Bonnie Pothier has been breaking barriers since before breaking barriers was a thing. She was the first woman elected as mayor in Biddeford, but she also had to break a lot of other barriers and overcome many other challenges before then.
Whether as a school teacher, a downtown business owner or even as a member of the local Rotary club, Pothier has always been willing to swim upstream, letting nothing get in her way.
Born and raised in Biddeford, Pothier’s high school class was the first to graduate from Biddeford High School after St. Louis High School was closed in 1971. Bonita Pothier was the middle child of a large family that included her older sisters Charlene, twins Donna and Mona and two younger brothers John and Chuck. Pothier graduated from the University of Maine Farmington, earning a bachelor’s degree in education.
Today, she is one of five regional representatives for U.S. Senator Angus King, Jr., working in the Biddeford office that serves all of York County, a position she has held since King was first elected as senator in 2012. Recently, she announced that she will be retiring in just a few weeks.
“I have been working every summer since I was 11 years old, babysitting,” she laughed. “I finally decided that I wanted to just relax and enjoy the summer for once.”
Initially, it wasn’t your idea to run for mayor in 1989, was it?
“No, it wasn’t. (Laughs) My husband and I were just having dinner with some friends, including Mayor Mike Cantara. Mike said he would not be seeking another term because he wanted to run for the District Attorney seat. So, we all started talking about who would be a good fit to run for mayor. Mike looked over at me, and said you should run. I almost spilled my drink, and I burst out laughing. I was sure he was kidding. The room got quiet. Even my ex-husband thought it was a good idea. I was not at all convinced.
“Michael (Cantara) stopped by my house every night, working to convince me. At the time, I was the president of the chamber of commerce but I had no real political experience. I had a downtown business and young kids. I kept telling him I was too busy, but he persisted.
“I don’t think the city is ready to have a woman as its mayor,” I told him. “You’re putting your money on the wrong horse. Finally, I gave in. I told him I’ll run but you’re going to be sorry.”
You had a decisive win in the election, but your problems were just starting.
“Oh you bet. (Laughs) There were a lot of people who were very uncomfortable with the concept of a woman in power. Also, I was the first Franco-American to be become president of the chamber, so it wasn’t just my gender that bothered a lot people. When I marched in my first La Kermesse parade as mayor, I brought my children along to march with me.
“Over the next few days, there were lots of angry letters to the editor published in the Journal [Tribune]. People said it wasn’t appropriate for the mayor to be walking in the parade with her children. Others criticized my hairstyle.
“All that aside, being the mayor of Biddeford was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. It was a fascinating experience.”
But a patriarchal sentiment extended beyond City Hall, right?
“Oh yes, I remember trying to join the Biddeford Rotary Club and [Richard] Dick Martin said there will be women in the Rotary Club over my dead body. That’s when the Saco Bay Rotary Club was formed. Dick and I came to a very good place of mutual respect. We worked closely together on the design of the new elementary school, MERC and the sewer treatment plant. He was an engineer by trade and he was appointed to the council when Tiny Frechette died.”
You were criticized for trying to work in a “man’s world” and how could you know anything about culverts and road repairs.
“It was, I think, a pivotal time for our city. A lot of people simply couldn’t understand why I wanted to do it, that I should just stay home, mind my own business and take care of my children. Back then, there was no city manager and people had a lot of doubts about department heads reporting to a woman.”
Back then, you were dealing with issues surrounding the MERC trash incinerator, needed sewer upgrades and an exodus of downtown merchants as the mills began to close. What do you think of Biddeford today?
“When I look around today, it’s so satisfying to see the vibrancy that is returning to our community. I believe things are always cyclical, but this is what I knew we would eventually become. I’m old enough to remember what it was like to be downtown in the 1960s. Honestly, the sidewalks were full of people shopping or going out to eat. You had a hard time walking from place to place because of the crowds.”
But you also saw the city’s downtown core begin to crumble in the 1980s.
“It was sad to watch so many things disappear. I remember when I wanted to open my business on Main Street in the early 1980s, so many people said I was crazy to be making an investment downtown. It was like we had all but given up on our downtown. The mills were closing and people began shopping at malls.”
Becoming mayor at that time, with a national recession and jobs leaving the area, what things do you consider were hallmarks of your one term as mayor?
“There were a lot of things, but one really just jumps out at me. Back then, there was no development west of the Turnpike intersection. The council had the foresight and vision to contemplate that area as a commercial growth district, and we went ahead and decided to extend the sewer and water lines there. Without that, you would have never seen all the development that has happened there since.”
How did you end up working for Senator King?
“You’re not going to believe this, but again it was nothing I ever contemplated or pursued. I was visiting a friend at the hospital and Senator King was there visiting the same person. I had known him for a long time. We just started chatting. He seemed interested by my experience as a senior manager at Key Bank, my time with the Chamber and other stuff. He actually pitched me the job, telling me you’ll never be bored working for me. Truer words have never been spoken (Laughs).
As a senate staff person, what’s your perspective on our national landscape?
“I feel like the tone of our political discourse has deteriorated. We have relaxed so many norms, so many people no longer practice good manners in public. The language is . . . well, shocking. There’s so much anger and distrust out there.”
What do you think is driving that anger?
“I think people are afraid, but nobody wants to admit they are afraid. We’ve given ourselves permission to just be constantly angry. It seems more acceptable to be angry than afraid. I think people want to be heard. And that’s what I admire most about Senator King. Despite what some people think, he really listens to people, even when they are being critical of him. He really goes the extra mile.”
The mayor’s seat in Biddeford is opening up this year. Want to run for your old job?
“Are you kidding me? (Laughs). No. Absolutely not. I want to spend more time with my grandchildren and go to the beach.”
What would be your advice to the next mayor?
“What you do can have lasting impressions long after you leave public office. It’s important for all of us, I think, to consider our ethics and to be careful about what message you want to send. Your words matter. I would also tell them to try to bridge the divide that is developing between older and newer residents. I am very concerned about gentrification and the way we are moving forward.
“I think what is happening downtown is fantastic. But we also have to be mindful. While we have many more young people discovering Biddeford and moving here into the old mill buildings, you don’t see families moving into those units. And I don’t think a community can thrive without families.”
Biddeford City Manager vents his frustration regarding the issue of homelessness and the neighboring city of Saco
City Manager Jim Bennett did not hold back his opinions about the neighboring city of Saco during a March 7 Biddeford City Council meeting.
City Manager James Bennett
The Biddeford council was in the midst of debating the merits of hiring a professional consultant to help the city take direct action in addressing the issue of unhoused residents in the community.
Bennett, who seemed clearly frustrated about the issue earlier in the meeting, decided to take a swipe against Saco officials and their response to the issue of unhoused residents.
“My two cents, for what it’s worth, if you want action — don’t waste your time having a conversation with Saco as it relates to this issue,” Bennett said.
Bennett’s unsolicited remarks came immediately after both Biddeford Councilors Doris Ortiz and Liam LaFountain raised the idea of working with Saco as part of a regional approach that could possibly save money and streamline resources.
Ortiz was clearly surprised by Bennett’s comments immediately raising her hands, leaning back in her chair and expressing shock.
LaFountain said he was disappointed by Bennett’s remarks and that both cities have many opportunities to work in unison on several issues.
“Working together as neighboring communities allows us to pursue more comprehensive solutions that benefit residents in both communities,” LaFountain said.
Saco Mayor Bill Doyle said he was also “disappointed” when he heard about Bennett’s public comments.
“Really, I’m sort of taken aback and at a loss for words,” Doyle said. “We’re sister communities. There’s no need in our local communities for this type of vitriol, which we see at the national level.”
Doyle said he was feeling optimistic about relationships between the two cities, especially following a joint council meeting in February. Both cities have appointed members to serve on a committee that will explore various ways the two communities can work together.
Saco’s deputy mayor, Jodi MacPhail, said she was “saddened” by Bennett’s “divisive” comment. “Growing up here, I remember the two cities having great relations, working on MERC, as well as many other projects over the years,” she said. “I will continue to take the high road and engage with Biddeford councilors and residents who appreciate both communities open dialogue without judgment.”
During a follow-up interview, Bennett said he is indeed “somewhat frustrated” both personally and professionally about the issue, but did not back down from his statements, including comments he made earlier during the March 7 meeting.
“I think most people know that I am a very straight-forward and direct person,” Bennett said. “My comments were honest and true.”
Bennett said collaboration with other communities may sound appealing, but often adds yet another layer of bureaucracy to an issue, ultimately slowing down the process of taking action. Bennett said the issue of unhoused people is not just a Biddeford issue, but that the city does need to “quickly make a decision” about how to proceed.
Earlier in the March 7 meeting, Bennett was clearly agitated, and he castigated those who raised concerns about spending $20,000 to hire a professional consultant who would help the city move forward in tackling the issue of unhoused residents.
Departing from his usual role in providing the council information about various issues and staff resources, Bennett offered more of a personal opinion to the council, questioning councilors and others who voiced concerns about hiring a consultant.
“I’m really tired of the misclassifications and all the other issues that happen around this damn issue,” Bennett said. “Personally and professionally, I’m tired. It’s time that the community make some decisions at this table,” he added, pointing to the council dais.
“I don’t think anybody should be really nervous that we want to bring a professional person in to help the council make a decision in full lights – and full FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] and where everybody understands what’s going on,” Bennett said.
“And if that makes you nervous,” he added, shrugging his shoulders. “Then I guess you ought to be concerned about what you’re doing and what your motives are.”
Bennett described the issue of unhoused residents as “probably the most difficult issue that a local, elected body can tackle,” citing a lack in resources from both the state and federal governments.
Ultimately, the council voted 7-2, with Scott Whiting and Bobby Mills in opposition, to hire a professional consultant.
Not too long ago, a very well-known and respected Boston Globe columnist opined that there are some good reasons why a growing number of Americans no longer “trust the media.”
In his Nov. 29, 2022 opinion column, Jeff Jacoby pointed to a recent Gallup report, which revealed that just one out of three Americans claimed to have a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of confidence in the media.
“It has been a long time since most Americans trusted the press to tell them the truth,” Jacoby wrote, adding that “in 1972, when Gallup first began assessing the public’s opinion of the news industry, 68 percent of adults voiced a high degree of confidence in the media’s credibility. In 1976, the year Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Robards starred in All the President’s Men, public faith in the media’s integrity set a record: 72 percent.”
“Over the last three decades, that faith [in the media] has largely crumbled,” Jacoby wrote, saying “journalists and news organizations have increasingly abandoned the old ideal of unbiased news coverage, as media outlets have come to care more about getting the narrative right than getting the facts right.”
To support his opinion, Jacoby points to some recent news stories and how those stories have been covered by large and well-known media outlets.
I tend to believe that Jacoby is right, at least on a macro level.
(Photo: IMDb)
What is journalism?
The field of journalism has undergone a seismic shift over the last four decades. It’s not uncommon today to hear an older person say something like “I miss Walter Cronkite. He didn’t have an agenda.”
In all fairness, Cronkite was roundly criticized by many voices for being a bit less than completely objective.
I think our expectations of the media have also changed dramatically over the last four decades. For better or worse, evolving technology – along with a relatively new emphasis on the importance of ratings – has produced a profound impact upon the media landscape.
But what is “the media,” and how do we define the practice of journalism? I think those are some loaded questions, and the answers are both complex and widely varying.
Today, thanks to technology and some societal changes, just about anyone can be a “journalist” or a media outlet. There is no requirement for any kind of training or experience. All you need is a notebook, a camera and an internet connection and presto – – you are a journalist, or as we say these days, a “social influencer.”
Don’t get me wrong. There are many positive aspects of grass-roots journalism, but it’s also becoming increasingly difficult for news consumers to separate the wheat from the chaff when trying to discern what exactly is legitimate news coverage.
Another problem is that more and more consumers are trying to custom-tailor their news feed, aligning themselves with their own politically-flavored news perspective. If a news outlet produces a story that somehow disrupts the reader’s individual world view then it is automatically dismissed as “fake news” and further proof of media bias.
Almost three years ago, I wrote a similar blog post and interviewed two veteran Maine journalists from both sides of the political spectrum, asking them if the media is biased.
Dennis Bailey spent several years as a reporter working for the Maine Times and Portland Press Herald. He readily acknowledges that his personal politics are more in line with Democrats.
“I’ve never been a believer in objective journalism,” Bailey told me. “A good story is a good story, but it does come with some bias.”
Bailey pointed to certain realities about how a news story is produced. “A reporter often decides what story to follow,” he said. “From there, an editor decides the placement of a story and the headline of that story. These are all subjective decisions.”
On the other side of the political aisle, John Day, who spent several decades as a reporter and then as an editor of the Bangor Daily News, agrees with Bailey about media bias.
“I’m a big fan of diversity,” Day said. “But I was always a contrarian. Fake news has always been around. If all news outlets reported every story the same way, then it would be nothing more than a giant circle jerk.”
New media outlets seem to be popping up almost every-day. Cable-television introduced us to the 24-hour news cycle, and the creation of the internet ushered in the age of instant news coverage. The popularity of social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook only further obfuscate the definition of “the media.”
And we cannot ignore the financial pressures faced by those who produce the news that we read, watch or listen to.
Several months ago, I watched an interview with Christopher Wallace, a former anchor on Fox News Sunday and is now a CNN anchor. Wallace, who has a reputation as a hard-nosed journalist, was talking about how the media has changed over the last several years.
What struck me about that interview is that Wallace laid plenty of blame at the feet of his father, Mike Wallace, who is generally revered as some kind of demi-god by most professional journalists. During the latter part of his career, the elder Wallace was one of the lead anchors of 60 Minutes, a news magazine show that debuted on CBS.
“Before 60 Minutes, the networks generally considered news programming as some sort of public service,” the younger Wallace explained. “Then 60 Minutes happened, and suddenly the networks began to see news programming as a very valuable commodity.”
While the big media corporations continue to intensify their ratings war, many local and small media outlets are struggling to keep their heads above water as they desperately try to keep pace with the continually changing news landscape.
But how does that negatively impact you? Who really cares if another local newspaper closes shop? I’ll get to that in a moment.
The responsibility of the fourth estate
Nearly 300 years ago, Edmund Burke, a member of British Parliament, reportedly coined the term “Fourth Estate” to describe the press, its obligations as a check in government oversight and its responsibility to frame political issues as well as advocacy for the general public.
From Burke’s perspective, the news media played a very important role, at least as important as the other three estates: the clergy, the nobility and the commoners. Today, especially in the United States, the other three estates of government are considered as the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch.
That’s pretty heady stuff if you stop and think about it. A free and unencumbered press literally has the capacity to bring down even the most powerful of political leaders or organizations. We need the press to be our advocates at the table. We depend on the media to keep government in check.
It’s not just important during something like the Vietnam War (the Pentagon Papers, New York Times) or the Watergate scandal (Washington Post). It also matters in your own community and your day-to-day life.
For example, how exactly is the government spending your tax dollars? Who is paying attention to that new zoning ordinance and how it could impact your home value? What is the city planning to do to your kid’s school? Who is advocating for the less fortunate among us? Who is keeping us aware of the day-to-day threats to our peace and comfort?
Sure, I think it’s great that the city of Biddeford has its own, municipal news organization: The Biddeford Beat. But is that really a good replacement for an independent media source? I mean, really, how do we expect a government agency to provide a comprehensive critique of itself or an overview of its day-to-day activities? In fact, one has to wonder how much tax money is being used to produce local government-controlled news.
There are two main reasons why it is becoming more common to see local government create its own “news” coverage. First, the technology makes it relatively easy to do, especially if it’s just an on-line news source.
But much more troubling is the fact that many local government agencies are simply trying to fill a void left by a rapidly shrinking pool of professional reporters at the local level.
I fondly remember covering Biddeford City Council meetings more than 20 years ago. Back then, the council chambers were – politely speaking – often packed with opinions, rage and contempt. It was mostly civil, but it seemed as if there was always some sort of tension. Certain residents regularly attended every meeting, never hesitating to use their five-minute limit at the podium during the “public comment” period. It was awesome.
Back then, there were at least three reporters at every council meeting: Kelley Bouchard covered Biddeford for the Portland Press Herald. Josh Williamson represented the Journal Tribune, and I was there on behalf of the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier.
Each of us would have likely stabbed the others in the neck in order to get the story first. We scrapped it out on the streets, digging for the facts, looking at all the angles and always fiercely competitive. Frankly, it was humbling to work with professionals like Kelley and Josh.
According to the US Census Bureau, the city of Biddeford has a population of roughly 22,000 residents. I think a city of that size, although small, deserves and warrants a full-time reporter or two. Even more so, when considering that Biddeford is the largest city in York County and is a service center for residents from all over southern Maine.
Today, unfortunately, city council meetings in Biddeford are generally quiet, somewhat uneventful and not very well attended. There are no longer three reporters covering every meeting.
The Journal Tribune ceased operations a few years ago, and the Portland Press Herald closed its local bureau on Main Street. The Courier, a locally-owned publication, was sold to the owner of the Portland Press Herald, which basically uses the weekly newspaper to account for its coverage of the Biddeford-Saco area.
Today, Tammy Bostwick Wells, one of the finest and hardest working reporters I’ve ever met, is expected to cover not only Biddeford but also several other communities throughout York County. Tammy, who previously worked for the Journal Tribune and the St. Croix Courier, does an awesome job, but she is realistically limited in what she can cover. After all, she is only one person and there are only so many hours in a day.
That, unfortunately, is the new reality for local media across the United States. Reporters are basically forced to “attend” government meetings via streaming platforms such as Zoom because of time and staffing constraints. We’re lucky that we have people like Tammy who are willing to take on more and more work without an equal increase in monetary compensation for their efforts.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t extoll the virtues of my publisher and her commitment to the communities of Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach via the operation of Saco Bay News, an online local media source. Liz Gotthelf-Othot is another former Journal Tribune reporter who runs herself ragged every day in her efforts to provide coverage of news that may otherwise go un-noticed.
(Disclaimer: Liz pays me to cover Biddeford news for her online publication)
Yesterday, I posted something on Facebook that lacked appropriate context: “I’d take a dime-bag of outrage over a pound of apathy every day of the week and twice on Sundays.”
We need the media to provide that “outrage” in a meaningful and constructive way. If a news story pisses you off, good! Get involved and help make the change you want to see.
Yup, I do think that big media outlets are somewhat responsible for the erosion of public trust in the media, but I also think we need to challenge ourselves to view news differently than through the lens of our own opinions and our own biases.
I sleep better at night knowing that people like Tammy Bostwick Wells and Liz Gotthelf-Othot are watching my local government. And you may also want to avoid taking the media – especially the local media – for granted.
That’s enough rambling and pontificating for now. Peace.
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Although he majored in political science and eventually became the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, Ryan Fecteau’s political journey had a rather innocuous and humble beginning.
Fecteau, 30, said he first became interested in politics when he was appointed as a student representative to the Biddeford School Committee nearly 15 years ago. In 2020, he became the youngest person to be named as Speaker of the House since 1842. He is the first Biddeford representative to hold that post and the first openly gay person to be named Speaker.
“I think I was picked because I was sort of quiet and reserved,” Fecteau laughed, recalling his appointment by former school superintendent Sarah Jane Poli. “I think Sarah Jane thought I would not make waves; unlike [some other students.]”
Fecteau was 16, and a junior at Biddeford High School. He wasn’t even old enough to vote, but he was admittedly intrigued by the political process. Some two years later, he decided to seek a seat on the Biddeford Charter Commission.
“There were certainly a lot of skeptics who wondered about this new kid and what he was trying to prove,” Fecteau said, pointing out that the commission was chaired by one of the city’s most well-known politicians. “I was only 19, and I think some people wondered about my motivations.”
From there, even though he was still a full-time student at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., Fecteau decided that he wanted to run for an opening seat in the Maine House of Representatives. “To this day, I have no idea what possessed me to do it,” he said. “But in my gut, I felt a lot of passion, and I really thought that young people should have a voice at the table.”
State Rep. Paulette Beaudoin was actually Fecteau’s next-door neighbor, and she was unable to run for re-election because of term limits. She was 82 years old when Fecteau announced in the summer of 2013 that he would be seeking her seat. He was 21. “Yeah, you could say it was quite a contrast,” he laughed.
Another Democrat also wanted to take over Beaudoin’s seat. Former newspaper publisher and downtown property owner David Flood threw his hat into the ring for the nomination. Fecteau won the nomination, 493-263. He says he won his race the old-fashioned way.
“I knocked on a lot of doors and met with a lot of people,” he recalled. “Because of school, I was doing a lot of early campaigning in January. That’s a big advantage actually because it’s really cold outside and people invite you into their homes.”
We caught up with Fecteau recently to discuss his time in the Legislature and his thoughts about the future of Biddeford and the state of Maine.
If you’re knocking on doors in January, you have to be pretty motivated. Something must have been driving you.
“When I think back, I really believe my main motivation was what I saw happening among my peers. So many young people just didn’t see a future for themselves in Maine. They were basically writing off the state because they didn’t see economic opportunities for themselves here.”
You served the maximum of four consecutive two-year terms in the House. Why didn’t you go for the State Senate seat that opened up at the end of your final term?
“I decided a while back that I really enjoyed the opportunity to serve in the House, but it would also be nice to just stop there.”
What about future political ambitions?
“I really haven’t given it much thought. I don’t know. It’s definitely not on my radar screen right now. I just started a new job. We just a bought a house, so it’s not something I am contemplating. Actually, I think it’s very hard to chart your political future in a state like Maine. We only have two Congressional districts and have a pretty significant and deep bench of candidates.”
What about local politics? We’ve heard your name mentioned as a potential mayoral candidate in Biddeford.
“What? (Laughs) Oh, no, no no. Definitely not. I don’t want to be that close to the fire (Laughs). Actually, I think very highly of municipal leaders who take on the tough tasks — with little pay — to keep our communities up and running. While I don’t have plans to run for mayor or council, I admire those who find a way to serve in any capacity on behalf of the public good.”
Looking back on your time in the House, what would you say were your proudest accomplishments?
“There are so many things. During my second term, I chaired the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economics Committee, and I re-introduced a bill to expand funding for CTE (Career and Technical Education) in high schools around the state. I had sponsored a similar bill in my first term. The last infusion of funds for CTE programs was in 1998, and the costs of those programs was falling onto the shoulders of communities like Biddeford.
“We know that we have to solve challenges in the work force and train our young people to fill critical positions. The bill was defeated again, but I kept at it because I knew it was the right thing to do. Ultimately, last year, we passed a $20 million bond for funding to 29 CTE centers across the state, including $7 million for the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology.”
Also, we were able to expand dental care coverage for more than 200,000 Maine people. We had strong bi-partisan support for that bill. When you think about it, it’s really an economic development issue.
“When you have someone sitting across from you at a job interview and the applicant has really bad teeth, it’s a stigma issue. I saw it as part of our social contract. Previously, people were using emergency rooms as a last resort to solve terrible, constant pain. Something had to be done.”
You eventually became one of the most important and influential people in Maine politics. But your tenure as Speaker was markedly different.
“It was a very humbling and rewarding experience, but it sure was unique. I was elected in December 2020, and the pandemic had been raging for a little more than six months. There was no way that it was going to be business as usual. To say that it was a significant challenge for all of us is sort of an understatement.
“Although it was a significant challenge to adapt the Legislature to mitigate against the pandemic, the work we accomplished over those two years was transformational.
“We made long overdue investments in Maine people and infrastructure. From broadband expansion to upgrading vocational schools, to fully funding the state’s share of public education to making school meals free for all students, to providing child care workers with a wage boost to investing in the construction of affordable and attainable housing, we overcame unprecedented circumstances and delivered transformational results.”
Are partisan political battles better or worse today than when you first arrived at the House?
“I actually think that it’s better today. During my eight years in Augusta, I experienced a lot of political variables. There is a stark difference in the tone from the governor’s office. My first term, we had a Republican governor and a Republican-controlled state senate.”
What are the biggest issues facing Maine today?
“Affordable housing is definitely the big issue, and that sort of goes hand-in-hand with our state’s work-force challenges. We have this perfect storm of new and younger people moving to Maine. It’s hard to know what’s driving that migration. Is it people who want to live in Vacationland? Or are they just planning to stay a little while? That’s the big question.
“Regardless, we’ve got to build more housing. It’s simple supply and demand. If we want people to fill in the gaps of our work-force shortages, we need affordable housing for them, otherwise they’re not going to stay.”
You’re beginning a new job, appointed by Gov. Janet Mills.
“I was appointed as senior advisor for Community Development and Strategic Initiatives in the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future.”
What exactly is that?
(Laughs) “It’s a long title, but basically I will be mostly focused on housing and work-force policy initiatives. It’s sort of a hybrid position. I’ll also be working closely with certain consulates that have ongoing relationships with Maine, such as Canada, France and others to explore economic development opportunities.”
It is a well-known fact that participation in the world of politics – whether it is national, statewide or local — is often a rough and tumble affair.
But here in my hometown of Biddeford, politics is a blood sport and its machinations are not for the faint of heart, those with thin skin or fragile egos. You better put on your big-boy pants if you want to play in this arena.
Me and the mayor in 2011
This was a strange election year in our city. Several city council seats were uncontested and the mayoral campaign between incumbent Alan Casavant and his challenger Victoria Foley was relatively quiet — right up until the last few days of the campaign.
So, what happened? Why did just a small handful of Foley’s supporters all of a sudden go rogue on social media and get their knickers in a knot?
Well, it was a couple of things, including a direct mail piece that the Casavant team sent out just a few days before Election Day. The reaction to that mailer from a few renegade Foley supporters was swift and scorching. Heads exploded, small children went missing and locusts began to ravage the city.
Relax. I’m joking.
(Disclosure, I was a member of Casavant’s campaign team.)
Foley, and an overwhelming majority of her supporters, ran a clean, positive and civil campaign. But some new terminology was introduced into the broader spectrum of campaign rhetoric this year: ageism and nativism.
What? Do I now have to feel guilty about being an old native of Biddeford?
The unhinged objection from a small group of Foley’s supporters on Facebook was likely sparked by Casavant’s use of a direct quote that Foley gave to a newspaper reporter several weeks ago. “My opponent says Biddeford is on a great trajectory,” Casavant wrote. “I appreciate her kind words.”
Another objection was the mention of Foley’s age on the Casavant mail piece. Again, that was from a newspaper profile of the candidates. I very much doubt that any member of Foley’s team wanted to storm the Biddeford-Saco Courier’s office because they had the temerity to list her age (38). For the record, Casavant is 69.
Throughout the campaign, there were many subtle comments made about the need for a more “energetic” candidate in the mayor’s office. I will not reveal the names of those thin-skinned Foley supporters, but I will quote some of their social media comments, which, by the way, were taken down very quickly once the Casavant team replied.
No worries. I have the various screen shots.
PR 101: Nothing is ever truly “erased” once it has been published on a public site.
A Foley supporter, who I will dub as Jane Doe, wrote a screed on Facebook attacking the mayor for invoking his experience and for the fact that he is a lifelong Biddeford native who bleeds black and orange.
“When I saw the first post on the socials for Alan’s re-election campaign weeks ago, I was repulsed by the nativism dog-whistle language, that only someone “from” Biddeford, who has deep roots here, is capable of being Mayor of Biddeford,” Jane Doe wrote. “. . . (and) mentioning Victoria’s age is a clear attempt to label her as “too young” to do the job.”
And John Doe wrote this: “There is a young, progressive female Democratic (sic) running for mayor of Biddeford, Maine. The current mayor is an old, entrenched, multi-term good ol’ boy Democrat.”
John Doe continues: “As with everything the current mayor does, there’s plenty of wolf-whistle nativism on the (Casavant direct mail piece.). The whole production looks and reads like an Onion joke about old, straight white guys desperately clinging to their fiefdoms…but unable to do more than make fun of the competent women around them.”
What John Doe conveniently forgets is that Alan Casavant appointed Victoria Foley to the city council. Casavant also appointed Councilor Amy Clearwater to the council. I could keep going, but you get the point: Casavant obviously recognizes the competency of female candidates.
The Casavant team created a campaign website, which included video endorsements from several “natives” but it also included profiles of newer residents who like the way our mayor is leading the city. Maybe that stung. Who knows? But I also know several lifelong residents of Biddeford who supported Foley’s attempt to capture the mayor’s seat.
Biddeford has a long and storied history of welcoming and embracing “immigrants” who flocked here to work in the textile and shoe mills more than 100 years ago. These people, and all the others who followed in their footsteps (Including Victoria Foley) contribute so much to the fabric of a truly diverse community.
In summary, we should all thank Ms. Foley for offering an alternative checkbox on the ballot. She has a lot to offer this community and she has a bright future ahead if she chooses to continue in the city’s political landscape.
Now it’s time for this old white guy to take a nap.
Earlier this week, I sensed a disturbance in the force, and sure enough there was significant shift taking place in the city of Biddeford’s political landscape.
On Thursday afternoon, State Senator David Dutremble, a Democrat from Biddeford, announced that he will not seek a third consecutive term in the Maine Legislature. Within 30 minutes of Dutremble’s announcement, Joanne Twomey, a former state legislator and mayor, announced that she would seek Dutremble’s seat.
Oh, happy day.
And to think I was wondering about the subject of my next blog post.
My phone began ringing off the hook. “What are we going to do?” people asked. “We can’t let this happen.”
Republicans began salivating about the potential of capturing the District 32 seat for the first time in 30 years.
After all, Twomey has lost her last four bids for elected office. She embarrassed herself on the state and national stage by lobbing a jar of Vaseline at Governor Paul LePage during an event in Saco. She was carried out of the room, kicking and screaming.
The woolly mammoth was weakened, and the cavemen fetched their spears.
Over the years, I have watched Twomey closely. She considers me a mortal enemy. She has publicly referred to me as “the Darth Vader of Biddeford.”
Even I toyed with the idea of running for the seat, which brought an almost immediate response from Twomey on Facebook: Look forward to running against a Republican Randy Seaver, nothing would make me happier.
Crazy like a fox
I’m a pretty cynical guy, but even I fell for Joanne Twomey’s self-described narrative of being a champion for the downtrodden.
During her first term as a state representative in 1998, I was working as the editor of the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, and I penned a glowing column about Twomey, describing her “a champion of the people, a fearless advocate for those with no voice within the political power structure.”
She liked me then, and she invited me to her home for a second interview in her back yard, serving fresh fruit, sandwiches and cookies. I threw journalistic ethics out the window and devoured those cookies. (They were awesome)
But as the weeks and months wore on, and as I heard other stories about Twomey and her stint as a city councilor in the early 1990s, my perception changed. I learned that she kept a political enemies list. Once I criticized her for something, my name found its way to that list.
In reality, there is only one thing Twomey cares about: her own political ambition. She refuses to be pragmatic in order to achieve goals. Instead, she conducts herself like a petulant child, stubbornly digging in her heels and shrieking that she is “principled above all else.”
While Twomey tells you that she is principled and fighting the good fight on the side of the angels, take a look at her actual track record.
1.) In 2003, she testified against a proposed casino. In her testimony before the Biddeford City Council, she said: “In my Christmas village, there is no casino.” Seven years later, when she was the mayor and facing a budget pinch because of a new school, she suddenly flipped and quickly became a cheerleader for a another proposed casino in Biddeford.
Principled? Really?
2.) Twomey built her political career on the backs of criticizing the owners of the MERC waste-to-energy facility. In 2009, while seeking a second term as mayor, she held a press conference and was hugging the company’s owners in front of news cameras just two weeks before the election. She said they had come to terms on a solution.
Two weeks later, after securing her re-election bid, she once again reversed her position. Principled? Really?
3.) During Biddeford’s Democratic caucus in 2012, Twomey said the city needed a “real Democrat” in Augusta, failing to mention that she encouraged Democrat State Rep. Paulette Beaudoin to run for her former legislative seat.
But is she a viable candidate?
In the early 1990s, Twomey was removed by police from City Hall, following another hissy fit, when once again her rage trumped manners and decorum. As a state representative, she cried on the House floor when she did not get her way. She is a professional victim and the consummate hypocrite.
But remember this: she has a political base of support in Biddeford. She was elected to four consecutive terms in the Maine House of Representatives. During her last two terms, she beat her Republican challenger by a 2-1 margin. Okay, so…Biddeford rarely elects Republicans and the other candidate was not much of a candidate to begin with.
She made her political comeback in 2007 by winning the mayor’s seat, but it was hardly a mandate. It was a three-way race that included two city councilors: John McCurry and Ken Farley. A mere 38 percent of the city’s voters cast ballots. Twomey won with 1,742 votes. Farley was close behind with 1,573 votes and McCurry finished with 1,052 votes.
Essentially, McCurry and Farley split the moderate vote and let Twomey slide in to office with fewer than 2,000 votes.
Her biggest political victory came two years later, when she sought a second term as mayor. In a four way race, Twomey walked away with 4,100 votes, easily outpacing second-place candidate David Flood (2,640).
Twomey seemed unstoppable. She was a political force to be reckoned with.
The Fall From Grace
In the summer of 2011, I and some other Biddeford residents decided that our city needed a change, and we rallied around another former legislator, Alan Casavant, when he decided to seek the mayor’s seat.
Casavant had also served many years on the city council and was also elected to four consecutive terms in the Maine House of Representatives. But unlike Twomey, he never cried on the State House floor. He never screamed or shrieked when he did not get his way. He is professional, mild-mannered and responsive. He was just what Biddeford needed to clean up its tarnished image.
A lot of people told us we were nuts. They said Twomey could not be defeated. Ethan Strimling chided me for mounting a campaign against a seemingly invincible candidate. Many people in Biddeford, led by Twomey, were advocating for a casino during tough economic times. They saw no other way forward for the city. Casavant had his doubts.
By any measure, Casavant’s campaign was the proverbial long shot. But guess what happened?
Casavant won that election with more than 63 percent of the vote, beating Twomey, 4,165-2,504 with a turnout of 53 percent of voters. Casavant not only beat her, he surpassed even Twomey’s best election result in 2009.
Twomey was stunned and cried before television news cameras.
In 2012, she tried to claim back her state house seat from incumbent Paulette Beaudoin. She lost that primary challenge.
In 2013, she tried to make a comeback as the city’s mayor. Again, Casavant beat her: 2,377-1043.
And last year, she gave up on the mayor’s seat and instead sought one of two at-large seats on the city council. In that five way race, Twomey came in third (1,080), well behind second-place finisher Laura Seaver (1,790)
What does the future hold?
Over the last 18 years, Twomey holds a 6-4 election record. Not that shabby, really.
By contrast, (during the same time period) Casavant holds a 7-1 record.
It remains to be seen who else will run for Dutremble’s seat. It’s a tough job that demands incredible flexibility and a tremendous amount of time with virtually no way to rival a regular income. Twomey, retired, is in a perfect position for that job.
Speaking just for me, Twomey will be a tough candidate to beat. That said, someone sent me a design of her campaign sign this morning, This sign was allegedly designed by Perry Aberle. As a professional campaign consultant, I can tell you that this one of the most horrid and ineffective campaign signs I have ever seen.
But what do I know? I’m just the Darth Vader of Biddeford.
Running for elected office is not easy; not by a long shot.
But I am so proud of my wife; proud of her courage, her determination and her fiercely independent spirit.
It’s the two-week stretch, and no matter the outcome, I have enjoyed watching Laura grow and face her challenges head-on. She’ll make one hell of a city councilor.
As someone who has worked professionally on local, statewide and federal campaigns over the last several years, I find all of this somewhat fascinating.
I have been covering Biddeford’s political landscape for nearly two decades, both as former newspaper editor and now as a blogger. I have witnessed more political maneuvering on this side of the Saco River than you can imagine.
But this year’s races are a bit different. There is a groundswell of opinion that says Biddeford needs a clean sweep, from the mayor’s seat all the way down to ward clerks and wardens.
So, because I am a political junkie and a Biddeford native, you can expect me to be keeping a close eye on the developments of these races between now and Election Day.
Today, we start with the race for the mayor’s seat, where two-term incumbent Alan Casavant is facing potential challenges from at least three candidates, including Daniel Parenteau, a self-employed consultant.
As I pointed out previously, this is not Parenteau’s first bid for political office.
Two years ago, Parenteau was one of six candidates for the city’s two at-large city council seats.
He finished in last place with 805 votes, despite support he received from Casavant.
To kick off his campaign, Parenteau has followed Casavant’s lead by creating a Facebook page.
But Parenteau has also gone a step further, deploying a campaign tactic that we generally see reserved for larger-scale campaigns, such as Congressional races.
According to his Facebook page, Parenteau will be conducting a “working tour” of the city. He will spend a few hours every week, working for free at a locally-owned business as a way to connect with voters.
On Friday, Parenteau was stocking shelves at Ray’s Market on the western side of the city.
This, to my knowledge, is a first in Biddeford campaigns.
Parenteau, who talks a lot about being innovative and connected to every day citizens, is putting those ideas into action. His campaign is being innovative, and he is connecting to people at the grassroots level.
It’s a brilliant strategy that positions him as a “man of the people.”
In his last two campaigns, Mayor Casavant used campaign events to collect food for local food pantries. At the time, it was a well-received move that showed Casavant understood the needs of the people.
Today, Casavant’s detractors paint him as a man who is “out of touch with the community.
Speaking of Casavant, the mayor has yet to take out nomination papers, leading some to question whether he will actually seek a third term.
It’s still very early in the process, and most voters — other than the political junkies and those with an axe to grind — will not begin paying too much attention to any of the campaigns until after Labor Day….summer in Maine is just too short.
But one thing is for sure, it’s going to be an interesting political season Biddeford.
Union members protest outside City Hall before the July 7 meeting. (Biddeford Teamsters photo)
Maybe it was the heat.
Maybe it was that more than 150 people had packed themselves into the tiny and cramped Biddeford City Council Chambers.
More than likely, it was because tensions remain high between the city council and the Teamsters union that represents the city’s police, fire and public works department in ongoing contract negotiations.
But for whatever reason, only a few minutes into the July 7 council meeting, chaos erupted and the meeting was quickly adjourned before it ever really started.
It was a spectacle to watch; embarrassing on many levels and completely avoidable.
Although it was a powder keg in search of a match, the first moments of the meeting seemed routine. There was the Pledge of Allegiance and everyone stood, removed their hats and paid homage to our nation’s flag.
And then, Mayor Alan Casavant asked for a moment of silence to recognize the passing of two distinguished citizens.
Again, everyone in the room was completely respectful, bowing their heads in a moment of silence. But then, gazing at the crowd that literally surrounded the council, Casavant simply asked some attendees to stand in the hallway in order to comply with building safety codes.
The crowd of mostly Teamsters and their supporters refused to budge. “We’re not going anywhere,” they shouted, quickly followed by thunderous applause.
One of the councilors (from the videotape of the meeting it remains unclear who it was) responded, “Do you want us to shut it down?”
In unison, the angry Teamsters began chanting: “Shut it down! Shut it down!”
One councilor quickly made a motion to adjourn the meeting, it was just as quickly seconded. And a majority of councilors voted to adjourn the meeting before it ever really started.
The Teamsters were visibly upset. They stood in place, screaming at the councilors and chanting: “Shame on you! Shame on you!”
The people’s business went unfinished. No member of the public was able to address the council. It was a poor reflection of a great city.
The Blame Game
So who’s to blame for the complete breakdown in civility, decorum and common courtesy?
Well, there’s plenty of blame to go around for this circus show, so let’s start at the top.
With nearly two terms under his belt as the city’s mayor, four terms as a state legislator and prior experience as a city councilor (not to mention teaching psychology at Biddeford High School), Mayor Alan Casavant should have seen this coming well in advance.
Casavant should have changed the venue for the meeting to accommodate what everyone knew was going to be a capacity crowd.
Casavant failed to lead because of his embedded belief in the decency of his fellow citizens. He thought he could simply ask for order, and his request would be honored. That’s not how the real world works. It may have worked in his classroom, but the mayor simply cannot be so naïve as to think the meeting was not going to be raucous and overcrowded.
Casavant was elected to be a leader, not to be a nice guy.
In the final moments of the meeting, Council President John McCurry leaned over to Casavant and said, “You need to get a handle on this situation.”
McCurry was right.
But the blame does not rest solely with Casavant.
Assets, not liabilities
Although a majority of the council was angry, there was no need to threaten to “shut down” the meeting. The council could have sat idly until the crowd complied, ordering public access television to be paused and waiting for things to settle down.
Instead, at least one of the councilors issued an ultimatum: “Do you want us to shut it down?”
That did not fly with the Teamsters.
Whether they like it or not, the council has a responsibility to hear its citizens’ concerns and grievances. It also has a responsibility to hear those same concerns from city employees, many of whom are also residents.
I have been covering Biddeford politics for the better part of two decades, and there seems to be a constant, pervasive theme that transcends each administration: City employees are liabilities, not assets. In reality, it is the other way around.
The council has its position in the negotiations, but it is unrealistic to expect that those on the other side of the table are going to simply accept what is offered, especially when the offer (according to sources from within the union) is such a low-ball offer.
Furthermore, the council cannot lay all the blame at the mayor’s feet. They should have made a motion to move the meeting to a different venue at a different time in order to accommodate the crowd.
Instead, they stubbornly insist that all future meetings will be held in the cramped city council chamber.
Men To Boys
Biddeford’s police, fire and public works employees are some of the hardest working, most decent people you will ever come across.
It appears that the union has a legitimate beef with the negotiations. They are being asked to sacrifice a lot. Perhaps, this is the city’s negotiating tool: a ridiculous low-ball offer that can be incrementally worked up.
But we are not talking about buying a Ford F-150 or a Toyota Prius. We are talking about men and women who will literally put their lives on the line for you and me.
I do not know how much police officers or firefighters are paid, but I guarantee you it is not enough.
On the other hand, the city has limited resources, and public employees need to accept the same realities that private-sector employees are facing.
As I watched the July 7 meeting, I couldn’t help but imagine what would have happened to me if I marched into my employers’ office and started shouting “shame on you” because I was upset about a lack of a raise or losing some benefits. If my employer asked me to wait in the hallway for a few moments while things settled down, and I refused to budge, what do you think would happen?
I would be looking for another job.
That’s how it works in the real world.
Furthermore, it is beyond ironic that public safety employees would refuse to comply with public safety regulations.
Earth to Teamsters: The mayor was not asking you to leave or trying to silence your voices. He simply asked a few of you to step into the adjacent hallway and wait your turn to speak. Was that such an unreasonable request?
Stomping your feet and shouting is for two-year-olds, not for adults.
And let’s be clear, this is not the first time when have witnessed junior high school theatrics from the Teamsters.
During my tenure as a newspaper editor, I recall previous contract negotiations that were just as heated and just as contentious. In fact, during one council meeting, several union members circled City Hall in their vehicles, honking their horns repeatedly in order to disrupt the meeting.
In summary, there’s plenty of blame to go around in this situation. I strongly suggest that the mayor, every member of the city council and the Teamsters all put on their big-boy pants and negotiate in good faith.
Our public employees should be treated with respect.
Like everyone else in Biddeford, State senator David Dutremble is troubled by the allegations of child sexual abuse that has roiled this city for the past several weeks.
On June 23, Dutremble wrote on Facebook: “The more we dig, the sicker I become with my city!!”
I called him out on that post because he is indicting the entire city for allegations that primarily focus on two former police officers.
Perhaps Dutremble is upset with the city council that voted 6-2 not to suspend the police chief and deputy police chief.
Perhaps he envies Mayor Alan Casavant’s strong popular support.
Perhaps he is angry with the police chief or the deputy police chief, even though Maine’s Attorney General says they have taken all the right steps during the ongoing investigation.
But one thing is for sure: Dutremble won’t attack the reputation of his employer, the city’s fire department.
His disgust is selective, despite a recent post on the Portland Press Herald’s Facebook page in which a Biddeford man alleged that a “senior fire department official” attempted to molest him when he was a teenager.
Where was the outrage? Where was the investigation, the calls for senior members of the fire department to step aside during an investigation? There was none of that. Dutremble was silent.
But he has been very vocal, and has repeatedly expressed his indignation with the Biddeford City Council for doing “nothing” to help the cause of “justice” for the community.
From the council chamber’s podium, Dutremble has expressed outrage and contempt toward the council. And he promised, he would get something done in Augusta.
A career firefighter, Dutremble is by all accounts a good city employee, But a careful look at the legislative session that will soon end calls into serious question his abilities as a legislator.
Who let the dogs out?
Earlier this year, Dutremble introduced a bill (L.D. 107) to name the Labrador retriever as the official state dog. State Rep. William Tuell of East Machias described L.D. 107 as “a waste of time.”
An Arundel dog breeder agreed with Tuell, telling the Portland Press Herald that, “It is stupid. There are so many other issues.”
The Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government quickly killed the bill by a vote of 9-3.
Although Dutremble was not able to pass the dog bill, a new group of his supporters expected him to deliver the goods on a topic about which he has been extremely vocal: the alleged sexual abuse of minors by former members of the Biddeford Police Department.
Now bear in mind, there is no love lost between the city’s police and fire departments.
For the past several months, alleged victim Matt Lauzon has spearheaded the issue of child sexual abuse by two former police officers, and he has been effusive in his praise of Dutremble, at every social media opportunity calling him “courageous” and a “hero.”
It appeared as though Lauzon had found his ideal champion, and that Dutremble had found his ideal cause. Lots of TV cameras, and how can you go wrong trying to help victims of sexual abuse?
The controversy held great promise to cement Dutremble’s reputation as a take-charge legislator who gets things done.
The senator comes out swinging
Dutremble seemed to get off to a very fast start. On May 7, Bangor Daily News reporter Beth Brogan wrote that Dutremble’s legislative staff was “already investigating the existing law and possible changes.”
Lauzon kept the community updated on Dutremble’s progress via Facebook, making it clear that thanks to the senator, Lauzon was meeting in Augusta with the leadership of the Legislature, and that legislative action would be forthcoming very soon.
Each of Lauzon’s admiring Facebook posts about Dutremble seemed to bring an immediate Facebook “Like” from the take-charge and image conscious senator.
There was even a very high profile meeting with Governor LePage on May 12, once again covered by all the TV stations and the state’s biggest newspapers. Pretty heady stuff. Dutremble’s momentum seemed unstoppable.
On May 19, Dutremble confidently strode into a Biddeford City Council meeting, and he was visibly seething. He wasted no time reprimanding the mayor and council for their pitifully poor job performance. It was very theatrical and dramatic. At the same time, he portrayed himself as a bold, decisive leader.
“In regard to state level assistance, I am working, and looking into the best avenue for an independent investigation of the Biddeford Police Department,” he told the council.
While grabbing headlines and severely scolding city officials, Dutremble’s star seemed to be shining very brightly. In fact, one of Lauzon’s staunchest supporters enthusiastically told a city official — in no uncertain terms — that the senator was working hard on a joint resolution from both the Maine Senate and the Maine House of Representatives.
This resolution would enjoy near unanimous support in both chambers of the legislature, the resident bragged. It would call on Attorney General Janet Mills to step away from the investigation of the Biddeford Police Department, and to let the Maine State Police take over the investigation.
With Dutremble having taken charge, the AG’s office would be kicked off the case. Wow, that’s pretty impressive legislative clout.
Bad news for Dutremble
In most cases when nothing happens, that’s not news. But this particular “nothing” will indeed be news in Biddeford.
As of Monday, Dutremble had filed neither a bill nor a resolution. In a Facebook post on Tuesday evening, Dutremble stated that he was not working on a bill, but rather a “letter.”
A letter to whom?
Hard to believe. After going out on a limb just about as far as you can go, the Maine Legislature will soon recess for the summer and Senator David Dutremble will tiptoe back into town completely empty-handed.
When I first heard about the potential joint resolution a few weeks ago, a colleague of mine called a media person who is wise to all that goes on in Augusta. The reporter literally burst out laughing and said, “That’ll never happen.”
The same colleague has access to a direct line into the Governor’s office, and into the leadership of the Maine State Senate. Calls were made to see how much progress the senator’s resolution had made, and the response from this staffer was shocking.
“Yeah, we’ve heard rumblings that Dutremble is interested in this issue, but nobody’s seen anything in writing,” the staffer said. “Nothing exists, not even a bill summary or just a title. One thing’s for sure, nobody’s touching that with a 10-foot pole.”
Nothing in writing? How could that be?
Biddeford’s senator had repeatedly chastised the mayor and city council in public for “doing nothing,” but he never filed a bill? Not even a bill summary or even a simple bill title?
What about the resolution — that was never in writing, either?
Now, it is possible that Dutremble has spent weeks working on a letter, but another electronic records search was completed by the Governor’s office and Senate staff just two days ago, and that yielded no results. There’s no record of anything having to do with a joint resolution and Senator David Dutremble.
To the likes of Lauzon and his supporters, it must be incomprehensible that Dutremble utterly failed to produce. But to those who understand the basic rules of politics, Dutremble’s shockingly elementary mistakes explain everything.
A failure to communicate
David Dutremble is a state senator. You’d think he’d be astute enough to know that his party is in a life and death struggle, if not with the Republicans, then certainly with Republican Governor Paul LePage.
The Attorney General, Janet Mills, is a high profile Democrat. She and LePage have been in an ugly war on any number of issues. Their battles litter the landscape to such an extent that it’s no exaggeration to say Mills and LePage may be the two most bitter political enemies in Maine.
The only politician in Maine seemingly unaware of this conflict is David Dutremble.
Dutremble apparently thought it was okay to approach Democratic legislative leaders to help pass a resolution that would hand the Democrats a huge political defeat, and hand the governor a huge political victory.
Think about it. Dutremble’s resolution would have removed Mills from an important investigation (thereby calling into question her competence in all investigations). The Governor could take the credit for showing leadership by having the meeting with Lauzon, and the resolution — approved by most Democrats — would give the governor valuable ammo in his continuing claim that Mills is unfit to be AG.
There is no way that any resolution or bill was ever going to be passed, or even brought to the floor of either chamber. It was never going to see the light of day.
Senator Dutremble’s unsophisticated legislative idea painfully illustrated his lack of understanding of how things work in Augusta.
Playing checkers, not chess
Matt Lauzon’s meeting with LePage took place well before the “news” surfaced that Dutremble would get near unanimous support for his bipartisan resolution.
It remains unclear what role Dutremble played in arranging Lauzon’s meeting with LePage. Maybe it was a large role, maybe it was miniscule, but one thing about the meeting is crystal clear: The governor barred Dutremble from attending.
At the time, Dutremble’s naïve supporters were jubilant that the meeting with the governor had taken place. They thought they were on their way to “justice.” All they had to do was keep following Senator Dutremble.
Nobody seemed worried that LePage had barred Dutremble from the meeting. None of them, including Dutremble, seemed to understand the significance of what had transpired. None of them seemed to understand that the Governor and the legislative leaders were playing chess, while Dutremble and some of Lauzon’s supporters were playing checkers.
None of them apparently even considered the idea that LePage gladly took full advantage of a political freebie, personally gift-wrapped by Dutremble.
The governor was able to embarrass a Democratic senator, take another shot at the AG, express concern about sexual abuse and bask in the resulting media coverage — all in one neat little package.
Oblivious, Dutremble pressed on, “crafting” the near-unanimous resolution that seems not to have been written, the non-resolution he promised a trusting constituent was right around the corner.
Outside, looking in
Thanks to his clumsiness during this legislative session, David Dutremble is now on the outside looking in, and that position is probably permanent.
In Augusta, memories are long.
Dutremble’s repeated calls to get the AG’s office “off the case” in Biddeford was a major political faux pas, and the total cost of that mistake to his full constituency is yet to be calculated.
One certain cost is the people of Biddeford now have less influence because Dutremble now has zero influence. That’s a price we all pay.
But the senator also failed to see that in trying to pass this ill-fated legislation, his reputation is now directly tied to the reputation of the man whose cause he has decided to champion.
Every time Dutremble walks into a room to talk about sexual abuse — whether in Biddeford or in Augusta — he is now equated with Matt Lauzon. They are one and the same.
Unfortunately, while Dutremble was plotting to get unanimous support for his resolution, Lauzon and his supporters were running amok on social media and in public meetings.
Word gets around, even in Augusta
Despite many claims that he’s about to go “professional,” Lauzon keeps acting like a junior high school kid.
At a forum hosted by Dutremble, Lauzon publicly speculated that the Biddeford police chief had had homosexual relations with a current police commissioner, and with a former police officer.
Lauzon also intimated that the chief had participated in group sex. He intimated that a Maine district judge had a homosexual relationship with Biddeford’s mayor. He publicly speculated that Biddeford’s mayor, a former teacher at the city’s high school, had slept with his students.
One of Lauzon’s supporters came to a city council meeting, and in the most foul, graphic and detestable street language, proclaimed from the podium his certainty that Biddeford’s mayor and police chief currently and frequently engage in oral sex.
Similar examples of Lauzon’s “dialogue” are legion, but it sickens the stomach to list each instance. And each instance has been a costly chink in Dutremble’s armor.
No matter how valid the cause, no bill will ever be passed in Augusta with proponents who carry themselves in such a fashion.
Matt Lauzon (far left) taunts and tries to distract Mayor Alan Casavant during a press conference.
After one city council meeting, as the mayor was being interviewed by television reporters, Lauzon ducked and hid behind the cameras, popping out like a jack-in-the-box to make faces at Casavant as he answered questions.
Absolutely no filter or maturity. Absolutely no decorum and common decency, and absolutely no common sense.
Unfortunately, to the detriment of a very serious issue that deserves sober and mature discussion, Lauzon and some of his supporters keep shooting themselves in the foot, over and over again, inflicting more and more damage on Dutremble’s political reputation and, more importantly, the pending investigation by Maine’s attorney general.
Not understanding that word gets around, and that the media and many others are completely appalled by the crass and boorish social media dialogue that Lauzon has been fomenting, the senator finds himself between a rock and a hard place.
He can’t turn back now, and Lauzon’s posse has proven that it cannot change its stripes. They, and their behavior, will determine Dutremble’s political future.
One new law, and it isn’t Dutremble’s
It is clear that on the issue of sexual abuse, Biddeford’s senator accomplished absolutely nothing in this legislative session.
Meanwhile, early in the process, Biddeford’s city council asked Dutremble to file emergency legislation that would ease state restrictions on discussing an ongoing criminal investigation.
He didn’t do it.
The city council also asked him to file emergency legislation that would keep convicted pedophiles from living too close to public parks and playgrounds where young children congregate.
He didn’t do it.
And there’s no record of his introducing a joint resolution that supposedly was going to be almost unanimous.
So, what did he do?
He repeatedly berated Biddeford’s mayor and city council for “doing nothing.” Apparently he didn’t notice that Biddeford passed a new ordinance that bars convicted pedophiles from living within 750 feet of a public park or playground where young children congregate. It’s now the law in Biddeford.
Meanwhile, Dutremble’s wife announced that her husband had allowed her to read all the victim statements he has collected, the same confidential victim statements he has refused to hand over to the Attorney General’s office, thereby raising the legitimate question of whether he is impeding an ongoing criminal investigation.
Apparently, Dutremble believes that Attorney General Mills is either incompetent or not trustworthy.
Senator Dutremble doesn’t get to introduce new bills Augusta until next January, and his joint resolution will again have no chance.
One thing’s for sure, with the Legislature almost recessed and his opportunity to make a difference having completely evaporated, it’ll be interesting to see if he goes to the next city council meeting to condemn and berate the mayor and council for not doing enough in their positions as servants to the citizens of Biddeford.
And remember Dutremble’s own words: he is “sick” with his city, which begs the question why would he want to represent us in Augusta?
Considering the situation, Dutremble should be applauded for his desire to get something done. He wanted to do a good deed, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
But criticizing the council for “doing nothing” and coming home from Augusta with nothing makes him a hypocrite.
Even more disturbing is the idea that Dutremble’s fumble likely impeded the process of justice now being reviewed by the attorney general’s office. It is a lose-lose situation.
David Dutremble is an exemplary city employee but, regrettably, he is proving to be a legislator who can’t get anything done.
As citizens who have been paying close attention to this explosive issue, and considering Dutremble’s lofty proclamations, an explanation from the senator is the very least we deserve.
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