Bangor City Councilor Opposes Public Involvement in Local Government
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AUGUSTA – At a Bangor City Council subcommittee meeting to debate resolutions opposing citizen initiatives including TABOR NOW, Councilor Pat Blanchette expressed her belief that Bangor residents should be excluded from the council’s decision-making process over issues of local taxation.
According to a report published in the Bangor Daily News, Blanchette, who previously served four terms in the Maine House of Representatives, opposes the voter approval of excessive property tax increases guaranteed in the TABOR NOW initiative because of the public involvement it promotes.
“What are we elected for? There are so many things the public doesn’t know, nor should they,” Blanchette was quoted as saying at the subcommittee meeting.
Blanchette’s opposition to tax relief on the City Council is consistent with her voting record in the Maine House. During the 123rd Legislature, Blanchette’s last term, she opposed many proposals to protect Maine taxpayers.
• On June 20, 2007, Blanchette voted against giving Maine taxpayers the final say in tax increases proposed by Augusta politicians.
• On June 21, 2007, Blanchette voted for a massive expansion of the sales tax, an increase in the meals and lodging taxes, and an elimination of itemized tax deductions. This proposal was the precursor to the current tax shift bill passed by the 124th Legislature in June.
• On March 31, 2008, Blanchette voted to cut funding for Maine’s Government Oversight Agency which was established to identify fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars in Maine government.
“Councilor Blanchette’s history in office is filled with examples of her refusal to empower Mainers with greater financial security,” TABOR NOW Chairman David Crocker said. “Her elitist admission at the Bangor Council meeting that the public should not be involved in the debate over local tax increases proves she is just another out-of-touch, tax-and-spend politician unwilling to effect change toward responsible government spending and real tax relief for the citizens of Bangor, and all of Maine.”
The TABOR NOW initiative, appearing on the November 3 ballot, limits state government spending increases to the rate of inflation plus population growth, and requires voter approval of state tax increases. The initiative also requires voter approval of local property tax increases beyond four percent.
Not that it's important in this discussion, but Ms. Blanchette was also the sole dissenting vote in the House vote on Chebeague Island's secession from the Town of Cumberland. It seems she voted "no" on everything that day, just to be ornery, I guess. She certainly demonstrated her lack of touch with the islanders. Three senators also opposed the secession, but at least they had reasons for their opposition.
The real question is: How many of the council actually believe what Banchette says outloud?
And, how many of our legislators and bureaucratic employees do also?
Are they willing to renounce her statement and act accordingly???
“What are we elected for? There are so many things the public doesn’t know, nor should they,” Blanchette was quoted as saying at the subcommittee meeting.
Too bad lynching is no longer legal in Maine.
"The real question is: How many of the council actually believe what B[l]anchette says outloud? "
Good point. Another very pertinent questions is who votes for these loons?
Is this petty oligarch merely marking time on the Bangor Council after being termed-out of Augusta?
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Well, going to the topic of the linked article, I'm always amused (to a point) when local bodies take up consideration of such things as to whether to support some ballot initiative, or a resolution expressing support for the starving pygmies. The Bangor City Council as an entity does not get to vote in general elections. It's members are free to go cast their own ballots, as always, but (this is where my good humor starts to wear thin) I hardly think it proper for them to be incurring overtime for an extra police officer or two in the building and other costs incident to their official meetings while they discuss personal opinions which have no bearing on the conduct of the city's business.
Now as far as Ms. Blanchette's belief that "There are so many things the public doesn’t know, nor should they,” I'm at a loss for any clever or satirical words that could drive home the folly and arrogance of that remark any better than she did herself. We could debate my assertion that the discussion prompting her remark was not council business anyway, but in no way did the topic begin to meet the thresholds required to move into executive session. What a loon!