Just like Marty Cyr, past president of MAGIC, I hope you are enjoying your fifteen minutes of fame. However, as a spokesperson (selectman) for the town of East Millinocket, I would think you should be more interested in protecting your taxpayers rather than getting your name in the papers or speading the MAGIC propaganda.
Following is a partial quote that really takes the cake. It is from the East Millinocket selectmen's meeting of 2/25/08 which has been reported in the Lincoln News on 2/28/08.
Gary MacLeod has this to say: "And the other thing we have to get rid of is the negativity in these towns. And this gets back to SYY (WSYY radio station) and (owner) Mr. Talbott. He has done more damage in the last two months than anyone else".
My suggestion to you, Mr. MacLeod, regarding WSYY's damage is to look at the damage MAGIC has done.
It is MAGIC who has put your town in debt for $153,000, not Mr. Talbott. And if you think MAGIC can find a tenant in three months when it hasn't had any success in five or six years, then you are looking through rose-colored glasses
It is MAGIC that has put Millinocket in debt for almost $300,000 for Brims Ness, not Mr. Talbott. And it is because of MAGIC that Millinocket may still be on the hook for another $160,000 for Allagash Valve and Control, not Mr. Talbott.
It is MAGIC that has bilked the taxpayers of our area out of a great deal of money under the auspices of economic development. Do you see any? Mr. Talbott has asked for nothing more than to keep his station which does represent economic development thru' advertisements.
MAGIC has employed Bruce McLean at an approximate salary of $65,000 a year at the expense of our taxpayers. This in order to form his own company with the cronies he has gotten grants for. Mr Talbott employs three or four local people and pays them out of his own pocket.
Now MAGIC is exercising its "undue influence" in an effort to have business owners pull their advertising from the station. In case you don't understand the term for this, it is "boycotting". Not only has Mr. Talbott not done this, but in fact he has given the business owners a media on which to advertise and promote their area businesses.
Oh sure! Mr. Talbott has really done a lot of damage. The only thing his three hour show has done is educate the people as to MAGIC's ultimate goals which don't include anything good coming to the area.
Mr. MacLeod take off those magical rose-colored glasses and DON'T BE FOOLED.
