Hey Penobscot, two of your senators skipped work and couldn't vote for the bill to approve heating assistance today. It failed by 3 votes.

Submitted by victorspoilz t3_zgb6zo in Maine

https://legislature.maine.gov/LawMakerWeb/rollcall.asp?ID=280085046&chamber=S&serialnumber=2

Nice picks! Hope you weren't counting on that money and you remember who burned you next time: Sens. Guerin (R) and Lyford (R).

Ya'll have been in session for a week but you missed work? Why did you sign up?

Cumberland Sen. Chipman (D) also couldn't be bothered on a party-lines vote, good job!!!

Only passed the house 125-16.

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2022/12/07/politics/heating-aid-measure-fails-in-maine-senate/

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Comments

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siebzy t1_izg35ck wrote

They all skipped rather than vote against it, remember that.

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siebzy t1_izg3p2o wrote

If anyone needs it explained to them like they are 5, these Senators knew that not voting for this bill would make them look like heartless, cruel hypocrites (because they are). Staying away means it fails anyway, but that they don't get put on the record as opposing it.

I'm not excusing Chipman here either - dude is just begging for a primary challenger.

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badpeaches t1_izgo98j wrote

> these Senators knew that not voting for this bill would make them look like heartless, cruel hypocrites (because they are). Staying away means it fails anyway, but that they don't get put on the record as opposing it.

This phenomena is called ghosting in the dating world.

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OustedStrongman t1_izg7pb1 wrote

He is termed out at the end of this term so there is no primary option.

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siebzy t1_izgbhwj wrote

Should have looked that up lol. Honestly to me that shows true colors.

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OustedStrongman t1_izgfdu7 wrote

everybody knows how the vote is going to turn out before the votes are actually cast. If the Ds thought that there was any chance that they could have carried the Senate, Mills herself would have driven down to Portland to drag Ben up to Augusta for the vote.

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siebzy t1_izgp71g wrote

Don't you go thinking I have any illusions on that score.

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OustedStrongman t1_izgcmqx wrote

Didn't make a difference in the outcome. He will vote the right way when it comes back.

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gutprof t1_izg8br5 wrote

Dang, no one wants to work anymore.

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keanenottheband t1_izg5lhl wrote

If your public representatives don't represent the public, you gotta ask: why are they doing the job in the first place? The guillotine is looking more and more attractive. Class solidarity now

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andreq92 t1_izgbuw2 wrote

Fucking say when. I'm ready and so is my torch.

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AmazingThinkCricket t1_izgznsi wrote

You might wanna read up on the French Revolution and see how poorly that worked out

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Farado t1_izh610x wrote

Hey, it only took them 150 years to get to the stable government they have today.

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UrHumbleNarr8or t1_izg7ru0 wrote

I will never understand how these folks are allowed to just skip work.

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Machined042 t1_izgjml1 wrote

That special perk is reserved for the upper ups.. that make far too much money for doing jack and shit. and Jack left town.

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ptmtp26 t1_izh2lk1 wrote

Do state reps get paid that much money?

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candre23 t1_izhm896 wrote

In taxable income? No. In kickbacks and "campaign contributions"? Fuck yeah.

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TarantinoFan23 t1_izhaa6r wrote

Indirectly. Not all of them though. But probably the leaders.

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PlentyCommission166 t1_izgkqo6 wrote

How about this: we propose a Maine law that if government officials don't show up and vote without a medical excuse or a death in the immediate family, they get replaced by the next in line and lose all their benefits.

How can we make it happen?

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baldarov t1_izgmdus wrote

Oregonians dealt with this by citizen ballot initiative that passed this year, which "amends the Oregon Constitution to disqualify state lawmakers from reelection if they have 10 or more unexcused absences from legislative floor sessions." Maine has citizen initiatives too, though it doesn't allow for constitutional amendments.

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hurriedfashion t1_izgn5xw wrote

Worth noting that everyone who wasn't there for the vote is marked with an E in the roll call, which means they had an excused absence. When lawmakers miss a vote unexecused it's marked with an A.

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BuddyBear17 t1_izir3sh wrote

They're all part time, have no staff, and make shit money for the work involved, for what it's worth.

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Raw-JPEG t1_izh06xm wrote

I’m a social worker and one of the biggest issues we are finding is the lack of heating resources for people. This really is a shame and a disservice to those who cannot afford heating this winter. It’s going to be a long and cold winter without heating assistance.

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Machined042 t1_izgdxb3 wrote

They don't give a fuck about Maine or its citizens

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sleepisasport t1_izgmjm3 wrote

Those who didn’t vote should be recalled. They were there… they got sworn in today. They just… didn’t vote.

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maineac t1_izgvylk wrote

What if they had to recuse themselves. Maybe they own or are invested in fuel companies. How would it look if they voted for free government money for fuel companies? I don't know if that is the case, but not sure if that would be recorded either.

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im_a_zoe t1_izgzcbd wrote

> How would it look if they voted for free government money for fuel companies?

Like normal government

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hurriedfashion t1_izgytkj wrote

Details on the absences from the BDN: article

"Also on blast from Jackson were four of the five Republicans who were “excused” from Wednesday night’s vote. Only Sen. Bradlee Farrin, R-Norridgewock, had sought the “necessary permission” for that excused absence, along with Democratic Sen. Ben Chipman, D-Portland, Jackson spokesperson Christine Kirby said.

Republican Sens. Stacey Guerin of Glenburn, Peter Lyford of Eddington, Matthew Pouliot of Augusta and Jeff Timberlake of Turner had not, Kirby said.

Guerin said she had to leave the Senate early Wednesday to attend a funeral"

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xavyre t1_izh13yi wrote

Guerin is just like Collins. I wish this area wasn't so deep red. Most of her followers are just repeating the party line of "There is no free money. We will all have our taxes raised to pay for these people who don't work." etc..

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AssumptionLivid6879 t1_iziut0y wrote

She also needs her driving license taken away. Her pickup truck with the 20’ canoe on top has almost crashed into me 3 times, and it’s always her turning left onto Hudson road and never looking at the traffic that’s coming.

Glenburn gets some of the largest welfare in Bangor metro despite being the most Republican

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OriginalGordol t1_izgkyvy wrote

>Sens. Guerin (R) and Lyford (R).

Probably would have voted NO if they did bother to show up. But now they can technically say that they did not vote against it and not enough people will know they didn't vote at all.

​

>Cumberland Sen. Chipman (D) also couldn't be bothered on a party-lines vote, good job!!!

Wouldn't have made a difference. Especially of those two voted as well.

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Fabulous-Opposite838 t1_izgjcew wrote

Useless politicians. Let’s vote them out.

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Fabulous-Opposite838 t1_izjbu4n wrote

Yes, it’s ridiculous! Newly elected and already not showing up for your constituents is shameful. Aside from calling their office to complain and voting them out next go round, what other methods do we have to keep those in the senate and the house accountable?

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Chiefdaroga t1_izgkh6o wrote

What happens to the bill now? Is it just dead?

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OustedStrongman t1_izgyxz7 wrote

this was a vote to pass it on an emergency basis which requires a 2/3 vote to pass. it will come back in January when it will pass on a majority basis which will then take a certain amount of time to go into effect (30 days?).

The R senators delayed the inevitable for 2 or so months because they're betting that they can grandstand on some small provisions of the bill to score political points.

I think it is a bad bet on their part; it makes them look petty to me. But what do I know?

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salvelinustrout t1_izhf917 wrote

Unfortunately not thirty days. Non emergency bills take effect ninety days after the date of adjournment. Under normal circumstances the legislature wouldn’t adjourn until around June 15. It’s possible if they truly couldn’t get it done as an emergency they’d adjourn and then immediately call themselves back for a special session to do all their normal work. It’s a weird loophole and probably an administrative headache but has been done before. Even still, that would mean the funds wouldn’t be available until the end of March, which will be too late for a lot of folks.

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OustedStrongman t1_izivdf9 wrote

Thank you for the explanation. Gives the Republicans more leverage. So what do you think their endgame is?

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mainemason t1_iziu4rp wrote

I was listening to the piece on this bill on Maine Public yesterday morning. It was truly one of the most insane stories I’ve heard out of maine in a while. Top republicans urging their caucus to vote for it, republicans lining up saying “yes this is great”, not to mention the deluge of adds claiming that Janet Mills would freeze Mainers to death.

And THIS is what they do? At every turn, republicans never cease to lower the bar of human decency.

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badhmorrigan t1_izgm2a1 wrote

My damn senator voted against. He could've stayed home, for all of me.

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DonkeyKongsVet t1_izhb40x wrote

Not surprised by Guerin. But that aside, frigin idiots.

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victorspoilz OP t1_iznognt wrote

"Chose to be baristas" you fucking twat, no one chooses that. What business did daddy hand you?

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DreddPirateJonesy t1_izgzw6c wrote

The complete farce of ‘democracy’ here is mind -boggling.

One party feels a bit guilty about the inequality in this country and state and the other doubles down the other way that they just don’t care about the people.

Who votes for them?

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lon_lennings t1_izjdrw2 wrote

We could just abolish the Maine Senate altogether

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dropinthebucket207 t1_izm1jyz wrote

Honestly good for them for doing what's right. It's unfortunate that the democrats were successful in bribing the voters in the last election calling it "covid relief".

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victorspoilz OP t1_iznn35p wrote

So did you return the money?

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dropinthebucket207 t1_izno2wc wrote

I didn't receive it. Despite paying into the budget surplus, our government felt a better use of my contribution was to distribute it to those who chose to be baristas over having an actual career.

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victorspoilz OP t1_iznocul wrote

Ah, so you make six figures but still want to complain?

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[deleted] t1_izu7e0s wrote

Seems like a lot of people on this thread have plenty of time to complain, not enough to go make more money. Interesting.

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dropinthebucket207 t1_iznp7x0 wrote

I'm complaining about the role of government. People have grown accustomed to having unearned money mailed to them but we've failed to ask where it comes from and what authorized the government to use their revenue this way. If there's consistently a budget surplus, they should be lowering taxes.

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victorspoilz OP t1_iznucib wrote

Coming from a guy who couldn't pass an economics course to save his life.

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[deleted] t1_izua8ox wrote

You’re saying that a constant budget surplus should be continuously doled out to others based on their income? Yes I’d rather have someone likely to go buy strawberry flavored things spending excess tax revenue that I’ve paid in to. I’m glad you feel so entitled to the surplus.I’ll sleep better knowing I helped 26 of you with your oil bill, while I pay for mine as well. Chances are this guys better at economics than you are bubba ^^

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dropinthebucket207 t1_izvjyef wrote

Funny thing is, these guys would be making six figures if they spent less time browsing reddit and more time learning a skill that's in demand.

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jarnhestur t1_izj4h3r wrote

There’s no reason to pass this on an emergency basis. It’s too big. Take a week or two and get it right.

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victorspoilz OP t1_izlaih3 wrote

It's $450. C'mon, say it needs to be "means tested." "More transparent." It's $450.

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jarnhestur t1_izm1vv3 wrote

It’s half a billion dollars. This should shouldn’t be some slapstick plan.

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victorspoilz OP t1_iznn144 wrote

What part's slapstick, Slappy? Be specific.

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jarnhestur t1_iznwsms wrote

Why are we not using existing programs and processes? This option will directly drive inflation up, drive oil prices higher, and does nothing to solve the long term problem, while actually making it worse.

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[deleted] t1_izu8bcs wrote

Besides that’s what the 850$ people apparently got was for. “Fill your tanks” all I got was a rock.

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