Posted on 12/12/2013 12:20:10 PM PST by Domandred
The Maine Republican Party on Wednesday released an email in which State Rep. Brian Bolduc, D-Auburn, railed against noisy trucks and questioned the intelligence of truck drivers.
"... one look at them and you can see they probably dont (sic) have a whole hell of allot (sic) of brains in their heads," Bolduc wrote in the email.
Republican Party Executive Director Jason Savage said the email was written in November and forwarded to the Republican Party a few days ago. He said the email was originally sent to multiple officials, but he declined to say who those officials were. He also declined to say who gave the email to the Republican Party, saying that person feared retribution.
Savage called the email angry, aggressive and offensive.
"I think I'm shocked that Rep. Bolduc thinks so poorly of the hardworking people who drive trucks for a living," Savage said.
In a statement released by the House Democratic Office on Wednesday afternoon, Bolduc acknowledged that he had written the email.
"My email was over the line," Bolduc's statement said. "I apologize for expressing my frustration in such an inappropriate manner."
In its release, the Maine Republican Party redacted the beginning of Bolduc's November email. It highlighted the last paragraph in which Bolduc complained about truck noise in his Riverside Drive neighborhood.
"We need more police survalence (sic) to crack down on this s**t," the email said. "They rumble past our homes before they get to the bridge and to turn onto mill street (sic) especialy (sic) those god damed (sic) lumber trucks. They release those breaks (sic) and our floors and windows rumble and the sound scares pets and children in our homes. You would think the drivers would have enough common courtesy not to do this infront (sic) of residential homes but then again one look at them and you can see they probably dont (sic) have a whole hell of allot (sic) of brains in their heads."
Bolduc, who is certified as a social studies teacher, went on to demand action.
"I want something done about it pronto," the email said. "I want a cruiser stationed on this road (you can use my driveway) every day between 630 am and 8pm (wich (sic) is when the traffic is running) for a week and i (sic) want to see citations stacking up or ill (sic) have every damned resident of this town who lives on a busy road in that city council chamber!"
Savage called the email "out of bounds."
"I'm fairly shocked at the way that he thinks that he can throw around, sort of his belief in his own power, that he can throw it around and dictate to people what he wants them to do," Savage said.
Bolduc did not return calls or emails seeking comment Wednesday.
It was unclear whether he meant the November email to be viewed as a letter from a state lawmaker representing his constituents or from a private citizen with a gripe. The email was sent from his private email account and was signed, "Sincerely, Brian Bolduc" without his title of lawmaker.
Auburn Mayor Jonathan LaBonte and police Chief Phil Crowell said they were among those who received the original email and both said they considered it a citizen complaint.
"Brian's a resident and he has the right to raise concerns around municipal issues," LaBonte said.
Crowell forwarded the email to Auburn City Manager Clint Deschene in November to make him aware of the complaint. Deschene said he also considered it to be an email from a resident.
As far as the tone and language some found offensive, Deschene said, "When I get emails from residents, I try not to draw those types of conclusions. An email's an email. I address it appropriately no matter what the content or how it's delivered. I try to handle them courteously and with respect."
Crowell said he had received three complaints about trucks in the past year, two of them from Bolduc — including the November email. He said an officer monitored the area with a decibel reader but could not find a problem.
Brian Parke, president and CEO of the Maine Motor Transport Association, recently learned about the email. He said truck drivers try their best to be courteous and professional, but "unfortunately, for every industry there's those insensitive few who give the many considerate professionals a bad reputation and it appears this might be the case with a few truckers in the emailer's neighborhood."
However, he said, "As far as the tone of the email, it's unnecessary to malign an entire group of people just because of the actions of a few."
Jodi Quintero, spokeswoman for House Speaker Mark Eves, D-North Berwick, said the speaker agreed that Bolduc's email was out of line.
"The speaker was pleased to see Rep. Bolduc retract his comments," Quintero said. "The email clearly crossed the line and Rep. Bolduc was right to quickly retract the statements and make that admission."
State Rep. Corey Wilson, an Augusta Republican and a truck driver, said he'd like more. He wants Bolduc to consider resigning.
"(The email) shows to me he doesn't care about the working-class people, which is what Maine is founded on," he said.
And a big fan of the Crimson Tide?
They're usually so impartial....
Do good in skool or u kud get stuck in a truk!
If the mean, dumb ol’ truckers just stopped hauling logs to that particular mill, I’m sure the lost business would be a welcome trade to everyone else for Rep. Bolduc’s pleasure in the silence. I always thought lumber and seafood were big industries in Maine-is he offended by loud fishing boats, too?
Never mind that Mr. Bolduc might try using spell-and-grammar check when typing an e-mail that is surely going public...
I always want to bang my head when I hear about a state rep bitching about an industry that doesn’t create hazard and dirt, and brings jobs and money to benefit us all-in this state, there are the ones who howl about refineries and natural gas drilling, even though they’d be freezing in the dark without them...
I’d like to see this idiot operate an 18 wheeler across country.
WAR DAMN EAGLE! ! ! !
Yeah, but are they useful idiots?
..wonder how they voted.
War Eagle!!
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