A Counterpoint; The Inappropriate Thesaurus: Response to Ken Huber and What Has America Become

Monday, October 25, 2010

Response to Ken Huber and What Has America Become

This leditor has been going around the right-wing email circuit, and I wanted to briefly address each of Mr. Huber's comments... (If this isn't big enough to read, you can see most of it in excerpt below.)

Ken Huber has some good points but his timeline seems to be confused...

"Has America become the land of special interest and home of the double standard?"

Yes, when we seceded from the union (with Britain)... We have been such ever since, regardless of who has been paying attention.

"Lets see, if we lie to the Congress, it's a felony and if the Congress lies to us its just politics."

Correct. This is because we don't require Congressmen to swear an oath every time they speak. Regular people lie all the time and it's not a felony. You're forgetting that Congressmen are just regular people going to work, and you seem to be under the impression that they were all completely truthful at one point..?

"If we dislike a black person, we're racist and if a black person dislikes whites, it's their 1st Amendment right."

Both of these things are racist and both of them are 1st amendment rights. There wouldn't be a constitution guaranteeing you the freedom to be a perfect person, this document would be unnecessary. BTW, if certain people give African Americans a pass for being racially ignorant, it's because the American double standard has shafted them historically harder than other groups, and perhaps they actually have a tiny reason to dislike us.

"The government spends millions to rehabilitate criminals and they do almost nothing for the victims."

My imagination isn't potent enough to fathom what it's like to have my life so far into the gutter that robbing a liquor store seems like a good idea... The sad truth of the matter is that we don't all share the same morals, intelligence, work ethic, education, psychological health, etc. etc. But if one of our worst hypocrisies as a nation is that we attempt to turn criminals into decent people.... I guess this doesn't enrage me as much as it should.

"In public schools you can teach that homosexuality is OK, but you better not use the word God in the process."

But we teach that God is okay. In one form or another we all learned about the religious freedom of America, we're just not allowed to tell kids they have to believe in God anymore than we tell them they have to be homosexuals. How is this inconsistent?

"You can kill an unborn child, but it is wrong to execute a mass murderer."

I don't think mass murderers have as good of a reputation as you presume. Also, unborn children are generally thought more highly of than "it's okay to kill them". But the reason it's LEGAL to kill them is one of the unfortunate results of a complicated society filled with contrasting world-views. You've had this discussion I'm sure.

"We don't burn books in America, we now rewrite them."

This is a somewhat alarming complaint, and I'm hoping it's just the poetic linguistics of a traditional-minded fellow. If not, let me address it quickly. Knowledge is a constantly evolving thing. What makes a book written in 1999 more valid than a similar book written in 2010? Because it was here first? If the most effective form of chemotherapy has changed over the last ten years, should the texts on chemo not be updated? And the reason we don't burn the old volumes is because they may be useful for reference. When it comes to knowledge, less is not more.

"We got rid of communist and socialist threats by renaming them progressive."

The claim seems to be that language is being strategically used to affect attitudes. I can do that too. Progress is being slowed down by people renaming it the Socialist Threat. Congratulations, you're a politician.

"We are unable to close our border with Mexico, but have no problem protecting the 38th parallel in Korea."

I agree that we're spending too much money on foreign defense, although I think this one has something to do with your Communist Threat.

"If you protest against President Obama's policies you're a terrorist, but if you burned an American flag or George Bush in effigy it was your 1st Amendment right."

Seriously? You got called a terrorist for peacefully protesting? That seems extreme.

"You can have pornography on TV or the internet, but you better not put a nativity scene in a public park during Christmas."

This is perfectly consistent: you can have a nativity scene at home and you can't have pornography in a public park. What's the argument here? And just a side note, there is such a thing as non-sexual pornography, and the idea of a living manger out-front the capitol building is probably certain peoples' little blue pill.

"We have eliminated all criminals in America, they are now called sick people."

Huh? I think this is more rhetorical gymnastics. If the core of this statement is that you don't like the empathy that is given to people who break the law, then I don't know what to tell ya. They still go to jail, and their lives are still probably more or less empty. If you're mad that they're still treated like human beings then I can't really help ya on this one.

"We can use a human fetus for medical research, but it is wrong to use an animal."

They're not live fetuses being used for research. Again, I can appreciate the anti-abortion sentiment, as I think many people can, but there's something not-so-sacred about incest-rape. Additionally, I don't think the average liberal American has a problem with using rats to cure cancer. Certain folks don't want animals mutated to test our style products. Don't confuse a vocal minority for a majority.

"We take money from those who work hard for it and give it to those who don't want to work"

Literally speaking, this is probably way less common than you'd expect. Do you think the average beneficiary of unemployment really WANTS to pad their resume with years of wellfare? Maybe some, but the bigger social issue here is that unexceptional people are having too many babies, creating large quantities of unexceptional citizens.

"We all support the Constitution, but only when it supports our political ideology."

Good point, this is also nothing new.

"We still have freedom of speech, but only if we are being politically correct."

False. Politically incorrect people still have freedom of speech, they just don't like having to deal with the non-legal consequences of their words. You can lose your job for something you say, but you're forgetting that a job is a privilege, not a constitutional right.

"Parenting has been replaced with Ritalin and video games."

Once again, too many unexceptional parents.

"The land of opportunity is now the land of hand outs."

Vote.

"The similarity between Hurricane Katrina and the gulf oil spill is that neither president did anything to help."

Fair enough.

And how do we handle a major crisis today? The government appoints a committee to determine who's at fault, then threatens them, passes a law, raises our taxes; tells us the problem is solved so they can get back to their reelection campaign.

Duh.

"What has happened to the land of the free and home of the brave?"

This is from a song. There are still brave people and free people living here. But the reason those lyrics are popular in song form instead of document form is because they're intended to get you emotive about a vague concept, rather than particular about specific concepts. To ask "What has happened to the land of the free and home of the brave?" is to ask a rhetorical question for the purpose of making a broad statement: "I don't like the way my country is behaving as of late". But the hypocrisies that you're dealing with here are remarkably consistent with the hypocrisies we've always had. The only difference LATELY is that your fellow voters have been disagreeing with you about the details. You're mad at your government but the folks you should really be mad at are the voters who have a different outlook than you.

What you're probably MOST upset about, is that non-religious people have different values than the faithful. You are unable to see religious dogma as subjective truth. And I don't blame you, because what use would religion be if it WAS seen as subjective? I don't know how to help you reconcile this, other than to tell you to keep on voting and hope for the best. Progress and entropy are more or less two sides to the same coin. One of these (entropy) is inevitable by definition. If that's the idiom you subscribe to, then we're already doomed. If you see social movement as progress, then this is NOT inevitable, and there's hope for you. Only problem becomes dealing with the reality that you're rooting against progress. You can look at the public moving away from religion, towards humanism and see it as entropy or progress. But you can't call it neither. Or, shouldn't.

My friend, you're a man without a nation, and this is going to sound odd and strangely anti-American to say, but if this stuff is really important to you, you're best bet is to join the Tea Party and start planning which mesoamerican states are going to be fenced off for the REAL America to begin. Only awkward thing is that you're going to lose the name America and the songs and flags... Can you reconcile fighting for your secession (which you WILL win, because if there's one thing your Tea Party friends will have, it's lots of guns--and if there's one thing godless neo-liberals don't have, it's willingness to fight and die for anything) when after the dust settles, you'll have your perfect set of small-government laws but a less traditional flag to wave, different songs to learn, and a whole new set of patriots to start idolizing? Boy it's gonna be wistfull, but at least things will be back to the way they.... (were?)

 http://dolphindentist.blogspot.com/2010/10/response-to-ken-huber-and-what-has.html

And The Question Still Remains Valid Today: What Has America Become? by Ken Huber

 Rene Girard, Examiner.com

"What Has America Become" was the title of a letter to the editior written by Ken Huber of Tawas City, Michigan.   It contains a series of comparisons and contrasts which causes one to think about the double-standards and conditions under which we now live here in America.  

A reprint of the article has been circulating online (see photo with this article) finding its way to Fort Worth and possibly all over the nation.  It was originally printed in the Iosco County News Herald on June 9, 2010, published in the Opinion column.  Please read, post your thoughts, and as always feel free to subscribe for future articles and/or
share with others.

 Where Is Tawas City, MI? It is on Lake Huron and has a population of just over 2,000!!

What has America become?
Editor,

Has America become the land of special interest and home of the double standard?

Lets see: if we lie to the Congress, it's a felony and if the Congress lies to us its just politics; if we dislike a black person, we're racist and if a black person dislikes whites, its their 1st Amendment right; the government spends millions to rehabilitate criminals and they do almost nothing for the victims; in public schools you can teach that homosexuality is OK, but you better not use the word God in the process; you can kill an unborn child, but it is wrong to execute a mass murderer; we don't burn books in America, we now rewrite them; we got rid of communist and socialist threats by renaming them progressive; we are unable to close our border with Mexico, but have no problem protecting the 38th parallel in Korea; if you protest against President Obama's policies you're a terrorist, but if you burned an American flag or George Bush in effigy it was your 1st Amendment right.

You can have pornography on TV or the internet, but you better not put a nativity scene in a public park during Christmas; we have eliminated all criminals in America, they are now called sick people; we can use a human fetus for medical research, but it is wrong to use an animal.

We take money from those who work hard for it and give it to those who don't want to work; we all support the Constitution, but only when it supports our political ideology; we still have freedom of speech, but only if we are being politically correct; parenting has been replaced with Ritalin and video games; the land of opportunity is now the land of hand outs; the similarity between Hurricane Katrina and the gulf oil spill is that neither president did anything to help.

And how do we handle a major crisis today? The government appoints a committee to determine who's at fault, then threatens them, passes a law, raises our taxes; tells us the problem is solved so they can get back to their reelection campaign.

What has happened to the land of the free and home of the brave?

- Ken Huber
Tawas City

(note:  all links added for articles related to topics within Mr. Huber's article.  His article had no links.)

"Thank You For Freedom" What Airmen See When Airborn At Offutt Air Force Base

A farmer does this with his tractor.
He uses GPS to get the letters readable.
He has done this every fall for several years now.


Here's the view from the flight pattern into OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE  Bellevue, NE., just south of   Omaha .

This is what our servicemen see when
landing at  Offutt AFB.
 
Hat tip to the Bellevue
farmer who made it  
happen!

 Okay, let's keep this
going until  everyone has seen it without the
news media's help.

This should have made national news.

Imagine how this must feel to all
those servicemen seeing it for the first
time.

It tells them that we do care and
that we do support them.

Let's make it a BIG THANK YOU by
sending it around the world.

The Lord's Prayer

The Lord's Prayer
The moment you receive it, say:

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,

give us this day our daily bread

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us

and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil,

for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory,

now and forever Amen...

GOD WANTED ME TO TELL YOU,

it shall be well with you this coming year. No matter how much your enemies try this year, they will not succeed. You have been destined to make it and you shall surely achieve all your goals this year. For the remainder of 2013, all your agonies will be diverted and victory and prosperity will be incoming in abundance. Today, God has confirmed the end of your sufferings sorrows and pain because HE that sits on the throne has remembered you. He has taken away the hardships and given you JOY. He will never let you down.I knocked at heaven's door this morning, God asked me, My child! What can I do for you?And I said,

'Father, please protect and bless the person reading

this message. '

It has never been broken. Within 48 hours send to family and friends, as many as you can . God does know if you don't have 20 people to send it to.
It's the effort and intent that counts. This is a powerful Prayer. Couldn't hurt can only help...

 

Let's pray for one another, there’s no superstition involved here, we are just asking for Gods will to be done here on earth.

GOD BLESS YOU!

 

Debbie

You can never go wrong doing the right thing

 

Submitted by: 'RT & Debbie"

CAFR1: "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, D.C." Updated Link On Mission ~ Can You Help Him Out?

http://CAFR1.com/MrSmith.html 

Time is getting late and I (we) need to get this job done.

The CAFR1 to DC Trip has been edited and is highlighted.

Also the CAFR1 National Post of 07/21/13 after edit is included below the DC trip info.

I thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.

Truly yours,

Walter Burien - CAFR1.com

GOPDD: Obama Disarms America

Politics `a la` Lisbon!! Transparency and Open Government Be Damned!

VICE CHAIR STICKS TO PARTY LINE

Councilor Roger Cote and I have had several discussions about the manner in which the Executive Sessions are, and have been, being conducted.  According to Councilor Cote, there were numerous Executive Sessions which should have been open to the Public.  This prompted me to look into the Maine Revised Statute on Executive Sessions.  I have posted an article called “Residents Robbed of Rights” on both the
Lisbonreporter.com and Lisbonmaine.net blog sites.

 Lisbon Council Chairman Fern Larochelle

Lisbon Council Vice-Chair Lisa Ward

At the last town council meeting, I attempted to introduce Maine Revised Statutes 401 and 405.  However, as we all know; this council does not listen to a word I have to say.  Prior to the council moving into Executive Session, I approached Chairman LaRochelle and Vice Chair Ward about my concerns.  Chairman LaRochelle refused to discuss it at all and Vice Chair Ward asked me to submit my concerns in an email to her which I did.  I believed at that time Vice Chair Ward would read the two statutes and recognize that the town was not complying with these statutes especially paragraph 4 of statute 405.  Paragraph 4 outlines the proper procedures to making a motion to go into an Executive Session.  The paragraph states “A motion to go into executive session must indicate the precise nature of business of the executive session and include a citation of one or more sources of statutory or other authority that permits an executive session for that business".  As you can see there are TWO parts to this motion. 

You can review the tapes of our town council and you will see that Chairman LaRochelle will say “I need a motion” and another councilor will said “So Moved”.  This motion is then seconded and voted on.  “So Moved” does not come anywhere close to indicating the precise nature of business of the executive meeting.  The reason this is important is because Chapter 13 of Title 1, statute 401 states “The Legislature finds and declares that public proceedings exist to aid in the conduct of the people’s business.  It is the intent of the Legislature that their actions be taken openly and that the records of their actions be open to public inspections and their deliberations be conducted openly.”  To me this means that the people of Lisbon have a right to know what the precise nature of the business being discussed in Executive Session is.   This does not mean the people are entitled to know what exactly was discussed behind closed doors.

The very statute that the town council is hiding behind on Executive Sessions makes it very clear in the very first paragraph of the statute 405 which says “Not to defeat purposed of subchapter.  An executive session may not be used to defeat the purpose of the subchapter as stated in section 401.”  Vice Chair Ward sent me an email and she stated “As promised, I have read through your notes and, after careful consideration, I feel that the descriptions of the Executive Sessions and the motion to move into Executive Session were well within the required boundaries and guidelines.”  I was very disappointed in Vice Chair Ward’s response because I had a great deal of respect for Councilor Ward and felt she would make the necessary changes to comply with Maine law.  In my opinion, doing the right thing for the people and complying with the law would have been a positive change for Lisbon but instead Vice Chair Ward chose to quote the party line.  So much for doing the right thing!

I believe the people need to know the precise nature of the business being discussed behind closed doors because Lisbon belongs to the people.  It is the right of the people to be kept informed on what is going on in their town.

I would like the people of Lisbon to comment on how they feel about this issue.  Please comment!

Larry Fillmore
Concerned Citizen

The Gathering Storm

The Gathering Storm

The devastation and ignorance being caused by this
Catastrophic occurrence will forever destroy the
Fiber and character of a once great nation
With little hope for correction or rebuilding
At the present rate of duplicity and complacence
Being displayed by the American public.

I don't know who came up with the idea for
this drawing, but it is GREAT!
 

The best insult I've ever seen!

Amazing how something with no vulgarity can be one of the most
powerful messages about the Obama team that I have seen to date!

NOT RACIST...NOT VIOLENT...JUST NOT SILENT ANY MORE!
KEEP This One Going! Send to your friends
 

Submitted by: 'Bucksnort'

Good Woman With Gun Saves Her Children;WSBTV.com: Woman hiding with kids shoots intruder

Kerry Kavanaugh, WSB-TV

 Police investigate a home invasion in Walton County

LOGANVILLE, Ga. —

A woman hiding in her attic with children shot an intruder multiple times before fleeing to safety Friday.

The incident happened at a home on Henderson Ridge Lane in Loganville around 1 p.m. The woman was working in an upstairs office when she spotted a strange man outside a window, according to Walton County Sheriff Joe Chapman. He said she took her 9-year-old twins to a crawlspace before the man broke in using a crowbar.

But the man eventually found the family.

"The perpetrator opens that door. Of course, at that time he's staring at her, her two children and a .38 revolver," Chapman told Channel 2’s Kerry Kavanaugh.

 


More here:
 http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/woman-hiding-kids-shoots-intruder/nTm7s/

 Remember, the Police are never there to protect you, they come in after the fact to clean up and piece it all together!

God, Honor, and Country, Where Do We Really Stand Today?

IS THIS THE VISION OUR FOREFATHERS HAD FOR THIS COUNTRY AND SO MANY HAVE PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR???????

When I grew up, my parents instilled a strong set of values in each of us.  These values were God, Honor and Country.  We were raised to respect our elders, always speak the truth and a very strong sense of patriotism.  Mainers were respected for their common sense, voting their hearts and not party lines and always putting what was best for Maine and the nation first.

I grew up believing in JFK’s immortal words “Ask NOT what your country can do for you; but what you can do for your country.”  These ideals led me to serving forty years of dedicated service first in the Army and then as a Department of Defense civilian.  I always believed I was making a difference around the world by spreading democracy and our way of life to others.  Naïve maybe, but I strongly believe America is the best country in the world and it was important to defend the rights of those who could not defend themselves.

After retiring, I returned to Lisbon and was in for a rude awakening.  While “true” Americans, who believe as I do, are fighting and dying all over the world; there are individuals who are destroying everything I grew up believing in.  Instead of protecting our country while true Americans are away doing their job, these individuals are putting their agenda ahead of our community, Maine and this great nation.  

 First, took away our right to pray in school, removed “In God We Trust” and are robbing the American people blind.  The final blow is when the votes of our dedicated service members serving overseas ballots are not counted in our Presidential election because of a SNAFU created by the government.  Our service members did their civic duty on time and should have their votes counted regardless of when the ballots were received.  Our military and civilian personnel serving this nation overseas deserve to have their votes counted.

Our forefathers and many true Americans made the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect our way of life.  A way of life where no matter where you are from or what your culture is; you can live in peace and worship as you please in the safety of your own home.  This country is a melting pot of people living together.  At one point, everyone learned English because they were proud to be Americans and wanted to make this a better country.   

This is no longer true, instead we have everyone doing their own thing and instead of making this a stronger nation, they are tearing it apart.  We have lost the right to know what our government, at all levels, are doing in our name.  We are no longer the strongest nation in the world because we have lost common sense, integrity, honesty and strong leadership.  You can see this every day in Lisbon.  Our town council and town manager hide tax dollars from us, use tax dollars for other things they were not designed for and are totally deceitful.  Our Chief of Police intentionally lies to the people in order to increase his empire and nothing is done about it.

But what is even more disgraceful to me is this community is made up of many veterans who have fought for the same beliefs I did and now have gone into hiding.  Instead of trying to correct these injustices; the citizens of Lisbon are afraid to stand up and restore this community to the state we all remember and loved about Lisbon.  My father always told me “Concentrate on ONLY the things you can change because if you cannot change it then you are wasting your time.”  I believe we can change this town council and town government by speaking out against the injustices being done to our taxpayers and our neighbors.  I hope in 2013, the people of Lisbon will get off their couches and grow a backbone.

Let’s take back our community and restore it to a “Great Place to Live and Raise a Family”.

Larry Fillmore

Concerned Citizen

Iconic Lisbon Drunk Driver Caught By Brunswick Police

 

Thttp://www.theforecaster.net/news/print/2012/11/01/brunswick-police-beat-nov-2/140712

Brunswick Police Beat: Nov. 2

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Arrests

10/24 at 1:29 p.m. Amber N. Simmons, 30, of Swett Street, was arrested on Tibbetts Drive by Officer Julia Gillespie on a warrant and a charge of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer.

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10/25 at 4:57 p.m. Two 16-year-old juveniles were arrested at Spring and Weymouth streets by Officer Thomas Stanton. One was arrested on a charge of  consuming alcohol as a minor; the other was arrested on charges of consuming alcohol as a minor and furnishing alcohol to a minor.
10/25 at 7:26 p.m. Derek J. Elliot, 20, of Farley Road, was arrested on Farley Road by Officer Edward Yurek on two warrants.
10/25 at 9:45 p.m. Jessica N. Kemp, 26, of Bluff Road, Bath, was arrested on Route 1 by Officer Patrick Scott on a charge of violating condition of arrest.
10/25 at 10:51 p.m. Sergey S. Mulin, 21, of Cumberland Street, was arrested on Cumberland Street by Lt. Lynne Doucette on a warrant.
10/26 at 12:37 a.m. Gerald P. Bibber, 55, of Friendship Drive, Harpswell, was arrested at McKeen and Spring streets by Officer Patrick Scott on a charge of operating under the influence.
10/26 at 1:19 a.m. Antonio King, 32, of Purchase Street, was arrested on Purchase Street by Officer Edward Yurek on two warrants.
10/27 at 1:21 a.m. Denise Bowie, 56, of Main Street, Lisbon Falls, was arrested at Bath Road and Medical Center Drive by Officer Edward Yurek on a charge of operating under the influence.
10/27 at 11:13 p.m. Curtis M. Kennedy, 22, of Patricia Drive, Topsham, was arrested on Pleasant Street by Officer Patrick Scott on a warrant and charges of operating under the influence and sale and use of drug paraphernalia.

Summonses

10/25 at 8:08 a.m. Douglas A. Nichols, 39, of Lisbon Road, Lisbon Falls, was issued a summons on Route 1 by Officer Jason McCarthy on a charge of operating while license is suspended or revoked.
10/26 at 10:04 a.m. Andrew W. Dirkman, 39, of Ward Circle, was issued a summons on Coombs Road by Officer Justin Dolci on a charge of possession of marijuana.
10/26 at 7:04 p.m. Jeremiah L. Snape, 31, of Pollard Avenue, was issued a summons on Pollard Avenue by Officer Patrick Scott on a charge of operating while license is suspended or revoked.
10/27 at 10:04 p.m. Kayla N. Seigars, 24, of Dunning Street, was issued a summons on Maine Street by Officer Brian Funke on a charge of assault.
10/27 at 11:13 p.m. Courtney M. O'Toole, 27, of Columbia Avenue, was issued a summons on Pleasant Street by Officer Patrick Scott on charges of unlawful possession of a scheduled drug (oxycodone), unlawful possession of a Schedule Y drug, unlawful possession of a Schedule W drug, unlawful possession of a Schedule Z drug, possession of marijuana and sale and use of drug paraphernalia.

Fire calls

Brunswick fire services responded to 11 calls from Oct. 23-30.

EMS

Brunswick emergency medical services responded to 36 calls from Oct. 23-30.

Thank You Brunswick Police!

The Legacy Of Lawless Lisbon And Responsibilities

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?

Who is responsible to ensure citizens are not physically or verbally abused during town council meetings?  

In the Council Working Rules there is a section called “Decorum” which outlines the conduct for Councilors, Town Employees and residents during council meetings.  Paragraph 7a  Decorum states …”All members of the town council shall accord the utmost courtesy to each other, to town employees and to the public members appearing before the town council and shall refrain at all times from rude and derogatory remarks, reflections as to integrity, abusive comments, and statements as to motives and personalities.”… 

 Lisbon Town Councilor Vice-Chair Lori Pomelow

At last night’s town council meeting, Vice-Chair Lori Pomelow verbally attacked me by name during her farewell speech.  In doing so, Vice-Chair Pomelow violated the very Council Working Rules she helped author.  Vice-Chair Pomelow utilized her position as a Public Official to slam a citizen.  This was definitely NOT the right forum for this type of behavior by a Public Official.  Chairman LaRochelle and the remaining council members, having full knowledge of the Council Working Rules, sat there like bumps on a log and allowed Vice-Chair Pomelow to verbally abuse me.   So who is legally responsible for this incident?
 

 Lisbon Town Councilor Chairman Fern Larochelle

 

When I asked the question about the LLC’s owing back taxes in town, Chairman LaRochelle stopped me in the middle of a sentence and asked me if I was intending to embarrass a councilor.    Well, where was he last night during this abusive barrage by Vice-Chair Pomelow on me?  This is the second incident of a Public Official or Town Employee verbally attaching a citizen during a town council meeting and no member of the council attempted to enforce the Council Working Rules.  Chief Brooks did the very same thing to Roger Cote and other citizens.

Lisbon Police Chief David T. Brooks

Can anyone tell me what good having rules are if no one is going to enforce or obey them?  It was Chairman LaRochelle’s duty to stop the verbal assault last night and he did nothing but it is also the remaining councilor’s duty to police their own.  Any one of the remaining council members should have stepped in and stopped this abusive behavior by Vice-Chair Pomelow but instead they did nothing.  In my eyes and hopefully the eyes of the law, they are as legally responsible as Vice-Chair Pomelow. 

I am a big boy and I considered the source but others do not need to receive the verbal abuse while attending town council meetings.  The council working rules are there to protect Councilors, Town Employees and Residents from this outrageous behavior.  Every member of the town council needs to be reprimanded for their part in this unacceptable situation. 

Residents of Lisbon need to come out and express their concerns over this situation before it happens again.  Maybe next time you will be on the receiving end.

Larry Fillmore
Concerned Citizen

Morse Mechanics Ignores The Town of Lisbon and Maine DOT just like the Town Council Ignores the Voters Of Lisbon!!!

09192012 1600hrs  all three pictures were taken and forwarded to appropriate agencies

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Last three pictures taken 05242012

WND News Alerts:Iran poised to unleash THIS on U.S. shores

Iran poised to unleash THIS on U.S. shores

"Our nation is ready to rub the enemies' snout into dust and send thousands of coffins to their cities." Iran is warning it has a "deadly weapon" already in place across America and that it will use it in response to any act of aggression against the Islamic regime.

Read the latest now on WND.com.

Things Are Looking Up Once Again In Lisbon; LSJ: Lisbon citizens' group focuses on bettering community

 Paula Gibbs, Special to the Sun Journal

Lewiston-Auburn |

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

LISBON — Councilors got a glimpse Tuesday night of how the town may change in the future: A proactive citizens group is forming, and a new economic development report highlights growth opportunities that may increase the town’s tax base.

Economic and Community Development Director Scott Benson introduced the report, while Ross Cunningham briefed council members on what the newly formed citizens’ group hopes to accomplish.

“We’re used to hearing a lot of negatives,” council member Gina Mason said following the announcement of the citizens’ group.

“We, as a town can do a better job of getting people outside of government involved,” she said. "Thank you all for stepping forward. We, as a council are happy to have you and we thank you for coming tonight. We really appreciate it.”
“I’ve got to say, as a councilor we get tired of getting beat up, so this is a very positive change,” Chairman Fern Larochelle said.

Read it all here
http://www.sunjournal.com/news/lewiston-auburn/2012/09/05/lisbon-citizens-group-focuses-bettering-community/1246602

A Great Informative Interview About Home Foreclosure: Tim Cason, and Brenda Nelson Interview Sheriff Merry

What is a responsible Sheriff?

"There is no lawful authority for Judges and the Courts to direct the law enforcement activities of a County Sheriff. The Sheriff is accountable and responsible only to the citizens who are inhabitants of his County, He is under Oath of Office, and need not receive unlawful Orders from Judges or the Courts. He is responsible to protect citizens, even from unlawful acts of officials of government. He should not allow his office to be used as an unlawful "lackey" of the Courts or Federal agents or agencies." 

"The Sheriff, in unknowing and unthinking acceptance of [the imposition of Equity or Merchant Law], has become the "bag man" for a bunch of private criminals [bankers], and thereby is committing crimes himself, and is therefore a criminal. It is a crime to violate Constitutional Rights and his oath of office to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of his own State, it being drafted in conformance thereto, and being secondary thereto. "

Tim Cason, and Brenda Nelson Interview Sheriff Merry 

Citizen Journalist Brenda Nelson interviews Tim Cason and Sheriff Joel Merry on Tim's recent fraudulent foreclosure eviction order. All three give poignant points of view on the issue. We rushed this video out because time is of the essence.

If you really want to learn more about what a real sheriff is like and does simply go to this website.

www.sheriffmack.com

 

THE MYSTERIES OF LISBON'S REVOLVING LOAN FUND

THE MYSTERIES OF LISBON'S' REVOLVING LOAN FUND

Back in March 2007, the town processed a loan for the Atlantic Commercial Cleaners for $32,500 dollars.  In 2008, Jennifer Norris discovered there was no such business and the town began an investigation into the misappropriation of these funds.  As of right now, no one has been convicted and the money has never been recovered.

Lisbon Police Chief David T. Brooks

As of right now, no one has been convicted and the money has never been recovered.

 Lisbon Town Manager Stephen G. Eldridge

A new town manager, Stephen Eldridge, assured the taxpayers of Lisbon in 2008 that changes had been made to the Revolving Loan Program to prevent any possibility of this happening again.  Mrs. Fitzgerald and I requested a forensic audit be performed to determine if there were other misappropriations of town funds.  Eldridge stated there were new procedures in place, along with checks and balances to ensure there would not be any further incidents.

Today, there are eight (8) active on the Revolving Loan Program Portfolio.  (The town does not consider the $32,500 a loan anymore because the council did not approve it.  However, there is a Promissory Note and a Purchase Order still on the books and no repayment of this loan.)  Of these eight active loans two of them were supposed to have been paid in March ($1,500) and May 2008 ($3,000).  Another loan was to have been paid off in September 2011 ($52,000).  These are funds provided to the town by the State and Federal government to enhance Lisbon.  Apparently, these checks and balances and new procedures are not working. 
Also on this list of active loans, are two loans to businesses that no longer exist.  One loan is for $50,000 and the other is for $10,000.  I was under the assumption that all loans were to be secured by land, buildings, machinery, equipment, accounts receivable and inventory and/or personal assets or such other assets as are deemed appropriate.  These businesses have been terminated for approximately a year or more and nothing is being done or they would have been taken off the active list.  By the time the town gets around to doing anything, all the collateral will have disappeared, if it still exists.

One of the mysteries here is who is in charge of protecting town funds?  It certainly is NOT our town manager who receives a modest salary of $91,401 for 2011.  And the second mystery is where are all those checks and balances to prevent any more misappropriations of town funds.  Apparently, the procedures the town manager said he put in place are not working.  A normal person would expect this situation to be cleared up in four (4) years but not our town council.  Our Town Council continues to renew the town managers contract and pay him more every year.  Talk about gullible!

The taxpayers are forced to pay for a town manager whom I believe has not been protecting
Town funds.

























Chairman Fern LaRochelle – 353-2329    flarochelle@lisbonme.org
Vice Chair Lori Pomelow – 353-8822       lpomelow@lisbonme.org
Councilor Bowie – 353-2607                      mbowie@lisbonme.org
Councilor Bickford – 353-8946                  rogginbic32@gmail.com
Councilor Mason – 353-9086                    gmason@lisbonme.org
Council Lunt – 353-9903                            mlunt@lisbonme.org
Councilor Ward – 353-7306                      lward@lisbonme.org
 
 Also, the taxpayers are paying ($55,481 in 2011) for an Economic Community Development Director whom I believe should be responsible for the daily operations of the Active Revolving Loan Program.  This means the town utilized $146,882 of our tax dollars to manage this Active Revolving Loan Program which currently has eight active loans.   The Chief Administrative Officer (Eldridge) is the overall individual responsibility for the daily operation for the town of Lisbon.

Would anyone out there want to try and explain this very deplorable situation of town funds and why our town council continues to support this type of performance?

Larry Fillmore
Concerned Citizen


 Comment from Peter Reuter

Why is it Mr. Fillmore has to bring this to our attention?  After the town manager has had four years to correct this situation, it is ridiculous the town is just now trying to rectify this misappropriation of town funds.

Councilor Cote has left a new comment on your post "THE MYSTERIES OF LISBON'S REVOLVING LOAN FUND":

Peter, can you say David T. Brooks, I bet he could find you a bag of weed or a line of cocaine with out a bit of problem he has a team of seventeen keeping that safe.

Golden B. Bea said...

With as much resources that we taxpayers have paid for the lisbon pd something stinks. The oldest and longest living person there is Brooks. Cote is correct. Brooks has been at the head of the drug protection racket in that town for a long time.

You have to play to get paid. So much so the even certain car dealerships and movers on either side of the river never get hassled. Wonder why? Even the names are about to change very shortly. Just you wait and see.