High School Student Calls out Governor at Capitol Rally

For Immediate Release

Contact: Bruce Gagnon 443-9502

During an afternoon rally inside the Hall of Flags in Augusta today (March 20), a high school student from West Bath publicly scolded a red-faced Gov. Paul LePage and other lawmakers.

The rally, organized by the Maine Campaign to Bring Our War $$ Home and Occupy Maine, was briefly interrupted when Gov. LePage entered the Hall of Flags. The more than 100 people in attendance began chanting “Shame, Shame, Shame” at LePage’s continued attacks on working people and social progress in Maine.

At first the governor went into his office, but a moment later came out with his entourage and stood alongside the rally, clearly wanting to see who the group was that was chanting at him.

Morgana Warner-Evans, a student at Mt. Ararat High School, then came to the microphone to sing. She introduced her song (Which side are you on?) by saying both her parents are teachers and that she was tired of “public officials” denigrating teachers as being lazy. She said her parents “work 50-plus hours per week”. She then changed the words of the song to include, “They say up in Augusta, they’re on a big rampage, you’re either with the union, or you support LePage…Tell me which side are you on?”



At one point the governor appeared to stick his tongue out at the crowd.



After listening to several speakers LePage finally left when retired DOT worker Loren Snow (Ellsworth) gave a heart-rending account of life under a state pension that is increasingly under attack by the current administration. Snow’s meager $1,500 a month pension is being eaten up by having to pay larger shares of health care costs, without cost of living allowances, as he tries to care for an ill wife and disabled adult child.

Waterville Mayor Karen Heck was also a speaker and asked, “What kind of country have we become when we are killing and maiming women and children half way around the globe? At the same time we’re abandoning poor women and children here at home.”

Video of the rally (including LePage’s presence) can be obtained from Regis Tremblay at 400-4362.

Photos were taken by Peter Woodruff who can be reached at 798-2979.