Department of Labor to LePage: Repay the money or put the mural back

Judy Taylor's Maine labor history mural

It turns out that Maine Gov. Paul LePage couldn't just take down the labor history mural in his state's Department of Labor. At least not without ramifications.

In a letter first obtained by the Associated Press, Gay Gilbert, a senior U.S. Labor Department official, writes that the federal government appropriated the funds to Maine for the mural.

"We understand, however, that the mural is no longer on display in your headquarters," writes Gilbert. "Thus, it is no longer being used for an administrative purpose permitted by the Reed Act. Accordingly [...] the state must [...] return to its UTF [Unemployment Trust Fund] account the amount of the Reed Act funds represented by the mural."

An alternative, Gilbert adds, would be to simply put the mural back up at the Department of Labor or another state employment security building.

I'll give him this. At least LePage found a new way to give the lie to his claims of fiscal responsibility, unlike all the Republicans who settle for hackneyed stuff like corporate givebacks and cutting taxes on the rich.

Each of you will have to make the call whether to laugh or to cry on this one.

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• Department of Labor
• Labor
• Maine
• Paul LePage
• unions