This morning, Paul LePage went on conservative talk radio and unleashed an incoherent rant. While LePage’s wide-ranging tirade was filled with grievances—against everyone from the city of Portland to one of the radio hosts to Governor Janet Mills, whom he disrespectfully called “this lady”— it was notably free of any serious solutions to help Maine people. Here are some excerpts from LePage’s rant:
LePage denies that inflation is a global problem, blames Janet Mills, and then talks himself into supporting her climate action plan:
HOST: There are many ways of looking at the problem, which is a worldwide problem. Gas in Europe is 7, 8, 9 dollars. This is going to get worse before it gets better, begetting the politics of the moment. There's not one answer to it and that's one thing I--
LEPAGE: Yes there is George. I disagree with you there.
[...]
LEPAGE: Listen, this lady, this governor is the one that started it. She was jumping and taking all kinds of kudos, because she was the first state to divest of fossil fuels. I want to tell you something. That was a horrible, horrible mistake. And we're going to pay for it for years to come. There's not enough lithium in the world to replace, you know, combustion engines with electric cars. I mean, let's plan it out. Do it in a plan over time. I think it's a long term plan. I think we have the short term, five years, 15 years and 30 years. And if you plan it out, I think we can get much further there. I do not believe we'll ever be free of fossil fuels. I think we can minimize the use of fossil fuels. And that's the target I think we should be going for--is minimized fossil fuel.
LePage responds to a question about addressing homelessness in Portland by fearmongering about immigration on the southern border:
LEPAGE: Well, as soon as they get rid of the sanctuary city mentality, then we can help. But until you do that, there's not enough money in the state to help them, because in one way they want help from the state, and the same way they can't--they open the [unintelligible] and everybody comes in. The caravan coming into the southern border is sinful. That is hatred on the American people. That is pain that's being inflicted on the American people.
LePage makes the case for abolishing the income tax, which he tried and failed to do in his first stint as Governor and which has been panned by experts as a terrible idea (BONUS: LePage also argues for why people should move to New Hampshire and Florida):
LEPAGE: If Maine is ever going to be able to compete on a national level, for instance--look what's happening in New Hampshire. You know, you can't get to Maine without going to New Hampshire--you go through New Hampshire, you stop, you say why would I go north? Why would I go further? Why would I want to pay more taxes in Massachusetts? More taxes than New Hampshire? Why do so many Mainers leave for six months and a day and go to Florida or Arizona or Texas, go to other states where they don't have an income tax? Why is that happening? Why can't we keep these folks here? So yes, I believe firmly that we can do without the income tax.
“I’ll give LePage credit. He’s good at one thing: complaining. But complaining doesn’t solve the problems facing Maine people. And when it comes to solving problems, LePage can’t get it done. But unlike LePage, Governor Mills works with Republicans and Democrats to deliver solutions. That’s why $850 in relief – which LePage called a gimmick – is on its way to hardworking, middle class Maine people right now,” said Misha Linnehan, spokesperson for the Maine Democratic Party. “There is only one candidate running for Governor this November with any idea of how to keep Maine on the path toward progress, and her name is Janet Mills.”
Listen to the full grievance-filled, solution-free interview here.