Wind Power Zealot Diane Russell Loses Her Bid For Senate Seat Held By Termed Out Justin Alfond

Rep. Ben Chipman defeats Rep. Diane Russell and Dr. Charles Radis in a primary for the District 27 state Senate seat.

Through May 30, Russell had raised more than $89,700, compared to the nearly $13,000 raised by Chipman and the $12,700 raised by Radis. Russell spent heavily in the closing days, shelling out about $17,000 in the final week for direct mailers, palm cards and “persuasion calls and texts,” compared to the nearly $2,800 spent by Chipman.

http://www.pressherald.com/2016/06/14/chipman-has-early-lead-in-por...

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Senate Candidate and Former EUT Wind Booster Diane Russell Questions Articles About Her PAC (Portland Phoenix)

I publicly disclosed everything, it's not like there's any new news here," she said.Russell, who said she is running a "traditional" campaign, said she chose to be "above board," noting that none of her donors has complained."I believe in disclosure," she said, adding that the average donation for her Senate campaign is less than $22.
"I'm running a Bernie Sanders type campaign," she said.
The back-to-back articles in the press caused Russell to wonder why public filings would resurface as an issue.
"I do think the timing is suspect," she said.

Read the rest here:

http://portlandphoenix.me/news/item/5518-legislative-scramble-candi...

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Former EUT Wind Advocate Diane Russell: Not for Sale

The self-described “progressive champion” of Maine may want to backtrack on her “not for sale” narrative, or at least take steps to get the graphic off the internet altogether.

http://www.themainewire.com/2016/04/sale-period/

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Patricia Callahan on Diane Russell (BDN)

The trail to the original contributors of PAC money can be hard to follow, which is why I also think it’s a non sequitur to suggest that there can be such a thing as “Clean Elections” as long as PACs exist. Further, I don’t understand how someone can be a “Clean Elections” candidate like Russell, or be a politician who supports the idea of getting money out of politics in general, while simultaneously running a leadership PAC.

To me, that’s like saying, “Outside money to get elected is bad, but outside money to maintain a position of power is good.” Tomato, Tom-ah-to.

http://callahan.bangordailynews.com/2016/03/23/home/why-ill-keep-de...

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Former EUT member Diane Russell squashed citizens who brought forth wind bills, fighting for Maine's pristine interior. She never saw a wind turbine she didn't like. Of course they're all banned in her own back yard, Portland! ----- "We want 600' tall turbines in interior Maine, just keep them the hell out of Portland"

Ellsworth American on Diane Russell and Others

March 25, 2016 on Editorials, Opinion

The Maine Legislature should revive and pass legislation that would ban any Political Action Committee from paying legislators and their relatives for activities and purchases on behalf of the PAC. And this time, Governor Paul LePage should sign the legislation into law.

A recent investigation by the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting centered on a PAC established and controlled by Rep. Diane Russell, a Portland Democrat, that paid her almost 20 percent of its total expenditures for “online organizing” and spent less than four percent to support candidates, as such PACs are organized to do.

http://www.ellsworthamerican.com/opinions/editorials/end-leadership...

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The Maine Wire: Diane Russell’s Unethical PAC Spending

From the Maine Wire:

Now, a prominent liberal politician from Portland has been caught using her leadership PAC to finance coffee shop meetings, lavish trips across the country and overseas......

http://www.themainewire.com/2016/03/vacations-restaurants-phone-bil...

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Wish I could roll like Rep. Diane Russell and her PAC (Bangor Daily News)

I’ve got to get me a leadership PAC. Here I’ve been barely able to scrounge up enough gas money to head due east 30 to 40 miles to look at the ocean, and Rep. Diane Russell has been to Morocco, San Francisco, and Las Vegas thanks, in part, to her political action committee. Russell and her “Working Families PAC” were featured recently in an article by Naomi Schalit at the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, and it’s as much of a must-read (click here) as a leadership PAC is a must-have..............

http://callahan.bangordailynews.com/2016/03/16/home/wish-i-could-ro...

Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland. (Troy R. Bennett | BDN)

http://callahan.bangordailynews.com/2016/03/16/home/wish-i-could-ro...

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Did Reed & Reed give then EUT Member Diane Russell's PAC $1,000 in July 2014? (BDN)

Crane

Photo Posted by Richard Harris Oct 2015

Diane Russell’s PAC problem
March 17, 2016
By Chris Busby

"......Reed & Reed, which bids on public projects, gave Russell’s PAC $1,000 in July 2014. The high-powered law firm Pierce Atwood, which also does a lot of business in Augusta......."

http://chrisbusby.bangordailynews.com/2016/03/17/politics/diane-rus...

As a member of the EUT Committee, Ms. Russell either didn't understand our testimony or was already committed to opposing us. I seem to recall her invoking a "virtuous argument" more than once.

Naomi Schalit, Ken & Mike discuss Diane Russell on WGAN podcast - listen here (nine minutes long)

The WGAN Morning News with Ken & Mike is a widely listened to morning radio show in the Portland,ME area. On 3/10/16, the daybreak duo interviewed Naomi Schalit with the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting about her report on Rep. Diane Russell paying herself with her PAC money.

Note that a person commenting in the podcast's Disqus comments accuses the impecabbly non-partisan straight shooter Naomi Schalit of being "an anti-wind ideologue funded by oil billionaires from Texas and Oklahoma"!!!

Please listen here:

http://wgan.com/ken-and-mike/31016-podcast-naomi-schalit/

“I took a little bit of payment for myself to make sure we had enough money to build this,” said Russell....

Former EUT member Diane Russell squashed citizens who brought forth wind bills, fighting for Maine's pristine interior. She never saw a wind turbine she didn't like. Of course they're all banned in her own back yard, Portland! ----- "We want 600' tall turbines in interior Maine, just keep them the hell out of Portland"

Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting: Rep Diane Russell (former EUT member) paid self from leadership PAC

“I took a little bit of payment for myself to make sure we had enough money to build this,” said Russell.....Wayne said he could “only think of a couple of examples” of PACs paying legislators “off the top of my head.” Those examples include Russell and former state Sen. John Tuttle, D-Sanford, who lost his bid for re-election to the Maine Senate in 2014, after spending 28 years in the state legislature......However, there is a way that legislators can earn a living by serving in the statehouse: They’re paid to be in the legislature. They make $24,686 for the two-year session they serve. They are also paid $38 per day either for housing or mileage and tolls. Lawmakers also receive $32 per day for meals.

http://www.theforecaster.net/portland-legislator-paid-self-from-lea...

 and

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/maine/2016/03/11/portland-reps-pac-p...

and

http://www.timesrecord.com/news/2016-03-11/Front_Page/Legislator_pa...

and

http://www.journaltribune.com/news/2016-03-10/Front_Page/Portland_l...

and

http://www.ellsworthamerican.com/maine-news/political-news/portland...

 

and

http://pinetreewatchdog.org/portland-legislator-paid-self-from-lead...

As a member of the EUT Committee, Ms. Russell either didn't understand our testimony or was already committed to opposing us. I seem to recall her invoking a "virtuous argument" more than once.

From December 2015:

http://bangordailynews.com/2015/12/16/politics/portland-lawmakers-p...

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Comment by Robert Powers on April 8, 2016 at 5:13pm

Opinion only - I feel many legislators have friends in Towns, Landowners and in companies associated with the construction, transportation, etc. to build wind projects...so their influence will over power the importance of testimony of the "average citizen."  Average citizens can testify only because it is part of the required process.  Reed & Reed is also controlled by the steel workers union....you will not find non-union companies involved in major projects.  Union reps make many phone calls and have been known to make "veiled threats" if non-union companies are involved.  That is a FACT!  The average citizen or non-profit can testify...but decisions have largely been made in back room or hallway lobbying in Augusta...that is also a FACT!

Comment by Dan McKay on April 8, 2016 at 4:10pm

If you want to feel like a useless piece of shit, present testimony to a legislative committee as a nobody, non-funding, average citizen.

Comment by arthur qwenk on March 29, 2016 at 10:28am

Russell's real quote:

" It is amazing how little  wind  money it takes to  influence votes in the Maine legislature"

Comment by Gary Campbell on March 22, 2016 at 9:22am

The Attorney General sets the tone for the State. Is it any wonder that when Governor LePage proposed making the AG a Governor-appointee all the Alfonds and Russells in the legislature shot it down?

Comment by Robert Powers on March 21, 2016 at 6:52pm

If you want to track other "donations"...to variety of candidates/politicians....see donations and perks made by the "steel workers" union....they do have an office in Old Town and other places...they control Reed & Reed too...Unions can make political campaign gifts & donations...not sure what can be done except to show special interest influence...

Comment by Whetstone_Willy on March 20, 2016 at 12:45pm

I have not read this book, but the paragraph below makes me puzzled why it is classified as "Fiction".

Sean Cogan, a funny, prickly, charismatic economist turned venture capitalist, is convinced that our system is no longer “of, by and for the people,” that all three branches of government are bought and paid for, and that reform efforts are a complete joke. He believes that no matter who happens to be President, we have become a nation held in a vice grip by powerful billionaires, corrupt multinational corporations and their bagmen: the politicians and lobbyists who carry out their agendas.

Comment by Frank J. Heller, MPA on March 20, 2016 at 12:24pm

Robert A. Creamer, Senior Counsel at the Public Advocate's office, was an attorney with PIERCE, ATWOOD for seven years.

Comment by Frank J. Heller, MPA on March 20, 2016 at 11:10am

It's becoming more obvious that corporate money and the desires of rich people like Soro's is being 'laundered' by large law firms.

  This is a huge hole in the campaign finance law and was probably put there by the major lobbying firms in Augusta to hide the source of their money and other 'benefits'. 

  Time to fix the law and make 'transparent' who really provided the money 

  Then there are all those donations 'too small to be identified'  Lower the threshold down to $20 and make them work for their greed.

Comment by Long Islander on March 19, 2016 at 8:30pm

Comment by Thinklike A. Mountain on March 19, 2016 at 8:23pm

Weed & Weed?

 

Maine as Third World Country:

CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power

 

Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.

Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT

******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********

(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/

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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law

Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future

"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."

https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/

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