Independent Alan Caron is not the worst candidate running for governor. Of the approximately 46,318 people who have so far announced their desire to be Maine’s next chief executive, he definitely ranks in the top 10 percent, well ahead of the sex offenders, ISIS sympathizers and New York Jets fans.
Caron is smart. He got a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, even though he doesn’t have either a high school or college diploma.
But lots of other gubernatorial candidates are at least as brainy as he is, if not more so.
Caron is politically savvy. He’s engineered campaigns for an exotic array of candidates and issues, from a successful effort to (briefly) block the widening of the southern part of the Maine Turnpike to an unsuccessful effort to (also briefly) block restrictive zoning on the Portland waterfront to a successful effort to elect Democrat Tom Andrews to the U.S. House of Representatives to an unsuccessful effort to elect Democrat Tom Andrews to the U.S. Senate.
But plenty of his competitors have resumes that are at least as impressive, if not more so.
Caron is experienced in public policy. He’s authored two comprehensive reports on the state’s governance that incorporated a quirky mix of ideas appealing to liberals (spend more on higher education) and conservatives (spend less on K-12 education, Medicaid and the Legislature). The second of those reports in 2010 earned high praise from then-gubernatorial candidate Paul LePage, who told the Morning Sentinel, “It’s just absolutely what we’ve been standing for.”
But with the exception of cutting Medicaid, neither LePage nor any of the current crop of would-be governors has ever given serious consideration to actually implementing the Caron agenda.
Nevertheless, the state’s news media greeted the early November announcement that Caron would seek the Blaine House with the undisguised enthusiasm usually reserved for stories about lost pets being reunited with their owners or miracle cures for chronic flatulence. The Portland Press Herald called him “[a]n entrepreneur best known for his work researching ways to improve Maine’s economy.” The Lewiston Sun Journal noted, “[H]e’s dealt with ‘a dizzying array of issues’ in a quest to convince Maine to refocus its policies to bolster small business.” Nobody said anything about some of the scummier people he’s worked with or his association with domestic terrorists or his stint in prison.
Probably because none of that stuff was in his press release.
For most of his life, Caron has been a Democrat, although he’s never gotten along with some core donkey-party constituencies. For instance, labor unions don’t like his close ties to anti-union business owners, such as evil egg emperor Jack DeCoster, a now-jailed despoiler of chickens, migrant workers and the environment.
In a Dem primary, that association alone would make Caron unelectable. Add to that the fact that one of his studies of state government was partially underwritten by Bruce Poliquin, now the conservative GOP congressman from the state’s 2nd District, and you’ve got a recipe for Democratic cold shoulder. Hence, his decision to run as an independent.
As for prison, Caron ended up there in the early 1970s after being convicted of receiving stolen goods. He was originally sentenced to probation, but violated conditions imposed by a judge, and did eight months behind bars. He’s since been pardoned by former Gov. Joe Brennan.
During his time in the iron hotel, Caron became active in a prison reform effort that, upon his release, morphed into a group called the Statewide Correctional Alliance for Reform or SCAR. Other prominent members included Raymond Levasseur and Thomas Manning, radical leftists who later embarked on an ill-considered attempt to overthrow the U.S. government by setting bombs and robbing banks. Manning also killed a police officer.
Caron has said his association with Levasseur and Manning was brief, and he never bought into their radical agenda. He’s certainly never exhibited any violent tendencies and once even volunteered to help the recently elected LePage with his transition into the governor’s office. That’s about as counter-revolutionary as it gets.
None of this ancient history disqualifies Caron from being governor. But it’s information voters should be able to consider before making their gubernatorial selections. When weighed along with his considerable accomplishments (and considerable failures), I suspect most people will agree with me that he’s a long way from the worst of the 50,789 gubernatorial wannabes (a few more New York Jets fans announced while you were reading this column).
I’m not running for governor or from your comments emailed to aldiamon@herniahill.net.
I knew Alan.back in the SCAR, Black Panther, “4 dead in O-H-I-O” Tricky Dick Mao Zedong days and yes, there were some scary individuals among them. Alan was another sort. “A pearl among swine” in comparison to the SCAR personages I inadvertently encountered at their “clown house” hangout – clubhouse in Saco of all places. I wish him the best in a crowded field of stellar Dems and time and office tested GOP Neanderthals with old Shawn Moody jumping in just today to try and become the new and improved LeBonehead in this next race. Good luck Alan and you’re lucky I’m sitting this one out!
Marvin Gaye the moment sang, “Where ever I lay my hat, that’s my residence”.
Well, it really is uncomplicated ample for any person to lay their hat (or baggage) any where in the environment these days, but you’ll discover that laying
your hat down in a lodge which provides all the conveniences and
comforts of property can make for a a great deal more pleasurable working experience.
What Will make A Resort A Household
Even though hotels, even the most top rated-close accommodations,
can’t offer you you your very own ‘pipe and slippers’, you may perhaps be stunned
at how homely even the most generic chain accommodations can be.
Ignore about the pipe, but fluffy towelling robes and matching slippers could not be out of
the concern.
Here are a couple of of the items to glance for right before you reserve a lodge in an not known location.
Locale – When buying a assets, the initial priority is invariably place, area, place.
Whilst you happen to be not getting your hotel place or
apartment, it is continue to a top rated consideration for your new ‘hotel home’.
Getting near to all the services and attractions you want can conserve you a total large
amount of time and revenue, as perfectly as being effortless.
By picking out metropolis-centre resorts, you could even find that everything you
want to see and do is within uncomplicated going for walks distance.
This avoids the price and trouble of applying taxis, public transport or rental automobiles.
In most fashionable hotels, double-glazed home windows, insulation and sound-proofing ensure that the sounds of the town doesn’t disturb your snooze.
Price – The elegance of reserving your resort on the internet is currently being equipped to find
wonderful lodge offers speedily and easily and remaining in a position to look at costs for equivalent-design lodging.
Following all, there is no place in blowing your funds on your hotel, if you are not able to find the money for to depart it.
Recommendations – Seem to the on the web community to see which inns they
assessment positively right before you reserve. If ample ‘friends’ liked it
and felt at house there, the chances are that you will as well.
Resort Companies & Facilities – These can actually make the difference in between which inns come to feel like household and
which kinds do not:
Pleasant personnel – Welcoming team can make the change as to how you experience about a lodge as shortly
as you stage within. If you knowledge a specifically heat or frosty welcome,
why not write a evaluation about it, so you can give other people the heads-up or
heads-down. Examine to see if the reception is staffed 24/7
– great for protection as well as benefit.
Catering – Every respectable resort space should really offer
you you at the very least a essential tea or coffee earning facility as practically nothing says property
like owning a respectable brew when you want it. On the
other hand, many motels will also offer residences or studios with kitchenettes that you can use to prepare dinner up practically everything from the Sunday
roast to a total-cooked breakfast. If you never
cook dinner at property and really don’t want to
start when you are away from residence, test to see if your hotel
has a cafe on-web site and what opening hours it has.
World-wide-web – If you want to log on to the Net, make positive your hotel provides higher-speed, Internet accessibility from
its rooms, or can supply desktops and accessibility for its friends (preferably in a comfortable lounge).
Laundry – If the soiled laundry starts off to pile up, it
can be incredibly depressing. Hold on top rated of your travelling holiday break
or enterprise wardrobe by ensuring your
resort features laundry and ironing companies.
Physical fitness – If you might be staying a though, look for a lodge that caters for body as nicely as soul.
The ideal motels offer friends no cost use of on-internet site fitness centers, conditioning centres or swimming swimming pools.
Place support – If you want to acquire it simple, make sure your hotel gives place assistance which
can deliver food and consume to your doorway.
At a far more simple level, your room can incorporate
a television, radio/clock/alarm, wardrobe, iron, phone,
chair and desk space.