Alyce Maragus
Ron Preo and the WSYY Interview of 8/6/09
By Alyce Maragus
Aug 12, 2009 - 9:51:47 PM

How many times can you be caught in a lie and still expect people to believe you?

LIE #1.
Preo began the program by mentioning "Jim Talbott's" agenda. In truth it was an agenda that Preo had sent to Talbott, and which Preo had to admit when confronted by Talbott on the issue. Preo tried to save face by saying he thought Talbott would add to it. But guess what! Talbott never added anything; therefore, it was Preo's agenda.

LIE #2.
Preo admitted being in arrears with the IRS for three quarterly payments. I have documentation that he was in arrears for four quarterly payments, and that information ends with 2007. Do we know if he has paid the IRS in 2008, or so far in 2009? Preo chose not to clarify the correction or admit to any possible further debt. Why?

LlE #3.
Preo insinuated that I had incorrectly reported his loan amounts. I read the January 2007 report in the Bangor Daily News which stated loans of $560,000. In fact the article says, "The 275,000 Maine Rural Development Authority loan to Brown Cabinet Makers was part of a $560,000 investment that included loans from Key Bank and Coastal Enterprises". It would seem if these figures were incorrect, Preo should have requested a correction from the reporter, especially since Preo suggested we can't believe what we read in the papers. Oh really?

LIE #4.
Preo was confronted by Talbott concerning Preo's efforts to have Portland Glass pull their ads from his station. Preo offered the lame excuse that all he did was question"why" the owner was advertising on the station. Let's face it folks, even were that true, why would Preo ask that question if not to intimidate his tenant into pulling the ads?

LIE #5.
This pertains to the MAGIC connection. Preo, as a board member of MAGIC (surprise, surprise) tried to convince us that MAGIC is dead. Talbott suggested that if it were so , MAGIC should pull its application to the FCC for its competing station. Don't believe that MAGIC is dead until that happens.

Preo has lied to me, to Talbott, the public (you), and to the council. He has tried to intimidate me with innuendoes of being "stupid" for my association with Mr. Talbott - and for giving out false information. He has tried to get at least one business to boycott the radio station. Believe it or disbelieve it. That is your decision.

On the WSYY program, he questions why "I hate him" which I deny. Hate is an emotion I reserve, if at all, for much more important people in my life than Ron Preo. He also commented about "sticking his tongue out at me" when he is successful. Both of these are juvenile statements to say the least.

Preo has continually blamed everyone and everything for his failure to succeed, even though he has had many advantages others have not. First, it was a lack of skilled workers and the expense of training; then it was how he was screwed by Sky Burrill's Majesty Hardware Floors; then it was the economic downfall; then it was my articles (which I had never written until he asked our town for even more money); and finally it was Mr. Talbott's airing of my articles - all of which were detrimental to the success of his business. Remember, none of this was the fault of bad decisions on his part! Everything was the fault of someone else.

I recently came across an article on the Magic City News by R.P. Ben Dedek who describes a schoolyard bully as follows (edited for brevity): "The schoolyard bully is generally an emotionally immature individual. They all have one thing in common and that is they love pushing people around. When caught in their behavior, they will lie through their teeth; blame everyone else of having caused trouble. They are always in their own minds -victims."

Good luck Ron!