The Voice of Bangor

Rain, Rain, Go Away.......

2012-02-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

Looks like rain is in the news alot lately. First off, every snowstorm has turned over to rain so far this year. Second, the City wants to start taxing the rain that falls on your property. I cant do much on the first, short of asking the guys over at Haliburton to reprogram that weather machine they have. On the second thing, well, I can speak to that. The City has determined that the good folks of Bangor are in violation of the Clean Water Act, mostly due to lack of clean-up efforts on several "impaired" urban streams. I know, I know, its hard to get your head around WTF that means. Well, in a nutshell..The City has several local streams that drain neighborhoods. These streams are part of the overall watershed of the City. By understanding the effects of rain water runoff within the watershed, the City can develop measures to control pollution, siltation of streams, and possible flooding. We've all seen the kids from the Middle School marking the catch basins near our homes. This effort works to keep unwanted pollutants from going into the streams, killing off the fish, etc. Same type deal with the run-off. The proponents of the law claim that your car is leaking oil and gas on your driveway, and rainwater flushes that into the streams. They also put forth the notion that the rain that falls on your house runs directly into the City's system. Neither one of these is even close to being true at my house. Let's look at the two major impaired streams in the City. The one at the mall, and the one at the mall. See a pattern? Hell, one of them even has the airport and the Air National Guard base drainage flowing into it. So that's the big picture, we're being asked to pay for sins of the past, that was condoned by the City (at the time), and helped the US Govt. and private developers. OK, I get it now.....??? But the City is asking me to pay for this. Isn't that a little, ex post facto? All right now, that sounds fair!!! The ANG dumps fuel on the ground, the developers pave over 95% of a marsh and cow pasture, and somehow (keep in mind I was around 5 at the time) I am responsible for the clean-up efforts. That's just the beginning kids, lets look at how the "stormwater fee" has been set up....

"No charge for residence or business that have less than 500 SF of impervious surfaces (roof or driveways for this explanation)" I cant think of a single developed lot in the City that qualifies for this exception.

" A $22 annual fee for those with impervious surfaces of 501 to 1000 SF" Again, that's a small home with driveway and garage, not as many of those as you would think. Art Morgan says its 74% of the housing stock, but I really doubt that number. Did someone from the City go over old aerial photos and measure all the lots up? Really?

"After 3000 SF, add an additional $11 for each 1000 SF"

So that's the fee structure. But how was it derived?? My house sits on a large lot. The run-off from my roof area never leaves my property. Its a good 30 feet to the street, and the gutters control the runoff and directs it across my lawn. Not to mention my rain barrels. No harm to the watershed there. So that leaves just my driveway. It falls into the 500 SF category, does that give me some sort of rebate? What if it doesnt rain? What if we get a flood? This is very confusing to your average Joe. I got a kick out of Andy Hamilton being quoted in the BDN concerning the City's need to follow this Federal mandate (or is it a mandate Andy?). He'll be the same guy representing 20 locals that will sue the City over this, mark my words. I'm sure he knows plenty about the hydrology and methodology in defining small urban watersheds, and the shortcomings of the Federal and State program models. This is something that should be squashed before this voodoo science gets traction and rolls right over us.

Someone throw me a life jacket.

Cant we all just get along?

2012-02-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

I've been traveling around the East coast lately. When I'm on the road I try to keep up with the local stuff. The BDN has been my main resource, and I've gotten a kick out of the readers comments to many stories. The Longo v Weston battle from a few weeks ago was a hoot. The Mayor was waaay out of line, but he responded to the critcisms and even posted an apology in the BDN comments. Cary's a stand up guy. Charlie was a little over-dramatic, but he was slighted by Weston for sure. Maybe he should stop talking so much, but that's not my call. There seems to be a rift between the two that goes back a few months. C'mon guys, suck it up and act like professional. Charlie's "I'm not your son" comment almost caused me to spit out my Cheerios. Your lucky your not son Mr Longo. I would have grounded your butt a long time ago and maybe cut your allowance. I know your 23, so stop acting like your 10.

Gov LePage has been taking heat for pretty much everything these days. The proposed DHS budget cuts have a lot of folks boiling. The whole MaineCare issue should be dumped on former Gov Baldacci and the Legislature that put this through. MaineCare has been in the red since it's inception. Expanding the program was irresponsible at the very least. Why cant the good folks of this State see what the program is doing to the fiscal house? We cant afford to pay for everything! They way we are going, the State will be bankrupt in a few months. But those that are sucking at the tit wont let go. Sorry kids, the Gov is cutting the cord. All the opponents are clammering that the elderly and the poor folks will be on the street. Nana will have to decide if its heating oil or her meds! That's total bullshit. Nana's on medicare and social security, not Mainecare. Folks survived before MaineCare, and they will move on without it. This will force DHS to look at how it hands out benefits and hopefully shut down the freeloaders. Now if we can shut down Shawn Yardley's cash giveaway programs to local losers, we'll be on the right track.

We're a few months into the Council session and I'm ready to offer up my first report card.

Weston - B
Baldacci - A-
Longo - D
Blanchette - B
Gratwick - D
Gallant - B
Sprague - C
Hawes - C-

I know we can do better than that kids.

Out With The Old.......

2011-12-31T06:05:00.000-08:00

2011 is winding down quickly. It's been a pretty good ride this past year. Tons of stuff went down last year, so here's a few from the VOB's list of top news stories. My oldest graduating from college has to be tops on my list. The construction of the new arena started, that's a biggie for these parts. Paul LePage is chopping his way thru the States budget concerns, that's got a few folks riled up. Table games and fireworks will be legal as of midnight, that's left many uneasy. Not the black jack, just the big boomers. And of course, the infamous bath salts epidemic sweeping the Region. Its been a roller coaster ride with highs and lows. The Bangor girls soccer team winning the State Class A title was a big high. The revelations concerning Rev Bob Carlson was probably the lowest of lows. But, in the words of Pumba, you need to put your past behind you. Lets look forward to 2012 as a breath of fresh air, filling our lungs and hearts. Big things are coming for Bangor and I have my eyes wide open with anticipation. Steve Smith is probably taping the Christmas lights on that ol' beach ball and getting the celebration ready. Throw out the old and bring in the new.

The newly elected City Council has been feeling its way around. Mayor Weston has expanded the role into more of a leadership position, rather than an administrative one. Not sure how that will go with the others. It's pretty obvious the Councilor Longo is not a big fan of Weston. Charlie says alot, but doesn't say alot, if you catch my drift. The same goes for newcomer James Gallant. Lots of talk, no real solutions. We'll have to wait and see how this falls into place. I'm sure councilor Gallant realizes that the discussions concerning campaign signs were directed squarely at him. I've got to say, his 4x8 sheets of plywood were waaaay to big to be planted in the median at the intersection of Norway and Hammond St. But, he's a rookie, and rookies are allowed a few mistakes. councilor Joe Baldacci has hit the ground running. He's quick to remind everyone that he was a Councilor and former Mayor in the past. I wouldn't be bragging about that a whole bunch if I was you Joe. Didn't you guys buy a cruise boat? How did that work out? OK, OK, I promised to look forward, so lets do that.

The City Council has determined that Bangor needs to take the lead in the discussion concerning the closure of Dorthea Dix State Hospital. Good luck with that. Just watching the meeting where the "committee" was being kicked around was pretty painful. Sounds like a lot of energy to be spent for nothing. The State will close the facility, mark my words. My real concern is that the Council should focus on the City's role, not the Regions. We have elected leaders to represent us in Augusta, so why the need for a committee? I think Pat Blanchette and Nichi Farnham already have that job. Not to mention the bare facts, but the facility is costing the State a small fortune to operate. There are only a few "patient beds" and the math just doesn't work. Acadia Hospital has already stated that they could absorb these patients. I really don't think that's the place for violent offenders, but its an option for most of the population that resides there. I'm not to sure if the violent folks belong at Dorthea Dix either. They are not really set up for that as we witnessed a few times last year. In the end, this seams to be the biggest sticking point. Are there that many violent offenders sent to the phychiatric ward in Bangor? Short of the bath salts abusers, who are these people? It's a tough one for sure, but the Govenor will have the last word here, and I believe the place will be shuttered.

Glad to see that the PATY idea has been shelved for the time being. Hats off the Charlie Longo for stating the obvious. To bad the Professor Gratwick cant see the forest thru the trees. The Council needs to look at keeping this service as part of the property tax, and not an added burden to the citizens.

I got a kick out of the Council workshop that addressed the working of EMDC and the arena. Mike Aube is a nice guy, a former Mayor, and well liked in City circles. That being said, EMDC was hired by the City to look into possible funding sources for the new arena. They did just that, spent $25k, and told the City that there wasn't any sources. I'm fine with that. The question put to the Council was should the City continue the relationship with EMDC and extend the contract. I offer an emphatic NO! Why would we? Hell, give me $5k and I'll come back in a month and tell you the same thing. We are on our own with the arena, lets face it folks. Stop tossing cash at EMDC and save it for the arena, its a win-win situation.

That's all for now. Enjoy the downtown celebration tonight, I'll see you at Paddy Murphy's, around 11:55 or so. Happy New Year

Say It Aint So

2011-12-02T06:05:00.000-08:00

Boy you'd think it was a slow news week the way that the BDN reported the story on the Waterfront Concert Series contract negotiations. This rag is one step away from the National Enquirer in my book. They've always had a slanted spin, but this is a little much. With one headline they pretty much called Alex Grey a crybaby who should "take his ball and go home", and blasted the Council for being dysfunctional. Neither are even close to being accurate. It's no real news that the negotiations with WC have dragged on to long, but the relocation of the stage created an issue that was not really thought about (site grading and particularly the seeding of these disturbed areas). Mr Grey was very sincere in his discussions with the City concerning the need to have the grass established prior to the start of the 2012 season. He would not sign any contracts with performers without a guarantee was given that the "product" (venue) would be ready and acceptable to the booking agents. When promoters pay for a grass lined hill with portable seating and you get a muddy field, that's a breach of contract. The grass in question would need to be well established to handle the foot traffic and demands of several back-to-back bookings for April and May. Not rocket science here kids. The Council intended to have this agreement in place prior to the November vote, but that was not to be. Therefore, the 3 new Councilors were being asked to vote/approve the agreement without being part of the development process. (They could have watched it on TV like me, but that's another story). I see nothing wrong with waiting a week or so to give these new kids a chance to properly review the agreement. Alex has no problems with this, except being quoted totally out of context in the BDN. So before you go off singing "Bye Bye Mr Waterfront Guy...", take a deep breath, there's no story here. The Waterfront concert Series will continue well beyond 2012.

Holiday madness has started up again. It's been picking up steam these past few weeks and now its a runaway freight train. If you see me at the mall, please don't mace me, or hit me with a tazer. I don't need the new flat screen that bad. Honestly, why do folks go nuts for a good deal? My sister-in-law is a classic shopaholic. She headed out at 4am on Black Friday to save $50 on a snowblower. I'm not sure why, she could easily pay full price with the salary she makes. Its the thrill of the hunt I guess. I like the thrill of sleep on my day off.

Bangor PD has put out the word that they will be setting up DUI roadblocks all thru town for the month of December. All you morons driving with a "good buzz on" have been warned. If you must get hammered over the holidays, take a cab or stay the hell home. Nuff said.

The Bob Carlson mess has been pretty awful for a lot of folks. Ms Ordway's column in the BDN was very well done and brought up some good points. The good works vs the evil works debate is a tough one. The fact that this man was a complete psychopath has people looking deep inside at there own judgement. Many people were well aware of what was going on, but most were not. This is very similar to the whole Penn State debacle. The kids of today are watching this unfold. What are we to say to them? Don't trust the clergy? Don't trust your High School coaches? Don't trust anybody? WTF???? I hope parents have used this opportunity to talk frankly to the younger kids about these situations. As the OWS protesters have said over and over, we are the 99%. The creepy twisted sick bastards are the 1%.

Speaking of the OWS folks, the Bangor protest looks more like a homeless camp-out than any political rally or statement. This fire never really took up here in the Big Potato.

That is for now, keep the faith .

The People Have Spoken!

2011-11-09T16:29:00.000-08:00

This may have been an "off" election cycle, but we had some shockers here folks. The referendum questions went pretty much as I had figured. The two gambling questions were bad for Bangor, so no surprise on that, and nobody really cared about the other two questions. I was totally shocked to see that the Bangor dispatchers won the battle and wont loose the center. This makes no sense fiscally. Do people have any idea what they are voting on? For god's sake people, smaaaaahtin up!!

On the Council side I was blind-sided. Never saw that coming, no way in hell. I will say that Rick Bronson looked like a total ass in the Candidate Forum that was held at the library. He was smug and condesending to say the least. To bad for him as he was a good candidate. I will say that all of the candidates were first rate and anyone of them would make a fine Councilor. It's no secret that I like Dave Neally, and I believe the voters screwed up on this one. It should be interesting seeing ol' Professor Gratwick and Pat the Battle Axe duke it out with the newbies.

Looks like PAYT is out the door for now. Praise the lord on that one. Another blow to the Professor. Looks like he's not the smaaaaahtest guy in the City after all. Sorry Geoff, Bangorian's-1, City Council Douche's-0.

Till next time kid's, keep on keepin on!

Turning Leaves

2011-10-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Fall is on us again. I love this time of year, cool days, cooler nights. Of course this past weekend was the exception. Too hot for this time of year. Some folks even went to the beach! Winter will be on us quickly so button up your homes while you've got the chance. Oil is sky high again with no relief in sight. Hopefully the old pellet stove will keep on cranking. I've done some major insulating and upgrades this summer so I should be in pretty good shape.

Lots of grumbling around Town concerning Bangor Gas. Sounds like they wont come down the side streets for a while. Folks on Norway and Silver Roads were told to screw off, not enough houses to make it worth their efforts. From what I hear, Lower Norway had 6 homes ready to sign up and there are only 8 on that section. Still not enough for Bangor Gas. Why run the main down Webster Ave if that's the case? That doesn't sit well with me at all.

My hats off to the City for the new Public Access networks on cable. The video and audio are outstanding. HUGE improvement over the old system. I may be one of the only guys watching this thing, so I thank you. The "School Board" channel gets a little dry for sure, but the Council workshops are great. For anyone who says there isn't any transparency in Bangor, turn off Dr Phil and tune into Channel 7 for a change.

I was impressed by Chief Gastia and his team for the presentations on bath salts they gave a few weeks back. Well done, organized, and informative. This scourge needs to be dealt with quickly. Its one thing when these idiots hurt themselves, but when Joe Bangorian is being chased by a shirtless lunatic, that's another story. They story in Mondays paper concerning a 26 year old woman who had been arrested for bath salt possession a few days earlier was to funny to be true. This moron was told to report daily to BPD as a part of her bail conditions. She arrived at the PD office just before midnight, cutting it close for sure. When she was questioned and searched, it was found that she had more salts, syringes, and other drugs and paraphernalia in her purse. WTF? This shows just how stupid the bath salt addicts are. Oh, they revoked her bail and tossed the fool in the can. One less on the street, hundreds more to go. How big is the County jail anyway?

There's a bunch of folks running for the 3 Council seats up for grabs. I've read a little about them, but not enough to start forming an opinion. I do like Dave Neally and Rick Bronson for re-election. They both do a fine job, are tight with a buck, and don't believe everything they hear. So they'll get the nod from the VOB. The third slot is the toss-up for now. I'll be doing my leg work and giving my rankings sometime towards the end of the month.

That's all for now kids, keep the faith.

I Stand Corrected

2011-08-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

Whoa! I got a few emails last week concerning my latest post. Looks like I got a few things wrong and I have no problem setting it straight.

My rant about the cost of the new BPD video was slightly off the mark. The video was shot with the help of NESCOM students and actually only cost a few hundred bucks. Still, not money well spent, but not a huge waste. The Dept's new Public Relations position has been working on this for a while. Now there's the waste of money, the PR guy. Does the City really need a Police Department PR guy? Another example of the Chief pissing away our tax dollars. Thanks Ronnie, your the best.

On to the fire boat debacle. Now Chief Cammack is calling this a fire-rescue boat. That makes more sense. We have had a few bridge jumpers, and the waterfront is extremely busy these days, so a rescue boat is probably needed. But fire boat, no way. In gambling terms, this ones a push.

Hollywood Slots is pushing for table games at the downtown casino. I'm sure the Chief will scream about crime and the need for MORE police. Same old rhetoric from the midget. I'm all for the table games. The casino has been a very responsible neighbor so far, so why not go with them? I don't see allot of negatives on this one.

Gerry Palmer has announced he wont seek another Council term. Really? Really? He'll be back at it in a few years for sure. This blow hard loves to talk to much to retire. I will say that Gerry truly loves the City and has worked hard on its behalf. I think he is mis-guided on several issues, but his heart in in the right place. If he'd stop wearing those pink crocs, he might have a little more credibility.

Summer is in full swing so get outside and enjoy the City. The American Folk Festival is in a few weeks and the Senior Little League World Series kicked off the other day. The Kah Bang festival was a big hit with the 20-30 somethings and I have heard only good reviews of the event and the management team. Hopefully this this survives and can come back next year.

That's all for now, keep the faith people...........

The Heat Is On!

2011-08-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

Its been a scorcher these past few weeks. I heard that July was the hottest on record for Maine. Its been brutal for sure. I've been working the fans and AC to death. Even the garden is taking it on the chin. My water bill will be HUGE next quarter, and everything is still basically dead. So much for my green thumb.

I've been down to camp sitting around the campfire quite a bit this summer. Lots of good conversation on the shape of the City, State, and the Nation. This whole "debt ceiling" bullshit pretty much killed any thought I had of re-electing ANY of the morons currently in DC. Get out the broom my friends. These lazy douchebags are even going on vacation for a month, leaving critical FAA funding legislation on the back burner. Meanwhile, thousands of employees, contractors, and suppliers are out of work, waiting for these asshats to wrap up their Labor Day weekend bar-b-ques. As my good friend Gordon Ramsey says, "Its disgusting!!" My faith in the Federal Govt. has been shaken to its core.

Hats off to Charlie Longo for taking the City Council to task on the 'pay-as-you-throw" system being pushed onto the poor folks of Bangor. The City currently makes over $300,000 per year on the current system. That system also employs 4 folks that work the Center over by the airport. In the proposed PAYT set-up, those guys are out of work and some outside entity gets the $300k (and then some). WTF?? This is all for a conceived rise in costs in year 2018? I've been railing against this from day one when Professor Gratwick brought up the idea. He's been on this environmental crusade for 10 years now, and this will be the crown jewel. Well done Geoff. My Nana appreciates the extra trash pick-up fee's being imposed. She's got tons of extra cash for your crown. I'm sure the guys at the Center are equally as happy as Nana. They hate working there anyway, right Geoff?

Glad to see Art Morgan get promoted to City Engineer. I've known and worked with Art for over 20 years. He's a good man and the City should be happy to have him at the helm.

I was scanning the public access network last night and happened upon the City's new Police Dept propaganda movie. What is the purpose behind this? Are we actively recruiting new police? Is this a Officer Friendly feel good piece? What the hell is it? Why would we spend a dime on this stupid thing. Must be all the extra revenue from parking rule enforcement. Way to go Chief, your the best. Maybe if you weren't out mugging for the camera, you could get a better handle on the bath salt situation here in town. One of the patrol officers stated that he comes in at 5am and goes home past 10pm, and sometime later. That is just plain untrue. Maybe on some rare occasion, but that's clearly not the norm. The Chief has been spouting the staffing statistics for the last year in his push to hire more cops, so I know a little about the daily patrolman's hours. Again I ask, why was a dime, or hell, even a penny, spent on this film? Someone?? Anyone?? Chief???

The City is kicking around the idea of purchasing a fire boat for the waterfront. Where do I begin on this stupid idea. Who comes up with this shit? Don't people understand how poor the economy is these days? Why on earth would we spend money on something we don't really have a need for. Has there been a rash of fires on the river that I'm not aware of? I understand that a good chunk of the funds for this boat are from the ARRA (aka stimulus money) so why should we care? Well, we've got to maintain this thing, we need to store this thing, we need to train fire fighters on the use of this thing. We'll need some Coast Guard approvals and other stuff as well. Has anyone thought about the long term costs of this foolish boat? Maybe they'll use it to spray water on the crowds of unruly concert goers at the Waterfront Pavilion, or better yet, the transient scumbags living under the Veteran's Bridge. That makes sense, but fire fighting? That's a crock of shit.

That's all I got for now. Hammond St will be paved soon, so some help is on the way!

Keep the faith people.

Road Rage

2011-05-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

I've been winding around the streets of Bangor lately and I gotta say, look the hell out. The roads are in the worst shape I've ever seen. The City is planning on rebuilding Hammond Street soon, thank the lord for that. The road is in terrible shape. The amount of money being spent on auto repairs due to the lack of maintenance on the Bangor roads would scare the life out of you. Just stop into Hammond St. Citgo and ask Bob about it. No cash for road repairs, but we cant throw enough down the drain on stupid shit.....Oh I don't know, plenty for a study of the Fire Dept. to mention one. No savings outlined in that $25k report. Maybe another arena marketing study...sure, why the hell not, we're flush with dough, or you'd think that was the case. I'm glad Dave Neally spoke up concerning the School budget. What part of NO INCREASE don't you assholes understand? We're cutting MDEA agents, but adding OT for Bangor PD to set up seat belt traffic stops? You gotta be freaking kidding me. Do we need to get the crackhead off the street or the traffic violators? WTF? Our priorities are wacked. Another $25k report is due this week on how the Police Dept. can be more efficient. I could have saved the City the money and took that soft pitch. Fire Chief Gastia, plain and simple. He's an idiot that's turning Bangor into a police state. Maybe if he could keep an eye on the oxy-freaks and transient low life's around town, and stop the bullshit daily speed trap on Union Street, we'd all be safer. But low life's don't pay taxes, and your ticket dollars boost his revenue stream. So Joe Douchebag gets a free pass, and Johnny Property-Owner-Taxpayer pays double. Thanks Chief, your the best.

Glad the arena went thru. I find it humorous that there were Arena Yes signs all over Brewer. Didn't we ask them to toss in a few bucks and they laughed? Or the endorsement of the project by the Penobscot County Sheriffs Dept. , just a slight conflict of interest, not to mention incredibly hypocritical seeing as you folks turned Bangor down as well. I'd like to see non-residents pay a surcharge to enter the new facility, similar to how the Municipal golf course operates. Risk and reward baby...

Till next time....stay off my lawn.....

Arena Yay or Nay?

2011-04-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

Both it is as tough as it gets. Who do you believe in this fight? With the economy sputtering along, I can see why folks are nervous about spending $65 million. Most dont believe a word out of City Hall concerning the funding streams. Basically, the City has determined that 2 major funding streams exist. Profits from Hollywood Slots Revenue Sharing, and the infamous Downtown TIF Account. It doesnt take a lot of research to find that the Downtown TIF Fund is just another money arm of Hollywood Slots, and they infact provide at least 90% of that fund. So really now, there's only 1 source of cash to float this project, our good friends at Penn National.

I listened carefully at the Chamber Breakfast the other day, and Councilor Bronson seems to have his ducks in a row. He's a fairly conservative fellow, and pretty tight with the purse strings, so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. As for Deb Cyr, well, she's the best around at what she does, so you gotta go with her numbers on this.

My final thought is, lets build this thing and see what happens. If the $$$$ dries up and the funding disappears, I can easily move to Brewer, Veazie, or god forbid, Hampden. Nobody is forcing me to live in Bangor, or to pay for this arena. That being said. ARENA YES!

Dont forget to cast your vote on 5/4. Till next time, keep the faith and stay thirsty.

Lets Move On To 2011

2010-12-31T05:21:00.001-08:00

Well folks, 2010 is winding down. The ol beachball will drop at midnight, ushering in the new year. Steve Smith is probably taping the lights on as I write this. This has become an awesome tradition for downtown Bangor. Who would have thought that a beachball from Mardens, a couple strings of lights from Rite-Aid, a little duct tape, and the notion that Bangor is just as cool as New York, would have morphed into the downtown celebration we have these days. Steve and his family received a well deserved proclamation at a recent City Council meeting. All I can say is Thanks Steve!

A lot of things stuck in my craw this past year. The 2 major items were the proposed arena and the state of the Bangor Police Dept.

On the arena front, support for this project is pretty much split down the middle. I've been to a few shows in Massachusetts this past month, and have seen some first class venues. Boy, a nice new building similar to the DCU Center in Worcester, or the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH would be awesome. I looked into the upcoming event schedules at both of these places and found a common thread. That being major sport team affiliates. Hockey and basketball teams are filling these places a good chunk of Feb and March. Sure there are a few shows scheduled, big names like Sir Elton John are coming, but that's not the bread and butter of these facilities. Bangor will need something going on almost daily to fill the arena and defray operating costs. I don't see Mike Dyer working that hard. He hasn't in the past, why would he now? The plan to hire an outside group to run this place is a step in the right direction. However, that was tried before at the old Mecca, and as soon as a profit was shown by the operator, the City Council pulled the plug in a mad revenue grab. Maybe we'll have better luck this time around, if its even built. I love the idea of a new facility, but paying for it is another story. The budget proposals and forecasting done by the City are not conservative enough, and the anticipated operating costs are inaccurate and low for sure. Lots of smoke and mirrors going on in the funding-budget process. Numerous folks came forward to ask about the numbers. They wanted to see the "real" numbers in writing, a little transparency if you will. Not much straight talk from the Council. Gerry Palmer admitted that the website was a mess and could use work, but never really answered the question on accountability. Bottom line is, unless a semi-pro team drops from the sky, this project is not feasible and will cost the taxpayers in the end. That's the rear-end for sure.

On the Police Dept side, where do I begin? First off, we had to get those 4 new officers or the City would go to hell in a hand basket. So now we'll be stuck with those salaries in a few years once the Federal grant runs out. Make no bones about it, the City has an excellent force, and cops from surrounding towns would love to sign up. The raise in pay alone makes this a good place to work. However, lets look at the math here people. I'll round things off to make it easy. Lets say on officer makes $50k a year (thats way low folks). With four new officers, that makes it $200k per year. As a recent article in the Bangor Daily pointed out, these positions are ofter held for 20+ years. Add it all up and its 4 million dollars over 20 years. Not to mention the cost of living raises, etc. to jack this up to almost 6 million. Thats a pretty good chunk of change thats not in the budget yet. The Chief has no idea how he's going to pay this bill when it comes due in 3 years. Of course, he could step up parking enforcement.........The bottom line is, the Chief sucks at his job. He has no control over his team. His officers make no bones about performing personal errands (aka: voting) while on duty. I even saw one officer playing solitare on his laptop while sitting in a "speed trap" on Union St. Lets not forget about the killing of Greenie over Labor Day. The Chief and DA are really treading water on this one. They know who the 5 young men involved are, as do most of the people around town. It was pretty ironic to see a story on the murder on page one of the BDN, and another story concerning the main suspect's basketball skills at Bates College in the sports section. A massive cover-up from day 1. This young man has close family ties to the Penobscot County Sherriffs Dept, so we can see where this is going. 2 of the other "witnesses" ( suspects) are sons of a School Dept head, so no charges for them either. This is total bullshit. The Chief is cowering to the DA, and the cover up continues. If these had been transients, they would be in jail right now, awaiting trail. But they are from well-to-do families, so they get to spend the holidays out drinking with friends. Lets hope they dont kill anyone over New Years...

That being said...I'll see you downtown at midnight.

Moving On.....

2010-11-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

Time for a few folks to move along...... Election 2010 has come and gone and the VOB was pretty spot on with his predictions. Glad to see Joe Perry and Hal Wheeler got the boot from voters. Both men are an embarrassment to the City. I'll miss the sometimes comical utterings of Hal, but not the looooong winded oratory that came with them. Joe can go back to running McDonalds Market. Shelling out stamps and 40 oz beers to the locals is really all that dope was ever qualified to do. So in the end, a good day for Bangor on that front.

Sorry to see DA Almy tripping over his feet with the murder of "Greenie" down on the waterfront over Labor Day weekend. He's got the names and all the evidence he needs, but hasn't come forth with the story. Greeenies friends and relatives deserve better than that. Looks like some major favoritism being handed out by law enforcement. Must be nice to have parents in high places.

I'm a little pissed about the Bangor Police officer who was told to remove his firearm prior to entering the polls in Bangor. Lets make a big deal about nothing, and cloud over the REAL issue here people. Why was this dipshit voting while on duty??? And he did it again on Election Day! This just shows how Bangor Police feel they are better than you and I. I'm sure he had plenty of off-duty time to early vote, or go to the polls on Election Day. This is outrageous in my book, and Chief "Chicken Little" Gastia should grow a pair and discipline this officer publicly. I voted on my lunch break, thank you very much.

Hats off to the Bangor Boys Soccer team for the State Title. I was impressed by the showing by parents and fans lining the bridges over I-95 waving to the departing buses. Lets see if the football team can pull it off as well.

Thats it for now, keep the faith folks..........

Down to the Wire - Election 2010

2010-11-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

Here we go kids, down to the wire. This is going to be a close one on all fronts. Here's my take.....

For the Gov race- put me down for Cutler. I like LaPage, but I think he'll slide at the end due to some of his behavior. Many old timers are a little afraid of him. Either way, Paul or Eliot, Maine will be a better place to work and live. My wife thinks Paul's to drastic, but I think drastic things need to be done.

For State Senate - Sorry Joe, shows over for you. Even without all the nasty campaign rhetoric that's been flying on this one. Nichi is embarrassed by some of the mailings going out, but she's not involved in it. Blame the RNC for the mud slinging. Joe has such a piss poor record in Augusta, he should be easy pickings, without all the mud slinging. I do find the humor in the "Joe Perry needs to keep his hands in his own pockets" mailings. That's some funny shit right there my friends.

For State Rep, I'll give the nod to Damon. Butterfield is a tool, plain and simple. He's a hack from day one. He needs to get a real job for a change. He actually stated that Mainers are overtaxed, but we should "get over it". Steve, the doors over there.......

For City Council I've gotta go with Durgin, Hawes, and Bearse. I'd like to see Longo beat out Ms Hawes, but that wont happen. She's entrenched in that seat for another term. Hal Wheeler's days are numbered, as they should be. He's dumped a ton of cash into radio and BDN advertising this past week. I thought you were in danger of loosing your house Hal? Maybe you should focus on that, and save your money.

On the National stage, I'm thinking that Mike will get re-elected, and possibly Pingree, although she's been getting bit of a run for her money lately, so we'll call that one a toss-up.

That's all from me. Read em and weep folks.

Its About To Hit The Fan

2010-10-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

Tons of things going on around town, and some of its hard to believe. It election time, so we should be used to it by now. From the City, to the State, lots of issues, lots of candidates. I'll make my early reviews, and we'll see where I stand on election day.

For the City Council race I don't know where to turn. I don't really have a dog in this fight. Susan Hawes and Hal Wheeler are both up for re-election. I'm surprised to see Susan running. She obviously doesn't have the drive anymore. She's aged 20 years during her tenure, and that's not a good thing. Hal is Hal and I'll leave it at that. On the newcomers side we have the young kid Longo, Chuck Bearce, and Nelson Durgin. Bearce is a strong candidate anytime he runs for office, but his strong "Arena" position takes him out in my playbook. Durgin is a good man and we should be proud he wants the job. Longo is too young for me. Try paying property taxes a few years, then you'll have better perspective my friend. So where does that lead us? Who knows, not far from where we are right now I think.

On the State side, it's no surprise I'm for Nichi Farnhum in the Senate race. Joe Perry has helped run this State into the ground, so it should be a no-braina. I like Doug Damon as well, strong fiscal conservatives always get my vote. Throw in some real world experience and business attitude, and you've got the real deal. Mr. Butterfield has been a HUUUUGE disappointment, as I predicted. Hopefully Doug gets the nod this time around.

For the Governors race it gets harder everyday. I watched the Bangor debate last night and came away feeling even more torn. I hate to say it, but Cutler came out the best last night with LePage sounding guarded and Mitchell condescending. The other two dopes should throw in the towel.

For Congress its Michaud vs LeVesque. Who gives a shit. They both suck in my opinion.

I've been watching the City meetings lately and its looking like "pay-as-you-throw" is coming to Bangor next summer. Brace yourselves my friends and grab your ankles. Fancy new trash bags and more cash from your wallet. The citizens of Bangor should demand a referendum vote on this very important issue. This should not be left up to the Council to decide.

It looks like we need to keep those child molesters a few more feet away from the school zones. What another waste of time for the Council to consider this crap. Another unenforceable ordinance wont make the City's kids any safer. If your concerned about where these predators live, then check out the State Registry website. But you cant keep these pieces of crap from walking around the streets. It is, after all is said, a free country. Parents need to be vigilant and watch the youngsters. Its a tough one, that's for sure.

I was chatting with a few guys at the local store the other day, concerning the piss poor results of the City Manager search. One person stated that if he went out to dinner with Gerry Palmer, Geoff Gratwick, and Hal Wheeler, he'd sneak out while pretending to go to the restroom! That's probably pretty close to what actually went down. The guys probably still running......

On the disturbing news side, rumor has it that Bangor police have suspects in the beating death of a Bangor man just before Labor Day. That's the good news. The disturbing part is the identity of these young men accused of the attack. These aren't street hooligans thinking they're gang members. They're well known kids from "good" homes. I'd like to think that the Police are doing a thorough investigation before they release the list of suspects, but it's probably covering a certain some one's butt. We even may see a prominent figure step down before this is all said and done. Don't say I didn't warn you........

Till next time, keep the faith.

Summers here and the time is right....

2010-08-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

For dancin in the streets? Well that's whats going on down by the waterfront these days. And I for one, couldn't be any happier. With the new Waterfront Concert Series in full swing, whats not to smile about. I have been lucky enough to be involved in both shows so far and all I can say is KEEP IT UP. From the promoters, to the ushers, the support staff, and especially, the fans, you all have done your city proud. Cary Weston's daughter made a loud proclamation of "Welcome to Bangor!" and kicked this off. And what a welcome its been. I've talked with lots of folks these past few weeks and its the main point of conversation, all positive. Just what the doctor ordered for this once nasty area of town. And everyone knows that my fellow Bangorians are starving for live music. Keep it up Alex and Robbie, and we'll keep showing up.

All the music talk has brought out the age old question as to why Bangor has fallen off the concert tour map. Most think its due to the age of the auditorium, but that not it. I've seen plenty of shows in places in waaaay worse shape than the old Mecca. The reality is that no one has been pursuing the touring bands to come to Bangor. No promoters, and certainly not our director down at Bass Park. Mike Dyer is perfectly happy with the basketball tourney, the flower show, the State Fair, and the Shrine Circus. As long as nobody on the Council asks the hard questions, Mike's job is safe. I'm all for hiring an outside company to manage this facility, and the new arena as well. They'll pump a few bucks into the joint and maybe even upgrade the restrooms and concessions. Wouldn't that be nice? Lets get this done and show Mike the door. Its long overdue.....

Lots of questions surrounding the Hollywood Slots 1% payout and how it being divided out. No one seems to know where the cash is going, except the arena fund folks. Our beloved legislature wants answers they say. All the really want is to grab a few buck for themselves.

Nichi Farnum is off and running in her race against Joe Perry's State Senate seat. I hear footsteps Joe.............

Summers Here And The Time Is Right.....

2010-06-29T03:56:00.000-07:00

...For raising taxes??? I don't think that's what Martha and the Vandella's we're singing about, but our beloved City Council has done it again. This band of dolts has been beating the budget to death these past few months. Nobody can come up with any real ideas to keep property taxes at bay. We'll be paying for more and getting less. The "pay as you throw" trash collection is probably the biggest slap in the face. We cant cut Police OT, or any services for that matter. Lets take a peak at the Bangor Housing Authority's budget and trim the fat off that beast. As Bangor continues to become the dumping ground for the county's low-life's, Sean Yardley just smiles and passes out the vouchers. This dipshit is the biggest "waster" of money we have, and I for one, am sick and tired of covering his outrageous spending spree. Apparently, no one but Dave Neally gets it. Take off your rose colored "we need a new arena" glasses and do what you were elected to do, CUT SPENDING AND BALANCE THE BUDGET!!!!!! C'mon, even a 3rd grader could get that point. This is clearly not the time to raise taxes, especially for seniors on a fixed income. Even Hal Wheeler should know better, he's on the verge of loosing his house to the bank. So I say to all the Council, get your head's out of your collective butt's and do whats right for a change.

I got a kick out of Diane Cormier's plea to the City at the Business and Economic Development meeting a few weeks back. Her whining was falling on deaf ears. The only uptick was a few folks who stood up to say she had a right to be heard by the full Council. Hal and Pat should be commended for their stand on that issue. They also had their undies in a bunch over a statement submitted by Council Chair Stone. The biggest concern was the apparent bias of Chair Stone against Diva's. In the end, the statement was read, but it wasn't inflammatory at all. no slander, no NIMBY stuff, no bias, just a statement. To bad, I was hoping for a fist fight to break out. Cary Weston had all he could do to keep Ms Cormier in line, on and off the record. In the end, the Ordinance was not repealed or changed, and it looks like Diva's is well behind in rent. This might be the beginning of the end for Bangor's only Gentleman's Club. Maybe if she promised to give a percent of the lap-dance money to the arena fund, they would have helped her out. All payed with $1.00 bills of course.

I got a few mailings from our good "friend" Joe Perry last week. It seems he thinks we we're duped into voting out his tax revision bill. We're not as stupid as you think we are Joe. This bill was a farce, and even though some items had merit, most did not. The whole concept of shifting taxes to tourist has some appeal, but your team at Appropriations went waaaay over the line. The taxes proposed were so broad based that most folks would have been impacted. For example, taxes on auto repairs would have really sucked. I've got a 12 year old Volvo my kids drive around. It's pretty solid, but like any car that age, has an issue once in a while. Its not uncommon to dump $500 into that thing every year. The new tax would have added another $50 to the repair bill, something my daughter doesn't really have. And by the way Joe, she's not a tourist. But, on the other side...the lodging tax placed on hotels is a great idea. This would basically be completely paid by tourists. I travel quite a bit and Maine is one of the few States that does not have this tax. Maybe Bangor should consider a local option tax for the numerous hotels in the area. That might even keep my property taxes down, god forbid. This isn't rocket science people. Of course, our Council would put the new found funds into the "arena account lock-box" and STILL raise my taxes. So Joe sends me some glossy print flyer saying he's trying to cut taxes. Sorry Joe, nice try. Take your ball and go home, we're done playing games with you. Until we have real educated business people in Augusta (un-like Joe and Emily Caine), the taxes will continue to climb and Maine will be seen as a backwater State that's anti-business.

Speaking of Joe Perry, The son of the late, legendary clam cook Joe Perry (former owner of Perry's on Maine Street) has opened up a pub in Searsport. Thats right folks, Joe Perry Jr. has recently launched a new venture on Maine Street across from the Maritime Museum. The grand opening will soon be announced. He's working with former Perry's cook Paul Nelligan to finalize the menu and get the kitchen moving. Good luck to Joey and Mary Beth....and pass the tartar sauce.

Till next time...keep the faith folks

Its Been Awhile.....

2010-05-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

I've been traveling around this great country of ours lately. Haven't really had the time to keep up on everything around town, but I'm doing my best to catch up on the foolishness. So many things to get to, so I'll just jump right in.....

The new and improved Coffee Pot Cafe is up and running on Broadway. Skip's a little more than pissed, to say the least. I'd be mad as well. Mad at myself for not taking advantage of the situation and selling out. Now you get nothing, and the sandwich's keep coming. Did you honestly think that your former employees couldn't still chop the onions and get this job done? What a dope. And to add insult to injury, you tore down the old building and created a non-conforming lot. Did I say dope? Should have said asshat.

Gabby Price and Dan Tremble have opened up a Pepinos take-out on Hammond Street next to Gambinos. Those two know how to do things right, and make a little coin to boot. Good luck with the new venture, not that you'll need it.

A huge field is getting prepped for a run at the Blaine House this fall. Lots of talent in this pool. Who will rise to the top? For the Republicans, I always like a fiscal conservative, so LaPage and Beardsley peak my interest. You usually cant go wrong with a well respected businessman, so Les Otten has an edge there. Last businessman we elected was Angus King, and we did pretty well under his leadership. Then there's Steve Abbott, Suzy Collins left nut. Seems like the usual cardboard cut-out we expect from DC, but has a strong following among the party leaders. Anyone with Peter Vigues' endorsement has a little juice on his side and must be on the ball. Then there's Mills and Jacobson and a few others I forget.......For the Dems, not much to see here folks....Pat McGowen? C'mon, really? Then we have Libby Mitchell. I actually like Libby in the legislature. We need tough old broads to get things done, and she's hard as nails. But I don't want those traits in my Governor, thank you very much. In the end, she's just a mean spirited old lady who wont get elected. Of course, there's Rosa too. A fresh face they say. That just means no experience. She's got a strong following in Portland, so maybe the City Council would be a better place to start.....It will be interesting to see who gets the nod.

The Bangor school budget is up for approval and I am dead against it. When will these people realize that the property tax burden in Bangor is outrageous? Anything that raises taxes should be squashed. We are going broke so fast we cant keep up. Tough choices MUST be made. Betsy needs to man up and grow a pair.

Lastly......with the Memorial Day Weekend coming up, lets talk about displaying of the US flag. Nothing pisses me off more than seeing a ragged flag flapping in the wind. The one on top of the Fairpoint office downtown is a disgrace. It would seem that most dont realize that the US flag is to fly higher than the State of Maine, the Canadian, or yes, even the Red Sox Nation flag. Business owners in the City should really look at the condition of some of these tattered flags, and replace them. Have a little pride in your Country for Christs sake.....

Till next time folks...keep on keepin on

Deep Throat

2010-02-16T12:36:00.000-08:00

Apparently, Hal Wheeler has been reading to many spy novels. He's out looking for the dirt on the Folk Festival finances, and will stop at nothing to get the facts straight. He's hoping to meet up with someone over at the City parking garage (late at night) who'll spill the beans. He'll be wearing a trench coat I would imagine, and of course, he'll be taping the conversation. Its to bad that Woodward and Bernstein never thought of that. As a matter of fact, the only one stupid enough to try and pull this off was George Costanza in a famous Seinfeld episode. But now we have Hal as well. Hal and George, 2 peas in a pod. This latest behavior is fairly iradict and borderline for a sitting Councilor. Hal's loved ones should watch him closely as this dementia he's shown is probably the onset of Alzheimer's. If not that, its clearly "angry old man syndrome"

Nichi Farhnum has tossed her hat in the ring seeking to unseat Joe Perry as the Senate Rep from Bangor. I'll make an early prediction that she cruises to victory. She's done a lot of good things for this City, unlike Joe. Come to think of it, what has Joe done exactly? mmmmmmmmm? That's a damn good question.........

Thru The Looking Glass

2010-01-27T12:16:00.000-08:00

I feel like Alice in Wonderland some days. I cant believe most of what I hear, and half of what I see. These past few weeks have been a little strange to say the least. There's a lot of stuff to go over, so lets get right to it.

Proposed State budget cuts have City Officials scrambling. The biggest issue I see is the cut to aid for housing. These are State and Federal mandates to be clear. The City has become a dumping ground for Section 8 tenants, and any cut in State appropriations will have to be made up by the taxpayers. Most folks don't realize how huge a problem this is. I've had a few rental units in my day and am pretty familiar with the system. I'll nutshell it for you. Housing aid for a single person (insert "un-wed mother" here) with 2 children runs about $1000 per month. Lets not even talk about food stamps, heating assistance, and other emergency vouchers, this is strictly rent and utilities. So, lets just say there are 100 families in Bangor receiving this aide. That's $100,000 per month, or $1.2 million per year to Bangor residents. The real number is closer to 1000 families, so the costs go up to $12 million. Now you gettin it? A 10% drop in State funds means a $1.2 million shortfall to the City. Remember, the City has to take care of these folks, by Federal and State statute, so this has to come from somewhere. Does Deb Cyr have a pot of gold ? I hope so. Does anyone realize that Shawn Yardley has commandered a good chunk of the Ranger Inn on Outer Hammond Street to house some folks. The School Dept. has to send a bus way the hell out there as well. Where does this free ride end?

Our beloved State Senator Joe Perry went to the City Council to complain about the Letter to the Editor that was published in the BDN a few weeks back. He was obviously fired up and expressed his displeasure with the Council. Hey Joe! Who do you work for? Maybe if you spent more time working with the Council and actually helping Bangor, the letter could have been avoided. Instead of leadership, ideas, and solutions that would benefit the City, you whine and cry like the little putz that you are. Go ahead Joe, take your ball and go home. We'll play the game without you. Just like when you were a kid, eh? Keep it up. It will only ensure your re-election bid will fall flat in 2012.

I know I've been riding Police Chief Gastia alot lately. But I'm big enough to give him props when its deserved. The parking ticket quota fiasco has died down and the random tickets for minor infractions has been scaled back. None of the patrons at my business has had any issues this past month. The complaints at City Hall were heard and things have been corrected. The Chief has gone as far as introducing the "Non-Ticket" in the downtown area. This is a great idea that has been used in Portland for a decade. The idea is that you can get a ticket every 90 days and not have to pay. This sends a message to chronic illegal parkers, and doesn't nail the shopper who comes into downtown occasionally. Its a good call by the Chief.

Deb Cyr has been working overtime on the City budget. She's worked with the City Departments and has developed a trimmed budget for the remaining 5 months of the fiscal year. She's located around a million bucks in savings that can help finish the year off with a balanced budget. Great work Deb. OUTSTANDING!!! I found it odd that Hal Wheeler was put out about not sending a City rep to the Council of Governments Convention in Vegas this year. As he puts it, the savings of $2500 wont amount to a "hill of beans". Well Hal, as a taxpayer I'm pissed. WTF? Sorry pal but I work for a living and $2500 is half of my property tax bill. Think before you speak next time numbnuts.

I'm soooo glad the the new mission statement has been finalized. What a joke. I've come to expect this type of poor performance from Annie Hawes. Very, very disappointing. And we lost the best City Manager in the State over this? Sad.

Jim Elmore is running on empty with his petition for the recall of 5 Councilors. Only 200 signatures so far. That's piss poor folks. Get off your ass people, or get out your wallets. This Council talks about savings and keeping the tax rate even, but that's double speak at its best. The arena project will probably double taxes. This will have 3 major effects. Massive home sales as folks flock out of town, lower housing prices as the market will be flooded with homes, and a lower tax base, resulting in even higher property taxes. Its like a big dog chasing its own tail.

And last, but not least, traffic in the downtown area needs to slow the hell down. Please remember that people in the crosswalk have the right-of-way. So please, stay of my back bumper and we just might avoid an accident.

Till next time...keep the faith folks

Happy Holidaze

2009-12-21T07:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas is here again. Another mad grab for the retail sector. When did high price electronics and crap become the norm? My nephew asked me for a mini-fridge for his bedroom. WTF is that for? To hide his soda from his bother? The thing doesn't have a padlock so he's out of luck on that end. It does however come with a $80 price tag. I told my sis it wasn't happening, but she persisted. " Its on his list!" She kept saying, over and over. Since when do you get everything on your list? I asked for world peace a few years back and never got it. I've been duped!! Bottom line is, the little guys not getting an $80 gift from me, no matter if its on his list or not. I'm a little put out that sis would even expect me to buy that thing, we're not THAT close! This seems to be the wave of the future for baby-boomers. Spend what you don't have on shit that you don't need. What happened to the frugality of our parents, only one generation ago? Spend, spend, spend. That could be our new City of Bangor mission statement as well.

Speaking of the City, I managed to catch Ed Barretts last Council meeting on TV. Do the Councilors realize that they are on TV? I've never seen such a lack of professionalism from some of these losers. Pat Blanchette would not even look at Ed during her good-bye speech. Dave Neally said 2 words, and Gerry Palmer wouldn't even clap at the end. Sue Hawes and Pat were having a little conversation of there own during most of the "farewell" speeches, and were constantly rolling their eyes. This is disgraceful and downright RUDE. These are the same people crafting a new direction for the City? The crazy thing is, these folks have all served multiple terms on the Council, but now have new ideas? Sure you do.......

So Long, Good Luck, and Goodbye

2009-12-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

Sorry Ed, that's all I can say. If you haven't heard, or live in a cave, Ed Barret was tapped for the Lewiston City Managers position yesterday. He'll be starting on 1/11/10 so he's probably packing up the office as I write this. 22 years in an office you can accumulate a lot of stuff. He's probably got some old crayon drawings from the kids he's been there for so long. The real sad part is he's moving to Lewiston. I wouldn't send Osama Bin Laden to Lewiston. Its a hell hole far worse than the caves of Tora Bora. Maybe Ed can help them become a cleaner, friendlier city. I doubt it, but he'll give it his best, you can rest assured on that. So the next big question is who will take the reins of the City for the next 6 months? I'm sure the Council has someone in mind that will march in step with them on the issues (insert-support new arena idea- here). Maybe our big blow hard former Mayor Palmer wants the nod. LOL!!! The pays pretty good for these parts, so everyone will want in on that job. How about Jim Kotredes? He's not doing much these days. He's got a ton of built-in baggage, so you wont really need a reason to fire him either. Just go back in the closet and drag up the old news again when its convenient for you. I'm kidding of course, but you have to believe that the Councils reputation just hopped on Aliegent Air and is headed to Florida for the winter. To think that Hal Wheeler was expressing his concerns about the City's integrity just a few months ago. Don't worry Hal, the City has no integrity left to concern yourself with.

Jim Elmore has shown that he has the stones to call a spade a spade. He set up shop across from Bagel Central for anyone who want to sign the recall petition. They'll be open Mon-Sat 1pm-6pm so head down and sign. If yesterdays poll in the BDN is any indicator, he wont have trouble getting the 2500 or so signatures needed. Good luck Jim, I'll be down on Friday.

The Truth Is Out There...

2009-11-30T11:23:00.000-08:00

The recent actions by our beloved Bangor City Council had me thinking of the old X Files TV show. Fox Mulder had a poster on his office wall declaring "The Truth Is Out There". Well folks, its out there all right, but no one on the Council is saying anything about Ed Barrett's dismissal. Glad to see Hal Wheeler step up to the plate for once and attempt to set the record straight. At least we now know who the 5 culprits are in this sham. Thanks Hal. Surprised to see Dave Neally going along with the others though, not his usual crew. Politics makes for strange bedfellows so the saying goes, but this one got me by surprise. According to my sources, looks like the City taxpayers will be getting a new arena shoved down their collective throats fairly soon. Ed didn't like the property tax rate going up so high without a referendum vote, so he's out the door. C'mon people, get in line on this or get out of town. Me? I'm looking at Glenburn.

I'll take a minute and applaud Jim Elmore for taking out the re-call papers for the 5 Councilors involved in this mess. "Someone had to do it" he said, and he's right. Please tell me where the petition is located and I'll be the first in line. While your at it, can we re-call Chief "Numbnuts" Gastia as well? 2 birds, 1 stone, you get the picture.

That's all I have, keep your ears open folks........

The Results Are In

2009-11-04T12:35:00.000-08:00

Election 2009 has come and gone. My predictions for the State Ref questions were almost 100%. I don't know why so many folks oppose the idea of clerks having a few more days to validate petition signatures, but I guess they do. All in all, a pretty good night for the VOB.

On the City side, I was slightly off with my prediction of Paul Lodgek over Pat Blanchette as Paul was smoked hard and came in 5th. Pat's got a loyal following of cronies, so its no real surprise. Cary Weston got the nod over Peter D'errico, and ol Geoffrey gets his third term as expected. I hope Cary is up for whats looking like a rough road ahead for the Council as they move the City "in a new direction". Nobody seems to know where that is, or why we're going there, but its a new direction none the less.

Things got a little testy at last night's Council meeting as a few citizens showed up to express concern over the new parking ticket quotas. Chief "I'm a freaking weasel" Gastia has the nerve to say that he's only enforcing the ordinances as written. Dave Neally took the little shit to task and asked why everyone going 1 mile per hour over the speed limit wasn't ticketed. His point was that the Police use their own discretion in giving out tickets everyday, and should use more with parking tickets as well. Rest assured people, these tickets are not written to protect the safety of the citizens of Bangor, but to fill the Police Dept. coffers with your hard earned cash. One woman was ticketed in front of her church on Sunday, even though she had a handicapped placard. WTF is wrong with these cops? You could tell by the tone of the meeting, and several comments and statements made by the Council, that folks have been calling and bitching about the operations of the Police Dept. Keep up the heat folks...keep it up!

Lastly, a good percent of the campaign signs were removed last night. Good job to all involved.

Election 2009 Part II

2009-11-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

Its D-Day for Maine and the City. There's a lot at stake so I'm really hoping you get out to vote today. I was lucky enough to take advantage of the early voting in Bangor and avoided today's rat race. The single poling station will turn out to be a nightmare with long lines, but its a nice day, so suck it up people. My predictions are as follows:

City Council
1. Gratwick
2. Lodgek
3. Weston

State Ref's
1. Yes
2. No
3. No
4. No
5. Yes
6. Yes
7. Yes

Pretty simple...Read 'em and weep folks

The removal of Ed Barret this past week is a farce. What was said behind close doors that it came to this? Maybe someone will crack after the election and spill the beans, but I doubt we'll ever know. Its a shame, to put it mildly. Sorry Ed, you deserve better treatment. I'm very disappointed in the Council for keeping this behind closed doors. Only Geoffrey has the sense to speak out on this lack of transparency. Somethings afoot my friends, and we're not gonna like it.

I'll close with this simple question for our beloved Police Chief, Ron "Chicken Little" Gastia. Why is it that everyone can rake huge piles of leaves out into the street, but my right tire touching the grass is deemed "un-safe" and gets me ticketed? Sounds like an arbitrary application of City laws to me.

Till next time..be safe and park properly for Pete's sake

Election 2009 Part I

2009-10-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

Here we go kids. We're steaming ahead into November and the pundits are out in full force. Numerous referendums should keep people thinking. According to the BDN, its pretty much 50-50 on all the questions. The TV commercials are trying to sway folks to the other side, and who can tell the truth? So, without further delay, here's my take:
Question 1 - Repeal Gay Marriage - I could care less either way
Question 2 - Excise Tax - This ruling stinks, re-work it so everyone gets a break
Question 3 - Repeal School Consolidation - No way! This is one of the few things that the Baldacci Administration has done right.
Question 4 - TABOR - I say go for it. Augusta needs to have the purse strings clipped
Question 5 - Medical Marijuana - Again, I could care less either way
Question 6 - Highway-Infrastructure Bonds - Always supported by the VOB
Question 7 - More time to certify petitions - Sure, why not?

OK, that's that. Now for the City Council race...3 newcomers are going for the 3 open seats. A fourth (read "crackpot" here) dropped out last week. So here's who we have...Cary Weston-I like Cary, he's a little to slick and rehearsed, but it shows he takes the Council seat seriously. Me thinks he has higher aspirations in the future. I've always enjoyed his commentary on the GH/RT morning radio show. Next is Marco. His strong greek accent and ties to New York should pretty much sink his campaign. He looked like a fool at the Council forum as well. Sorry dude, no love from the VOB. Last we have Paul Lodgek. Pauls a straight shooter who would be a good fit. He's a well researched guy who has his ducks in a row. A fiscal conservative always gets the nod from the VOB. I urge all to engage these candidates and judge for yourself. I'll go thru the whole group next time and post my predictions. Till then....

Are You Kidding Me?

2009-10-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

This has got to be a joke. Tom Sawyer is threatening to sue the City over damages to his yacht. WTF is wrong with some people? Tom's boat was cut from its mooring at the City dock and drifted downstream last summer. Damn vandals. Do you think they knew it was his? I doubt it, but that's not the point. Tom is well aware of the waiver that comes with the dock space. No security, no damage claims (put in place after the coal tar stained a few water craft), etc. But that doesn't stop him from filing a nuisance lawsuit to screw with the City. He's so bold as to imply that he'll drop the suit if the City returns his $4200 in dock fee's. Didn't you used to be the mayor of this fair City? What a first class ASS!!! You don't have a case Tom, and you know it. Are times that tough that you need to stoop to extorting cash from your old neighbors? I hope a judge tosses your fat ass in jail for wasting the courts time and the taxpayers money. SHAME ON YOU TOM.

Cheif Gastia must have some serious cash flow problems. The ticket quota is working well though, so he should be in good shape. Anything else we can do to help balance your budget Chief? Thank god you got the Councils approval to accept the Feds grant for 4 additional officers. Sad thing is, you don't need anymore flatfoots on the street and you know it. None of these officers is going to patrol the city, but that's where you indicated your staff was lacking. WTF? But we now have a full-time school liaison. Another stupid role that isn't needed. Officer Friendly needs to be out on the street stopping criminals, not hanging at the schools. Has he at the very least apprehended any high school stoners? There in the woods out back if you cant seem to locate them, just ask any high school kid. This is just another complete waste of resources by the Chief. He's kinda like chicken little if you ask me. The sky is always falling in Ron's eyes. He went on and on at the Ops meeting discussing all sorts of crimes he's dealing with, but when pushed on the issue, could not offer any actual instances of these crimes. Computer crime is big on his list, so he says, but he needs more resources. Isn't that part of the FBI's job Ron? Most computer scams are run from out of State, so let the Feds handle it jackass. As for gangs, there may be a handful of wannbees around town, but no real New York/LA type gang activity. According to Ron, we should be hiding in our houses and fearing for our very lives with this massive crime wave (is it Hollywood Slots fault? LOL). Truth is, Bangor is one of the safest places around. The biggest crime wave apparently is parking on the esplanade. Lets dump this shithead before its to late, oops, it already is.

Three current council members are up for re-election in November. From my view, all three suck and should be replaced. Pat Blanchette is a tireless pitbull for Bangor in Augusta, and I for one, will vote for her in that capacity as long as she's willing. But the daily operations of the City appear to be lost on her as she is out of town for a good chunk of the week. Sorry Pat, time to move on. Geoff Gratwick is just a pretentious ass and I'm sick of listening to him stammer through everything he says. I know Peter D'Errico, and he's a good man. Unfortunately, he doesn't do a whole lot, and never says much. If you don't want to get in the debate, stay home Peter. I'll give you my take on the three new-comers to this race next time.

Till then, stay warm people.

Its a Police State

2009-09-23T07:49:00.000-07:00

The City is really scrapping these days. Police Chief Gastia has issued quotas to his officers to write at least 5 parking tickets a month, and this does not include the Downtown area that utilizes "meter maids" for that function. He says it came down from his original proposal of 10 so we should be happy. WTF? Well, I'm not happy Ron. I own a business that utilizes on-street parking. This is on a fairly narrow side street and most folks pull slightly on to the esplanade to get out of the road. Its a safety thing, for them and other traffic. And now your going to ticket them? What a dipshit. And dont say it wont happen as my neighbor has already been nailed twice. Once for this minor infraction, and the next day for having the left tire to the curb ( another safety thing) in front of his own house I might add. Ron says its about safety and not increased revenues for the City. Another crock of shit. The City Council has stated that they have not asked for this, but as Gerry Palmer put it, we're not in the business of micromanaging the Police Dept. or dictating Police policy. Why the hell not? Its the money people! Gerry's more concerned that the memo was leaked to the press by an anonymous source. Why in the world would the officer who leaked the memo tell his boss it was him/her? Obviously, there would be repercussions on the whistleblower. The real bottom line is, we have to many cops with nothing to do except ride around. So instead of trimming the force, we'll give them this to do. Lets try saving money or cutting the force to balance the budget, instead of stepping up parking enforcement. Surely there must be some real criminals out there, other than these parking scofflaws. Hows about shutting down a few Oxy and crack houses around town, or better yet, lets try to keep the homeless from killing each other. That should keep you busy for a while Ron.

Speaking of the police. I was driving down Hammond St. the other day and a few oversize sections of a wind turbine shaft were being driven through town. The whole convoy was being escorted by a private escort firm (as required) and 7 State police vehicles. SEVEN! I really hope the developer is paying for this. I've seen these things come through town on numerous occasions with only the required private escort firm. So why all the Staties? Looks like another waste of State resources and probably our tax dollars.

Solid waste disposal has come back on the Councils radar thanks to Proffessor Gratwick. This guy is a first class moron. Havent we beat this to death? Jim Ring was just rolling his eyes at the Council meeting. Lets get this straight, due to the economy, the market for recyclables has dropped to almost nothing and the City is loosing money. A State subsidy (our tax dollars) is the only thing keeping this alfoat. Why in the world would anyone suggest we need to increase our recycling efforts? Do we need to loose more money? Hows about killing the curbside pick-up program and make folks go the the center over by the airport. Ol Geoffry even went down to Brunswick and discussed thier program (what did that cost us?). Well proffessor, hows about just calling a few citizens of Brunswick and see how they feel about it. They've had mandatory recycling since the mid 1980's and they know first hand about it. Certain things like, the trash patrol that will sort thru your garbage and fine you if you have recyclables in there. And the fact that all labels must be removed from cans and glass containers, or you'll get fined, etc. etc. Have you ever tried to remove the label from a ketchup bottle? Its a huge hassle, trust me. So it looks like pay as you throw is coming to Bangor and coming soon. They seem to think we've got all sorts of time (and money) to go to the Public Works once a week to buy special colored trash bags. Another city employee will be needed to dispense these things to consumers. Where does the spending end? Any chance you might sell stickers, like most towns? It looks like Geoff is trying to actually do something now the that his re-election is coming up. Dont even get me started on Pat Blanchette's comments about throwing plastic bags into the landfill. Didnt we close the Kitteridge Landfill about 10 years ago? Either wake up, or shut up Pat. Your up for re-election as well my dear. The only sensible thing said on the subject was Dave Neally's comment that we pay our taxes and we assume they pay for certain services, and trash collection is one of them. If this keeps up, I may have to get a 50 gallon drum and start a little fire each week.

Well, I'm all out of breath. Six weeks before the election, stay tuned for my take on the candidates. Till next time.......

I've seen it all

2009-07-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

I've been traveling a little lately and there's some crazy shit out there folks. Out on I-95 speeds range from 45 to 85. I saw a cop driving with his leg while typing on a dash-mounted laptop, and yes, he almost hit me. I've dodged cars 3 times this past week that pulled out in front of me without looking over the shoulder. One over by Fairmount Market was amazingly close, but that place is a zoo around lunchtime. I was behind a 1984 Chevy Celebrity yesterday that was sporting a nice new yellow inspection sticker. Wonder where he bought that. No way that car actually passed inspection, with the rusted out rear bumper and all. Bottom line is you take your life into your hands when you get behind the wheel in this state. There is a lot of crap out on the highway and I own a few myself. Obama's clunker program sounds nice, but who wants a new car these days. Over-priced new crap is still crap. I'll take my chances with my old Blazer.

I watched a little of the Council meeting this week but didn't get to far without changing channels. I can understand the proclamation to celebrate 175 years of Mt. Hope cemetery. Second oldest botanical garden cemetery in the country, that's totally cool. However, a proclamation concerning Exxon-Mobile and the petro service at the airport? That's abit to much to swallow. Did the proclamation say thanks for bailing on the City after we gave you exclusive rights to the airports FBO? Not enough sales to keep things viable so we hear, but that's bullshit. Here's my proclamation - SCREW EXXON.

Have you driven down to Boston lately? If so, your wallet is a little lighter these days. Maine tolls as well as NH have doubled over the past 2 years. It cost $6-7 to get to Beantown, up from $3.20 a few years back before Johnny B and Joe Perry started "adjusting" things. To bad the fuel taxes and tolls don't actually get used on the roads. I don't know what to call this other than "Highway Robbery" at its best. BTW, the roads are falling apart John. The way life should be? I don't think so.

Rain Rain Go Away

2009-06-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

Is raining again. I heard that today makes 20 out of the last 25 days that it has rained in Bangor. Wow, thats a lot of water. Hows your grass growing these days? No much I'm sure, but rest assured, the sun will be out tomorrow and your lawn will be a foot tall come Sunday. That sounds like a verse from Annie, but its the truth. At least folks with wells shouldnt have to worry about a water drought this summer. Speaking of summer, it was official on Sunday, not that you'd notice by the weather. I'll be heading to camp this Friday to get the water turned on and open up the windows. I'm sure its nice and clammy inside and the fridge has molded up to a tint of dark green. Nothing a little 409 and elbow grease cant handle.

I've watched a few of the City's meetings on TV this past week. Not much happening there. Hal keeps talking about nothing and asking really stupid questions, and Pat, well, she's Pat. Lots of hot air from my boy Gerry as well. At least Dave Neally has done his homework and read the State legislation on excise taxes. Ed Barret says this will sting all the towns and cities in Maine, and the roads will get worse (if thats even possible). Maybe the council should take a break for the summer and catch up on some reading at the beach. God forbid you folks might actually be informed on the issues....

Another BWS Little League season is winding down and you can rest easy knowing that somethings never change. The league is manipulated by certain coaches and the Board of Directors is to lazy to fix it. Someday, Little League in Bangor West will be about educating kids to play proper fundamentals, and set up a feeder program for the High School. But sadly, this isnt the day. I hope I actually live long enough to see it happen. Until then, most BHS ball players will come from the Bangor East program.

One last note, It rained for 40 days during Noahs time, so were still only half-way there. Might be good to get started on the Ark and gathering up a few animals. I've got a couple of cats to donate......Till next time, Go Sox!

Spring is in the air

2009-04-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it stop raining long enough for a walk last night. I gotta tell ya, I love hearing the birds chirping again. My lawn is a muddy mess and my driveway is floating on the over-saturated ground. Mud season is the name I guess, but this is one of the worst in a while. The City streets are going all to hell as well. Take a ride anywhere in town, its like downtown Beirut for gods sake. Between the pot holes and frost heaves almost every road in the city is falling apart. I've been traveling on Hammond St. lately and the bridge work has got folks all confused. When your coming into the city off Odlin Road, your not supposed to turn left onto I-95 North after the bridge. No one seams to give a shit and traffic gets backed up while it waits for some asswipe to take the left. Its a simple concept really. Read the sign, follow directions, etc, etc. Most of us learned that in 1st grade, or at least Drivers Ed training.

A local cell phone provider has approached the City proposing to install cell equipment on one of the light towers at Mansfield Stadium. They're talking $1700 per month rent, or around $20k per year. Who in their right mind would oppose this? Hal Wheeler of course. Hal's concerned about the City's integrity. Your a day late and a dollar short Hal. The City gave up any integrity it had during the whole slots issues and Capitol 7. Not to mention that the City has leased numerous locations as cell sites over the last few years. Just look at the water tower out by the airport. Mr Wheeler doesn't quite have a grasp on budgets or property taxes. Well Hal, I shell out around $350 a month to the City in property taxes alone. How 'bout you? God forbid we might lower the tax rate and help the average Joe. I'm starting to think that you don't really believe this is a bad idea, you just love to hear your own voice. From one resident Hal, please, STFU.

I hear that former Councilor Richard Greene is living at the Holiday Inn on Odlin Road. You can run into him at the hotel lounge on most nights. Don't worry about him though, he'll be sitting in the County jail soon enough after receiving 2 OUI's in one day a few weeks ago. There you go Richard, 3 squares and a roof over your head, all compliments of the City. Your welcome.

With most of the snow being almost gone, you can see the sins of winter at our city parks. Trash and dog crap are everywhere. The annual clean-up is in a few weeks and I urge all to participate. This is an easy way to give back a little, or pay it forward. And for those who throw trash on the ground ANYWHERE....were you raised by wolves, or are you just an ass?

Thats all for now...Go Sox!

I've Got your Stimulus Right Here

2009-02-26T07:46:00.000-08:00

All this talk of free money has me a little crazed. Where do I sign up for a chunk of the stimulus cash? Oh thats right, I paid my mortgage and bills and live within my means. Such a noble concept. So...no hand outs for the VOB. Nothin comes for free folks so keep your eye on your wallet. The good news for me is that I'll be dead and gone before this bill comes due. Sorry kids, but I did pay for your college and stuff so you'll learn what being broke is all about. Lets be straight about one thing, the mortgage meltdown has driven a stake in the financial markets for sure. However, nobody forced the banks to lend, or the folks to borrow. The current spin has the Govt. at fault for pushing banks to give mortgages to low income folks with no cash, but I tell ya, that's pure bullshit. I refinanced a few years back and it wasn't a walk in the park. At one point I thought I may be denied and my wife and I have spotless credit and have never missed a payment. They really looked hard at our debt load and ability to re-pay the note. In the end it was all good for us, but still, it wasn't easy. My thought would be to let the folks loose the property and the bank can deal with the mess it made for itself. Or better yet, the Govt could buy up these 'bad' notes and re-sell the property down the road. At least the taxpayer has a prayer of getting some money back on this deal. The way it's set up now, we'll never see a dime back from the banks, and a chunk of them will go down the shitter in the process. I may be a fool from Maine, but even I know that. I was chatting with a big-wheel at BFCU last week about the financial mess and he assures me that Maine banks are in pretty good shape with most fairly islolated from the secondary mortgage market. Its a complicated issue for sure and the VOB doesn't have a lot of answers. Just make sure that your own house is in order, and you'll be fine.

I guess pedestrian safety is a big issue in the downtown. The City has turned to the Fire Dept. to distribute illuminated buttons to pedestrians. They have a 100 to give out down at Central Station on Maine Street. What about the other 30,000 folks in town? The plan was unveiled by Gerry Palmer last week and its full of hot air. If you want to keep pedestrians safe downtown its quite simple. Keep people on the sidewalk, where they belong. Don't even get me started on the woman who drives her rascal scooter right down the middle of Union and Hammond Streets. This crazy bitch often rides at night and during snow storms. The scooter has no lights and 1 small reflector on the back. I personally think she has a death wish and I almost granted it last week.

Heavy rain expected for Friday night will put the Public Works Dept. to the test. With all the snow, catch basins are covered and street flooding will be common. They've done a pretty good job this winter and I wish them the best of luck. Our City streets are going to go to hell this Spring, hell, they're half-way there already. I guess the front end mechanics and windshield repair guys could use a little stimulus too.

That's all for now, keep the faith people.

Where does the time go?

2009-02-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

Man, it's been awhile. I've been right out straight, traveling for work, etc, etc. you know what I mean. The holidays were a blur. Great to catch up with the family and friends for sure. Now we're in to February 2009 and its my first post. I've been silent, but that doesn't mean I'm not out there every day, watching and listening. Here's my spin on a few things around town.

The City is planning a big birthday bash for 2009, with events running all year. The committee meetings have been spirited with some good ideas being bounced around. I look forward to the celebrations.

The City has built an outdoor skating rink at Haymarket Square sort of like a Rockefeller Plaza type deal, without the statue. Great way to bring folks downtown. Hope it works. I've made a few hockey rinks for the boys and let me tell you its a lot of work. You need to keep on it constantly. Can we afford to have a City Public Works employee doing this? I hope its volunteers.

Looks like Bangor Schools have a closed campus into the future. Mrs Budd has waaaaay to much free time on her hands. Please stop wasting the Super's time with this type crap. Please!

With all the snow we've received lately, the local snowmobile trails are looking pretty good. I had a chance to talk with a few groomers this past weekend and they've been hard at work. Club membership is down and the cash wont last long. Enjoy the riding while you can, and when your out, stop by the club and make a fuel donation. Every little bit helps people. We had the pleasure to stop by Rocky Knoll CC in Orrington and took in the bluegrass jam, some lunch, and a few beers. Catch this if you can, its well worth the trip.

Keep it real folks. Till next time.......

As the dust settles...

2008-11-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

So the campaign has come and gone. The only things remaining are the signs and a little bitterness. As far as signs go, this is a pet peeve of mine. When the contest is over, pick up your damn signs. You can actually take a lesson from Gerry Palmer on this one. He's been using the same recycled signs for 20 years or so. I have to say they are looking kinda ratty and worn Gerry. Maybe a new batch next time around. Most of the signs were picked up yesterday, however there are a few lingering around. The VOB will keep an eye on who the slackers are, you can count on that. I recall a few campaigns ago when Pat LaMarche ran for Gov. under the Green Party banner. She literally had a million signs along Rte 1A from Hampden to Rockland. And 2 months after the election they were still there. Eventually the snow plows got to most of 'em. Nice job picking up after yourself Greens. Kind of ironic dont you think.

The bitterness on my end is minor for sure. I'm used to things not going my way, I'm a big boy. The sad truth is that I didnt care much for my choices in the local races. Look at the State Senate seat for Bangor. Joe Perry VS Tom Sawyer. These are two of the most despised people in town. On one hand you have Joe. A hard working idiot. He puts in the time, but doesnt get anything done. Think of a gerbil on a wheel type of thing. Joe's on the State taxation committee that has resorted to late night votes and complete smoke and mirrors to get the budget passed. Joe has run on a lower property tax platform the last two times around. Did Joe lower your taxes? Hell no! That's why he abandoned that theme this year. On the other hand we have Tom Sawyer. Tom has done some great things for Bangor in the past. He was elected to this very post a few years back. But Tom, Tom, Tom....we all remember your piss poor attendance record and virtual silence on the racino and auditorium funding issues back in your day. You only wanted to be called Senator. Unfortunately, there's a job to go with the title, and you short changed the good folks of Bangor once already. Screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twice, shame on me...you get it now Tom? The point is, these two are guys are all we have? Its a sad day for Bangor in Augusta. Dont even get me started on the State Reps we put there. Spineless doesnt do well in Augusta. We need a pit-bull like mentality. We dont want to hold hands and sing Kum-Ba-Ya. The squeaky wheel gets the grease in Augusta and our newly elected Reps. will need to grow a pair and get dirty.

Sad to see Andy Sturgeon fell short in his Council bid. The City could have used a man like Andy. Dave Neally got the nod and should provide for some interesting meetings. Dave never pulled his punches in the past, and I dont see him starting now.

As we wind on down the Bush presidency we can only pray things get better. Time will tell. The NCLB laws will wither away and school consolidation may be close behind. I dont see a lot of change coming from Augusta, maybe in DC, but not in Maine. If we keep electing the same folks over and over again, or those with no experience, how can real change come about? Can change come from within by those living the status quo? I guess were gonna find out soon.

At least fuel prices are going down for now. I topped off the oil tank for $2.30 a gallon last week.

Till next time.............

City Council Race 2008

2008-10-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

Here we go kids, my take on this years Council race. With three seats open and only one incumbent that can run for re-election, we've got to make some good choices this year. So, lets get right to it. First we have this Bronson gentleman. I dont know him personally, he's a first timer running for office, local business owner, fire chief in Brewer for a number of years. Seems pretty solid. Then we have Paul Dubay, another first timer. I dont know Paul either, seems like a nice guy though. Has a grasp of things and wants to contribute to the City, OK, fair enough. Next is former Councilor Dave Neally. I know Dave and wish him the best. He was quite a force a few years back and we need someone to stir the pot. Next is Gerry Palmer. Its no secret how I feel about Gerry, but we could do worse. Next is Andy Sturgeon. I've know Andy for a long time and he's committed to whatever he sets his mind to. I cant say enough good things about this guy. And finally we have Robert Z. I dont know what to think of this one. He's new to the area and is also running for State Rep in Dist. 15. WTF? You just moved to Bangor and yet you believe your ready to represent us citzens in Augusta? How? Please explain this to me. And your also running for the City Council, yet you didnt have time to show up at the forum on Thursday to introduce yourself to the City. Sorry Z-man, no love from the VOB. So how does it all stack up? My predictions are as follows:

1. Neally
2. Sturgeon
3. Bronson
4. Palmer
5. Dubay
6. Zaleneta

Read em and weep folks.

Decision 2008

2008-10-12T05:36:00.000-07:00

I just came home from Bagel Central with my weekly standard, "everything" and cream cheese. I love this time of year. Leaves are turning, pumpkin cookies, crisp mornings, its all good. One cant help but notice the campaign signs on every corner. I know that technically the City has a R.O.W. for the little grass strip between the sidewalk and the roadway, but why does this give anyone the right to plant a campaign sign in front of my house? It happens every year. It used to be the annoying Stimpson family that constantly ran for office. They'd put a few up, and I'd take 'em down. This was a daily event, sometimes twice a day. I must be someone important for all the effort that they put into it. They haven't run for anything in a few cycles, so they must be out of signs. I've got about a few out behind the house if they want 'em back. This whole thing makes me think about elections. Like it or not, National. State, and Local elections all have an impact on our lives. So, here's my take on the big races....Nationally I dont know which way to go. I used to like McCain back about 8 years ago, but he's dragged himself down with W in my opinion. That leaves Obama. The young rookie. Can he do the job? We'll have to wait and see. In the State race its more of the same. Susan Collins, who I cant stand, and Tom Allen, another lazy bones from Portland who thinks he knows whats best for the rest of the State. Its a toss up for me. That put us at the State Rep race. Tom Sawyer is running as an independant for his old seat that Joe Perry took from him a few years back. Who's the republican in this fight? Certainly we can do better than these two idiots. Does Tom think we have short memories? When he last served he was one of the worst legislators as far as attendance was concerned. Seems he wanted the title 'Senator" but not the duties. Does Tom even live in Bangor anymore??? And don't get me started on Joe Perry. Please dont. My doctor warned me to stop thinking about his piss poor record. So at last we come to the City Council races. I'll back Dave Neally any day. Dave's not afraid to get the job done and doesnt mid kicking a little butt in the process. My boy Gerry Palmer is running for re-election this time around. Lord help us! The big guys latest grandstand was to attempt a sewer abatement for a new resident to Bangor. It seems this fellow was upset about getting a sewer bill (with his water bill) for the watering and hydroseeding of his new lawn. Gerry feels bad about that. Where have you been for the last 25 years Gerry? The City has been screwing people with this fee for years. And Pat Blanchette stating that this would be a dangerous precedent is so TRUE!! It would expose this rip off for what it truly is...A RIP OFF. The City knows damn well that the majority of water that is generated from hydrants for landscaping is taken up by the soil and does not find its way into the city sewer system or treatment plant. Thats a fact, yet the City hides behind a book keeping issue with sewer rates being calculated from water rates. Thats bullshit people. now I've digressed.....So get out and vote, or STFU.

Dont we have more important things to do?

2008-09-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

Well folks, it had to happen. The City is running so smooth these days that our beloved City Council has nothing to do it would seem. Lets look at the "HOT" topics from last weeks meeting!

It appears that methadone clinics are back in the news. Haven't we beat this dead horse to death? Now an ordinance is being proposed to limit the location of such establishments. Is this really a problem that needs an ordinance? Acadia Hospital is the main purveyor of the methadone in these parts (not ARCADIA Pat!) and two other private treatment centers complete the list. I see that the mall on Hogan road is still running strong, apparently against all odds. I don't see a huge rush to open more centers as none of the current facilities is operating at capacity. Pat Blanchette attempted to make a lame argument that some people drive from Millinocket for treatment, work in Bangor all day, and head back up north for the night. Are you for real Pat? What planet are you from? Do you know anything about methadone treatments? Sadly, the answer to the last one is no. Not to mention that most folks wouldn't be up for a daily 4 hour commute, especially with gas above $3.50. Try thinking before you speak Pat, it really helps.

Traffic in town is the other big issue. We need "Calming Zones" to slow things down I guess. I think we all agree that the City's main arteries (Union, Hammond, Broadway, Essex, Stillwater, Hogan) are all jammed up during peak times. And yes, most folks are going 10 miles over the speed limit in town. Pat says that she doesn't see a traffic problem at all, and even if she did, its the job of the police to deal with such matters, not the Council. Well Pat, your right about the cops for sure, but c'mon now, the streets are getting jammed up as more and more people commute into the City. Try lowering property taxes and you'll cut down on the cars. Or maybe she just needs to spend a little more time in the City. The ordinance as proposed by Professor Gratwick is a complete joke. This touchy-feely approach wont solve a damn thing. The criteria for being declared a "Calming Zone" is ridiculous. Very few neighborhood streets would ever qualify. I see classic cut thru streets like 14th Street and Mt. Hope Ave as possibilities. Let Jim Ring do his job and work out the traffic. He's a sharp guy. The new roundabout out on Maine Ave is a great step in the right direction. We need more clear thinking like Jim's, not stupid ordinances from bored councilors. This whole issue goes back to the project on Howard Street that reeked of croni-ism. But didnt you vote for that one Pat? Is there a traffic issue or not? You cant have it both ways my dear.

The bigest joke of the week was the Energy Conservation Workshop. Ironically, this meeting was a big waste of energy. Rather than working on a tax break for alternative fuels or to help defray energy costs, Joe Perry's advice is to put plastic over your windows. Jeesh Joe, why didnt I think of that? Thats brilliant! The other pisser about this meeting was all the folks lined up to help the low-income folks get some government handouts such as LIHEEP and Penquis CAP funds. But what about the regular guy who has two kids in college, a mortgage, property taxes, etc, etc to pay? He doesnt need a hand? He's got bills to pay just like the low-income guy, and probably more. Mr. Regular Guy is probably living closer to the edge than Mr. Low-Income, but all he gets is a cheap loan to pay his fuel. A loan to pay for his fuel? WTF?? This is just like buying groceries with your credit card. Your standing on one leg at this point. And just in case your pea-brain doesnt work to well Joe, its gonna get cold again next year. Joe doesnt get it, he never did. It's to bad that Frank Farrignton was passed over by the voters in favor of Perry. I think some people actually think he's the guy who ran Perry's Restaraunt on Main Street for years. Sorry folks, wrong Joe. This one cant cook fried clams and wont lower your taxes either.

The American Folk Festival has come and gone. I had a chance to talk with Heather over the weekend and commended her on the good work. The new layout was great. The food lines were long, but not to long. And the music was first rate. I'll have to eat a little crow on this one. Keep doing what your doing Heather.

Thats all for now, I've got a few more important things to do.....

End of Summer Rant

2008-08-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

I hate this time of year. It finally came to me that Summer 2008 is drawing to a close. Labor Day weekend is comin at us like a freight train. I've got 2 weeks to cram all those activities in that I never had the time for. No, not painting the house or random chores, that's what Fall is for. I'm talking fishing with the kids, jumping off the "big rock", the famous "Camp Olympics" we have for the gang at Beech Hill, Folk Festival, etc. etc. You get the point. To much fun and not enough time. I'm thinking of grabbing a few vacation days next week and making a real long weekend out of it. Life's to short and Summer is even shorter. If you want to see fear in your kids eyes, tell them that school starts in 2 weeks!

Hollywood Slots has opened up the hotel portion of the Beast on Main Street. Nice looking place, but c'mon people. $149 for a double over looking Main Street? Whats the Fireside get next door? $50 or so I believe. Well, anyone in the hotel business will tell ya that Bangor has had a shortage of hotel rooms for years. From what I hear, on any given night in the summer, most local hotels (not the dumpy motels mind you) are at capacity. So this should help the shortage. We don't want anyone turned away now do we. Of course, 2 other hotels soon opening out by the mall will also help, but may just cut into each others business. They'll all drop their room rates with a little more competition and some open rooms.

On a side note, I got a huge kick out of Gerry Palmer at the grand opening of the hotel, cutting the ribbon and everything. Lets go back a few years and see who was a major opponent of the whole slot issue. Now, he's all smiles, cutting the ribbon, talking about how great this is, blah, blah, blah. Gerry, if your going to represent the City, please go buy a new suit coat. The green one that you always wear (his only one I think) doesn't fit to well and needs a cleaning. Your embarrassing yourself and the City. Not to mention that the piece of shit van you drive needs some engine work. It was knocking for 2 minutes after you shut it off. Hows about a tune-up? Save some money on fuel and help the environment as well.

Big surprise in the BDN this week. It appears that Section 8 tenants cant find anyone to take their vouchers. Once again, the VOB was all over that issue last month. Great job reporting old news BDN. I get a kick out of some of the "news" stories in the paper that I read online over a week ago. The lame keep getting lamer. Their monopoly on local news is waning as is the readership. Have you tried to run a "Help Wanted" add or something in the classifieds? Help Wanted adds running on Fri-Sat for 1 week only will cost you about $135. If your a small business looking for help, that's pretty steep. Of course, good help IS hard to find.

Consolidation of school administrators is looming. You'd think this was a death nail in our children's educational future if you listen to the administrator's. That's total bullshit. The State of Maine has nearly twice the number of Superintendent's of most States our size. Small towns across Maine have been getting this done for years in the form of School Unions. They all have school boards, but share a Superintendents (and his staff). It seems to work great, so what are the SAD's afraid of? With GWB almost out of office, the NCLB law will soon be capput. What will we need all the paper pushers for? C'mon folks, get your head out of your collective butts on this one. It's a "NO BRAINA". You'll still have local control over your schools, and curriculum's wont be altered in any way. Don't listen to the administrators, seeing that half of them are going to loose their jobs. Why would you trust them? Rumour has it that the Superintendents are requesting Olympia Snowe to get involved and pressure the Governor to back down and repeal the law. Sure, she'll help you out, just like she helped the paper mill workers and shoe shop employees. She'll see that you can get assistance and re-training at one of our areas tech centers. But save your jobs? Nope, sorry, she cant seem to help with that. Maybe if you worked in a shipyard.

I'll be at the American Folk Festival this weekend, hope to see you there. Till next time....

Hang On Tight

2008-08-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

Well, oil prices have dropped a little, but not enough for most Mainers. Winter is coming fast and most of the folks I talk with are taking a few steps in the right direction, but not all. What I see as a major problem for Bangor this winter is the availability of affordable rents. A pal of mine owns a few rents in town that he leases thru a deal with the Bangor Housing Authority. Low-income elderly folks on a very limited fixed income. He approached the city concerning raising the rents to combat the rising energy costs. He was told that the city leases were fixed for now and no increase in rent would be accepted. So......long story short, he evicted the "Section 8" tenants. This is just the tip of the iceberg people. As landlords scramble to keep up with energy costs, renters will be hit, and hit hard. A lot of people who are just getting by will be crippled by the rise in the rent. Hang on Bill Raye, your gonna need a bigger kitchen. Hang on DHS, your gonna need more assistance funding, Hang on oil dealers, your gonna get stiffed by some honest folks who have no choice. Hang on landlords, your not gonna get paid. Hang on bankers, you'll have plenty of homes to repossess. Hang on City of Bangor, hang on tight!

I watched the City Council workshop concerning the new barns at Bass Park the other night. This looks to be a little out of control to me. The cost estimate for the first barn is 1.2 million. WTF? This is a barn right? The second barn is even more and the total barn project is projected to cost the taxpayers over 4 million!! Surely we can come up with a cheaper design than that. This is one of the dumbest things I've heard lately. I guess I should support the project as we'll need someplace to put all the homeless this winter. The city shelter isnt quite big enough.

The American Folk Festival is coming soon. Is it just me? It feels like you cant throw a rock without hitting a music festival these days. Dont get me wrong, I'm a sucker for free live music, who isnt. But when Shangri-la can put up some fairly known national acts on the cheap, it takes away from the AFF. Heather McCarthy has done a great job with very little budget, however, the AFF is doomed if they cant land a few more known artists. The UpNorth Festival this weekend in Southern Maine is a deal at $65 per day ticket. And look at the line-up. Hell, its no Bonnarroo, but its a start. For the AFF to move forward, they'll need to think BIG!! And of course, that takes money. They may need to start charging a modest fee to survive. I know, have each Mainer bring a stick of hardwood for admission. There could be a full family max. of 1/2 cord that gets grampy and the kids in too! I'll bring down a bag of pellets if thats OK.

It looks like the folks on Howard Street are getting their day. Yeah, I saw that one coming. Joe Butler isnt gonna let this go, and he shouldnt. Good luck Joe.

Well, I'm heading to camp for a few weeks. Enjoy the rest of summer, if you can afford it......

4th of July rant

2008-07-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

The 4th is almost here. I've got my flag out and my grill cleaned up. Camps been open for a few weeks and the bugs are pretty thin. Oh yea, and Hollywood Slots Hotel and Racino is open for business. Todays BDN had a photo of Gerry Palmer holding open the door for someone at the new slot palace. How ironic seeing that Gerry voted against slots for Bangor. Oh, he'll try to spin it as if he was against Capitol 7, not slots in general. C'mon Gerry, which side of your mouth are you talking out of? I'm sure he's pleased about the new 2000 foot buffet in town, not the slots.

The folks on Howard Street are getting the signatures together to overturn the Councils silly ban on left turns onto Howard Street. Aren't those kinds of laws intended to support the majority, not the minority? Who votes for this? Gerry Palmer of course. Another grandstand for the big guy. I heard him spouting about poor sidewalk conditions the other day. I guess we'll have a new crop of laws to fix the areas in front of his pals homes. More cronyism, as usual. I'm ashamed that Pat Blanchette associated herself with this stupid law as well. Pat, Pat, Pat......I expect better from you.

The Pancoe Pool is open and in full swing. That place is literally jammed everyday. The local kids call it the cesspool due to the daily closings for floating 'baby ruth's". For God's sake people! Put a waterproof diaper on that kid or get the hell out of the pool. What the heck is wrong with you? Do you sooth your tired feet in the toilet, or are you from Old Capehart? Thats just plain ignorant. The sad thing is, you can get the correct diapers with food stamps too.

Have a safe and happy 4th. Remember fireworks are illegal in Maine, so dont get caught!

Summers Around The Corner

2008-06-12T05:45:00.000-07:00

Well it looks like summer is almost here. The weather has turned HOT and school is just about done. It will be the 4th of July before we know it. The last few weeks have been very busy for the VOB. If you've missed my rants, I'll pick up where I left off. Try to keep up.

Poor Richard got his day in court a few weeks back. He swiftly quit the Council right after the proceedings. Finally! I do believe that the 5 day sentence was just. Some folks are saying that it was to lenient, and 30 days should have been handed down. C'mon people. These were class D crimes. You and I would have only gotten a small fine. I spoke with Richard this past weekend at the Soap Box Derby. He's trying to put his financial trouble behind him and move forward with his life. He's paid his dues over these last few weeks, and I hope he can turn things around. Good luck.

The primarys are over and Gerry Palmer lost in a landslide to newcomer Adam Goode, as predicted in this blog. It just might be time to get a real job Gerry. Your days on the Council are numbered.

I had the pleasure of seeing Geoffry Gratwick and Hal Wheeler go head to head in the Council race at the Soap Box Derby. I have never laughed so hard in my life. These two fools were clearly two fish out of water. You guys dont get out much do you? Dr. Gratwicks helmet sitting on top of his ballcap shows just how numb he is. You'd think he would know better, being a cyclist and all. Hal Wheeler getup was a hoot. Dressed completely in black except the bright white sneakers (obviously new) and the straw hat. He looked like Colonel Sanders meets Johnny Cash. The black button-up shirt with no collar was the icing on this fruitcake. Where was Halsten and the "worst dressed list"? Too funny. I'll have to give them both the VOB Idiot of the Month award for May.

BHS graduation was on Sunday and it was a hot one in the old Mecca. Near the end of the ceremony, Principal Nickerson had all this years scholarship winners stand up. I gotta say that about 80% of the grads were standing, and several had received a couple of scholarships. This is truly impressive. It not only shows the depth of the education, but also the generosity of the local community leaders who fund the scholarships. GREAT JOB to all involved, and Thank You!

Hollywood Slots is poised to open the new BEAST on Main Street. The facility is both impressive and disgusting at the same time. We'll have to wait and see before we pass judgement on this new venture. I have noticed that the majority of upper management jobs have not gone to locals.
Sure, those $8 an hour maid and bartender positions are filled with folks from around here. But the GOOD jobs have gone mostly to out-of-staters who already have an affiliation with Penn National. More smoke and mirrors from the casino operators. Hey, watch my profits disappear! The City is pulling down some coin, so we should all just be quiet, right? Well, with the price of everything going up, up, up, I cant see that much expendable cash floating around for the rest of the year. The slot palace will look like a ghost town or be full of Canadians, I dont know which is worse. Hey, their money is green too, and red, and blue, and yellow. Hell, we'll take it!

Thats all for now. Dont forget the sunscreen. Until next time........

Poor Richard Part III

2008-05-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

It gets worse every day. Poor Richard missed a button on his orange jump suit. That was quite a shopping list he had going in to Hannaford. Gin and Tonic and a few bottles of wine. He told the cops that he was hungry. Looks like he was thirsty to me. From what I'm hearing on the street, he's been shoplifting for months. This was the first time someone actually called the cops on him. This guy has clearly lost it. Todays BDN poll showed that 95% say he should resign from the City council, but not Richard. He has "no comment". I really find it strange that after being caught red-handed, and admitting the theft to the police, he pleads "not guilty" to the charges. Just trying to drag out the inevitable I guess. This sap will rot in jail once he's sentenced unless he comes up with the $$$ for the fine. Quite a downward spiral your on Richard. Someone take his belt and shoelaces..........

Bangor lost a true friend in Clara Cohen this past week. She was a straight shooter and spoke her mind. We could use a few more folks like her around. I remember her talking with my neighbors daughter one day concerning the girls pregnancy. The young girl was 19, unmarried, and had a 3 year old daughter already. Clara looked her right in the eye and said "Your not to bright are you". Caught her right in the crosshairs with that one. She was also famous in the neighborhood for putting out tins of tuna and milk on her front porch for the local cats. I was saddened when I saw the old house up for sale. You could tell she was already gone as the lawn wasn't as neat, and the flower beds were bare. Here's to you Clara, we loved ya. Say hi to Ruby for me.

Richard Greene Part II

2008-05-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

Things are going steadily down hill for Poor Richard. He's doing the dignity limbo, as in "how low can you go". Its pretty sad to watch a City official self-destruct. I remember the Jim Kotredes slide into oblivion over in Brewer, and now Mr. Greene is in his little handbasket. The media feeds on it, and the good folks of Greater Bangor just shake their heads. Why hasn't this guy resigned from the City Council? Does he think he has a shred of integrity left? Can the citizens impeach this piece of crap? Will WLBZ reporters chase him down the street on the day he gets out of jail, like they did with Kotredes? Oh the drama! Now that's some street justice for ya. His reputation, business, finances, home, and family are going down the toilet right along with him. The sheriffs at the jail house might want to keep a close eye on him, take away his shoe laces and stuff. This guy needs to come down off the ledge.

In my last post I mentioned that Gerry Palmer is running against Adam Goode. Let me clarify that, as they are both Democrats running in the District 15 primary. Sorry for any confusion.

Till next time......

Gerry Gerry Gerry

2008-05-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

OK, here's my rant for the week. Gerry Palmer is running for the District 15 seat. He's "running" against Adam Goode, who is a distance runner. Very confusing to say the least. Lets have a foot race instead of an election, that I'd like to see. Gerry all sweaty running up Buck Street, about 2 miles behind Goode. Just the thought is causing me laughing fits. I've noticed Gerry's signs all over town this past week. On the sign he proudly displays http://www.gerrypalmer.com/ in the middle. So...I tried to access the site and was re-directed to mainebiotek.com. WTF? C'mon Gerry, do you have the rights to the site or is this another grandstanding tactic of yours, to make it look like you actually have a website? What a dope. I also noticed that Gerry isn't using the normal wooden sign stake, but a slab of Pressure Treated lumber. These must have cost a fortune and wont de-grade to well, so plan on picking up your signs when this things done. You can save 'em for the next office you go after. I think its time for you to crawl back under that Government funded rock Mr. Palmer. I don't think that piece of crap van you drive would be up for the daily trips to Augusta anyway. Hey, since we're pals, I'll do you a favor and vote for the other guy. You can thank me later, or better yet, buy me a drink at the opening of Hollywood Slots. Seams to me you voted against that one as well. Bangor will do just fine without "friends" like Gerry in Augusta. Now if we can get rid of Joe Perry, we'll be on the right track.

Little League Part 1

2008-04-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

Its that time of year again. Another chance for the boys of summer to show they're ugly faces. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.....Once again, grown men are behaving like little boys, searching for the 'stardom" that eluded them as youth. This years team draft was just another joke, in a long line of jokes for BWSLL. The entire process took only 55 minutes, but that's not the real issue. Most coaches have already held clinics and private tryouts to determine the roster. More kids are selected at the Seadog or the hockey rink, then get picked up on draft day. Its pretty sad and the kids pay the tab. The core problem appears to be the eligibility of 9 year olds for the draft. Now I'm not against 9 year olds playing in the league, we all have known a few who were impact players on day one. But these kids are the exception, not the rule. Every coach is out looking for the next Manny Ramirez or Josh Beckett and will draft any 9 year old who may have the slightest potential in year 3 or 4. So who cares? Who looses out here? A case could be made that everyone does, howeverI believe that the 10 and 11 year old boys are getting the short stick here. The 11 year olds are forced to stay in the Farm League system for some, a fifth year! I strongly believe that if a child has come through the Farm system for 4 years, and is not prepared to play in Little League, than the coaches have failed, not the kids. The League needs to take a hard look at the Farm system as a whole if this is truly the case. But, that's not really the case is it. We'll talk more on this as the season moves along.....

Well, I've been watching the City council meetings and other misc things over the past week and there's not a lot to discuss this week. Gerry Palmer is running for State Rep. Of course he is, its another job on the States dime. This guy couldn't get by without the States payroll, a true hack. I didn't catch who he was running against. It sounds funny to say that Gerry is "running" for anything. I don't think he jogs very much. On another note, the Council has been working on the school budget lately. It looks like Alan Kotchis has a pretty poor grasp of business issues to me. He couldn't answer a single question from the Council. How much is this dope getting paid? Around $100K so I hear. When the subject of the GE fuel buying program (that was going around a few weeks ago) was brought up, he had no clue if Bangor was involved in any buying program. With the cost of fuel going nutty, you'd think he'd know that one, been there, done that, but not him. Where do we get these people? How do I get that job??

I've been working hard on VOB's idiot of the month for April. OK, not that hard because it was pretty easy. Congrats goes out to Hal Wheeler. This guy loves to hear his own voice. He has no problem telling you how much he knows and how qualified he is to speak on these issues. He starts every sentence with '"When I was on the Council in 1984....." Wasn't that over 20 years ago? I dont know, but I think things have changed a bit in the last 20 years Hal. I'm regretting voting this blow hard in. Oh well, you can blame me I guess. Till next time.......

Dog Owners

2008-04-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

I find dog owners to be a breed all of their own. Why are so many dog owners completely oblivious to the fact that some people HATE dogs?? Dogs can be quite scary to some, and just plain annoying to others. Some dogs are left on their runs all day and bark constantly for attention. The real issue is not with the pooch, but the moron who owns it. I live on a street with a lot of foot traffic. I see dogs crapping on my lawn almost daily. 75% of the time, the owner looks the other way, as if they don't notice the deed, and then walk off quickly without collecting the turd. Just yesterday I watched an old lady wearing a yellow raincoat come walking by (yea that's right, I saw you lady) and cheer her little ratdog on as he dumped on my front lawn. She was still praising the thing as she jogged off, failing to pick up the mess. I suppose I could set up some surveillance equipment and capture these scofflaws on film, call the cops, and turn 'em in. Is all that really necessary?? I hope not. I'm kinda lazy and that sounds like a lot of work. Should I confront these asswipes?? Again, I'm kinda lazy and that's a ton of effort. I've yelled at a few and it was exhausting. I'm leaning towards shooting the defecating hounds with a paintball gun. If a stray shot hit the owner in the butt, we'll that wouldn't be that bad either. So all you dog walkers who like to "shit and run", watch your back. I'm coming for ya - Incidentally, I have two dogs of my own, and as much as I hate it, I collect the turds. That's called being a good citizen for you high school drop-outs.

Speaking of dogs, it's time for the annual licence fees at City Hall. What a joke. I refuse to register my dogs and the City can kiss my ass. I already pay my outrageous property taxes, I'm not giving in to this farce. Maybe if the folks in Animal Control had some stones, they'd write more tickets to the real problem owners and not give them 20 chances. This might help with the funds and you wouldn't need to keep tapping me for cash. Maybe a few "shit-and-runners" could get a summons too. How's about a weekly spot in the BDN for the "Pooper Scooper Violator of the Week!". I like the sound of that. Expose these people!! I lived next door to a non-stop barking dog years ago. It wasn't pleasant I can tell you, and the City was no help at all. Why have these stupid un-enforceable laws anyway?? Has anyone ever been summoned? I doubt it. Lets put up a few more signs in the parks too, we cant waste enough money on this, maybe some special trash cans or better yet, a dog park. Enough! My mother taught me to clean up after myself. How about you?

Spring is here?

2008-03-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

First and foremost - I was in the county snowmobiling this week. Yea, the stories about 15 foot snowbanks are true. I have to say that the ITS system was in amazing condition. Hats off to all the locals who maintain this system. Most clubs are running on ZERO funds this time of year and the recent spike in fuel has only added to the deficit spending. Some trail bosses are using their own cash to fuel the groomers. All I can say is THANK YOU. Maybe the Gov could send some emergency dollars their way. The trails could stay open for three-four more weeks if the money was there. From what I'm hearing, most grooming will stop next week. He was in the county last week too, I wonder if he went for a ride down ITS 85? Think 'economic engine" here people!

Bangor schools will have a new Super this fall as Betsy Webb was chosen to take the reins from Sandy Ervin. I know Betsy and she'll do a fine job. However, I think the pay rate of $125k is a joke. Look at her resume and you'll see what I mean. When Sandy was hired, one of the many reasons put out there for his salary was the fact that he held a doctorate. Yup Dr. Ervin for sure. But Betsy? No DR. in her name, no PHD. She was making around $90k as the assist. super (higher than most Supers in the State). That's a $35k jump for you math majors. Nice raise indeed. One could argue that some folks in Bangor don't even make as much as her raise. Pretty sad state of affairs, with the current budget crunch in Augusta. I think she would have taken the job at $100k - saving the city TWENTY-FIVE-GRAND!!!!! Who set that pay scale? The school board should be ashamed and probably removed. Wheres Dan Tremble when you need him most? Oh that's right, I forgot.

Finally, Nice to see Pat Blanchette was able to make last weeks Council meeting. She's a tireless fighter for Bangor in Augusta, unlike the other dopes we put down there. Joe Perry is by far the biggest disappointment that Bangor has ever sent down since Sean Faircloth and Tom Sawyer were elected. It's no wonder this State is screwed up with people like Joe on the taxation committee. This numb-nuts couldn't even run a small mom n pop store for gods sake. Have your taxes gone down? Me neither

Easter Rant

2008-03-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

Its Easter and I find myself reflecting on the world and why people celebrate this holiday. Christians observe this as a sabbath day, fulfillment of the scriptures and all that. Jews probably keep a low profile during this week. Muslims, I'm assuming, hate this week and every other week as well. It must be hard being Muslim, with all the rage and suicide bombing and stuff. C'mon people, you gotta lighten up a bit. The worst part of Easter for me is having to arrive at church an hour before the service. Why do so many folks go to Easter mass and not to regular mass? Hoping for a quick shot to heaven? I don't think so my friends. Jews don't think so either, or else they'd be at mass too. Any chance for for some quick eternal redemption and I'm there, cause you know I've done a few things, ya, things. But I dont think it works that way. If its not in your heart than your screwed. I have a conscience so I'm safe.

I was watching the usual Bangor council and committee meetings this week and had a few good laughs. Gerry Palmer had the gavel for the night and he was in his usual form. Gerry truley loves Bangor. Gerry is also a hack in the purest sense of the word. This lazy piece of shit couldnt get a real job if his life depended on it. The taxpayers have been funding this fat bastard for to long. The only thing he really cares about is Gerry Palmer. At least Professor Gratwick wasn't around this week for his usual tripe. I also caught the Planning boards this week and Member Rosenblatt doenst fail to put people asleep. Dave Gould was nodding off several times. This group of idiots couldnt get a thing done if they had to, and the frustration shows on Mr. Goulds face. The only bright spot in this bureaucratic cesspool is City Manager Ed Barret. Thanks for the good work Ed.

VOB's Idiot Of The Month

2008-03-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

This months complete idiot has to be Geoffry Gratwick. I've been watching the Council and misc committee meetings this past week and this guys pretentious rhetoric goes on and on. This weeks closing Council remarks - "torture is wrong" shows how out of touch with reality this numb-nuts is. Yes tortures wrong, we all agree, but is this your private soapbox? Go preach on the corner like a ranting drunk. The City doesn't need your help, unless you want to pick up all that dog shit at City Forest.

Richard Greene

2008-02-27T07:54:00.000-08:00

This guy is a piece of work. Being an idiot isnt illegal, but forgery is. C'mon man, did you really think that nobody would notice? Your on the damn council for cryin out loud! Maybe you just think everybody is as stupid as you. Sad thing is, I know Richard and he's not stupid, egocentric for sure, but not stupid. Its time to stop posing and be a real man my friend. Resign from the council while you still have a shred of dignity. We all know your integrity has left the building.....

2008-02-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

Potholes, Potholes! It seems like everyone is on the pothole bandwagon this time of year. "Worst I've ever scene" I was told. I dont know about that, but the crazy freeze thaw cycle this winter has been rough on the pavement and will only get worse in March. It aint over kids. I've run across a few "rim benders" around town, but no more than usual. Theres one on Rte 2 coming from Hermon near the trestle that has to be two feet deep. Hammond Street is going to crap real quick with all the re-routed truck traffic coming thru town instead of on I-395. I went up to the County over the weekend for some sledding. I-95 just above Bennidicta is coming apart BIG TIME. Most folks are using the passing lane in this area as the travel lane is one big mess. This isnt a frost heave problem like the southbound lanes of I-95 have, its the overlay coming apart. I'll keep my eye out for trouble spots and post some photos if I can, in the mean time, SLOW DOWN people. Your car will thank you.

February 16, 2008

2008-02-16T09:25:00.000-08:00

So...I went out to purchase some rock salt yesterday. My driveway is pretty ice covered after the last storm. I figured I would get a few bags at Home Depot seeing that I was out near the mall. The clerk told me "Sorry, no ice melt. We have playground sand." I'm shocked, go to Wal-Mart and get the same story. So I head home and stop by Fairmount Hardware. They have plenty of the good stuff. 2 100lbs bags and I'm gone, they even loaded it into the truck. Thanks Sheldon. The moral here is, for the most part, Big Box Stores SUCK. Buy Local!

February 14, 2008

2008-02-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

Its been a long time coming. I've been ranting about Bangor's issues for years. Some things just need to be said, and most aren't pretty. I'll put the truth out there for all to decide. From local politics to Hollywood Slots. From Little League Baseball to that annoying woman from Brewer screaming at me about Fusion. Whats my issue? Stop yelling at me for gods sake! Stay tuned folks, it might get a bit bumpy......