A short programming note: I was interviewed by Maine Public Broadcasting's flagship Maine Things Considered program this evening on the subject of governor-elect Paul LePage's campaign contributors. You can read a transcript here, or listen to the segment here.As I've reported here at World Wide Woodard, Mr. LePage's election effort was helped mightily by a million dollar advertising campaign paid for by fifty out of state corporations and industry associations, some of whom have clear interests in upcoming political issues in Augusta.
Donors included major pharmaceutical firms (who likely care how reimbursements by Dirigo and Maine Rx are handled going forward), a charter school curriculum developer (who might like to see charter schools in Maine), companies that outsource state social services (and might like to do so here), the industry association that represents the owners of Poland Spring (who are in a constant tangle with local communities over use of local water resources), and the Corrections Corporation of America (whose plans for Maine's first private prison LePage has already promised to help push through.) The last set of campaign disclosures -- which posted yesterday evening -- show these corporations (working through an entity called the Republican Governors Association Maine PAC) indeed bought approximately $1 million in ads supporting LePage or attacking his opponents.
Of course other candidates got corporate donations as well. Difference is, they're not the ones about to take over the Blaine House.
[Update, 1/20/2011: I've taken a more detailed look at these donors and their interests in Maine for the Portland Phoenix.]
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this is sad. i urged people to vote for him and now i regret that. in a state where it is safe to leave your car and doors unlocked, the prisons are overflowing because of baldacci's relationship with prison outsourcers. now people will continue to be harassed by cops for every little thing and the last industry you have (tourism) will decline because tourists do not want to be harassed by cops (like we were--we got stopped three times in two weeks, once for going ten miles under the speed limit when i slowed to look at a road sign--hubby never wants to go back). it's sad. once people have criminal records it makes it hard to find jobs, this leads to more criminal activity.
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