State Senator Justin Chenette: This Feels A Bit Like Highway Robbery

The Maine Senate voted 25-9 for corporate welfare to benefit General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works in the form of $45 million tax giveaway yesterday. Bruce Gagnon was on hand and reported:

Sen. Justin Chenette (D-Saco) told his fellow senators that while serving on the Taxation Committee, that had responsibility for LD 1781, he asked BIW V-P Fitzgerald five times for financial information that would prove the company needed the support.  Fitzgerald repeatedly refused to do so.  Chenette asked, "How can we make informed decisions without the facts?  This feels a little bit like highway robbery."

The campaign run by General Dynamics targeting Maine's elected officials amounted to: pay up, or else we shut down and throw thousands of people out of work.


I've always had a problem with caving to bullies. Maybe it's the Irish in me. Or the logical girl who considered going to law school. It seemed to me even as a child that, if I let someone bully me, I was indicating that they could do it again anytime they felt like it. So standing up for myself was the best choice in the long run even if painful in the short term.

Some of the other stars of yesterday's bullying session were Sen. Ben Chipman, a progressive from Portland who probably passes homeless people every single day on his way to work. Chipman said, "We could use this money to help alleviate poverty in Maine."

Also Sen. Mike Carpenter who pointed out, "There is no suggestion this company needs our help. This company is exploding with money."

Mark Roman, who was on hand to witness the senate's capitulation, described the day as "like watching a slow motion robbery happen."


Here's the roll call. Nine votes against the bill are more than we expected. But weasly words like Sen. Brownie Carson's to constituents -- where he concedes the truth of their arguments but ends with "I will vote my conscience" -- generally signal that a legislator is in the pocket of the guys in expensive suits.

	Member	Vote
	BELLOWS of Kennebec	D	N
	BRAKEY of Androscoggin	R	Y
	BREEN of Cumberland	D	Y
	CARPENTER of Aroostook	D	N
	CARSON of Cumberland	D	Y
	CHENETTE of York	D	N
	CHIPMAN of Cumberland	D	N
	COLLINS of York	R	Y
	CUSHING of Penobscot	R	Y
	CYRWAY of Kennebec	R	Y
	DAVIS of Piscataquis	R	Y
	DESCHAMBAULT of York	D	E
	DIAMOND of Cumberland	D	Y
	DILL of Penobscot	D	Y
	DION of Cumberland	D	N
	DOW of Lincoln	R	Y
	GRATWICK of Penobscot	D	N
	HAMPER of Oxford	R	Y
	HILL of York	D	Y
	JACKSON of Aroostook	D	Y
	KATZ of Kennebec	R	Y
	KEIM of Oxford	R	Y
	LANGLEY of Hancock	R	Y
	LIBBY of Androscoggin	D	Y
	MAKER of Washington	R	Y
	MASON of Androscoggin	R	Y
	MILLETT of Cumberland	D	N
	MIRAMANT of Knox	D	N
	ROSEN of Hancock	R	N
	SAVIELLO of Franklin	R	Y
	THIBODEAU of Waldo	R	Y
	VITELLI of Sagadahoc	D	Y
	VOLK of Cumberland	R	Y
	WHITTEMORE of Somerset	R	Y
	WOODSOME of York	R	Y

Organizer Gagnon was surprised to find that progressive leader Sen. Troy Jackson voted for the bill. Then he found out that Jackson has an ambitious son who works for Preti Flaherty, the lobbying law firm that racked up hundreds of billable hours in reponse to strong citizen resistance to LD1781. 

Because of citizen resistance and a few brave legislators and journalists, the original ask of $60 million was reduced to $45 million (albeit in a shortened timeframe that would send them back for more in 15 years instead of 20). 

I'll be sending a personal message to each of the senators who found the courage to vote no on the bill. Probably General Dynamics/BIW will attempt to punish them for it, either financially or otherwise. That's how bullies work.

Cynics say I'm wrong. They say the legislative process permits a handful of representatives or senators to put on a good show for angry consituents as the need arises. As long as the bill ultimately passes, who cares if a few no votes are recorded in the process? Those same cynics would argue that participating in citizen lobbying is a huge waste of time and that the people who do it are "useful idiots." Myself, I see these efforts as powerful communication opportunities. Our messaging travels beyond our own group to reach even those who "don't follow politics" and contributes to their education a little bit.

Citizen lobbyists against LD1781 present in the State House for the Senate vote.

Also, you meet the nicest people in these movements.


Notorious bully Governor LePage must now sign the bill for it to become law. His (or really, his staff's) misunderstanding of how a pocket veto works led to the passage of 65 bills he disliked back in 2015. So, I'm praying for another foul up by his nepotistic staff in the coming days.

In other words, I'm praying for a miracle on behalf of the hungry children of Maine.

Maine Democrats Lie In Caucus About Unions Supporting Corporate Welfare Bill

The dark forces were busy at the Maine State House yesterday as the House of Representatives defied the will of the people and voted yes on a $45 million tax giveaway to weapons manufacturer General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works.

Those of you who have been following the long struggle to defeat the bill may recall my recent post reporting my husband's in person encounter with our own Rep. Bradlee Farrin (R).

Farrin went through the motions of placating a constituent who knew more about LD1781 than he did -- until Mark mentioned that the largest union at BIW had failed to endorse the bill.

(Union S6 has around 3,500 members, and at a meeting about the bill 100 of them split over the endorsement question when it came to a vote.)

Farrin told Mark he would vote yes on a tax giveaway for GD/BIW because we "need jobs," and then he began criticizing the unions driving up the cost of doing business at BIW. This is ironic because workers at BIW have a collective bargaining agreement freezing their wages for the next four years.

Mark told him the biggest union at BIW, S6, had voted not to endorse LD1781. Of all Mark's arguments against the bill, this is the only one that appeared to alarm Farrin. He snapped to attention and began scrolling frantically through his phone before replying that S6 had not endorsed the bill yet -- pending further negotiations.

Yesterday a legislator told citizen lobbyist Bruce Gagnon that the Democrats in caucus received the (false) information that all the unions at BIW had endorsed LD1781.

Just prior to the vote, when Bruce shared the fact that it just wasn't true, there was some scrambling to get the truth out. But the lie had already done its intended job. 

The Maine House voted yesterday on the bill and the Senate will do so soon. Here's the roll call from the House, which passed LD1781 by 117-31. 

	Member	Party      Vote
	ACKLEY of Monmouth	C	N
	ALLEY of Beals	D	Y
	AUSTIN of Skowhegan	D	Y
	AUSTIN of Gray	R	Y
	BABBIDGE of Kennebunk	D	N
	BAILEY of Saco	D	N
	BATES of Westbrook	D	Y
	BATTLE of South Portland	I	Y
	BEEBE-CENTER of Rockland	D	N
	BERRY of Bowdoinham	D	Y
	BICKFORD of Auburn	R	Y
	BLACK of Wilton	R	Y
	BLUME of York	D	N
	BRADSTREET of Vassalboro	R	Y
	BROOKS of Lewiston	D	Y
	BRYANT of Windham	D	Y
	CAMPBELL of Orrington	R	Y
	CARDONE of Bangor	D	Y
	CASÁS of Rockport	I	N
	CEBRA of Naples	R	Y
	CHACE of Durham	R	Y
	CHAPMAN of Brooksville	G	N
	COLLINGS of Portland	D	N
	COOPER of Yarmouth	D	N
	COREY of Windham	R	Y
	CRAIG of Brewer	R	Y
	DAUGHTRY of Brunswick	D	Y
	DeCHANT of Bath	D	Y
	DENNO of Cumberland	D	Y
	DEVIN of Newcastle	D	Y
	DILLINGHAM of Oxford	R	Y
	DOORE of Augusta	D	Y
	DUCHESNE of Hudson	D	Y
	DUNPHY of Old Town	D	Y
	ESPLING of New Gloucester	R	Y
	FARNSWORTH of Portland	D	N
	FARRIN of Norridgewock	R	Y
	FAY of Raymond	D	Y
	FECTEAU of Biddeford	D	N
	FOLEY of Wells	R	Y
	FREDETTE of Newport	R	Y
	FREY of Bangor	D	Y
	FULLER of Lewiston	D	Y
	GATTINE of Westbrook	D	Y
	GERRISH of Lebanon	R	Y
	GIDEON of Freeport	D	Y
	GILLWAY of Searsport	R	Y
	GINZLER of Bridgton	R	Y
	GOLDEN of Lewiston	D	Y
	GRANT of Gardiner	D	Y
	GRIGNON of Athens	R	Y
	GROHMAN of Biddeford	I	Y
	GUERIN of Glenburn	R	Y
	HAGGAN of Hampden	R	Y
	HAMANN of South Portland	D	X
	HANDY of Lewiston	D	N
	HANINGTON of Lincoln	R	Y
	HANLEY of Pittston	R	Y
	HARLOW of Portland	I	N
	HARRINGTON of Sanford	R	Y
	HARVELL of Farmington	R	Y
	HAWKE of Boothbay Harbor	R	Y
	HEAD of Bethel	R	Y
	HERBIG of Belfast	D	N
	HERRICK of Paris	R	Y
	HICKMAN of Winthrop	D	N
	HIGGINS of Dover-Foxcroft	I	N
	HILLIARD of Belgrade	R	Y
	HOGAN of Old Orchard Beach	D	Y
	HUBBELL of Bar Harbor	D	Y
	HYMANSON of York	D	Y
	JOHANSEN of Monticello	R	N
	JORGENSEN of Portland	D	Y
	KINNEY of Limington	R	Y
	KINNEY of Knox	R	Y
	KORNFIELD of Bangor	D	Y
	KUMIEGA of Deer Isle	D	N
	LAWRENCE of Eliot	D	Y
	LOCKMAN of Amherst	R	Y
	LONGSTAFF of Waterville	D	Y
	LUCHINI of Ellsworth	D	Y
	LYFORD of Eddington	R	Y
	MADIGAN of Waterville	D	Y
	MADIGAN of Rumford	D	Y
	MALABY of Hancock	R	Y
	MAREAN of Hollis	R	Y
	MARTIN of Eagle Lake	D	Y
	MARTIN of Sinclair	D	Y
	Mason of Lisbon	R	Y
	MASTRACCIO of Sanford	D	Y
	McCREA of Fort Fairfield	D	Y
	McCREIGHT of Harpswell	D	Y
	McELWEE of Caribou	R	Y
	McLEAN of Gorham	D	Y
	MELARAGNO of Auburn	D	N
	MONAGHAN of Cape Elizabeth	D	N
	MOONEN of Portland	D	N
	NADEAU of Winslow	D	Y
	O'CONNOR of Berwick	R	Y
	O'NEIL of Saco	D	N
	ORDWAY of Standish	R	Y
	PARKER of South Berwick	D	N
	PARRY of Arundel	R	Y
	PERKINS of Oakland	R	Y
	PERRY of Calais	D	Y
	PICCHIOTTI of Fairfield	R	Y
	PICKETT of Dixfield	R	Y
	PIERCE of Dresden	R	Y
	PIERCE of Falmouth	D	Y
	POULIOT of Augusta	R	Y
	PRESCOTT of Waterboro	R	Y
	RECKITT of South Portland	D	N
	REED of Carmel	R	Y
	RILEY of Jay	D	Y
	RYKERSON of Kittery	D	N
	SAMPSON of Alfred	R	Y
	SANBORN of Portland	D	Y
	SANDERSON of Chelsea	R	Y
	SCHNECK of Bangor	D	Y
	SEAVEY of Kennebunkport	R	Y
	SHEATS of Auburn	D	Y
	SHERMAN of Hodgdon	R	X
	SIMMONS of Waldoboro	R	Y
	SIROCKI of Scarborough	R	Y
	SKOLFIELD of Weld	R	Y
	SPEAR of South Thomaston	D	N
	STANLEY of Medway	D	Y
	STEARNS of Guilford	R	Y
	STETKIS of Canaan	R	Y
	STEWART of Presque Isle	R	N
	STROM of Pittsfield	R	Y
	SUTTON of Warren	R	Y
	SYLVESTER of Portland	D	N
	TALBOT ROSS of Portland	D	N
	TEPLER of Topsham	D	Y
	TERRY of Gorham	D	Y
	THERIAULT of China	R	X
	TIMBERLAKE of Turner	R	Y
	TIPPING of Orono	D	Y
	TUCKER of Brunswick	D	Y
	TUELL of East Machias	R	Y
	TURNER of Burlington	R	Y
	VACHON of Scarborough	R	Y
	WADSWORTH of Hiram	R	Y
	WALLACE of Dexter	R	Y
	WARD of Dedham	R	Y
	WARREN of Hallowell	D	Y
	WHITE of Washburn	R	N
	WINSOR of Norway	R	Y
	WOOD of Greene	R	Y
	ZEIGLER of Montville	D	N

Last week, Mark waited as Farrin spoke with a man he recognized as the lawyer from Preti Flaherty who was always by BIW vice president John Fitzgerald's side in taxation committee work sessions for LD 1781

It would be interesting to know how much it cost GD/BIW in legal fees to get the bill passed in the House yesterday. Preti Flaherty lawyers do not work cheap and, really, the longer the legislative battle takes the more hours they are likely to be able to bill.

Taxpayers pay that tab, too. All costs of doing business -- including the state taxes they got a $45 million break on -- are built into their warship contracts with the Pentagon.

But it's nearly impossible to quantify because, as Rep. Janice Cooper (D) noted in the debate prior to the vote,

"The Taxation Committee asked BIW for their financials to prove they actually need the support, but they refused to provide them to us."

The 43,000 children growing up in poverty in Maine were robbed of $45 million yesterday.

The bill is expected to pass the Senate, which is even more infested with corporate servants than the House, and will surely be signed into law by Maine's ALEC-sponsored governor.

Corporate government at the national, state and even local level currently functions to funnel our tax dollars to the wealthy. So much for government of, by and for the people. As Rep. Ralph Chapman (I) bravely stated in the House debate before the vote was taken, "We have a shameless request from General Dynamics."

Citizen lobbyists will be back at in the State House today as the Senate has LD1781 on their calendar.