ORONO, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- On Wednesday night Governor LePage held another town hall meeting. This time, at Orono Middle School. The Governor first hit on what he called four main topics.
Those included taxes, student debt, welfare reform and lowering Maine's energy costs.
He also hit on a variety of topics such as Maine's paper mills, law enforcement vacancies in the state and what he called an opioid "pandemic" in both the U.S. and in Maine.
At one point during his town hall, the Governor mentioned that Maine is close to loosing 900 jobs, "I'm sworn to secrecy until they make a public announcement but we're talking 900 jobs, 900 jobs in the most prosperous part of our state...down south...And the point I'm making there is there again, it's about energy costs for that company. The biggest single issue is they're competing against Chinese nuclear power, and they're in Maine with a number 12 energy costs in America. Those are the issues..."
In reference to opioids the Governor said "We have a pandemic in the United States of America and in Maine its run away on opioids, heroin and fentanyl."
He also said, "...We put a bill up in the legislature that says this, if you're using and you're carrying heroin and fentanyl, it's a felony...that gives us the ability meaning the courts, the DA's and law enforcement the ability to make a person make a decision; do you want to be a convicted felon or do you want to clean yourself up and live."
In reference to the law enforcement vacancies in Maine, the Governor said,
"...If you think the Governor is the almighty, he's not the almighty. He's a subservient to the legislature. And if he's got a good relationship he might get a few good things...but you've gotta have something to give. For instance I was asked we have 32 vacancies in the State Police, we have about a dozen or so vacancies in the Warden Service, another 10 in Marine Patrol...We have a terrible time in recruitment and retention. Why? Because the state of New Hampshire pays about $24 an hour for a State Trooper, we pay $18. The state of Vermont pays $27. The county of Cumberland and York pay roughly $20. What would you do? I ask you what would you do? Would you take the bigger money? And we have a whole lot of people leaving...So all I simply asked was can we pay them what they pay in New Hampshire. And this was the response, what's in it for us? what's in it for us I thought keeping Maine people safe was enough but obviously it's not..."
Gov. LePage also took questions from the audience. Some of those questions focused on wind power, how to make Maine more business friendly and senior housing bonds.
Reactions after the town hall were mixed.
"I thought it was very informative, I happen to be a Republican, and one of the few republicans in the town of Orono probably, and he spoke to the issues I'm interested in. Especially I'm interested in taxes and the heroin epidemic that's going on, I think he did a good job" said Orono Resident Tim Estabrook.
Rep. Ryan Tipping-Spitz (D-Orono) said,
"It was good to see him you know, in my old middle school in my old high school. I was a little frustrated that he was passing the buck. People were asking questions about people freezing to death in their own homes, not being able to get, the help they need to stay in their houses, he went off on other topics. It was a little frustrating but I'm glad he got a chance to hear what people are saying in Orono."
The Governor will be in Newcastle for his next town hall on April 14.
