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Week 26
Week 27
Week 28
June 2 : Jim Talbott's guest is Rep. Henry Joy, who represents Maine's 9th District. They discuss the problems associated with the general rise in oil prices and the ways in which Congress could help to alleviate the problem. The discussion then turned to the announced closure of the Millinocket paper mill, and some of the things that led up to this inevitability: namely the company's sale of its water power resources, its timberlands, and much of its machinery - all indicators that the paper mill was not intended to be part of its future. When the mills closed in 2002, and filed for bankruptcy in 2003, a great deal of money was made available to assist in economic recovery, yet these funds were diverted into the pockets of a few people associated with the Millinocket Area Growth and Investment Council (MAGIC), and were never used for the purposes intended. There was some discussion of what might be done this time around, to prevent any available funds from going into the hands of those who are now waiting with their hands out, hoping to profit once again. There was also some discussion of the school consolidation, being sold with the idea of saving money, but which has no potential to do so. Discussion turns to the CLUP, and the war for the North Woods.
June 3: Roger Ek is today’s guest, and he talks about the closing of the mill, the CLUP, and some history of other attempted environmental takeovers.
June 4: Jim Talbott discusses comments that had been made by Scott Gonya regarding the predicament that the mill is now in. After Brascan bought the assets of the mill, it split the hydroelectric operations off into another company, and are now charging themselves for power and complaining about the costs. The electricity generated by the former hydroelectric stations once supplied the power needed to run the mills. If the company didn't want to run the mills to keep people employed, then should they be allowed to come here and use our water to make money? Interestingly, Brookfield Power is going to move its management operations to Massachusetts.
June 5: Jim Talbott discusses the school budget meeting, with all of the Millinocket councilors except Cyr and Gonya voting to raised taxes in order to accommodate the school budget bloat. Also discusses a variety of other local issues, including the upcoming mill closure, and the likelihood that MAGIC itself, or those associated with MAGIC, are eagerly awaiting a chance to profit once again from the tragedies that befall the town of Millinocket. Talbott also discusses comments made on the Katahdin Commons forum.
Week 29
June 9: Jim Talbott discusses rising oil prices, and the place that it might hold in the decision to close the mill, as well as news reports about how the governor says he is going to do something about it. If the reason that the mill is going to close is the cost of energy, then what is the governor going to do? One alternative under discussion is a biomass boiler, and whether this might be nothing more than a way in which the MAGIC crowd can enrich themselves through the difficulties of others. Discussion then turns to the Enron Loophole, which permits trading on energy commodities and the Farm Bill that is currently being proposed, which includes a provision to close this loophole.
June 10: Jim Talbott discusses the school budget referendum, which is up for a vote today, and the likely affect of its passage on local taxes. He also discusses the threatened mill closure, and some of the curiosities surrounding it, one of them being the huge profits that Brookfield Renewable Resources, a Brascan company, is making through the sale of power that was once devoted to the operations of the mill, and some of the options that Millinocket might look at if it hopes to survive.
June 11: Jim Talbott discusses MAGIC's application for a license to operate a tax-supported radio station, and the problems facing the Millinocket area as the mill owner's threaten closure of its operations in Millinocket.
June 12: Jim Talbott discusses a variety of issues, including that our own government appears to be working against us while the Saudis are looking for a solution, alternative forms of energy, MAGIC's application to operate a radio station at taxpayer expense, the likelihood that the organization is seeking a way in which to profit from this mill closure as they did the last. He talks about options that the town has, and things that the people of Millinocket must demand if they don't want to someday have to take a tour bus to view the place where they once lived.
Week 30: The WSYY Morning Show did not air this week.
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