would eliminate 100 jobs. Mercy supports the governor's
goal of being fiscally responsible, Skinner said. "But we obviously endorse an
approach that is more gradual and targeted so things can adjust and people can
understand the unintended consequences of whatever action they take," she said.

- John C.L. Morgan

State Chops Down Elm Trees to Aid Bridge Work

AJ:

[T]he Department of Transportation first had to
make room for relocated power lines and poles. That meant taking down a number
of large trees growing by the side of the road, including some growing on the
property next to The Elms, a bed-and-breakfast inn across the street from the
mill. The inn was first built byS.D. Warren as a retreat for visiting company
executives, and is now privately owned.

- John C.L. Morgan

On Paul LePage's Horatio Alger Years

Author and reporter Colin Woodard has written an article on Paul LePage's upbringing.

And though Woodard is receiving some criticism that he should've included a possible conflict-of-interest disclosure in the piece, he deserves high praise for penning an informative essay in which he synthesizes previously published material with original reporting. The result is a rich portrayal of the Maine executive's formative years.

The second part of the essay, which will be about LePage's climb in the business and political arenas, will be published by the Portland Phoenix on January 20.

- John C.L. Morgan

Dept. of Labor Calculates Living Wages for Mainers

Wicki Biz:

What do you have to make to be able to afford to
live in Maine? If you look at the basic expenses, the whole kit and caboodle,
including food, rent, utilities, phone, health care, transportation, child care,
clothing, personal care, household goods, taxes, etc., what’s the end cost? A
new report out from the Maine Department of Labor tells us that.

- John C.L. Morgan

Who are the Most Influential Political Players in Maine?

Matt Gagnon over at Pine Tree Politics has his list of the Top 25.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Voters Approve Same-Day Registration, Split Ticket on Casinos

According to the PPH, Westbrook voters mirrored statewide voters' preference for reinstating same-day voter registration, with both local and statewide voters approving Question 1 with a 60-40% margin.

Westbrook voters also dovetailed with statewide voters with its votes on a proposed casino in Lewiston (57% of Westbrook voters rejected Question 3, and 63% of statewide voters did so), and local voters reflected countywide results on the bond question involving the renovation of the Cumberland County Civic Center (55% of Westbrook voters approved the $33 million bond for the renovation, compared to 59% of county voters).

Westbrook voters did differ with the rest of the state, however, in its preference for casinos based in Biddeford and Washington County: 51% of Westbrook voters approved Question 2, while only 45% of statewide voters approved the referendum question.

- John C.L. Morgan

Gov. LePage to Host Town Hall Meeting in WPAC

AJ:

He will be at the Performing Arts Center at
Westbrook Middle School on Stroudwater Street from 6-7:30 p.m. Friday for a town
hall-style meeting. The public is invited to attend to ask questions of LePage.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Business Owner Likes Gov. LePage's Tax Proposal

BDN:

Duane Gushee, president of D&G Machine Products
in Westbrook, said the [reduction of the top income tax bracket from 8.5% to
7.95%] would encourage investments by companies like his. "This initiative
makes it more affordable to do business in Maine and allows us to be more
competitive," he said.

- John C.L. Morgan

Snowmobilers May Lose Trails Due to Railroad Construction

AJ:

All the snow in recent weeks should be a dream come true for local snowmobilers.
Instead, they find themselves in a nightmarish battle with the state over the
preservation of their trail running from Westbrook to Windham.

- John C.L. Morgan

Portland Legislator: Commuter Rail Connecting Portland to Exurbs Should Happen

Portland Daily Sun:

Want to jump on a train in the summer in Portland and ride out to Sebago Lake
for a weekend camping excursion? Or how about skipping the traffic on Route 302
and commuting by rail from a suburb to your job in the Port City? These
scenarios and others make newly elected Rep. Ben Chipman (I-Portland) think
there's more to rail than Portland-to-Boston junkets on Amtrak.

Such a plan would naturally include Westbrook.

- John C.L. Morgan

Dems Sweep Westbrook's State Seats

With 100% of the votes counted, Democratic incumbents Ann Peoples (House District 125) and Tim Driscoll (House District 126) have brushed aside their Republican challengers, Michael Lawson and Bruce Chuluda, respectively. The results of those races can be seen here, and the results showing Democratic incumbents Phil Bartlett (District 6) and Joseph Brannigan (District 9) cruising to wins in their State Senate races can be seen here.

(Updated: Lisa Chuluda, Patricia Amico, Michael Levine, Susan Rossignol, Eileen Shutts, and Drew Gattine were the six candidates elected to Westbrook's Charter Commission. The results can be seen here.)

- John C.L. Morgan

Election '10: Tim Driscoll on the Issues

Democrat Tim Driscoll is running as the incumbent against the Republican nominee Bruce Chuluda for the District 126 seat in the Maine House of Representatives. Driscoll responds to a batch of policy questions below, and you can see if he'll be on your ballot on Tuesday, November 2 here.

What are your top three legislative priorities for the upcoming session?
Develop and adopt a plan that addresses our future impending budget shortfall, while at the same time preserving investment in workforce development; education, municipalities, and infrastructure needs; and protecting our quality of place.

How do you plan to implement each of these three goals?
Work toward energy cost reduction, regulatory predictability, and further Research & Development of biotechnologies and green energy, such as wind and ocean energy development. Job-specific and directed investment in our community colleges and universty system, increased access to dental services by assisting with the development of a school of dentistry, and continued encouragement of entrepreneurial growth.

Also, I would work toward the preservation of existing jobs and work on policies that would enhance creation of new jobs through continued work on the Labor Committee. Once known for its partisanship and divisiveness, the committee is now valued for its understanding, its thoughtful deliberation, and its fairness for working families and the business community as well.

Which three programs do you think should be maintained or expanded?
Each of the 17 Joint Standing Committees have oversight over specific departments and programs. We will look at every department and program from the committee level to address reductions/expansions that have already been made by department heads and make the needed changes, either agree or disagree with those changes, and make revisions as a committee before sending them on to the appropriations committee for deliberation.

Which three programs do you think should be cut or eliminated?
See my answer above.

Cite at least one example in which you cooperated with a member (or members) of another political party.
During the 2nd session of the 124th legislature, we were facing a national economic collapse and unprecedented job losses. One other Democrate and myself, along with all of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle on the Labor Committee, ensured that LD 1655 did not make it out of committee. This was no time to be putting more mandates (paid sick leave) on an already struggling business climate in the state.

What are your thoughts concerning the state budget?
In the 124th Legislature, we worked in a bipartisan fashion to find efficiencies and coordinate service to reduce the current biennial budget by approximately $840 million, without raising any taxes. we need to continue in that vein and to work in a collaborative effort to find smarter and more efficient ways to deliver services at a reduced cost to Maine citizens. At the same time, we need to ensure our children, our elderly, and the disabled are not adversely impacted by our decisions. Every program and department will be on the table for review.

What are your thoughts concerning the Clean Elections law in Maine?
I support the Clean Election law in this state.

What is your opponent's greatest strength?
His willingness to participate in the election process.

What are your thoughts concerning the state's education (K-12, as well as higher education) policies?
I am a strong advocate for education. I believe that many processes that were put in place in the school consolidation bill were already being accomplished or looked at within the Westbrook school system and seem to be working well at this time. Our community college system is "busting at the seams" with waiting lists of prospective students. I believe we could also look at consolidating some of the administrative processes with our university system as well.

What are your thoughts concerning same-sex marriage?
I support marriage equality. I cast my vote in the legislature in support of marriage equality.

Cite at least one example in which you've differed with your political party.
Again, see my opposition to LD 1655, a bill that would've mandated paid sick leave.

What are your thoughts concerning the state's taxation system?
In the 123rd Legislature I voted against tax reform, because the redcution in the income tax was not enough. I think it was 0.2% of 1%. At that time I supported Rep. Woodbury's, (I) Yarmouth, proposal, which was a gradual reduction of the income tax from 8.5% to I believe 6.5% over a period of 5 or 6 years. His amendment did not have enough votes to pass. In the 124th, I supported a reduction of the income tax from 8.5% to 6.5%; however, it was repealed by the voters. We need to continue to talk and work on reducing the income tax of individuals, as well as small business.

What are your thoughts concerning term limits for legislators?
Legislators have term limits every 2 years at the polls, if they decide to run for re-election.
As a legislator, however, I respect the voice of my constituents when they voted to create term limits.

What is your opponent's greatest shortcoming?
I don't know him that well to respond.

What are your thoughts concerning the state's transportation policies?
The cost of petroleum products has been so volatile that we are unable to do what we would like because of the cost fluctuations and the high cost of pavement. We have been replacing bridges, as we have seen and will be seeing more of here in Westbrook. There has always been the rumor that the highway fund has been raided over the years to supplement the general fund. Although there have been transfers from one to the other over the years, we did receive a run sheet which showed that over a 20-year period, I believe, there was about a $200,000 difference when the changes were looked at in total.

What are your thoughts concerning the state's public assistance programs?
Working in an emergency room, believe me, I see the value of folks being able to secure needed medical care. However, I also do see what many would consider abuse of the system as well. My concern is always for single women with children, the elderly, and the disabled. My understanding of residency requirements, put forth by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, is that they would be unconstitutional.

- John C.L. Morgan

Related: Election '08: Introducing Tim Driscoll (September 16, 2010)
Related: Election '08: Tim Driscoll's Proust Questionnaire (September 23, 2010)
Related: Election '08: Tim Driscoll's Favorite Things (September 30, 2010)