Maine Republican Governor Quietly Removes Labor Mural

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Sounds like a Saturday Night Live skit -- but no, it's sad and true -- it's Republicans getting more petty and nasty than even their kids could imagine: They've decided to take down a LABOR mural at the Dept of LABOR in Maine.  Heaven forbid there could be respect for workers at a Dept of Labor! (Wow, such an art expert he must be... having the ability to detect job descriptions from general human figures depicted in the workplace!)

HuffPost: The Maine Department of Labor quietly took down a mural depicting the state's labor history over the weekend, after Gov. Paul LePage (R) sparked controversy last week by ordering it removed and saying it was biased against businesses and employers.

“The mural has been removed and is in storage awaiting relocation to a more appropriate venue," said LePage Press Secretary Adrienne Bennett in a statement provided to The Huffington Post. "Workers and employers need to work together to create opportunity for Maine's 50,000 unemployed. We understand that not everyone agrees with this decision, but the Maine Department of Labor has to be focused on the job at hand."

"This is government censorship at its worst," said state Rep. Diane Russell (D), who has been an outspoken advocate on labor rights.

The mural will be moved to the Portland City Hall. State Rep. Ben Chipman, whose district includes the city hall, said, “While I do not agree with the governor’s decision to remove the mural, locating it to the site of the original Maine State House where it can be on public display and continue to be owned by the people of Maine will allow it to receive the recognition and appreciation it deserves."

According to The Sun-Journal in Maine, "Labor Department employees seemed surprised to see [the] mural replaced by bare walls and spackling. Several popped into the waiting area as news about the sudden removal spread." See the blank wall here.

The governor has said that he wants the mural out of the Department of Labor because it doesn't fairly depict the perspective of employers: "Were the bosses in the mural? Were the employers in the mural? History is about two sides ... I think it's inappropriate for [the mural] to be in the Department of Labor when everyone comes in, employers and employees, and they're confronted by one side of the question."

The mural was erected in 2008, after the Maine Arts Commission chose Taylor's piece through a jury selection.

Taylor told The Huffington Post that the reactions she has received to her art have always been "very very positive" -- from both business leaders and workers alike. She noted at one point, a businessman told her he was particularly moved by the painting because it reminded him of his grandmother's stories about working at a textile mill.

News and Comment - No Job Outrage