How dare they criticize Governor LePage!!
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Mike Tipping: "LePage exempts own pension from budget cutbacks"
Correct Response" "What? That's an oversight. We propose that all state employees share the increase to retirement, myself included, and I'll make sure to remedy this situation."
Actual Response: "We don’t spend a lot of time trying to find those little angles, as may be evident by what you see here and what you write about. We try to solve problems. We don’t spend a lot of time trying to cover a political angle"
When is this administration going to learn how to deal with criticism?
p.s. I just read the updates to the "Downeast Drivel" thread, and everything I said still stands Shouldn't Demeritt at least cite the State Constitution as an affirmative defense instead of his half-assed trivialization of the criticism?
In fairness to LePage, it was Demeritt, not LePage who made the response, but he does serve as the voice of the administration and I don't think it's a good voice.
*waves cigar and waggles eyebrows* And NancyEH knows a lot about minimal credibility.
But seriously, I am a LePage supporter, and I too, have issues with Demeritt's performance. LePage is LePage, rough edges and all. But when the "professional" communications people aren't able to effectively communicate without sounding flippant, there are problems.
The message is getting lost thanks to the inability to get the message out properly.
I also agree, the Governor should have included himself and his staff in the increased contributions. That is an opportunity lost, both substantively and symbolically.
For heavens' sake do not even think that part of this issue might be the assumption of power(winning the election)
is still overiding the realization that the message is still off putting to some.
People should also realize the percentage that "confidential employees" pay is essentially the medicare contribution that all employees are required to pay.
Of course there is no reason to deal with accurate information in any chance for critizing the gov..
Bruce: I'm not at all put off by the message. I support it whole-heartedly. However, I think this was a lost chance for the Governor to show leadership by example. And Demeritt certainly bungled his attempt brush off the criticism.
And I'm missing your point on Medicare and confidential employees. I'm not sure how it relates. Can you expound on it a bit?
Reaganite - the other thread on this issue shows that Tipping's allegations that Gov. LePage "exempted himself" from the pension contribution increase are false.
Thanks.
http://www.asmainegoes.com/content/driveling-downeast-magazines-politica...
Thank you for the information, Naran. I chose not to read that particular thread because I don't care for Downeast Magazine and I don't like drivel. I guess I'll just have to suck it up and wade through it.
EDITED: I've caught up on the other thread, Naran. It is very informative, once you get past a certain obsession from a certain poster. Thank you. I retract my statements above and promise to be better informed in the future.
Reaganite
A few years back it was mandated that public employees pay what others do that goes to medicare after we retire and reach age 65 when retirees go on medicare coverage. That is what we are paying for those on us that are on special plans that state agreed to pay for years ago inleiu of a pay raise. This was primarily the institutional services bargaining group originally.
Reaganite - no harm; no foul.
:)
AJ/Nancy.....no response since being shown you were wrong once again? Hmmmmmm?
Correct response: Sheesh, once again we were duped by democratic rhetoric
Their response: ____________________________________
What was I wrong about? That Demerrit had no clue about the constitutional response and/or lacked the ability to make a reasonable response to criticism? That's what my thread is about -- the way this administration responds to those who disagree with them. Another example: Don't like my budget? I'll veto it if you change it.
As I said earlier, I stand by what I said and was agreed to by others. This was poorly handled and the Governor should at least try to give the appearance of "sharing the pain" he expects others to bear.
I agree. If this ship of state continues with it's current captain and crew steering it's current course, one of the icebergs they have managed to bounce off of so far will eventually sink them.
I don't think they're even trying to rearrange the deck chairs.
Perhaps Demeritt should have mentioned that Paul's Christmas bonus from Marden's was greater than his gubernatorial salary. Of course he got a fine house with a staff in the deal, but it still looks like a sacrifice to me.
Paul's Christmas bonus from Marden's was greater than his gubernatorial salary.
Link?
The man took an approximate 2/3 cut in pay. How much more would he have to give back to satisfy you "NoFairs"?
a link?
AJ...it's my opinion, not so humbled, that Dan Demeritt's appointment as Press Liason late in the primary actually helped Paul in the final push. His comment is spot on.....there, that is what you are wrong about. Plus see my previous post about NOT knowing the facts as they were.
Domino and AJ...LePage says pay laws limiting cabinet choices | The Kennebec ...
Dec 18, 2010 ... elect Paul LePage wants to have his Cabinet named by the end of the year ... cut
from his own salary as CEO at Marden's Surplus & Salvage kennebec journal....go look it up....work computer won't let me link...
JCM - here you go. Thank you.
*************
(FROM) December 18, 2010
LePage says pay laws limiting cabinet choices
'Adversely affecting out ability to get the best people'
BY MAL LEARY, Capitol News Service
AUGUSTA -- Gov.-elect Paul LePage wants to have his Cabinet named by the end of the year but said state pay laws that limit compensation has cost him some of his first choices.
...snip
"Not everyone can afford to take a 70 percent cut in pay to serve their state," LePage quipped while saying he is taking a 70 percent cut from his own salary as CEO at Marden's Surplus & Salvage.
According to the Homestead calculator, that means he was making some $233.5K per year, from Marden's.
I have no link. My information comes from and off-hand remark Paul made in a closed meeting.
jcmcards, I understand that Tipping's accusation was flawed and the reason why it's flawed is totally understandable. But do you really believe it was preferable for Demeritt to give the snotty answer he did rather than explain the Governor's dilemma? Or, assuming he didn't know about the reason the Governor was exempted, politely stating that he would look into the situation? Do you really believe that the communications director comment was "spot on?" Demeritt is making Robert Gibbs look good. Gibbs may have been evasive, but at least he was civil.
As for LePage's Mardens salary -- can anyone confirm that he actually made $230,000 a year, before benefits? Or that his Christmas bonus (presumably a part of that compensation) was $69,000? That strikes me as very generous for a General Manager of a company the size of Mardens. This is just a point of curiousity and has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not LePage should be doing something to "share the pain." After, all he sought out the job and wasn't forced to take it.
Another deck chair.
Not sure what the concern is with the Governor's foregone income. I understood that the discussion was about the value of his pension. Currently the Governor contributes 7.65% of his salary for four years and then is able to receive 3/8 of his salary as a pension for life. That's not a bad return and presumably the Governor is worth it to the citizens of Maine.
Compare that to teachers who, under the Governor's proposal, will pay 9.65% of their salary into the same pool as the Governor for at least 25 years to receive the equivalent benefit.
It did not take me long to figure out that trying to round the political edges of Paul LePage’s campaign and now his Administration is a waste of time. He is just too honest and determined to “handle,” so I try my best to give full and honest answers without a lot of consideration for political posturing.
Sometimes my answers may seem flip or casual because frankness is so unusual in this line of work.
In the case of this budget, we had a billion dollar shortfall, a $6.5 billion unfunded liability and 37 days to draft a budget. We were not going to find a solution in the Governor's Pension Contribution Line of the budget so we did not look there for reform. Had we gone there, it would have been an attempt to cover a political angle rather than solve a problem.
If I had given Mistler an answer about a constitutional analysis that never happened or a drafting error / oversight, it would have been untrue. Given that Sawin Millett also told MPBN that the Governor’s pension never came up in budget deliberations, I'm glad I went with the truth.
The budget is in the hands of the Legislature and the Governor's priorities are clear. Lawmakers could suggest an increase in the Chief Executive's pension contributions (either for Paul LePage or the next Governor based on how you read the Constitution) and that would be their call. But the LePage Administration is not going to run down to the Appropriations Committee because Mike Tipping wrote a column and pretend an additional $1,400 pension contribution from the lowest paid Governor in the country is a solution to our giant budget problems.
And that’s the truth.
Dan - sincere thanks to you, for all the hard work on behalf of Maine's residents, and our Governor, Paul LePage.
I am pleased to see you posting on AMG.
Dan-
Why didn't you just say that to begin with instead of bringing political angles into the conversation? I am just trying to figure out why there has to be abrasiveness or perceived abrasiveness in some of the answers given to the press or to people who bring up legitimate concerns. It is a legitimate question to ask why the Governor's pension wasn't considered when deciding where to make changes/cuts. Thanks for your time.
Ryan
How much time do you think they should have wasted considering a $1400 cut? To their credit they didn't consider the political fallout. How refreshing.
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Absolutely right, Average Joe. LePage's tendency for the flip comeback may have served him well at Marden's, where there was no one to criticize or question him, but it's harming whatever minimal credibility he may have had coming into this job.