Maine Governor Leaves Shocking Voicemail; D.C.’s 9-1-1 System Fails
Maine Gov. Paul LePage Robert F. Bukaty / AP Photo
Connecting state and local government leaders
Also in our State and Local Weekend Digest: New problems for Louisiana flood victims; Virginia’s budget gap; and intergovernmental squabbles over Michigan Legionella investigation.
AUGUSTA, MAINE
SQUABBLES | Gov. Paul LePage unloaded on a state lawmaker in an obscenity-laden voicemail message Thursday, in response to the suggestion the legislator had called him a racist. “I am after you,” the Republican governor warned Democratic Rep. Drew Gattine in the message, during which he called the legislator a “son-of-a-bitch” and other expletives. Later, speaking to reporters, LePage continued to voice outrage toward Gattine. “I wish it were 1825,” he said. “And we would have a duel, that’s how angry I am, and I would not put my gun in the air ... I would point it right between his eyes.” [Portland Press Herald]
WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
PUBLIC SAFETY | The District of Columbia’s 9-1-1 system was knocked offline for about 90 minutes this weekend due to an internal power failure which is now under investigation. “We know exactly what in the system failed,” according to Chris Geldart, director of the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. “We want to know why it failed.” Officials on Sunday said that it appears there wasn’t anything nefarious, like hacking, involved. The failure involved multiple power routers, which prevented incoming 9-1-1 calls from being automatically forwarded to a backup system. During the 9-1-1 outage, which started around 11 p.m. Saturday, D.C. fire and emergency medical service crews received about five fire calls and 30 EMS calls via a 10-digit backup phone line. [WRC-TV / NBC Washington; WTOP]
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
DISASTER RECOVERY | Driving through many flood-ravaged communities in and around the Baton Rouge area, it’s not uncommon to see makeshift signs warning would-be salvagers to keep their hands off water-damaged property sitting in residential yards, including: “Our crap, not your's” and “you loot, we shoot.” While many of those residents would like to see the debris go away, they can’t just yet due to concerns that removing the material will hurt their chances for collecting insurance or receiving federal assistance. Many of those rummaging through the flood-damaged materials are claiming they are working for the federal government or local government. “They’re not cleaning anything up. They’re just taking the appliances,” one resident said. [The Advocate]
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
BUDGET | Virginia is facing a roughly $1.5 billion budget shortfall, which Gov. Terry McAuliffe detailed to state lawmakers Friday. The governor has proposed using reserve funds and accepting additional federal Medicaid money to help bridge the gap. Teachers and state employees will not receive pay raises because they’re dependent on higher tax revenue targets. The state’s worst shortfall was in 2010; it was $4.5 billion. [The Washington Post]
HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
OFFENSIVE EMAILS | A report about offensive and pornographic emails that were shared among state officials may include the names of staff members in the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office, they were warned this week. A private law firm is conducting a special investigation into the emails. Acting Attorney General Bruce L. Castor Jr. told staffers in an office-wide email Thursday he would have final approval over the report. "Please don't be anxious," Castor wrote. He later added: "I'm not going to make a decision that affects a lot of people's lives and their family's lives without thinking it through.” The investigation into the emails began under former state Attorney General Kathleen Kane, who was convicted last week of perjury and other charges related to leaking of grand jury materials. [PennLive.com]
GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
LEGIONELLA | Health Officer Mark Valacak said the county health department and federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention don’t need help from the state investigating local Legionella cases. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette continues his criminal investigation into the Flint water crisis and secured a confidential court order barring the state Department of Health and Human Services from assisting with response. Gov. Rick Snyder wants the department to challenge the order in court, citing the state’s right to review public health issues. Six cases of the deadly disease are being investigated as part of the probe that has brought charges against eight state employees for covering up evidence of lead poisoning. Twelve residents died of Legionnaires’ disease in 2014 and 2015, and three new cases have arisen in the past two weeks—bringing the year’s total to six. [The Detroit News]
NEXT STORY: New Orleans Improves Transparency About Police Use-of-Force Incidents