It's Not An August Time Right Now In Augusta

Maine is a state of great beauty and contrast. There are places that are picturesque, rugged sea scape landscapes, and then there are areas where there are a lot of forests, occasional lakes and then in the northern part of the state there is the Caribou.
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" It's Not An August Time Right Now In Augusta "
Rev. Peter E. Bauer

Maine is a state of great beauty and contrast. There are places that are picturesque, rugged sea scape landscapes, and then there are areas where there are a lot of forests, occasional lakes and then in the northern part of the state there is the Caribou.
I have visited the state twice in the last several years providing mental health training. My first visit I was hosted by the Maine National Guard ,and I presented in both Portland and Bangor. Portland was a lovely place especially its harbor area with the cobblestone streets and restaurants that lined the marina. My second visit brought me to Lewiston , again providing a mental health presentation hosted by the Tri-County Mental Health Services. On this visit I saw a lot more of rural Maine, again peaceful lake settings complete with Adirondack chairs and hammocks.
The people I met in Maine were great, very friendly, hospitable, kind and hard-working. Here, the current situation regarding the Governor of Maine Paul LePage becomes mystifying. The governor has chosen to take a combative, hostile posture with several groups within the state including the NAACP. Like another well-known politician, he has delivered incendiary remarks at minority populations. According to a recent article, LePage delivered:
" a series of outbursts in which he endorsed racial profiling, falsely asserted that the majority of drug dealers arrested in Maine were black and Hispanic, called people of color "the enemy" and threatened a state lawmaker in an angry, obscenity-laced voicemail, subsequently telling reporters he wished he could shoot him "right between the eyes" in a duel. " "Paul LePage: is this one outburst too many for Maine's Trump-like governor?The Guardian - 5 hours ago
Why does Maine government have to endure all of these theatrics ? The Governor now indicates that he will not resign and that he will not talk to the press anymore. Michael Socolaw has described Paul LePage as being " Charles Dickens with a dash of Stephen King." Paul LePage says he won't quit The Boston Globe - 3 hours ago
One wonders how can anything legislatively get done in this state ? How are the good people of Maine being served by this example of intemperate ill-advised behavior on the part of the state's chief executive ?
LePage has previously been forthcoming about his embattled childhood: He was the eldest of eleven who ran away from the incessant physical abuse that he suffered at home. He was befriended by Paul Snowe, husband of former US Senator Olympia Snowe, and has been supported by established elected officials in Maine. Yet his demeanor has been in stark contrast to that of other legislators. ( The Guardian )
One would hope that the Governor could extend compassion to his constituents. Despite his reservations concerning the welfare system, you would hope that Paul LePage would strive to represent the people of Maine in a stately dignified manner instead of presenting his tenure as one long and unending reality television show.
My friends in Maine, the people of Maine, deserve so much better. Instead of sailing, enjoying a lobster boil with friends or gazing at a pristine seascape, the citizens of Maine are protesting in an Augusta park regarding their governor.
It's not an august time right now in Augusta.
However, the whales of September are coming.
It has to get better. It must get better for Maine and its people.
May it be so.

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