Jun 8 2013

Of Brave Young Men

 

 

All of Piscataquis mourns the loss of one of its greatest treasures, her youth.  A young man named Dacano Arno drowned recently in the currents of Sebec River.  Even for those such as myself who did not know the boy personally, there is an overwhelming since of grief at the loss of promise, talent and personhood that we experience as a community. A parent’s heart aches for the grief that those that bore him, nurtured him and now say goodbye to him feel in their hearts.  For this there is only love and prayer for a balm.

But as we all grieve in our several ways, let us not lose sight of the heroism this young man showed.  Caught in the grip of a treacherous current, he still thought of his friend above himself, pushing him to safety.  It is this test of courage that has shown the mettle of so many brave young men.  Dacano is not the first, nor will he be the last, to pass this hallmark of bravery on his way to eternity, but, for Piscataquis, he is ours.  For, with all that is wrong in our Nation, Dacano Arno represents what is right.

There are still brave young men who fight for this Nation on the battlefields of war and for their friends in the rivers of the Maine wilderness.  Their courage is the same.  It runs through their core.  And it is the backbone of who we are and how we stand.

General Patten once said that we should not mourn the loss of brave young men, but, rather, rejoice that such men lived.  I suspect it would be near impossible not to grieve this loss, even for a hardened old general.  But I do rejoice that Dacano lived.  That he left behind an example of leadership, selflessness and love of his fellow man for his friends to follow.

I did not know this young man personally, but he is a tribute to his parents, family and friends.  It is easy to see what manner of man he was by his final act, tested in the crucible of death.  At his core, this young man lived by this timeless truth: “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for a friend.”

May 29 2013

No Honor Great Enough

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It was a beautiful evening, the smell of lilacs in the air, as local dignitaries and native sons of Dexter met on the grounds of The Blaine House to join Maine’s First Lady and the Governor in honoring Maine’s only married World War II veteran couple, Guy and Nancy Ellms.  After Rep. Paul Davis, Rep. Ray Wallace and their spouses greeted and exchanged pleasantries with the Ellms and their lovely daughter, Linda, who was visiting from Chicago, the group made their way into the Governor’s Mansion.  Soon after the group was seated, First Lady Ann LePage appeared to greet the veterans and express her excitement and pleasure on having the opportunity to honor them at The Blaine House.

Ann LePage fairly glows with energy when she enters a room and, with her genuine infectious personality, it is easy to see why she has become a favorite with veterans throughout the State of Maine.  The Governor’s wife immediately focused on making the Ellms, along with all the guests, feel right at home and relaxed in the Executive residence.    It wasn’t long into the conversations around the sitting area that the Governor and the First Daughter arrived.

Governor LePage and his Daughter, Lauren, made sure to impress upon the Guests of Honor how grateful they were for the service and sacrifice the Ellms had given to this Country and the State in World War II.  After a short time of drinks and conversation, the call was given for dinner.  The Governor made sure that Guy and Nancy and daughter were seated next to him at the table and that they were treated to a unforgettable night of good food, good friends and great conversation in their honor.

Guy and Nancy Ellms are both War World II Veterans.  Guy was born March 13th, 1919 in Dexter.  Nancy was born July 8th, 1925 in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Guy was drafted right after Pearl Harbor and served in the 433rd Anti-Aircraft and Supply Battalion as a truck driver.  He landed in Casablanca in the North Africa campaign and saw action throughout Italy in Anzio, Monte Cassino, Naples and Rome.  Then over to France helping to drive the Nazis back up into Germany, where he witnessed many defeated and ragged Germans surrendering in droves to their convoys alongside the roads.

His wife Nancy enlisted at the age of 20 near the end of the war and was stationed stateside in Washington, D.C. as a Navy WAVE.  She contends she was a “favorite” to the soldiers, as her duties were to handle and send the many discharge papers to the soldiers who were coming home.  Nancy and Guy Ellms have been married for 65 years and have two daughters.  When asked the secret to their success, they smile and say, “Well, we just like each other.”

On a personal note, I had the opportunity to meet Guy Ellms and then his wife Nancy, when Guy introduced himself on one of my jobsites in Dexter.  I was impressed with his wit and captivated by the stories of his time at war.  I was further impressed when he introduced me to his lovely wife Nancy.  I mentioned the couple to First Lady Ann LePage and she expressed an interest in meeting them.  I talked with Rep. Paul Davis and Rep. Ray Wallace and they agreed that it would be nice to recognize this great couple.

The Ellms were willing to have dinner with the Governor on the one condition that we show honor to all veterans.  Guy and Nancy did not want to be seen as something different than their fellow warriors.  This seems to be the sentiment I hear from every veteran.

I had the privilege to drive the Ellms to Augusta.  All through the evening this wonderful couple asked, “Why are you doing this for us?”  Even at the end of the evening as we shook hands at his home in Dexter, Guy Ellms asked again, “Why?”  What I said to him I would say to every veteran in this Great State of Maine and across this Nation; there is no parade, dinner, award or honor so great that it could ever repay the magnitude of the sacrifice and service our veterans have given to this Country, The United States of America.  For this they have my undying love, honor and respect.  May God Almighty Bless all the Veterans of this Nation.

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From left to right- Rep. Paul Davis, Rep. Ray Wallace, Governor Paul LePage, Nancy Ellms, Guy Ellms, First Lady Ann LePage, Andy Torbett

May 20 2013

Gestapo, Who’s Laughing Now?

 

 

The Democrats are maneuvering to shut down the State government.  Realizing that there is a very real and likely chance that this action will be tied to the litany of clownish, lazy, arrogant and disinterested behavior which has typified the Alfond and Eves legislative session, Democrats have called on their attack dogs, namely the Maine Media, to try and pin this on the Governor.  Sadly for the Democrats, the circulation numbers for the major newspapers of Maine have been spiraling down somewhere near non-existent and continue to dive.  This will have very little effect on the Governor.

When the Democrats held a hearing on the shutdown, the Governor attended.  He attempted to speak before the hearing on the matter.  The Chief Executive of the State of Maine was cut off and shut out of the debate by Democrats concerning the shut down of the State of Maine, of which he is the duly elected Governor.  This is starting to have a familiar ring to it, or should we say stomp, as in a tantrum stomp.

Democrats have developed an alarming penchant for thuggish tactics in their political maneuverings around Augusta.  From this latest insult to the office of the Governor, to repeatedly shutting off debate in committee rooms, blocking public notification of hearings, and donning clown noses for hearings on the elderly and infirmed, the Democrats have proven that the Alfond legacy will be one that completely shut out any dissenting voice from having its rightful expression in the legislative chamber and blocking it out into the hallways; in other words, my way or the hallway.  Democrats refused to be questioned, scrutinized or examined.  If one dares, then one will be subjected to insults, mockery and complete isolation from the political process.

This wise guy approach to governing has shown itself to be a systemic problem within the Democrat Party from the 1600 Pennsylvania Ave right down to the chambers of Augusta.  The brutish assault on all those who disagree with their agenda, criminalizing dissent, dumpster diving in hopes of incriminating law abiding citizens, and using IRS and character assassinations to silence critics were behavior we envisioned as happening elsewhere, not in our Nation, not in our State.  But it is here, right here in Maine.  Justin Alfond has made sure his Democrats are in lockstep with everything their leader in Washington commands.

Maine Democrats have spent so much time fixated on discrediting the Governor they have failed to legislate.  They have mocked his intellect; yet, they have not the mental fortitude to withstand the heat of public debate.  Remember when they roared in mockery when the Governor called the IRS the Gestapo?  Well, Justin Alfond, who is laughing now?  Sadly, no one.

May 10 2013

Cloak and Shovel

 

 

Reeling from the public relations disasters, which have emanated from their clown like behavior in recent weeks, the Alfond Democrats have decided the best thing to do to save face is to hide.  It seems there is no place like the shadows for the Democrats to find solace for their self-inflicted wounds.  So suddenly, there is no public in a public hearing.

Justin Alfond has suspended the public disclosure rules for public hearings on the bills that come before committee.  With the all distractions of the “Alfond and Eves Circus Revue”, the Democrat led legislature has not fulfilled even half of its job obligation with just a couple weeks of session left to go.  So with now the looming deadline in full view on the horizon, Alfond and Eves have decided the sideshows, freak-shows and all other manifestations of narcissism should be confined to the secrecy of the committee halls of Augusta.

This is not the first time public notification rules have been suspended.  Republicans have done so and shortened the notification time from two weeks to 48 hours.  The “Honorable” Mr. Alfond has set no such secondary guidelines.  With the proven history of the Maine Democrat Party, its penchant for cloak and dagger politics, backroom deals and special session tactics, the people of Maine will once again find themselves blindsided by the interests of lobbyists, who camp out in Augusta.

You can be assured the organizations like MEA and the MPA will be waiting at the door for the last minute notifications that will whisper out of President Alfond and Speaker Eves offices.  And once again the Democrats will shut the people of Maine out of their government.  That has familiar ring to it, doesn’t it?  About forty years worth or so.

Justin Alfond has had an interesting approach to legislating the people’s business.  The tactics of choice have been to stall, protest, whine, distract, ignore the debt, cry, moan, insult the Governor, attack the Governor, still ignore the debt, stall some more, whine some more, copy some of the Republican’s ideas, distract some more, ignore the debt….some more and then realize, “Oops, folks!  We’re running out of time.  Everybody out of Augusta!  We need to do some legislating…and no peeking please!”   This columnist has said it before and will say it again.  Democrats thrive in secrecy but wilt under public scrutiny.

Alfond has thrown a cloak over the whole legislative process and, instead of a dagger, he is wielding a shovel to cram every leftwing legislative agenda down the throats of Maine people.  Case in point.  The Democrats are calling for 500 thousand tax dollars to study climate change…again.  Haven’t we heard and paid for this “research” again and again …and again?  But Mainers, once again, will have no say in the process and at the eleventh hour it will be foisted upon our wallets….again! Yet, still, we have not paid the hospital debt.