MAINE CORRECTIONS - AS IT RELATES

Even though I had not intended the previous post to be on this blog (I'm having nothing BUT troubles with the other blog, BTW), Mainers might be interested to know the following - because it sounds a lot like the consequence of potential problems brewing right here in this state.

It seems, with all the promises our illustrious governor made re: how consolidating the State's Department of Corrections (DOC) with the numerous county jails - aka County Corrections) would save us taxpayers money in the form of our property taxes, it hasn't. Add to that, the DOC has cut back funding for training its own existing employees who are expected to work with incarcerated inmates. We have some employees who have Permanent Full-Time employee status (which means they cannot be fired because they failed to pass their initial Probationary Period, usually their first year of employment - or the first year of a new promotional grade) and have never - I repeat NEVER - received a supervisor's Evaluation review.

Of course, an Evaluation Review would require stating whether or not the employee is doing a satisfactory (or less than or better than Satisfactory performance) in various areas demonstrating he/she has grasped the concepts and procedures taught in the aforementioned Training.

But, cost-cutting within the DOC's budget, either via the Legislature or within the DOC's decision-making procedures, eliminated required training for certain employees who were hired nearly one year ago. Consequently, these employees are prohibited from working within certain confines of the prisons and are therefore unable to provide some of the very services or instruction to the inmates the employees were hired to do in the first place.

Of course the time is still ticking for the inmates. and they will be scheduled for and released into the various communities throughout the state according to the law with or without the services and instructions these employees were hired to provide. Some of these inmates are SEX OFFENDERS.

So the next time one of these paroled/on probation state inmates commits another crime following release from prison - the next time a local law enforcement agency has to deal with the consequences of one of these offenders back out on the streets, let's ask if the appropriate counselors ever had access to them while they were incarcerated. Let's ask if the correctional employees that have already been hired (not to mention any hired in the future) have actually received the training they should be getting in order to do the job we are paying them to do. Let's ask when was the last time ANY correctional employee received an evaluation review BEFORE receiving a pay increase (or demotion).

Seems to me the governor has dropped the ball again - along with DOC - and it's the citizens of Maine who are expected to just go along. Let's just hope none of those correctional employees get injured on the job because they didn't get the training they were supposed to get as part of their job. Let's just hope none of us, or our families or friends or neighbors are indirect victims of this cost-cutting action by a government that is only in power because of us - the voters.

CALIFORNIA PRISON SITUATIONS

If you aren't aware, there was a major riot, lasting four hours with over 80 correctional officers responding , at one of the largest men's prisons in California on August 8, 2009.

At approximately 8:20pm, inmates housed in the Reception Center of the California Institution for Men (CIM), located in Chino, CA began fighting is their assigned housing units. At that time, the Reception Center housed approximately 1300 medium security inmates. The "incident" ended up sending more than 200 inmates for medical treatment by CIM medical staff for minor, non-life threatening injuries. Fifty-five inmates, with more serious injuries, were transported to local outside hospitals for treatment. The incident was primarily between black and Hispanic inmates. (This information was provided via the CDCR Star corrections clips, an email news report yours truly receives daily.)

Now, lets talk about what some of this information means.

A RECEPTION CENTER is where new (and returning) inmates are first received and processed when entering prison. In California, an inmate is not entitled to visits or phone calls during the time he/she is assigned within the Reception Center. Processing includes an evaluation for the level of security assignment (determined by a number of factors which includes the nature of the crime for which he has been sentenced to prison as well as any previous criminal history, certified, prison gang affiliation, not to be confused with unconfirmed or street gang affiliation, education level, and a myriad of other factors).

There are several security levels to which an inmate can be assigned and each one carries limitations and privileges within the prison setting. Depending on the eventual security level assigned to an inmate, he/she may be transported to another prison or to a facility within the prison associated with the Reception Center. CIM has a large prison associated with this particular Reception Center. Not all prisons in California have Reception Centers.)

The length of time an inmate can be kept in the Reception Center without visits or the ability to make outside phone calls depends on the number of inmates being housed within the Reception Center and the number of Correctional Counselors available to conduct the classification process.

Correctional Counselors are not the same as Correctional Officers. BTW, Correctional Officers is the correct name - not guards. Correctional Counselors are a higher classification than Correctional Officers. That means their starting pay is higher than an officer's starting pay; they usually have college degrees in criminal justice or sociology or psychology or related areas and are case managers. Some officers eventually become Correctional Counselors.

In order for Correctional Counselors to complete the process of classification, numerous documents (regarding the specific inmate and his case) are required such as the sentencing judge's final documents and the inmate's crime summary, usually from the prosecuting attorney's office. These are not always included in the packets accompanying the inmate when he is transported from the sentencing county jail. Obtaining the required documents from the appropriate and authorizing jurisdictions can hold up the correctional classification process. Unfortunately, sending these documents doesn't always seem to be a priority for the sending jurisdiction.

While Correctional Officers are automatically placed on overtime to keep the institution safe and secure, it is difficult to obtain sufficient funding or to hire enough Correctional Counselors to handle the ever increasing number of Reception Center inmates, or to obtain enough funding to pay overtime for the Correctional Counselors on hand to move the inmates through the process. Think "bottleneck" - and then add racial and overcrowding tensions. What you can plan on is what happened August 8 at CIM's Reception Center.

In addition to the injuries, what damage was done? According to the daily posts I received, the following occurred:

"Hundreds of inmates using pipes and shanks as weapons trashed..the prison, burning a courtyard, ripping beds to shreds and tearing bathroom sinks from walls." "They literally tore the buildings apart," said a spokesperson for the California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (CDCR). While the New York Times stated the institution had "a record of poor maintenance, shoddy safety protocols, dangerous overcrowding and riots, according to three inspection reports since 2006", it is interesting to note there is no mention of how many times the CDCR, formerly known as the California Department of Corrections (CDC) submitted major capital budget requests to the California Department of Finance (CDF) specifically regarding repairs and upgrades for the older prisons in California and were turned down.

It will be interesting to see how CDF responds now to the need for the estimated "$5Million to $6Million to make the repairs and clean up debris" to seven housing units and possibly more if the institution decided to rebuild one of the units destroyed by fire. According to the CDCR Star, more than 1,100 inmates have had to be transferred to other prisons and CIM correctional staff have been transferred to those institutions to assist in the additional security required to oversee those inmates. It's reasonable those re-assigned staff are on per-diem expenses and that's more money too.

What's that old adage, "Pay me now or pay me later." ?

CORRECTION RE: COMINS HALL SUPPER

In the previous blog, I wrote the Turkey supper was this coming Saturday Night (the 15th). My error. :-( The Correct Date is - the following Saturday Night - the 22nd.

Check the blog this coming weekend. I'll have news re: BOATS FOR SALE. Great prices and available for pick-up right here in Eddington.

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Last night was the first meeting for the Eddington-Clifton Book Club. Meeting dates will be the Second Tuesday of the month - from 6pm to 7pm at the Clifton Library (located inside the Clifton Town Office). The group is open to men and women. Bring whatever book you're currently reading - or - come to get a suggestion for a good book to read. I felt compelled this past Tuesday to pick up the new Catherine Coulter book "Knock Out" (her latest in her FBI series) and the latest Janet Evanovich book in the Stephanie Plum series. Of course, with all my scheduled and unscheduled activities, plus this writers group I've joined (and what a great addition that has been on lots of levels), I hardly know when I'll have time to read TWO new books. I just finished "Silks" by Dick Francis which was written in collaboration with his son, Felix. The ending definitely showed some influence from Felix.

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Got a look at the Gift Shop at Clewley Farm Restaurant the other day. What a beautiful addition that is going to be to the town, as well as shoppers dropping in for a meal at the restaurant. The floor along is a piece of art worthy of more than a moment's appreciation. If you haven't made it a point to eat at a table in the "Back Porch" or go out for a brief stroll in the back before an early dinner (or lunch), do so. It will calm your worries better than any prescription.

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Looking out the window I can see two loons "fishing" a bit beyond the dock. Reminds me of the boat ride my youngest brother took me for a week ago. We were able to sit almost in the middle of five loons (boat engine off) for more than five minutes - watching two of them literally "shake a leg". At first we thought they were shaking their tails until I could clearly make out a webbed foot being shaken. Don't suppose it's a loon's version of "giving the finger" do you? :-) Should be close to time to seeing the babies out for a late night ride on the mothers' backs. Maybe that explains the adult bald eagle I saw flying overhead last week. I love the eagles but I don't want them feeding on any of our babies. That's for sure. It's bad enough the loons have to worry about losing their babies to the snapping turtle (and I have seen Myrtle-the-turtle-with-53-girdles this summer). What's a parent to do?

COMING WEEKENDS - STUFF TO SCHEDULE

This coming Saturday night - the 15th - will be 50's & 60's Night at Clewley Farm Restaurant. Buffet Dinner with food from those good 'ol days (Mac&Cheese, hamburgers, more) and Dola and Company will be back at the microphone. Anyone still have a poodle skirt and saddle shoes? And can you still fit into it which is more to the point isn't it? :-)

And there will be a Turkey Dinner at Comins Hall on the 15th as well. Guess there'll be no reason for anyone to go to bed hungry that night. :-D
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Saturday the 22nd, Market Street Plaza in downtown Bangor will be closed off to vehicle traffic (similar to the way it was for the Sidewalk Art Show) for Blues & Brews - a first time event. Several blues bands will be performing and various micro-breweries will be setting up in the area. Bangor police and the City Council have signed off for the event which will allow people to buy the brews and walk the area listening to the performing Blues Bands at the same time. The event is being sponsored by BangorMetro magazine. More info to come in future blogs.

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The Eddington Farmer's Market may be ending before the scheduled date of September 27. It seems the lead vendor who's been absent two Sundays to date will also be absent on Labor date (as will a second vendor) in order to fulfill a previous commitment to appear at the Blue Hill Fair. I expect the matter will be on the August 25 Eddington Selectmen's agenda. Buyers are looking for fresh vegetables every Sunday at the Market. Too bad none of our local farmers have chosen to participate. Even with the excess rain this year there has to be some local produce.

FALLING LEAVES

This past weekend smelled like - felt like - Fall. The weather was lovely to be sure. Certainly nice to have sun instead of rain and my neighbors were out to enjoy the water. But, with so few really "Summer Days" this summer, finding TWO totally red leaves already fallen down on my lawn, I was not pleased! It is too soon.

I am not ready for Fall. Even though I normally enjoy a crisp, bright Fall day, after the past two winters, all I can think of regarding Fall is that Winter comes next. and I am NOT READY for another winter. I may not be ready for another one like the last two for at least five or six more years! (At least not until we've had a few nice summers.)

And I can't help but feel badly for the potato and dairy farmers this year - and the vegetable and fruit farmers, too. All the rain this miserable summer has made this coming Winter something that will be a burden to many more than the many who typically have to worry about heating their homes and feeding their families. (And then they can add the new financial burden of the Maine Income Tax law changes. See my earlier blog on that abomination.)

So I will enjoy whatever beautiful days may be ahead but I don't want to see any falling leaves for two or three months. Maybe longer. And then (with apologies to my snow mobile-loving friends and neighbors), I hope and pray for a mild Winter.

SAD63 NEWS - TIME TO GET READY FOR A NEW YEAR

The students' school year will begin Wednesday, August 26. The first SAD63 School Board meeting will be Monday, August 24 at 6:30pm - probably at Holbrook Middle School. I'll have to get back to you to confirm that location. As usual, Don Varnum is the Board's Chairman. It will be good if the Chairman remembers that, with all Boards, the Chair does not have a vote. This is beneficial in more than one way when one considers that Holden has four elected positions on the Board while Eddington has only three and Clifton has only one.

Since Varnum decided that Karen Clark, rep from Eddington shouldn't serve as Vice Chair for the coming year and then back-set the stage for Therese Anderson, rep from Eddington, to take Karen's place, it will be interesting to see who (other than Karen) works to keep Varnum on track in terms of Maine education law and/or SAD63 Board policies (there are over 500 policies). Fortunately Kevin Mills, new rep from Holden, appears to have taken his elected responsibilities seriously. I wonder how many reps - other than Kevin and Karen - have read them.

The most recent sidestepping of policies which have concerned me relate to (1) the requirement of all District employee contracts to be reviewed and approved by the Board (not by any individual of the Board independently acting in the name of the Board but the entire Board as a voting group - and let us remember who can and cannot vote) and (2) the regular production and public distribution of District Financial Reports and Audits.

It appears the SAD63 Board never knew the previous Superintendent changed certain employees' contracts and inserted clauses authorizing bonuses in amounts up to $5,000 annually (paid from our taxpayer monies). If Karen Clark had not discovered these clauses during research relating to the current ongoing lawsuit initiated by the terminated, previous Superintendent, this matter would not have been discovered or brought to light. So, my questions are:

• How did this change (in the impacted contracts) go through without Board knowledge?
• Who authorized these contract changes?
• How were the payments approved? Apparently there is one member of the School Board who needs to co-sign checks with the District Business Manager - and the Business Manager was one of the recipients of these bonus checks. Were these bonus checks just automatically cut by the outside agency contracted to process payroll? If so, who signed the authorization for the outside agency to process the bonus checks? Someone on the School Board? Remember - this is taxpayer money not private sector money. If the Chairperson approved the contract changes without the entire Board's approval, it was outside the Chair's authority.
• Since none of the contracts initiated for the 2008-09 academic year were brought to the School Board for review and approval, they were, in fact, illegal for the entire year. Considering the costs for school administration was more than $373, 000 in 2008 and more than $400,000 for school administration that same year, it doesn't take much imagination to think what the audit for 2009 will show. But none of those contracts were reviewed or approved by the Board (even though every one was paid throughout the fiscal year). Fortunately, this error in contract procedure was caught (by Karen - not by the Chairman who is supposed to be "in charge") and the 2009-2010 contracts being put in place prior to the Board break for July were properly processed by the Board.

Considering how many years Varnum has been the Board's Chair, one has to wonder how many other rules and procedures have been overlooked? And where have the other Board members been in monitoring these procedures? Back to Board members actually reading those policies and procedures and fulfilling their duties and responsibilities to the taxpayers...

The second area of concern I mentioned above has to do with the regular and timely production of monthly Financial Reports and the 2008-2009 District Audit.

Last year there were months that went by when the Board's Budget and Finance Committee (BFC) didn't receive a monthly Financial Report - copies of which should be automatically be distributed to the town managers of Eddington, Clifton and Holden, as well as any resident/taxpayer in those communities particularly attendants at the BFC meetings. It is the responsibility (fiscal and professional) of the District's Business Manager to close the District's financial books at the end of each month. [NOTE: This is standard professional business practice.] Therefore, there is no reason why the BFC doesn't have the Financial Report in time for its monthly meeting every month and the entire School Board by its month end meeting. Accordingly, since the funding for the District is being paid by the three towns, the town managers should have those reports for distribution for their respective Selectmen meetings.

As for that audit - there is no excuse for an annual audit not be completed and distributed by January 15 instead of July when the District's fiscal year closes June 30. If the District's Business Manager is closing the District's financial books at the end of each month, as is the standard for any professional (not to mention one being paid over $70,000 for a District as small as SAD63), the District's work papers and year end reports should be completed by no later than August 31 of the year which would allow any contracted auditing firm to begin the audit by September 1. Such an audit should take no longer than 4 months. That way we taxpayers (and all three towns' Board of Selectmen) could review the previous year's audit before we were having to review any proposed budget in May for an upcoming year without seeing how the previous year's had been handled - instead of being as much as two years or more out of date with real data.

There will be more on this subject in upcoming blogs because - until the District's fiscal/business processing is better handled, there is no reason to believe anyone should consider consolidating with SAD63 or that the taxpayers in our three towns should believe anything we're being told by this District's current administration.

MAINE'S NEW STATE INCOME TAX LAW - ROAD TO DESTRUCTION

The headlines from the State Legislature and Governor in Augusta focused on two primary issues: the rate is (in general) reduced from 8.5 percent to 6.5 percent of one's annual income and that the state sales tax is being spread to include more items and services than previously covered. The biggest uproar that resulted has been that car repairs are now going to be subject to a sales tax. Considering the abysmal state of the roads in this state, we all know how often and extensive our car repairs are annually, so we can see where this is going to hit our pocketbooks.

What our elected representatives didn't talk about very loudly was how this new state income tax law was going to impact people who owned or were buying properties.

If you are someone who itemizes tax deductions when preparing your state and federal tax forms, you know the two largest deductions are your mortgage interest and your property taxes. If you purchase property with a 30-year mortgage, your monthly mortgage payments for the first 10-15 years mostly goes to pay the mortgage interest. And we all know how our property taxes have been increasing to pay for school budgets and local government expenses. (And this will continue as the Maine state government continues to reduce its share of state education costs.) BUT, under the new Maine income tax law, neither your mortgage interest nor your property taxes will be deductible. Nor will any charitable donations.

According to a recent article in a local newspaper, those individuals making less than $60,000 annually will be paying MORE state taxes under this new Maine income tax law. Individuals making more than $250,000 annually will be paying FEWER taxes. And this law was passed by a legislature dominated by the Maine Democratic Party and signed by a governor from the same political party who is now claiming he has achieved his political promise to lower taxes in this state. Is he kidding?! Let us remember that the average annual income for Mainers is less than $45,000.

Under this new law, can you imagine anyone (who is aware of this tax structure) buying property in Maine either for the purpose of intending to be a Maine resident or bringing any operating business into Maine? If you are someone trying to sell any property in Maine, good luck finding a buyer unless that buyer doesn't have to finance any portion of the deal. And how many people do you think qualify for that?

Governor Baldacci was previously worried about the fact the state's population wasn't growing before this new tax law was passed. Guess how many people this will drive out of state or prevent from moving here in the first place! Which only decreases the tax base thereby increasing the state's tax problems and making matters even worse.

No wonder the Maine Democratic Party doesn't want to talk about these aspects of the new law. There is a rumor of petitions being circulated for signatures to put the issue on the ballot in November 2010 to repeal this law. Anyone seen one of them? If we can find one, we should be lining up to sign!

Of course November 2010 will be when we elect a new governor - and Baldacci will still leave office claiming he fulfilled his promise to lower state taxes. Instead he should be standing up to acknowledge how he (and his political party) have helped drive this state into perpetual poverty,