Hot Air, Hydrogen and Home Town Politics, Story Soon To Break

Please Stay Tuned.

Lisbon's State Representative District #104 Dale Crafts

Directly Connected to a Convicted Felon,  Dennis Lee and his hydrogen hot air scheme.

Perfect Timing; Solutions: An example of effective education‏ (children, Department of Education, education, Finland, reform, the Young Turks)

Lisbon,
 
I rant, I rave, I complain endlessly about the Department of
Education. I believe it was created specifically to destroy
individual thought and mold minds into effective servants of the
State, be it as bureaucrat, government enforcer, or prison laborer.
 
I would like very much to get rid of it.
 
What then?
 
Well, then we would be free to approach education in a much more
effective and humane way. 
 
Finland has been providing clear examples of an approach to
education that far exceeds our own, costs less, and doesn't treat
children like machines or prisoners.
 
The very least we could do is consider it.
 

 
Goodman Green
- Brasscheck

 Finland's revolutionary education system

 

The Children Must Play

What the United States could learn from Finland about education reform.

By Samuel E. Abrams
The New Republic

While observing recess outside the Kallahti Comprehensive School on the eastern edge of Helsinki on a chilly day in April 2009, I asked Principal Timo Heikkinen if students go out when it’s very cold. Heikkinen said they do. I then asked Heikkinen if they go out when it’s very, very cold. Heikkinen smiled and said, “If minus 15 [Celsius] and windy, maybe not, but otherwise, yes. The children can’t learn if they don’t play. The children must play.”

In comparison to the United States and many other industrialized nations, the Finns have implemented a radically different model of educational reform—based on a balanced curriculum and professionalization, not testing. Not only do Finnish educational authorities provide students with far more recess than their U.S. counterparts—75 minutes a day in Finnish elementary schools versus an average of 27 minutes in the U.S.—but they also mandate lots of arts and crafts, more learning by doing, rigorous standards for teacher certification, higher teacher pay, and attractive working conditions. This is a far cry from the U.S. concentration on testing in reading and math since the enactment of No Child Left Behind in 2002, which has led school districts across the country, according to a survey by the Center on Education Policy, to significantly narrow their curricula. And the Finns’ efforts are paying off: In December, the results from the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), an exam in reading, math, and science given every three years since 2000 to approximately 5,000 15-year-olds per nation around the world, revealed that, for the fourth consecutive time, Finnish students posted stellar scores. The United States, meanwhile, lagged in the middle of the pack.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama outlined his plans for reforming U.S. public education, including distributing competitive grants, raising test scores, and holding teachers accountable for student achievement. But there is much Finland can teach America’s reformers, and the rest of the world, about what outside of testing and rigid modes of management and assessment can make a nation’s schools truly excellent.

(...)perhaps most striking on the list of what makes Finland’s school system unique is that the country has deliberately rejected the prevailing standardization movement. While nations around the world introduced heavy standardized testing regimes in the 1990s, the Finnish National Board of Education concluded that such tests would consume too much instructional time, cost too much to construct, proctor, and grade, and generate undue stress. The Finnish answer to standardized tests has been to give exams to small but statistically significant samples of students and to trust teachers—so much so that the National Board of Education closed its inspectorate in 1991. Teachers in Finland design their own courses, using a national curriculum as a guide, not a blueprint, and spend about 80 percent as much time leading classes as their U.S. counterparts do, so that they have sufficient opportunity to plan lessons and collaborate with colleagues. The only point at which all Finnish students take standardized exams is as high school seniors if they wish to go to university.

Read more here

Lisbon's Crime Fighting Leader Extraordinaire

Lisbon 'Chief of Police' David T. Brooks

Where's The Missing Money Chief ?????

How many Grants have you gotten that End UP Costing The Taxpayer's More Money, That You Hide From Them?????

How Many Lawsuits have to be Filed????? 

Inquiring Minds Deserve To KNOW !!!!!

Remember, The Truth Will  Set you Free.

Change Your Underwear Often‏

There's  an  old  sea  story  about  a ship's captain who inspected

his sailors, and afterward told the first mate that his men smelled bad...

The Captain suggested perhaps it would help if the sailors
would change underwear occasionally.

 

The first mate responded, "Aye, aye sir, I'll see to it immediately!"

 

The first mate went straight to the sailors berth deck and announced, "The Captain thinks you guys smell bad and wants you to change your underwear."

 

He continued, "Bowie, you change with Brooks,  Eldridge, you change with Therriault, and Mason, you change with
Pomelow."

THE MORAL OF THE STORY:

Someone may come along and promise "Change",
but don't count on things smelling any better.

 

I THINK YOU WILL FORWARD THIS!

Could this be what is occurring with Lisbon Town Officials? 

Thanks go to C. C. Bondermann for this one!!!!

Natural News: Ventura County on raw milk rampage: Now more milk operations targeted for termination

Dear NaturalNews and Lisbon Reporter readers,

After destroying Rawesome Foods and managing to criminalize innocent farmers, Ventura County is on a raw milk rampage that's now targeting other operations there.
A story broke today on The Complete Patient website that reveals Ventura is targeting raw milk pick-up locations used by moms.
Here's the latest:
http://www.naturalnews.com/035397_Ventura_county_raw_milk_rampage.html

There's great news on the pink slime front: three of the pink slime production factories have been shuttered! That's due to a massive public backlash and a sudden national nausea as people figured out what they were really eating. So the pink slime manufacturing company is turning to public relations to try to convince people that pink slime is "100% beef!" Sure, but by that definition, so are hoofs and snouts!http://www.naturalnews.com/035396_pink_slime_factories_ammonia.html

Police have gone crazy all over the country. On the East Coast, one man has been charged with felony assault of a law enforcement officer for pointing a finger at the cop! Yes, pointing a finger is now "assault!" And in Chicago, two NBC reporters were recently arrested as one thuggish cop screamed at them about how their "First Amendment rights can be taken away." Here's the story:
http://www.naturalnews.com/035393_First_Amendment_Chicago_police.html

Eat more citrus fruit. The science says it may help lower stroke risk in women:
http://www.naturalnews.com/035387_citrus_fruit_stroke_risk_women.html

 Exposed: Conventional medicine's lies about autism -- here's what they don't want you to know:
http://www.naturalnews.com/035390_Autism_disease_lies.html

P.S. Catch an interview with James Stewart (of Rawesome Foods) on the Alex Jones Show today. His appearance is scheduled for 11:30am central time, but it may be shifted around depending on the news. Listen in at www.PrisonPlanet.com
Also, watch my September, 2011 interview with James Stewart at:
http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=0CE7401B41CF367587A6949ADBF926DE

Today's Feature Stories:

Ventura County on raw milk rampage: After destroying Rawesome, other raw milk operations now targeted (NaturalNews) Perhaps the best investigative reporter covering the raw milk industry today is David Gumpert, writing for www.TheCompletePatient.com - a site covering food safety, raw milk raids, regulation and much more. All NaturalNews readers would...

Pink slime factories shuttered after massive public backlash (NaturalNews) For several decades now, the conventional beef industry has secretly been lacing ground beef products with an industrial, ammonia-laced byproduct known as "pink slime," a disturbing fact that recently came to the forefront of national attention...

Take action to support 'Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act' (NaturalNews) Every year for at least the last decade, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Oh.) has stood up for health freedom by introducing the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act before the U.S. Congress, only to witness it later die in committee...

Improve memory loss by using natural alternatives (NaturalNews) As we grow older, we tend to worry more and more about our memory. Lapses in memory that we didn't give much importance to when we were younger now seem to have a new meaning. It is common to do such things such as misplace things like car...

Chicago police officer tells reporters that their First Amendment rights 'can be terminated' (NaturalNews) The recent murder of a six-year-old girl in Chicago's South Side was compounded by the arrest of two members of the press who were present at the hospital where the girl's body was taken. NBC 5 in Chicago reports that photographer Donte...

Powerful psychiatric medications are under state investigation (NaturalNews) A state health agency in Texas is investigating dozens of healthcare providers who gave out prescriptions for large amounts of powerful psychiatric drugs, some of them to children, after red flags were raised about the medications by a U...

Incredible weight loss hour on Mental Health Exposed with expert guest Jon Gabriel (NaturalNews) Join Mental Health Exposed with expert weight loss guest and biology researcher, Jon Gabriel. This episode is a tour de force into the most psychologically...

The conventional lie about Autism and other chronic diseases (NaturalNews) Imagine your doctor telling you: "There is no known cure for this condition". Sadly, there are a staggering amount of people victimized by this destructive (false) belief system. But, to make matters worse, millions of people are being systematically...

Bye Bye "Pink Slime" (satirical opinion) (NaturalNews) The company, Beef Products, Inc., that created "pink slime", if you'll pardon the expression, beef, stopped producing it because of enormous protests by the public. For those of you not aware of "pink slime", it is a lower cost ingredient...

Battle over fluoride warning intensifies in New Hampshire (NaturalNews) In 2006 the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Dental Association (ADA) finally admitted what dental researchers had been saying for many years. If powdered infant formula is prepared with fluoridated water...

Citrus fruit may help lower the risk of stroke in women (NaturalNews) A study recently carried out at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, United Kingdom and published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association reveals that a compound found in citrus fruit can help lower the risk...

NSA building massive spy 'data center,' tracking all private communication (NaturalNews) Regular readers of NaturalNews know that we've been busy of late keeping track of your privacy in this Information Age, which is not easy considering all of the entities - public and private - who want to know everything these...

Officials blame 'mystery virus' for widespread deaths of thousands of cattle (NaturalNews) Thousands of lambs and cattle across Europe are bearing dead or severely deformed offspring, and the mainstream media and health officials are blaming a "mystery virus" for this inexplicable and worsening phenomenon. The U.K's Telegraph...

If Obamacare is ruled constitutional, here are 7 more things the Obama administration may soon require everyone to purchase (NaturalNews) The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments this week about Obama's health care law, which has been challenged by twenty-six states. The crux of the legal arguments center around whether the federal government can mandate private citizens...

Keep The Faith, It Is The Only Thing The Governments (Local, State, or National) Can't Control,,,YET!!!

Still Doubting Us TLR Readers? Facts Speak Louder Than Words; Brasscheck: Mystery quakes, lights in the sky, and the Bell Island Boom (1977, 1978, Bell Island Boom, CBC, Clintonville Booms, HAARP, military , tectonic weapons, weather weapons)‏

Lisbon,
 
In the intro to this clip the narrator demonstrates, right off the
bat, that these 'mystery booms' are widespread and ongoing.
 
Some 34 years ago, mystery booms rattled the east coast so much it
prompted a response from President Jimmy Carter. These booms were
the subject of a late 70's CBC News investigative documentary
called 'The Bell Island Boom'.
 
If you think wild and paranoid speculation surrounds the
'Clintonville Booms', wait til you here what the Canadian media
thought of 'The Bell Island Boom'.
 
One has to wonder if these things are related...
 

 
Goodman Green
- Brasscheck
 

 The 'Bell Island Boom' still occurring 34 years later 

 

Last year in Ohio and Indiana...

'Frost quakes' shake Southwest Ohio, Indiana

By Steve Bennish
Dayton Daily News
Friday, February 11, 2011

Frost quakes, a rare phenomena that simulate earthquakes, rattled hundreds of residents Thursday in Darke and Miami counties in Ohio and Randolph County in Indiana, emergency management officials said.

The quake, or cryoseism as it’s known in scientific circles, occurs when moisture soaks into the soil and a quick freeze causes a sudden, even violent expansion and contraction. Darke County’s 911 director Brandon Redmond said the quakes erupted for eight hours Thursday, starting at 1 a.m. The heaviest reports were between 5:30-7:30 a.m.

Redmond, who lives in Arcanum, experienced it Thursday morning in the shower. The shaking of his house caused him to rush out of the bathroom at 7:15 a.m., thinking a transformer exploded nearby. He watched as his lights flickered. “It wasn’t ‘till I came in to work that I realized I hadn’t lost my mind, and I started hearing that other people experienced the same thing,” he said.

Throughout Thursday, hundreds of messages appeared on the Darke County Sheriff’s Facebook page.

Redmond said consultation with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ohio and Indiana Emergency Management officials led to the frost quake assessment.

There have been no reports of damage, Redmond added, although damage has been reported from other occurrences. The phenomenon has been reported mainly in northern states such as Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts and upstate New York.

Read original here

 

On The Trail Of Media Corruption; The Maine WIRE: Editorial: Brazen Political Bamboozling

Editorial: Brazen Political Bamboozling





When the failing Maine Today Media papers announced weeks ago that billionaire left-wing financier Donald Sussman was “loaning” the paper $3 million out of the kindness of his heart, anyone with the slightest inclination toward objective reasoning saw this for what it was – bunk.



Sussman, the papers said, was only taking a 5% ownership stake and had no interest in controlling the company. Those of us with a more skeptical view toward the hedge fund baron and his ultra-left-wing congresswoman wife knew this was a classic example of brazen political bamboozling. Now, lo and behold, the truth comes out – Sussman’s 5% has turned into 75% ownership, and Chellie Pingree now owns the two biggest newspapers in her district.



The people of Maine have every right to be outraged about this. Sussman and Pingree are the last people that should have control of any media outlet. To review quickly their greatest hits:
Donald Sussman has been under investigation from the Securities and Exchange Commission for faking a women-owned company. According to a federal judge, Sussman’s ploy “may have been designed to mislead a number of observers, from the tax authorities to the S.E.C. to entities wishing to invest in women-owned businesses”

Donald Sussman has been taking advantage of a major tax loophole by funneling his hedge funds millions through the U.S. Virgin Islands, at the same time that his then-fiance Chellie Pingree was railing against these loopholes on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was identified in a New York Times report about an IRS crackdown on these arrangements, but claimed he was not doing anything wrong:

“I live in St. John. I follow the rules. I do what I’m supposed to do”

Chellie Pingree is a repeat offender of campaign finance laws. She was cited multiple times for failing to report her donations, all the while urging to get ‘money out of politics’. She currently faces a pending investigation from the Federal Elections Commission for taking Sussman’s private jet to a fundraising event in New York in 2010.

Chellie Pingree is on tape from the House floor railing against “fat cats” who fly around in private jets. Pingree almost literally walked from the floor of the House and into Sussman’s $25 million luxury private jet after the speech.

Pingree straight-out lied to press about her use of the plane. Days before she was filmed stepping out of the plane and on to a red carpet (seriously, a real red carpet), her spokesman Willie Ritch told press she didn’t use the plane, but flew commercial. Turns out Pingree has been commuting between DC, Maine, and the Virgin Islands in Sussman’s jet all along.

Pingree built her career as a supposed champion for reducing the influence of money on politics, all the while taking millions from Sussman, funneled through third-party groups.

This list could go on and on. Pingree and Sussman are utterly entangled in ethical compromise, and the idea that they could responsibly preside over an institution as politically influential as a newspaper enterprise is a joke.



But the purchase of the news media by politicians, even ones not as ethically-challenged as Pingree and Sussman, is reason for outrage. Pingree’s ownership of these papers now amounts to state-controlled media, and this is something the people of this state will likely reject.

The Sussman papers are going to face a bleak reality now. Every Mainer that purchases a Press Herald or buys an ad in one of the papers is literally handing money to a left-wing political enterprise. As this realization grows, this will not be helpful to the company’s bottom line. And, if conservatives were to take a lesson from the Left’s playbook, Press Herald advertisers could start receiving significant pushback from their customers, along the lines of the Rush Limbaugh/ WGAN controversy.

For a paper that has already failed the test of the free market several times over, none of this will help. For the people of Maine, the proliferation of an alternative media can’t come soon enough.

  http://www.themainewire.com/2012/03/brazen/

Re-posted with permission.

GOD Bless US All

Following The Paper Trail -The Maine WIRE: “Maine Reporters’ Training Funded by Pro-ObamaCare Group” plus 1 more‏

Maine Reporters’ Training Funded by Pro-ObamaCare Group

A group of Maine reporters has received financial support from a pro-Obamacare organization to attend health care reporting workshops. The Maine Health Access Foundation, a pro-Obamacare organization that has been active in liberal health care issues since its state-mandated creation in 2000, provided scholarship underwriting for a number of Maine reporters from the Bangor Daily News, Portland Press Herald, Maine Public Broadcasting, the Associated Press, and other Maine news organizations.

Notable among the recipients of the scholarship are health care reporters from the state’s largest newspapers. Meg Haskell and Jackie Farwell of the Bangor Daily News have provided the bulk of reporting for the paper on Maine health reform initiatives, and have been accused by conservatives in Maine of tilting coverage against free-market reforms. Haskell received funding for health care reporting training from MeHAF in 2005, Farwell in 2012. John Richardson of the MaineToday Media papers, who has reported extensively on state health reforms initiatives, was the recipient of the scholarship funding in 2011.

The health care “fellowship” attended by the Maine reporters is a nine-day workshop held in Boston. Among the sessions held at the event was one called “States on the Edge” where a featured speaker was Trish Riley, former Maine governor John Baldacci’s health care chief and the architect of Maine’s failed government-run health care experiment – Dirigo Health. Reporters in the fellowship also had the chance to attend a Red Sox game as part of the trip.

The Maine Health Access Foundation was founded in 2000, as a condition of the purchase of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Maine by Anthem. As a condition of the sale, Maine’s Board of Insurance mandated that “At least $81.69 million of the sale proceeds paid for the business of Blue Cross must be immediately transferred to the Charitable Foundation as soon as the sale is complete.”

Several prominent liberal activists sit on MeHAF’s Board of Trustees, including Nancy Fritz, former Director of Homeless Initiatives at Maine Housing, and Sara Gagne-Holmes, the Executive Director of Maine Equal Justice Partners.The group came out actively in support of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in 2009. MEHAF Executive Director Wendy Wolf wrote in an ‘Open letter from MeHAF’s President and CEO’:

“MeHAF embraces this law as an unprecedented opportunity to advance our mission to promote affordable and timely access to comprehensive, quality health care, and improve the health of every Maine resident – particularly those who are uninsured.”

Read More.

New! GGW Video “State of the Unions”

In January of 2010, during the State of the Union speech, our Commander in Chief criticized our own Supreme Court for ruling in favor of Citizens United in their lawsuit against the Federal Elections Commission. This effectively allowed corporations to spend unlimited dollars for political purposes citing freedom of speech in their decision. In our opinion, President Obama demonized this decision because it would lessen the overwhelming advantage that unions have over the political process and our government.

Unions are not what they used to be. They are a political tool of the left and way for big government to lobby for more government.

This new video you are about to watch will most likely be the most controversial video we will ever make. Please share this video with your friends and family.

References for the above video:
Unions Contributions -http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/totals.php?cycle=2012&ind=P

Wall Street Investment Bank Contributions- http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/totals.php?cycle=2012&ind=F2600

Oil and Gas Industry Contributions- http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/totals.php?cycle=2012&ind=E01

Defense Industry Contributions- http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/totals.php?cycle=2012&ind=D
Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Contributions – http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/totals.php?cycle=2012&ind=H4300

Airlines Contributions- http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/totals.php?cycle=2012&ind=T1100

Auto Manufacturer Contributions  - http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/totals.php?cycle=2012&ind=T2100

Savings and Loan Contributions- http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=F04
Percentage to political parties- http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/totals.php?cycle=2012&ind=P

Public Union Worker Percentage - http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm

State Government Worker Compensation –  - http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm and http://www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb-59.pdf

Federal Government Worker Compensation and Average Benefits –  http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/overpaid-federal-workers

Federal Government Employee Benefits - http://www.usa.gov/Federal-Employees/Benefits.shtml  and http://www.opm.gov/oca/pay/StudentLoan/

Unfunded Pension and Retirement Liabilities - http://www.ncpa.org/pdfs/st329.pdf and http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/98-810.pdf and http://www.aei.org/article/economics/retirement/pensions/understanding-the-true-cost-of-state-and-local-pensions/

Election Day Holiday - http://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/30/us/little-known-provision-in-uaw-contract-gives-election-day-holiday.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

Union Bosses Rich - http://www.iwatchnews.org/2011/03/03/2097/scores-union-leaders-earn-six-figure-salaries

An Active Assault Against The Family Farm

Lisbon,

Big Agra has teamed up with government to run small farms out of
business by defining virtually ALL open-range pigs as an illegal
'invasive species'.

The state has said it will "destroy" these pigs beginning in April,
potentially by raiding local farms with government-issued rifles,
then shooting the pig herds while arresting the farmers and
charging them with the "crime" of raising pigs with the wrong hair
color.

That's right, you're only allowed to eat Big Agra's caged pigs
which have never seen the sun and live in their own filth.

Good grief, next they'll ban free-range chickens!


Goodman Green
- Brasscheck

 Bakers Green Acres
vs.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

 

You May visit their website to help by clicking on:

 http://www.bakersgreenacres.com/

 Insane Michigan government announces plan to destroy ranch livestock based on hair color and arrest hundreds of ranchers as felons

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger

Natural News

The state of Michigan is only days away from engaging in what can only be called true "animal genocide" -- the mass murder of ranch animals based on the color of their hair. It's all part of a shocking new "Invasive Species Order" (ISO) put in place by Michigan's Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This Invasive Species Order suddenly and shockingly defines virtually all open-range pigs raised by small family farms to be illegal "invasive species," and possession of just one of these animals is now a felony crime in Michigan, punishable by up to four years in prison.

The state has said it will "destroy" these pigs beginning in April, potentially by raiding local farms with government-issued rifles, then shooting the pig herds while arresting the members of the family and charging them with the "crime" of raising pigs with the wrong hair color. This may truly be a state-sponsored serial animal killing spree.

Reality check: You may think this story is some kind of early April Fools prank, but it isn't. This is factually true and verifiable through the documents, videos and websites linked below. The state of Michigan seriously intends to unleash a mass murder spree of pigs of the wrong color beginning April 1.

Yet these are the very pigs that farmers and ranchers in Michigan have been raising for decades. The state doesn't seem to care about this, and there are indications that this ISO may have been nudged into position by the conventional pork industry as a tactic to wipe out its competition of local, specialty ranching conducted by small families and dedicated farmers who don't work for the big pork corporations. (The Michigan Pork Grower's Association.)

Learn more here

Lisbon HS Talent Show‏

LISBON’S GOT TALENT READY TO ROCK N’ ROLL!

  

Members of the Lisbon High School Tech Club have been busy performing the sound checks in preparation for the Lisbon Got Talent Show scheduled for Friday, March 30.  Pictured (l-r) Tech Hounds DJ Judd, Shayne Chubbuck and Ryan Buzzell.  The program of talent guarantees a show stopping performances. Photo courtesy of Monica Millhime.

Lisbon – The program for the Annual Lisbon Got Talent Show is ready to rock n’ roll this Friday, March 30 at Lisbon High School, 2 Sugg Drive, Lisbon Falls.  Sounds checks are completed, and performers are geared up to offer their audience a show filled with fun, laughter and an overall night to remember ‘cause Lisbon Got Talent!  Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Show starts promptly at 7:00 p.m. in the high school gymnasium.  The event is open to the public and tickets are available at the door.  The $4 adult and $3 student admission proceeds benefit the Lisbon High School Tech Club.  Door prize raffle items donated by a number of community partners will be available throughout the evening.  FMI contact Paul Giggey at 353.3030 or email pgiggey@lisbonschoolsme.org.  Check us out on Facebook at Community Resource News in Lisbon Schools. 

Lisbon Easter Egg Hunt Sunday, April 1‏

Lisbon High School National Honor Society Planning Egg Hunt!

Lisbon – Members of the Lisbon High School National Honor Society are working in conjunction with the Town of Lisbon to host an Easter Egg Hunt.  The event is scheduled for Sunday, April 1 at the MTM Center in Lisbon Falls from 1 to 3 p.m.  rain or shine and is open to Lisbon families and students.   Come join the hopping good fun and games, prizes and refreshments, the more the merrier.  FMI contact call 353.3030.  Visit us on Facebook at Community Resource News in Lisbon Schools. 

Brasscheck: 'Smart Meters' the utility company's spy‏

Lisbon,
 
Here's the deal. They measure the amount of electricity you use and
they bill you for it, that's ALL they need to do.
 
There's no need for a utility company to know when you turn on a
device or turn off a light. There's no need for them to monitor
your habits, like when you watch television or how many computers
you have in your house.
 
But that's exactly what they will do.
 
And law enforcement is already using information transmitted by
these devices to discern what you are doing in the privacy of your
own homes.
 
Oh yeah, it's true.
 
Think the 'Smart Meter' isn't a spy? Guess again...
 

 
Goodman Green
- Brasscheck

        'Smart Meters' don't believe in privacy

 

 No More Privacy: Smart Meters Are Surveillance Devices That Monitor The Behavior In Your Home Every Single Minute Of Every Single Day

The American Dream

Have you heard about the new "smart meters" that are being installed in homes all across America?  Under the guise of "reducing greenhouse gas emissions" and "reducing energy bills", utility companies all over the United States are forcing tens of millions of American families to accept sophisticated surveillance devices in their homes.  Currently, approximately 9 percent of all electric meters in the U.S. have been converted over to smart meters.  It is being projected that by 2012, the number of smart meters in use will rise to 52 million, and the federal government is spending a lot of money to help get these installed everywhere.  Eventually the goal is to have these smart meters in all of our homes and if that ever happened there would essentially be no more privacy.  Once installed, a smart meter monitors your home every single minute of every single day and it transmits very sophisticated data about your personal behavior back to the utility company.

So can't we just tell the utility companies that we don't want these stupid things?

Unfortunately, in many areas of the country you can't.  For example, one outraged resident of California contacted the utility company and was told that if he did not consent to taking a smart meter he would receive no service.

So unless you want to live "off the grid", what are you going to do?  Can any of us really survive without electricity these days?

The sad truth is that these things are being forced upon us.

It is happening in Europe too.  The European Parliament has set a goal of having smart meters in the homes of 80 percent of all electricity consumers by the year 2020.

Sadly, as these smart meters have gone in there have been reports all over the country of electricity bills increasing dramatically.  There have been mountains of complaints about these things and yet their use keeps spreading.

But of course the biggest issue with smart meters is how they will strip us of our privacy.

The concern is that the incredibly detailed data that these surveillance devices collect will be given or sold to a vast array of third parties.

For example, smart meters are already being used by police to bust marijuana growers.

It is also feared that insurance companies, credit agencies, lawyers, marketing firms and even criminals will be able to get their hands on this data as well.

A recent article posted on the website of the Electronic Frontier Foundation summarized some of the concerns....

"Without strong protections, this information can and will be repurposed by interested parties. It's not hard to imagine a divorce lawyer subpoenaing this information, an insurance company interpreting the data in a way that allows it to penalize customers, or criminals intercepting the information to plan a burglary. Marketing companies will also desperately want to access this data"

For law enforcement officials, these surveillance devices are a dream come true. According to the Columbus Dispatch, police in central Ohio have been filing at least 60 subpoenas every single month for the energy-use records of those that they suspect are growing pot in their homes.

Well, it turns out that sometimes police are raiding homes that are using a lot of energy and they don't find any marijuana at all.  Instead, sometimes these raids reveal others kinds of activities....

Sometimes, high electricity use doesn't lead investigators to drugs. A federal investigation in the Powell area turned into a surprise for detectives.
"We thought it was a major grow operation ... but this guy had some kind of business involving computers," Marotta said. "I don't know how many computer servers we found in his home."

So do you want police raiding your home if you start using a little bit too much electricity?

Read more here

Town Council Workshop Agenda Tuesday March 27th, 2012

AGENDA
TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP
TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012
LISBON TOWN OFFICE
7:00 P.M.

1. DISCUSSION ON ZONE CHANGES

2. LONG TERM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

3. BUDGET REVIEW SCHEDULE

4. ADJOURNMENT

The Maine Wire: BREAKING: Ron Paul to Speak at Maine GOP Convention

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is scheduled as a keynote speaker at the Maine Republican Party convention in May, sparking questions of favoritism in a caucus process that has already seen its share of controversy. The virtual photo-finish between Paul and Mitt Romney in the state GOP straw poll means Maine’s delegates, awarded at the convention, are up for grabs, and the potential advantage derived from Paul’s speaking spot has been noted by the Romney campaign.

According to sources, Ron Paul will be the featured speaker on Saturday, May 5, at the Augusta Civic Center. The state GOP convention is a two-day affair, May 5 and 6, and will be the final accounting of an unusually contentious presidential campaign in Maine. Though Romney narrowly won the unofficial straw poll earlier this year, Maine’s delegates have not been apportioned yet, and this means votes can still be swayed.

Insiders have expressed concern about the reaction of the Romney campaign, and sources tell The Maine Wire that Paul’s speaking engagement has led to some contentious exchanges behind the scenes. State Republican Party chairman Charlie Webster, however, said he hadn’t received pushback from the Romney campaign, and that he was “reasonably optimistic” that Romney or a family member would be able to speak at the convention as well.

“We reached out to all the campaigns early and said ‘If you want to come, come.’” Webster said that Ron Paul’s son, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, was originally planning to speak at the convention, and was surprised when the campaign called and said the presidential candidate himself would be coming.

 Read more

EVENT ALERT: Hands Off My Health Care‏

Event Alert: 

Hands Off My Health Care

________________________________________________________________________________ What: Hands Off My Health Care Event - Hosted by Americans for Prosperity Maine   When: Tuesday, March 27th, 10:00 am   Where: Augusta, Kennebec County Court House | 95 State Street Augusta, Maine   Why: To Stand Against the Government Takeover of Health Care   Who: Carol Weston, State Director, AFP-Maine          Joel Allumbaugh, Director of Health Reform Initiatives, MHPC

_______________________________________________________________________   This week the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Obama's health care takeover in Washington, DC and thousands of activists from across America will rally at the capitol to urge repeal. Americans for Prosperity-Maine is hosting this event here in Maine to join in solidarity with those who are rallying in DC.  Obamacare is a dangerous and unconstitutional law. MHPC has led the charge from day one to fight back against Obamacare. We are joining with AFP-Maine to get out the message that the complete takeover of our health care system is unacceptable, unconstitutional and must be repealed.   Our Director of Health Reform Initiatives, Joel Allumbaugh, has been a leader in the fight against the federal takeover of health care. Joel understands what the Obama health care takeover means for our freedom and prosperity and will explain at the event why it is critical for the U.S. Supreme Court to repeal this unconstitutional law. If you oppose the takeover of health care, join us, and the thousands who will be in Washington DC, to stand against the law and show your support for repealing Obamacare.

CONTACT:   

Sam Adolphsen

207.975.6617 (c)

sam@mainepolicy.org

 

Chuck Woolery: On Budget Cuts " Trying To Save America 1.2 Trillion Dollars At A Time"

 http://www.SaveUsChuckWoolery.com Game show legend Chuck Woolery discusses his thoughts on how to cut government spending.

Pilots and Patriots Will Love This - We Remember - "Keep Them Flying"

 Country music recording artist Dwayne O'Brien performed his song "We Remember" (available on the CD "Song Pilot" at www.flightsongrecords.mybigcommerce.com) at the annual convention of the International Council of Air Shows last December in Las Vegas, Nevada. And he produced this video to be projected on the screens behind him while he sang. We hope that you'll share this link widely with friends and family who appreciate America's aviation legacy and all that our country's airborne warriors have done to defend our country. Many thanks to Dwayne O'Brien for both performing his wonderful song and producing this moving video.

Submitted by: Friends of Flight

Recap Of Last Night's Planning Board Meeting

HOCUS POCUS

At last night’s Planning Board meeting, Don Fellows, the magician, performed a magical act unparalleled by any I have seen. Fellows created a situation where he combined a “spot zoning” situation and changed it to “Conditional Usage” in zoning ordinances in an attempt to cover-up the “Spot Zoning”. 

“Spot Zoning” is a violation of Maine Law.  

“Spot zoning is the application of zoning to a specific parcel of land within a larger zoned area when the rezoning is usually at odds with a city's master plan and current zoning restrictions.” as defined by Wikipedia.  

U.S Legal definition can be found at http://definitions.uslegal.com/s/spot-zoning/?puslf=gl+defi+Spot+Zoning+Law&gclid=CPvSubba_a4CFegQNAodLVIo5Q

This act was performed utilizing charts and footnotes on a computer to divert the public from the real issue. 

The Planning Board combined the proposed zone change on Gartley Street from General Residential District to Diversified Development District with the proposed changes to the Table of Land Use Chart to reflect self-storage facilities as a Conditional Use in the Diversified Development District. Also add to the Table of Land Use Chart was a limited commercial use in the Rural Open Space 1 District.

The meeting itself was unorganized and as a result lasted much longer than necessary. The Planning Board scheduled three different items each worthy of their own Public Hearing on the same night.

The first issue was on a Site Plan/Subdivision Preliminary Plan Application by Premier Development LLC dealing with the Kelly project off Route 196. 

This Public Hearing lasted approximately one and a half hours. Several abutting residents spoke about concerns they had about the project. I support 100% what the Kelly family is trying to do but am appalled by the towns devious actions. 

Instead of doing what was legally correct, the Planning Board and the town approved “Spot Zoning” for the project. This project will bring in additional revenue for the town and improve an otherwise eye soar. The town was in such a hurry to jump on this project they ignored the law and as a result have the same situation on Gartley Street. The Kelly family was never at fault and certainly should not be penalized for the Planning Board and town’s lack in judgment. The people of Lisbon should be grateful and support the Kelly family in this project.

The second issue should have been the Gartley Street issue with the change in zoning and the changes in Land Use Chart. However, had the Planning Board scheduled his on a separate day they would never have been able to conceal the “Spot Zoning”.

The third Public hearing should have been adding to the Table of Land Use Chart, a limited commercial use in Rural Open Space 1 District. Had the Planning Board thought this issue out properly, they would have realized these changes should possibly apply to all Rural Open Space Districts instead of just Rural Open Space 1 District. 

The Planning Board intention's were not to do what is in the best interest of the town but to utilize this to confuse and conceal the “Spot Zoning” on Gartley Street.

Think about this for a moment, all the current businesses operating illegally on Route 9 are going to be rewarded for ignoring town ordinances. 

Is this fair to discriminate against the land owners in Lisbon? 

Why are we rewarding individuals who break the law? 

I am not against these individuals operating the business but on the same note are we setting a precedent for the future. That precedent being; “do anything you want and the town will make it right later”. 

Are we opening ourselves up for future lawsuits?

The Planning Board members and the Public did not have hard copies of the changes outlined in the presentation. These changes were presented on an overhead utilizing a computer so it was impossible to follow along completely. The Motions put before the Planning Board were also in the computer and there were no handouts for the members or the Public. 

This is not the proper method to conduct a meeting and as a result this meeting lasted almost three hours. Shame on the Planning Board for such a shoddy meeting!

Larry Fillmore

Concerned Citizen