Top Maine News
Leaked Email: Ben Chin mocks Pondridge Rd residents, “rich people” who complain about property taxes
Even more came out this week on Ben Chin's thoughts about the people he hopes to govern. From Maine Examiner:
In an email leaked to Maine Examiner by a campaign insider concerned about the direction of the campaign, Ben Chin mocks residents of Pondridge Road as “rich people” who complain about property taxes…
The email, sent by Chin on July 19, 2017 and sent to his inner campaign team, says he “ Spent the whole night hearing rich people complain about property taxes out on pondridge rd” and then goes on to suggest that the residents of Pondridge Road make enough money to afford high property taxes.
Less than a half hour later, a member of the Chin campaign responds to Chin, saying, “Did you tell those folks about your plan to sprinkle them with magic Norwegian dust so that they’d beg to have their taxes raised?”
To which Chin responds the following day, “Ha! Good idea! I’ll try that next time.”
What the heck, Ben?
New leaked emails cast doubt on Chin’s defense of racism claims in Lewiston
Less than a day after Lewiston Mayoral candidate Ben Chin asserted to the Lewiston Sun Journal that he had never called the community or any neighborhood in the community racist, two new leaked emails are casting doubt on the honesty of Chin’s statement…
One of the emails, written by Ben Chin on Wednesday July 19, shows Chin describing his work knocking on doors beginning on Old Chadbourne Road and ending at No Name Pond, Chin writes to his campaign team, “Some really racist people in the beginning, some really nice people in the end.”
Another email, written on August 2, Chin describes his experience in “working class” neighborhoods around the South Ave that are off Lisbon Street by saying “Quite a bit of racism, anti-downtown stuff as well, including among supporters.”
Lewiston Mayor 'Appalled' by Ben Chin Emails
Also this week, twice-elected Lewiston Mayor Bob MacDonald told WGME Channel 8 he was 'appalled' at emails sent by liberal Lewiston Mayoral candidate Ben Chin in which the candidate refers to Lewiston residents as racists.
"He is insulting the people of Lewiston, calling everyone a racist," MacDonald said. "If you don't agree with him, you're a racist. Well, no you're not, okay, and I want to know what his definition of a racist is."
Governor LePage Appears with Republican Lewiston Mayoral Candidate, Shane Bouchard
Bouchard and Governor LePage first met at Simones' Hot Dog Stand in downtown Lewiston.
They discussed school funding, then visited Argo Marketing to speak about the city's employment challenges alongside Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque.
Bouchard says he wants to make sure the governor understands the challenges facing Lewiston.
"You can't fully help the city of Lewiston and work for the city of Lewiston if you're not working with the governor's office and the legislature,” Bouchard said. “They need to understand what our unique challenges are and what we need to move this city forward."