Group Claims Mural Removal Illegal

[Maine-ah]

Source: Sun Journal

AUGUSTA — An attorney for the Maine Peoples Voting Coalition is claiming that Gov. Paul LePage is not authorized to remove the 36-foot mural at the Department of Labor.

The group issued a release this morning claiming that a petition could be filed with the State Museum Commission to stop LePage from moving the mural.

The administration plans to move the mural because LePage believes its depiction of Maine's labor history is too one-sided toward organized labor.

According to the MPVC's Jon Beal, a Portland attorney, the governor doesn't have the authority to remove the mural without approval from the Museum Commission, the artwork's current owner.

Read more: http://www.sunjournal.com/state/story/1004915

---

edited wrong title...duh.

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[Maine-ah]

18. I'd like to add this, but I can't edit my op

http://knox.villagesoup.com/news/story/mainers-flock-to-augusta-to-defend-mural/388606

Mainers flock to Augusta to defend mural

AUGUSTA — Approximately 250 people from all parts of the state crowded the hallway outside the lobby of the Department of Labor at noon on Friday, March 25 in response to a decision by Gov. Paul LePage to remove a mural from that room's walls.

The lobby door is marked by a plaque indicating that it provides entry for those seeking the offices of Employment Services, Rehabilitation Services, Labor Standards, Unemployment Compensation administrative hearings and the Center for Workforce Research and Information.

The room itself appeared crowded as people filed in and out, about 20 at a time looking at the 11 panels by Tremont artist Judy Taylor that depict a variety of images of Maine's labor movement and its workers' history.

The building at 45 Commerce Drive houses a number of government offices, including those of the state police and fire marshal, but entry to the Department of Labor is through a separate doorway and down a long corridor.

***********

I know a couple of people in the pics and I'm glad they got to make it down there for the protest.

[Plucketeer]

21. LePage - LePage

Aren't they a glue maker? Seems fitting Govc, cause you's stuck with it! LOL!

[Maine-ah]

22. 38%, man, 38%

I'm gonna have to hope he does something illegal to the point he'll get impeached. Damn it, we need a recall process!

[msongs]

2. better to remove the governor nt

[Maine-ah]

3. +1

[Lucinda]

4. I hope they prevail

[alp227]

5. if it is illegal then that makes LePage even more full of shhhhh

I've observed how he wants to run Maine such as exempting himself from pension cuts. Disgusting. I'm from California, and Arnold Schwarzenegger (a moderate Republican) was a better governor.

[blunderbuss]

10. a...... just being republican makes him full of that stuff.............eom

[blackspade]

6. How about...

removing LaPage for being too one-sided toward organized crime. Sorry, I mean corporations and teabaggers.

[Journeyman]

7. Years ago, a sculpture was removed from a university near me. . .

it was an abstract metal piece, installed in a canyon where wild plants and grasses were allowed to overgrow it. Maintenance hauled it away because they thought it was trash.

To be honest, it would have been hard for someone to tell the difference.

The point I raise, however, is the university was sued by the artist, on the basis that art installed in public places cannot be removed without a hearing and approval from a deliberative body (an arts council in this case, I believe, but it's been a long time and I don't remember the specifics).

This was in California, though I suspect similar rules will be at play in Maine.

By the way, the artist received a hefty sum for compensation of their loss. Not everyone agreed it was worth it (but let's face facts, art in America is too often the art of bullshit -- if you can convince people it's art, it's art; convince them to spend beaucoup dollars for it and it's transformed to "great art"), but it did prove the validity of the law. I hope Maine's regulations are set up similarly.

[AlbertCat]

40. let's face facts, art in America is too often the art of bullshit

This is true everywhere.
Have you seen a "euro-trash" opera production lately????


It's actually an illusion. It takes the passage of time to "weed out" the stuff that is merely topical or doesn't actually "speak" to people. Remember, it wasn't until the 1830's they "rediscovered" Bach!


BTW.... I like the mural. It has a graphic style that is pleasant and not avant garde or anything. The size of the room was obviously taken into account (a lot of murals styles look too big for their space and one cannot step back and look at them, IMHO of course). And of course there's nothing remotely offensive to anyone in there.

The governor is a moran!

[robbob]

61. And don't forget it was Glenn Gould

...who helped the world re-rediscover Bach in 1955, recording the Goldberg Variations at a time when Bachs music was still considered by some as not much more that technical exercises lacking the emotional content of Beethoven or Chopin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv94m_S3QDo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPIS5yvvT2Y&feature=related

[99th_Monkey]

8. Awesome!! I thought it was odd that this idiot thought he could just remove the mural.

I mean, this mural is obviously of historic and artistic significance, and a public asset, that it didn't seem quite "legal" for the Gov. to just decide to remove or destroy it on his whim.

Hats off to the Maine folks fighting the good fight on this one. :thumbsup:

[davidinalameda]

15. historic? probably not

it's only 2 years old

not sure if it qualifies as historically significant

[Maine-ah]

20. the artwork it's self, wouldn't be considered historic

but it is a piece of art that depicts history. Not quite sure how to label it. :shrug:

[No Elephants]

63. You never said it was an old mural I knew exactly what you meant.

[99th_Monkey]

23. hmm..

I thought when I first read about this that the article said this was one of those FDR era piece of public art, like we have in Oregon at one of our lighthouses and in our capital building.

Maybe I got that part wrong :shrug:

[Bluerthanblue]

9. cool!

hope this stops him.

K&R

[damntexdem]

11. Oh, that's mere legality -- something that's below Repuke notice.

Laws are there to guide the governed, not the governor.

;-)

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

25. Damn right! If the Talibans can blow up the big rock Buddhas

then certainly the Republicans can destroy a dang labor-lovin' mural.

:hi:

Desecration rocks!!!11!

[Quantess]

12. Having lived in San Francisco, I am not always a fan of murals.

Some of them are kind of obnoxious, in my opinion. So I came to this thread ready to post that, but then I see that the underlying effort is anti-union sentiment from a nasty republican, so...
Recommended.

[forty6]

13. Maybe he'll ignore that, move the murals, and then have to...

either pay a massive fine or go to jail. And the mural will be put back.

THAT will fix his little wagon!

[Chris_Texas]

14. What good is being governor if you can't destroy art and speach you dislike?!

[MurrayDelph]

65. Worked for Reagan

who severely crippled the state Universities because he didn't approve of what them youngins were lernin.

[highplainsdem]

16. K&R

[freshwest]

17. If they think it's so 'one-sided' why not just add the other side?

I'm sure they've got pictures of Daddy Warbucks from the same era. Or maybe they could display the original MONOPOLY board.

There's a post about LePage's childhood abuse, where he was sent to work in a sweatshop. The level of psychological damage is evident, just take a look at his foul-mouthed threats and actions.

I blame the people who cynically didn't vote Democrat because they were told their candidate was weak, so they voted Independent or didn't vote at all.

The GOP teabaggers are well-organized and motivated by contracts to swoop in and steal everything that's not nailed down.

No matter how much one despises the Democrats, does anyone actually think these things would happen if they had won?

Cuomo being an obvious exception to that notion as I just laid it down there. I'll shut up now. But only for a little while.

:puke:

[KamaAina]

36. LePew was sent to work in a sweatshop?

Kids, can you say "Stockholm syndrome"? Mr. KamaAina can!

[alfredo]

39. Show pinkertons murdering strikers, or children chained to machinery.

[freshwest]

43. Damned straight! Perfect example of the other side!

[alfredo]

48. It was brutal.

[Highway61]

19. I hope it stays

But then again the way things are going, who the hell knows. I never in a million years thought that Walker would do what he did. With the masses that turned out, he was gonna do what he was told by the powers that be. Lo and behold he got his way and the masses went home.
Maine seems ripe for the picken for the next union bashing.... (as if they have any unions to speak of...wages in this state suck)
It still remains staggering to me the amount of people who have so little here vote against their own interests.
They need to have a run off election law into place so people like this bonehead NEVER get into power again.

[Lifelong Protester]

29. Oh, we may be at home in Wisconsin, but we are not done

don't blythely count the 'masses' out yet.
Still waiting for the judgment in the case against the Senate vote.
Still out collecting recall signatures for the Republican 8.
Still out working for a new Supreme Court Justice.
Still collecting pledges to sign for recall of Walker in November.

[54anickel]

37. And still taking our turns protesting the Cheesehead Pharaoh. We just don't

get the press. It's hard to top that crowd of 200,000 that the DOA's estimate cut in half on the 12th, but we're still out there. Iraqi war Vets and AFL-CIO had last weekend, SeniorCare was out with a good showing earlier this week and strategic planning taking place all the time. We're far from done and we are in it for the long haul.

edit for spelling

[Highway61]

42. I tip my hat to you both and all involved in the movement.

I'm sorry if I underestimated you. I just get so very disgusted with it all.

[54anickel]

60. Thanks. It's easy to get discouraged, especially with the lack of news reporting. Try

following The Nation, John Nichols is forever giving us great press since Madison is his home. If you're on facebook, hook up with Scott Walker is a Douchebag and 540,000 To See Scott Walker Out of WI, January 2012. You can pick up some other pages off of those 2. We "stalk" Walker all the time, have scheduled Sing-a-longs in the capitol rotunda at noon each day. JR is usually creating some minor civil disobedience having to do with new rules regarding signs to drum up a citation to take to court. The DOA seems to be ignoring the court order that access to the capitol be returned to how it was as of Jan 28, 2011 - well before the protests. JR just likes pushes that envelope.

Thanks for the encouragement and support. It's nice to be reminded we're not forgotten. :hi:

[chervilant]

51. Still worthy

of respect and immense gratitude!

Hundreds of thousands of people nationwide fervently hope that you and your fellow activists will prevail.

[Citizen Worker]

24. Why do we continue to rely on these labyrinthine administrative processes that we did not form, don'...

control and have little influence over? What we should do is organize 300 or 400 citizens to protect the mural by sitting down and refusing to leave? Power concedes nothing without and demand and we haven't demanded anything!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

26. Maybe cover it with drywall, then the Gov will forget it's there

Maybe even paint a new mural on the drywall. Like "Washington Crossing the Delaware", or "George W Bush Proclaims Mission Accomplished on an Aircraft Carrier - with Codpiece".

[avebury]

27. It is heartbreaking

to see what is happening in Maine.

I grew up in Maine and moved "unfortunately" to a Red State several years ago (where I am now stuck until I retire - sigh!). I expect this kind of behavior where I live now and hate to see the direction that Maine is going in. I would not move to Maine now.

I am tempted to email my sister (who is a Republican) and ask her - "How is that Republican/Tea party system working for you? Welcome to the Red State land (LOL!)."

[eppur_se_muova]

28. I wondered about that ... like Federal gov't has the Architect of the Capitol ...

http://www.aoc.gov/

... surely there's a state office that is responsible for all modifications to state buildings, internal or external.

[Starry Messenger]

30. k&r

[handmade34]

31. what have we become??

I am disgusted that a (so-called) leader in this country would consider this mural "too one-sided toward organized labor"

there are no words to express my dismay



"There is a rich tradition of labor art and culture in the US"
piece about Mike Alewitz
http://www.kclabor.org/artcreatenewlabor.htm

[tcaudilllg]

32. There is no "we", only the sane vs the insane. n/t

[handmade34]

33. if we are to

thrive and possibly even survive... it must be WE. We collectively are a nation, state, community

[RufusTFirefly]

34. The illegality seems pretty straightforward

Just as it would seem that Gov. Walker in Wisconsin violated the open-meetings law.

What galls me is that contesting these things siphons off energy that we could be spending on other things. It's as though the Tea Baggers are running around setting little fires that keep us busy and distracted.

[Pharaoh]

35. Of Course it's one sided you Moron!

It's in the Department of fucking Labor for fucksake!

What an idiot!

[DWilliamsamh]

38. Um... what part of DEPARTMENT OF LABOR doesn't this guy get?

[Myrina]

41. ... as lame as Ashcroft covering up Justice's boob ...

:eyes: WTF is with those people??

[snot]

44. Like how all it takes is 1 or 2 complaints by RW'er's for him to jump on removal, but

complaints and even demonstrations by tens of thousands re- Republican governors' policies are ignored.

[blm]

45. A majority of Maine believes the Gov is too one-sided toward big business and needs to be removed.

That should be the ONLY answer.

[Shining Jack]

46. Next target: The FDR Memorial.

Interesting text on the left.



http://www.cyberlearning-world.com/nhhs/compapps/workshop/dc/fdrmem.htm

[freshwest]

49. Yeah, I love that one and have posted it many places. And we're dealing with the same bastards now!

Note the signs of the wheelchair as well...

And their their attacks on the disabled.

FDR didn't live up to their 'Superman' model...

I feel an outpouring of strong profanity coming, so I'll quit now.

[AlbertCat]

55. Well, THAT was TOTALLY AWESOME!

[JDPriestly]

47. OK, guys. For once, thank a lawyer. Jon Peal, thank you.

[freshwest]

50. I've actually had to thank a lawyer many times in my life for helping others.

[JDPriestly]

54. Good. There has been a lot of lawyer-bashing even on DU.

People generally have no idea how often lawyers help people -- and more often than you would think, pro bono. Just for the good of it.

[freshwest]

56. I know some who aren't even doing things technically called 'pro bono.'

They use their talents for social justice, pay out of their own pockets, and have taught me a lot about the profession. Not that I haven't seen plenty of scalawags we've come up against, but some of these folks are true believers in helping others with what intelligence and abilities they have.

I'm not talking the proverbial ambulance chasers, who have their place in society, but people who use their considerable abilities for getting justice even if not monetary for those who need it. Not affiliated with groups, but committed, a matter of the heart.

One such friend took up the practice of law after his retirement from the corporate world. Not rich, just retired. He went to law school because he wanted to defend people he saw as oppressed. He said the greatest injustices were in the criminal law system and in civil rights, so that became his specialty.

His courage and ingenuity saved lives and baffled the system that saw people as cattle. I am proud to know him, and a few others who kept the faith, despite the bigger picture. He never made a dime off of any of it.

I wouldn't have missed some of the 'villains' and 'heroes' I've met in the last few decades for the world. What a wild journey life is.

[defendandprotect]

52. Agree -- damaging public property -- is he the King or Governor?

[lonestarnot]

53. Reminds me of the name change to Piestewa Peak in AZ. Pugs got out there and tried to chop down the

mountain. :7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piestewa_Peak

[Liberty Belle]

57. welll then let's put the mural in another dept that's 1-sided:

Do they have a department devoted to business?corporations?

[Corruption Winz]

58. Thank God he's tackling the big issues. n/t

[janet118]

59. Looks like LePage might have an ally at the Maine State Museum

From OP link

The law says historical materials "include the banners and flags presently housed in the State House Hall of Flags and may include, but are not restricted to, paintings, sculptures and other works of art dealing with historic subjects." . . .

The LePage administration did not immediately return a request for comment. However, Museum Director Joseph R. Phillips said early Monday afternoon that the Maine State Museum’s law assigns museum responsibility for historical materials housed in state-owned buildings, not contemporary art. "The Maine State Museum has never had responsibility for contemporary art in these buildings," Phillips said in a written statement.

He added, "The Maine State Museum does not collect contemporary art. There are excellent art museums in Maine that do this work."

Mr. Phillips seems to be quit chummy with the governor . . .

Museum Helps Advance Legislation to Update Maine's Abandoned Property Laws
Maine State Museum Director Joseph R. Phillips is working with the Governor's Office and chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs to update laws concerning property deposited with museums and historical societies. Current law provides that property must be deposited for at least 25 years before it can be considered abandoned. Proposed draft legislation reduces that period to three years, clarifies the process, and adds some new sections.

http://mainestatemuseum.org/">Maine State Museum

[47of74]

62. Question. Would this be an acceptable replacement mural then?

[alfredo]

64. Here's one with the corporate/republican view.