Hoodwinked and Bamboozled Once Again In Lisbon, Business As Usual, Duping The Taxpayers!

                                          

                      
                      TAXPAYERS DUPED AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is only normal human nature to want to see the best in an individual.  During the two Public Hearings on floating a bond for a million dollars for the purchase and demolition of the Worumbo Mill, Chairman Fern LaRochelle stepped down from his council seat and joined the audience.  We all believed that this was the right thing to do because of the circumstances surrounding his purchase of 2 Canal Street at a little more than half the offered price.  Chairman LaRochelle has been pushing the Worumbo Mill project from the start.  Everyone was impressed that Chairman LaRochelle had done the right thing.

However, at the last town council meeting, Chairman Fern LaRochelle voted on both agenda items that dealt with the Worumbo Mill.    Now we know why he stepped down at both Public Hearings.  It was not because it was the right thing to do but a tactic to ensure that he could vote on the Worumbo Project.  You see at neither Public Hearing did you hear Chairman LaRochelle or Vice Chair Lisa Ward say that Chairman LaRochelle had recused himself because of a possible conflict of interest.

We all listened to Vice Chair Ward tell us that according to the town attorney Roger Therriault there was no conflict of interest and Chairman LaRochelle could vote on the Worumbo Mill Project.  If and only if, Attorney Therriault had made this statement, he would be the dumbest person in Maine.  In fact, Chairman LaRochelle’s vote was the deciding vote in the recommendation of the council.  The motion would never have passed if he had not voted.  Vice Chair Ward did everything she could to justify Chairman LaRochelle's voting.

According to our Charter, Chapter 12 – Ethics and Conflicts of Interest, Section 12-2 under Definitions we learn what a conflict of interest really is.  “Conflict of Interest.  The term “conflict of interest” means a situation where a public official cannot participate in a matter because of personal relationship, financial involvement, or other situation that would cause a reasonable person to believe that the public official cannot act in his or her official capacity without self-interest or bias.” 

Apparently the town council feels the citizens of Lisbon are NOT reasonable people any more.  Chairman LaRochelle, at several meetings, admitted to consulting with the Miller Industries representatives prior to his purchase of the property at 2 Canal Street.  This would normally constitute “Insider Information” but not in Lisbon because we are no longer considered reasonable people.

Our town council cannot even go by our own Charter.  The Ethics Panel sits by and does nothing because no one submitted a claim for conflict of interest.  This is why Chairman LaRochelle waited until the night of the vote to act.  This way it is already done and therefore; what's the sense in trying to make it right.   Chairman LaRochelle counted on all of this and this is the reason he never recused himself. 

It certainly says a lot about Chairman LaRochelle and our Town Council doesn’t it!?!
Larry Fillmore