Portland Graffiti Depicts ‘Racist, Homophobe, Moron’ Maine Governor as KKK Grand Wizard

Governor of Maine - a cross between Rob Ford and Rodrigo Duterte

While Maine Governor Paul LePage may be a controversial figure, Portland residents are more apt to argue over whether a giant mural depicting him wearing the robes of a Ku Klux Klan grand wizard is hate speech or good art.

The mural was painted along a popular walking trail on the wall of a water treatment facility in Portland sometime in the last week by an unknown graffiti artist. It showed LePage dressed in a white hood and robe emblazoned with a red KKK insignia. Next to it, in large block letters, the words “racist,” “homophobe,” “moron” and “governor” ‒ which was crossed out ‒ were written. It was painted next to a large mural that read: “Dump LePage.”



The Republican governor gained national notoriety in January, when he said that “drug dealers” and “black people” were impregnating “young, white girls” and “our white women” in Maine. He also threatened to bring back the guillotine for drug dealers in the Pine Tree State, which abolished the death penalty in 1887. A day later, LePage told residents to“load up and get rid of the drug dealers. Because, folks, they’re killing our kids.”

At the end of August, he called an opponent a “socialist ******.”  (Way too disgusting for this blog.)

    The Big Picture - Maine story is at the 6 minute mark

On Tuesday, Mayor Ethan Strimling wrote the Portland Water District, which owns the wall, asking them to remove the mural.

“I do not want it up there. It is not reflective of our values,” he told the Portland Press Herald. “The KKK has a long, problematic history in the state of Maine, and equating the governor and his rhetoric, as much as we disagree with it, is a step too far.”

Strimling has long battled with the controversial governor, but said that his request to remove the mural isn’t a peace offering to LePage.

“I am as frustrated as the next person with the governor’s rhetoric,” he said. “It is not appropriate to trivialize the KKK.” Whoa, what?


Maine Governor Paul LePage

Other than the mayor’s request, officials seem reluctant to take action to remove the mural.

The city is in charge of removing any offensive artwork, the Portland Water District told WMTW. The company is “talking with the City of Portland to see what can be done,” spokeswoman Michelle Clements told the Washington Post. In the 15 years since the wall became a designated art space, Portland has never removed a painting, she said.

However, neither the city nor police seem likely remove it, even though they may not condone the message.

“We can’t do anything because it’s sanctioned and it’s a matter of free speech,” city spokeswoman Jessica Grondin told the Bangor Daily News. “If it was hate speech, it would be illegal. But it’s not.”

That's curious! If he was black, Hispanic or Muslim would it still not be hate-speech?

“We are seeing what the council would like and also exploring what our options are because, obviously, there could be legal ramifications if we were to take it down,” she later told the Washington Post.

Many Portland residents seem to approve of the art. Maine’s largest city is a liberal enclave in a state that leans Republican, and 78 percent of Portlanders voted against LePage in 2014.

“This city always seems to create great art over awful stuff, and he is awful stuff,” Kellie Smith told the Portland Press Herald while taking in the mural.

“This is the trajectory he is on,” Smith said. “This is an honest portrayal, it is good work.”

“He’s just a hateful person,” Tim Kennedy agreed. “When he expresses hateful views, he gets what he gets.”

Not everyone is so appreciative, however. On Tuesday night, two people, including Mark Reilly, a LePage supporter who thinks that the KKK portrayal went too far, came out to paint over the mural.

“I think that things that he has said in the past are very concerning,” Reilly told WCSH. “However, if you look past what he says and look at what he does for the state, I think the state’s been in better shape since he’s been in office.”

Shortly after, though, a group of about 15 people came out to wash off the paint, WMTW reported. That led to a brief argument between Reilly and the group that removed his work.

“We took a stand, and we said, ‘No, this is our city... This represents us',” Erica Hall, who helped remove Reilly’s paint, told WCSH. The mural “doesn’t have to stay, but it does have to get the message out,” she added.

By 10pm Tuesday night, however, the mural had been altered to remove the KKK robe. It was replaced by what appears to be Mickey Mouse ears, flanked by the words “no hate" and “hate is hate.” The original words of “racist,” “homophobe,” “moron” and the crossed-out “governor” remain.

It remains unclear what the sentiment behind the Mickey ears is.

Model X Ford, The Prodigal Beebs, No Wonder Canadians are Humble, eh

Ever wonder why Canadians are so humble? Could it be because the best of us often turn out to be the worst of us?

Justin Bieber, the most popular musician in the world right now, was someone who many Canadians were proud of. But several embarrassing incidents have occurred in the past several months to temper that pride including today's arrest for DUI, drag racing, etc., in Florida.

Last year, the Beebs got off-track and on drugs and followed in the footsteps of those prodigal daughters Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus.

Once proud examples of Christianity, all three have taken their God-given talents and ventured far and wide from Christian virtues. 

Britney may be on her way back 'home', I don't know, but the other two haven't realized that they are heading straight for the pig pen. Let's hope and pray that when they get there they will wake up before the pigs trample them.

I can't think of any other Canadian rock-star who embarrassed himself publicly, although the Beebs is undoubtedly the youngest. 

Rob Ford

Not so with the other object of Canadian embarrassment, Rob Ford, rock-star mayor of Toronto, Canada's biggest city. He gets more attention on American late-night talk shows than the President.

Mel Lastman

He was back in the news yesterday after apparently falling off the wagon and delivering a vulgar and absurd performance at a fast-food joint where he was visiting with his mobster buddy. What could possibly be wrong with that?

While Ford has contributed greatly to the great Canadian humility, he, unlike the Beebs is not without precedent. A former mayor of Toronto, Mel Lastman, didn't have a problem with alcohol or drugs (that I know of), but managed to embarrass Torontonians and Canadians with remarkable ingenuity.

You can read his antics at: http://northwoodsministries.blogspot.ca/2013/11/forget-rob-ford-remember-mel-lastman.html

Hope you enjoyed this. If not, sorry.

The Rob and Doug MacK... I mean, Ford, Show. Featuring Today's Apologies

Mayor Ford admitted today that he wants to be Prime Minister. It appears that the king-sized man has an ego to match. Perhaps his ambition is the reason he holds on so long. One suspects that he believes that if people could just see what a brilliant administrator he is, they will forgive him his niggily little problems. After all, he did say he was sorry; doesn't that make everything alright? 

After all, there's nothing wrong here that a bucket of mussels and a case of beer won't solve.

Toronto city council voted by a wide margin on Monday to slash the budget of embattled Mayor Rob Ford — a dramatic move that followed a raucous day in the council chambers that left the mayor promising that next year’s municipal election will be "outright war."

Ford spoke to Toronto city council late Monday afternoon, just minutes before his colleagues began voting on a series of motions that sought to — and did — further reduce his powers as mayor.

In a series of votes that occurred just after 5 p.m. ET, council voted in favour of reallocating the budget of his office, transferring administration of that budget to his deputy, and giving his deputy responsibility over Ford’s staff, among other measures.

Those measures came just three days after council previously voted overwhelmingly in favour of stripping the mayor of his ability to appoint and dismiss the deputy mayor and key committee members. In a separate vote, they also removed his ability to exercise emergency powers.

Moments before council began voting on Monday, Ford warned his colleagues that if they voted to restrict his powers, there would be repercussions in the coming election.

"If you vote in favour of any of these motions, you are absolutely telling everybody that voted in the last municipal election that their vote does not count," he said. Ford then went on to compare the situation at council to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

"Well folks, if you think American-style politics is nasty, you guys have just attacked Kuwait and … mark my words, friends, this is going to be outright war in the next election and I’m going to do everything in my power, everything in my power to beat you guys."

The 44-year-old Ford is three years into his term as mayor. The next municipal election is still nearly a year away.

Earlier Monday, the mayor demanded to know whether Coun. John Filion, who tabled the motion that sought to restrict Ford's powers, was aware the council could not "impeach or remove its elected mayor" and if that is what he wanted to see happen. "Mayor Ford, my preference was that you not place us in this position," Filion said.

As his fellow councillors voted to further restrict Mayor Rob Ford's powers on Monday, he warned them that next year's election will be an outright war. "What’s before us is what council can legitimately do."

The mayor’s brother complained that they did not receive adequate notice of the changes to the motion.
"Do you know when we ended up getting this motion? Twenty-six minutes before the meeting," he said.

Soon after the Ford brothers spoke, the council speaker called for a 10-minute recess, during which time the mayor went to the front row of the public gallery to talk to people sitting there and to pose for some pictures.
While some in the gallery appeared to support the mayor, others were yelling at him and his brother, Coun. Doug Ford. 

Rob Ford’s driver appeared to be filming some of those interactions with a smartphone and Coun. Shelley Carroll was, in turn, filming the bodyguard and the mayor.

During that same break, the mayor quickly accelerated toward a section of the viewing gallery and ended up bumping into Coun. Pam McConnell and she nearly hit the ground.

When the council meeting resumed, Coun. Paula Fletcher asked the mayor if he knew that McConnell had suffered "a swollen lip" during the collision. "I ran around because I thought my brother was getting into an altercation," Ford said. "I apologized and then I picked her up, I do apologize."

Fletcher disagreed with the mayor’s characterization that he picked up McConnell, saying she believed that the mayor's staff helped pick up McConnell.

"It was a complete accident, I do sincerely apologize to you, Coun. McConnell," Ford said, after first attempting to apologize to "anybody that I offended when I rushed to my brother’s defence."

On Monday evening, McConnell told CBC's Power & Politics that she isn’t clear on what the mayor was thinking when he crashed into her. "It was surreal, it was as if he didn’t even see me, or as if his adrenaline had overcome his thought processes," McConnell said.

Coun. Doug Ford, the mayor's brother, wanted to see a snap election called, a scenario that he said would allow Toronto residents to show whether or not they support their embattled mayor. "Folks, this will make it very clear who the people of Toronto support," he said.

Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti questioned why it would be necessary to have an election in all municipal wards, rather than one that solely involves the mayor. "It is the mayor that has brought us to this point," Mammoliti said.

Doug Ford's motion was ruled out of order by the speaker. The call for a potential snap election was not greeted enthusiastically at Queen’s Park.

"It's not something we're considering at the moment," Municipal Affairs Minister Linda Jeffrey told reporters. "We're not considering changing the electoral period that members sit. It's not something we're contemplating."

Tim Hudak, the leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, said the province should consider taking action if Toronto’s council indicates that it cannot function.

The motion from Coun. Ford came hours after he repeated his pledge to fight council's actions in court.

"This is a modern-day overthrow of an elected official. This is wrong," he told reporters. "This is what you see in Third World nations …​ This is a modern-day coup d'état."

Coun. Ford added that the mayor is getting professional help and has not had any alcohol for three weeks.

On the weekend, Ford appeared prepared to press forward at city hall, no matter what council did on Monday. "I'm going to continue to fight for the little guy. I'm going to continue to save taxpayers money. And if the councillors want to strip all my powers, that's up to them," Ford told the U.S.-based Fox News.

He keeps using the most unfortunate terms like 'little guy'.

Ford also taped an interview with CNN, during which he mingled with supporters in a neighbourhood in Etobicoke — the Toronto suburb where he served as a city councillor before being elected mayor, and where he still lives — and repeated his claims he has been unfairly targeted by the media. Things turned testy, however, when Ford was pressed about his initial denial, and eventual admission, of drug use.

"Typical media, you're all the same, cut from the same cloth," he told CNN's Bill Weir.

Coun. Ford, standing nearby, tried to get his brother to calm down.

Mayor Ford apparently cursed during the interview — a seeming echo of last week's gaffe, the use of a profane expression during a media scrum — though his exact words were bleeped out. He immediately apologized for swearing in the presence of children. 

It has been an extraordinary month for Ford, who has admitted to having smoked crack cocaine and to having purchased illegal drugs, both while serving as mayor. Ford has also apologized for "mistakes," some of which were alcohol-related. So far, he has resisted all calls for him to either take a leave of absence, or step down.

In other related news, on Monday, a judge dismissed an application to view the video by one of three young men who stand beside Ford in a now-famous photo.

Last week, Ontario Superior Court Justice Ian Nordheimer viewed the video and on Monday ruled against Muhammad Khattak's motion to view it. Khattak's lawyer, who says his client does not appear in the alleged crack video, had argued that news reports about the scandal have harmed his client's reputation.

Khattak is one of three alleged gang members who appear with Ford in a photo that was distributed by people trying to sell the video. In that photo, Khattak stands beside Ford and two other men outside what police information describes as a crack house.

Khattak was arrested in June during a series of police raids called Project Traveller that targeted suspected gun and drug traffickers. Khattak is charged with drug trafficking and participating in a gang.

Forget Rob Ford, Remember Mel Lastman?

The mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, is under some pressure to step down because of his admission of using crack while in office. His hilarious defense was that he was in a drunken stupor at the time. That's a lot better. 

Rob Ford

The things he says in press conferences are just mind-blowing. Like after his admission of using crack, he said he felt 1000 pounds lighter. One look at Rob Ford and that doesn't even need a punch line.

But we should hardly be shocked by Rob Ford; Toronto has a history of electing whacky mayors. Remember Mel Lastman, Mayor of Toronto from 1997-2003? Here is what Wikipedia has to say about him:

Having adopted the nickname "the Bad Boy" for himself and developed Bad Boy Furniture into a chain of stores around the Toronto area. "Bad Boy" Lastman was associated with many publicity stunts, including travelling to the Arctic in the 1960s to "sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo."

In 1993, Lastman saw Clinton impersonator Tim Waters on television, and shortly afterwards contacted him and arranged for a commercial to be shot. The commercial featured Waters dressed as Clinton delivering the classic Nooooooobody! line. While merely a mildly amusing commercial to most of the viewing public, Lastman's move attracted attention, as he soon received a letter from the White House requesting that he "cease and desist all unauthorized use of the likeness of the President of the United States of America in advertising of commercial services and products". Lastman refused to stop airing the commercials, and even produced several more, featuring both Waters and a Hillary Clinton impersonator. "Last time I checked," Lastman quipped, "this was Canada, not the 51st state."

Lastman gained national attention after multiple snowstorms, including the Blizzard of 1999, dumped 118 cm of snow and effectively closed the city.[3] He proceeded to have the Canadian Forces (Army) aid in helping to shovel snow, and use their equipment to augment police and emergency services.

In June 2001, shortly before leaving for Mombasa, Kenya to support Toronto's bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics, he jokingly said to a reporter "What the hell do I want to go to a place like Mombasa?... I'm sort of scared about going out there, but the wife is really nervous. I just see myself in a pot of boiling water with all these natives dancing around me." The remarks sparked a firestorm of controversy, with much speculation that they would offend African IOC members and endanger Toronto's bid. Lastman apologized profusely for those remarks. IOC Vice-President Dick Pound later stated that the comments did not affect the outcome of the bid.

In January 2002, Lastman was ridiculed for hugging and shaking hands with members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang when they held a convention in Toronto. Lastman later claimed that he didn't know that the Hells Angels were involved in selling illegal drugs.

During the 2003 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) crisis, Lastman did an interview on CNN. When he was asked what the World Health Organization was doing about the crisis, Lastman replied "They don't know what they're talking about. I don't know who this group is. I've never heard of them before."

After his wife Marilyn was caught shoplifting from an Eaton's store in Toronto, he threatened to kill CITY-TV reporter Adam Vaughan unless he stopped reporting on his family.

During his reign as mayor, Lastman and his wife held a surprise news conference announcing that he had a 14 year long extramarital affair with Grace Louie, a former Bad Boy employee. Louie, along with her two sons by Lastman, sued for 6 million dollars claiming that they were his illegitimate children but had not received sufficient child support. Lastman denied responsibility for the two children and successfully fought them off when they tried to claim a share of his estate, although it was already revealed that he was indeed their father.

To be fair, he did accomplish some things. Among his accomplishments as mayor of Toronto, Lastman brought World Youth Day to Toronto in 2002. He also succeeded in pushing the construction of the TTC Sheppard line, the first new subway line in decades. He played a key role in the negotiations that had the Empress Walk condominium complex developed and two leading schools refurbished, all without using public funds.