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• Anonymous

  Longo can turn down the donation and come up with the money for a website and services himself.  What a punk.

• http://twitter.com/CouncilorLongo Charlie Longo

  § 33-8. Gifts and favors.

  A. No City employee, City Councilor, board member or
  commission member shall accept any gift, favor or thing of value,
  whether in the form of service, loan, thing or promise, from any person
  or business which to his or her knowledge is interested directly or
  indirectly in any manner whatsoever in business dealings with the
  City, nor shall any City employee, City Councilor, board member or
  commission member:

  (1) Accept any gift, favor or thing of value that tends
  to influence that individual in the discharge of his or her official
  duties; or

  (2) Grant in the discharge of his or her official duties
  any improper favor, service or thing of value.

  B. Nothing herein shall prohibit the acceptance of gifts
  or favors by City employees, City Councilors, board members or commission
  members from members of their immediate families. In determining whether
  a violation of this section has occurred, the Board of Ethics, in
  cases referred to it pursuant to § 33-21 of this code, shall
  consider the monetary or pecuniary value of the gift, favor or thing
  received; any special economic value the gift, favor or thing received
  may have to the recipient; the circumstances under which the gift,
  favor or thing concerned was received; and whether a public disclosure
  of the receipt was made by the recipient at the time.

• Anonymous

  There isn’t a CMS out there worth $7, let alone $7000.

• Anonymous

  You go charles, that is why we voted you in.  I bet if you look and keep looking you will find other things that have been done that was not right without city council approval

• Anonymous

  It sounds like this donation was in addition to services already rendered with the redesign of the website.  As long as the bid process for the website redesign was a low bid process and if Sutherland-Weston won that bid…which it seems they did, then i fail to see the issue.  The PAYT bid by Sutherland, is obviously higher than their competitor,  as long as the other bidder submits a qualified proposal, they win that work, not Sutherland.  Much talk about nothing.

• Anonymous

  Councilor Longo – as someone who closely tracks the issues presented to the council, I want to thank you for objecting to this.  And I want to thank Council member Blanchette for backing you up.  These are exactly the kinds of inside politics that have plagued this town for far too long and I’m glad to see someone stand up against them.  I’m concerned that our mayor told you to ‘watch your comments’ – that doesn’t sound like democracy or representative government to me.

  Council member Gallant was elected as a tea-party darling.  We are currently suffering through a State administration that is controlled by the tea party and has worked diligently to undermine well established ethics rules since it took office.  We are wise to attend to these sorts of issues as they come up – we don’t need that spreading into local politics.

• Anonymous

  Something doesn’t seem quite right, does it?

• Anonymous

  Counciler….that’s what the regs say……….   but we need to go forward and not place blame or shame.  

  I agree one hundred percent with you…. but yet,    it stinks of the good ole boy network, which you are a part of.  And I don’t mean that personally,  I mean it in terms of being a counciler.   It’s not fair to the voters if those who entrust them to do the right thing, and have this crap come out.l   

  I know what your intention was, I just don’t think it was the right time. How long do you think this has been going on……? And your number, in my opinion, needs to be when Bangor was called Norumbega………

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NGN4FUDTU2RPQYLU5P3Z2JJ6HY Josh

  It’s not website + services. It’s a content management system that powers the website. Big difference.

• Anonymous

  This is exactly why I voted for Charlie Longo.  It’s too bad the rest of the members were not like Charlie. 

• Anonymous

  $25,000-$30,000? to Arena Yes?  That is definitely an inflated number (and therefore a higher tax deduction).  Also, the City’s website (small, not very complex) could easily be serviced by many of the free open source content management systems (such as Joomla).

• Anonymous

  Im suprised Pat didnt tell anyone it was none of their business!

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OEFDEYGJYWX3MMI4S2QHDC5DXA Thistle

  Would there be any obligation by the city to purchase up-grades, routine maintenance or crash recovery activities from the firm who is donating?

  I am having trouble believing there is no ulterior motive in the donation and that it is completely altruistic.  In any case, following established rules and questioning propriety seems to be prudent.

• Anonymous

  Im really sorry that I voted for Gallant now.  Also kind of disgusted with this council as well for dragging their feet on the waterfront concert project.  You get too greedy and your going to get burned.  This promoter can take his business elsewhere and does not need Bangor he has many other cities that I’m sure would welcome him. 

• Anonymous

  And I bet it doesn’t cost Sullivan and Weston $7K.  That is probably after they have marked up the licensing costs significantly, or they already have a license for a large number of instances and the real cost to them could be almost zero (yet they can claim a $7K tax deduction).

  There are many larger and more complex websites getting along fine on a free CMS like Joomla.

• Anonymous

  Mr. Longo,

  I am many years your senior but I am impressed young man. You will be a successful man with that approach to your thinking. The root of all evil is money but you clearly know that. Now listen hear and listen good. You can either make your fortune by being part of the corrupt system or by being a person of integrity and opposing the corrupt system. The bottom line of your personal wealth will all net out in the end. You clearly are young enough to make a decision on what path you choose to lead or follow. I applaud your moral thinking.

• Anonymous

  Its a donation, not a sale that puts money into Westons pocket right? 

  I dont understand Longo´s objection. He seems to be saying that he cant make that type of donation and thus may not get special considerations. As a city councilor he is not suppossed to get special considerations is he? It seems he is protesting that he may not be able to get something that he is not suppossed to get in the first place.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NGN4FUDTU2RPQYLU5P3Z2JJ6HY Josh

  Looks like the BDN deleted my earlier comment, but if Sutherland Weston was truly concerned about making the community a better place, wouldn’t they have offered Hermon a similar discount for their website? 

  http://www.hermon.net

• Anonymous

  Eddie Barrett would never have allowed this to happen

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NGN4FUDTU2RPQYLU5P3Z2JJ6HY Josh

  Oh no! I’m having trouble with my website, it looks like the only way I can get it fixed is if I work with Sutherland Weston! Convenient…

• Anonymous

  That reminds me to send Richard Greene a Christmas card, anyone got his address.

• Anonymous

  While I am not sure this crosses the conflict of interest line for sure, I do find it very refreshing that Mr. Longo brought the matter to the council’s attention. There were years of rubber-stamping and looking the other way by city councilors and department managers. It is a bit conderning that Mr. Weston reacted the way he did. One would think that a new Mayor  would want to promote harmony and conduct himself in a professional manner as an example of leadership to the other members.

• EB

  Weston’s “high standard” seems awfully low to me! Speak for yourself!

• Tyke

  So what makes the gift “improper” except your perception of it?

  The only time a City Councilor is forbiddeen from donating is if the thing is an  “improper favor, service or thing of value.”

  Here’s a little clue: if a gift is a bribe or improper it isn’t donated openly at a Council meeting.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OEFDEYGJYWX3MMI4S2QHDC5DXA Thistle

  You don’t suppose they get to take tax deduction on that inflated cost, do you?

  (Just wanted to re-emphasize that point for people who might not get it.)

• chris reid

  Talk about getting caught with your fingers in the cookie jar!!!. Come on Cary …? business slow? Where’s Ric when you need him? “Ethics… I don’t need no stinkin’ ethics”

• Anonymous

  oooohhh, waiting to see the twits tweeting on this one!!!

• Anonymous

  According to this MediaBistro article:

  http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/how-to-run-a-news-site-and-newspaper-using-wordpress-and-google-docs_b4781

  The BDN’s Content Management System – one that is apparently far more sophisticated than the Sutherland and Weston one – is “basically free.”  The BDN reporter needs to investigate the $7,000 claim a bit more closely.  What, precisely, comprises the $7,000 – and how does the bid place the City (not just Longo) in a difficult position the next time Sutherland and Weston makes a bid on work?

  Also, the City website has some current problems.  If you google “Bangor Public Works” your first hit is a 404 error message.  Seems $7,000 doesn’t buy you much search engine optimization.

• Anonymous

  Nothing to see here folks, just business as usual, move along now, move along.
  (Hey, do I get my “Bonus” now?)

• Anonymous

  No, but what happens in the back room after hours?

• Anonymous

  When I worked in Bangor schools, I couldn’t take free books or other gifts from sales reps. It was considered improper because the intent was to get you to buy from their company. This policy was told to us in no uncertain terms and it was enforced. That was back in Supt. Arthur Pierce’s day.

• Anonymous

  It’s improper because Weston, in doing this,  is using his position on the Council as the foot in the door for his company, Sutherland-Weston.

• Anonymous

  I like the part that his company donated 25 to 30 thousand (tax write off) to Arena Yes…I thought that the councilers couldn’t pick a side publicly on the vote???  I think he also helped select a new Bass park /Arena Manager,,, when his company does there marketing for  Bass Park/Arena.. They do the Airport also… How many more contracts does his Company Southerland and Weston have with different City entities???? That is the BIG Question!!!!! 

• Anonymous

  It would be pertinent to tell readers what Section 33 of the City Charter says, rather than just say Longo referred to it.

  Also, I don’t think Conlow said “If they don’t give the slower bid, they don’t win.”

  Oh, and for the millionth time, for accuracy’s sake, Weston isn’t the mayor. Please look it up in the City Charter.

• Anonymous

  But He Is “Honored” to serve the City!!! or is that Self Serve the City???

• chris reid

  ?? Busted!!!.. ” Busine$$” as usual.

• Anonymous

  No one accused Weston of bribing anybody.

• Anonymous

  Why do you think he’s gone??

• Anonymous

  Integrity knows no price.

• Anonymous

  Loopholes protect!!! The sale comes later when nobody but his company can do anything with the program.

• Tyke

  Then the gift is not improper and if not improper it does not violate the charter.

  Much ado about nothing…

• Anonymous

  There’s a wordpress plugin for that…

  http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/simple-301-redirects/

• Tyke

  You do not understand the term “search engine optimization” if you believe it magically disappears and bad links.

• Anonymous

  Nevermind. The comments “got ya covered.”  See below. Thank goodness for the comment section where the real news comes out.

• Anonymous

  It’s OK if you Believe,,,

• Anonymous

  The problem is, it has the effect of free advertising for his company. Also, would any other company or individual have been taken seriously with a bid of $0?

• Anonymous

  Your First paragraph is Correct.

  Your last paragraph sounds like you suffer from, Acute caput tuum in ano est.
  Perhaps you should see an Obummer witch doctor to help cure you.

• Anonymous

  I agree with the first paragraph… then you went and blame the Tea Party for undeminng the laws… Have you followed issues the last 8 year.. My God what a racket they had going… 

• Anonymous

  Don’t worry. He’s the council chair, not the mayor. Bangor got rid of the title and position “mayor” in the early 1930s.

• Anonymous

  Tan, the loopholes have been twisted so much they snapped…

• Anonymous

  No, because Hermon won’t give them the big sweet contracts that Bangor will now.
  Greasing the palm, just watch what happens in the future.

• Anonymous

  I assume it’s is for one’s self..

• Anonymous

  I think Dancing with the Stars is on, gotta go!!!!

• Anonymous

  Charlie, you realize that although technically you are right according
  to the book, your public delivery of the issue is, as usual, offensive,
  awkward, and unnecessary.  Sutherland/Weston can simply resubmit the
  whole offer as a $1.00 bid, and the council will be forced to accept it
  according to the same hallowed rules that you trumpet.  So what will it
  matter, and what will you have accomplished other than a biased
  grand-standing horn-toot?  It’s not like there’s an real or relevant
  kickback to Weston, and I would wager that the same degree of character
  flaws that you have in terms of being a relatively bumbling naive
  text-message idea fed trainwreck of a speaker which might cause you to
  “not have equal time with staff” would also already cause Weston to not
  have as much “equal time with staff” because he has a known degree of
  being a condescending, self-important, jerk regardless of how much money
  he donates.  And another thing to consider, which I think anybody would
  agree with, is that had this same sort of thing happened with Joe
  Baldacci, say if Joe donated a $5,000 photocopier or some such thing to
  city hall under the same set of circumstances, I GUARANTEE that you
  would not have said anything because it was Joe and not Cary.  What if
  Durgin owned a Ford dealership and wanted to donate a Crown-Victoria
  under the same set of circumstances to the police department as a DARE
  vehicle for promoting an anti drug campaign?  Would you hold your
  “unbiased” ideals to the same degree of application as in this case? 
  Would you allow all the idea feeders that routinely use you as their
  tool, to force you to throw those councilors under the bus in those
  circumstances as well?  Please… I mean honest to god, it’s no secret
  that you and Cary have your passive-aggressive political sparring
  matches, but does this irrelevant website donation have to come to
  this?  The whole site is already done – if the city has to redo
  everything it will cost tons of man-hours, and tax payer dollars to get
  there, plus yearly maintenance fees.  If you did have the means to
  donate something, say a bunch of uniforms to a Bangor High sports team
  (which is a city owned entity) would you have not potentially stumbled
  into the same situation as Weston did, not intending any ill-will or
  kickback?  Sure you would have.  And at the end of the day, is it even
  Weston’s fault in any way shape or form anyway since it was the fault of
  whomever accepted the offer?

• Anonymous

  Exposing what is wrong, in you’re opinion makes someone a punk??? Something is in it for you,, are you trying to be Cary’s facebook friend???   It’s Mr. Longo to you, Punk!!!

• Anonymous

  Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the “natural” or un-paid (organic or “algorithmic”) search results.
  In general, the earlier (or higher ranked on the search results page),
  and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more
  visitors it will receive from the search engine’s users.
  [Wikipedia]

  This fits what I wrote.  when you type several City Departments (not just public works) into google, your first hit will be a 404 message.  Improved SEO would push the 404 links lower and raise the appropriate newly-installed Sutherland and Weston page’s links higher.  I do not believe SEO “magically disappears and bad links” [sic] nor did I imply that it does.

• Anonymous

  Charlie, you realize that although technically you are right according
  to the book, your public delivery of the issue is, as usual, offensive,
  awkward, and unnecessary.  Sutherland/Weston can simply resubmit the
  whole offer as a $1.00 bid, and the council will be forced to accept it
  according to the same hallowed rules that you trumpet.  So what will it
  matter, and what will you have accomplished other than a biased
  grand-standing horn-toot?  It’s not like there’s an real or relevant
  kickback to Weston, and I would wager that the same degree of character
  flaws that you have in terms of being a relatively bumbling naive
  text-message idea fed train-wreck of a speaker which might cause you to
  “not have equal time with staff” would also already cause Weston to not
  have as much “equal time with staff” because he has a known degree of
  being a condescending, self-important, jerk regardless of how much money
  he donates.  And another thing to consider, which I think anybody would
  agree with, is that had this same sort of thing happened with Joe
  Baldacci, say if Joe donated a $5,000 photocopier or some such thing to
  city hall under the same set of circumstances, I GUARANTEE that you
  would not have said anything because it was Joe and not Cary.  What if
  Durgin owned a Ford dealership and wanted to donate a Crown-Victoria
  under the same set of circumstances to the police department as a DARE
  vehicle for promoting an anti drug campaign?  Would you hold your
  “unbiased” ideals to the same degree of application as in this case? 
  Would you allow all the idea feeders that routinely use you as their
  tool, to force you to throw those councilors under the bus in those
  circumstances as well?  Please… I mean honest to god, it’s no secret
  that you and Cary have your passive-agressive political sparring
  matches, but does this irrelevant website donation have to come to
  this?  The whole site is already done – if the city has to redo
  everything it will cost tons of man-hours, and tax payer dollars to get
  there, plus yearly maintenance fees.  If you did have the means to
  donate something, say a bunch of uniforms to a Bangor High sports team
  (which is a city owned entity) would you have not potentially stumbled
  into the same situation as Weston did, not intending any ill-will or
  kickback?  Sure you would have.  And at the end of the day, is it even
  Weston’s fault in any way shape or form anyway since it was the fault of
  whomever accepted the offer?

• Anonymous

  No company or private entity would be taken seriously with a bid of zero unless they offered it as a donation as Weston did. Could another company not offer the same donation in hopes of getting free advertising?

• Anonymous

  The issue is that Google has not indexed the new website files, instead it still thinks the old website files are still in place. The 404′s will be there until the website is indexed. It could take a day, it could take a week.

  Many SEOs will redirect the old link (let’s say the old Bangor Public works page), to the new Bangor Public Works page, accurately notifying Google that “these pages are similar.” This preserves high rankings, instead of starting from scratch.

  Something like this: 

  http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=93633

• Anonymous

  Charlie reminds me a lot of  former Old Town School Board member and State Representative Ralph Coffman D Old Town.  He’s someone who takes the populist stand on issues and could really be swayed by what he perceives as a current popular issues.   

• Anonymous

  Is there a story here? I support the Mayor fully and the city councilors. Let’s work together to make Bangor thrive. That’s the story we want: Bangor Thrives! Onward, Queen City of the East! Once again, the cost of a project was taken off the shoulders of the Bangor population, and something bad happened? If tomorrow a large statue comes up from the south on a flatbed truck from New York, a new bride for Paul from his business buddies in the logging world, you had better accept it. Why? Because a local jeweler who has had his business in the area for a long time wants to supply the rings for those fingers and also hire three more people for his business. This is not so much as a donation for one’s self. You are accepting for the residents of Bangor. This I applaud. It saved taxpayers money, and it will be a shame if we end up paying for it even though they already completed it. Anyway, I am sure this misunderstanding will clear itself up soon enough. Now on to that Waterfront Concerts contract! 2012/13/14/15/16

  Support WFC Dec. 7th, 5:30pm City Hall

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KJEUWEYRHIPWV3PTTWWNUZ2CTQ mcmaineacjam

  Come on, this is about personal gifts to employees. You can not tell me that the City of Bangor does not take donations, I have seen Stephen King’s pool, and the issue here seems to be politics, Longo trying to make others look bad. The idea that Bangor would pay $3,000 for something it can have fo free seem very stupid. Longo, I voted for you but never again. I feel you have a hidden agenda here, and this type of misdirection and smoke screening is bad for the city.

• OldWench

  There are plenty of FREE open source content management systems available.  I’ve installed and run them many,many times.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KJEUWEYRHIPWV3PTTWWNUZ2CTQ mcmaineacjam

  You should not have taken free gifts, but if they gave it to the school instead of you personally, it would be fine. I worked in a for profit cabinetshop where a sandpaper salesman tried to bribe me to buy from him with a leather bomber jacket. I refused it, not because it was a direct company policy, but becasue it was the right thing to do. I don’t feel a donation to the city as benefiting one employee, and everything rchased goes through a bidding and approval process, so it cannot have much effect on future work. If they continue to donate or be the lowest bidder, give them the work and save money. If they are doing it to get their busniess name out there, well, any like busniss couild do the same thing, and often do. Did not Cianbro give the City better deals on prep work for the Arena in hopes of getting the big contract?

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KJEUWEYRHIPWV3PTTWWNUZ2CTQ mcmaineacjam

  Yeah, nothing would ever get done and the city would drown in red ink as he tweets with his thumbs.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KJEUWEYRHIPWV3PTTWWNUZ2CTQ mcmaineacjam

  Are you sure they haven’t? Is Hermon their community? No. Sounds like sour grapes to me. Hermon also wants Bangor to run them a bus, but does not want to pay for it.

• OldWench

  Yes, by definition it’s a conflict of interest.  Was the intent of the donation anything but innocent?  Probably not.

  The real question is why on earth would anyone pay that much for a Content Management System when there are multiple excellent opensource options available that are FREE?  They are EASY to install and maintain.  These programs can be installed in under 15 minutes and be fully functional and just need someone to add and edit content.  Even whitehouse.gov runs on a FREE CMS called Drupal.

• OldWench

  Please use paragraphs.  Thanks.

• OldWench

  Exactly!  And the best ones are FREE, like Drupal.

• OldWench

  Drupal is better…but you are correct.  Heck, I could have a free CMS installed and operational in under 15 minutes.  It would just need to have the content added, but if you make a back up of the current site that wouldn’t take too long.  Give me $7000 and I’ll get the job completely done in 3 days (including all the content) and train whoever you want to manage it so you don’t have to pay anyone else again.  Easiest money ever, lol. By the way…the whitehouse.gov website uses FREE opensource CMS…Drupal.

• Anonymous

  Ever see a crook that didn’t think he was innocent?

• Anonymous

  The City of Bangor’s website has already been redesigned by Sutherland Weston. Athough you will find no refrence to them on the face of the site, if you view the source code of the site the author is listed as Luke Labree, a S&W employee. I personally spoke to a person in their organization and that person confirmed they redesigned the site.   The redesign was never put out to bid, I am on that list and received no communication from the city about redesigning their website. So how did S&W get the job?

  It is already using their “proprietary” Tree Frog CMS. What exactly is the council voting on? The work is already done, the site is already live. Weston stands to gain by being able to reference the city’s website in his company’s portfolio and use it to market his own company. This is a clear conflict of interest.

• Anonymous

  Sandpaper salesman…that’s a rough job…

• Anonymous

  Politicians with conflicts of interest!  I’m shocked!

• Anonymous

  in oher words he is a grandstander, please!!!!

• Anonymous

  Seems blanchette has another grandstanding partner now,lets see we will throw money at husson ,then turn something down for free ,stop taking stupid pills people !longo go back to high school,blanchette go home and stay.two attention freaks in a pod.

• Anonymous

  Thanks for posting the actual language Charlie.  I think your concern was understandable initially but now that we can all see the words verbatim….I don’t see a conflict.  Not as written.

• http://twitter.com/aaronprill Aaron Prill

  The only conflict of interest on the council is with Charlie Longo himself considering he was a shill candidate for the unions, and only got elected on that basis. Everyday he sits in that chamber he’s a conflict of interest to the hardworking taxpayers of Bangor… Has he even graduated college yet? #justsayin

• Anonymous

  That’s pretty uncalled for…

• Anonymous

  Would you point out the sentence in your post that’s related to the content of the article?

• Anonymous

  flagged for uncivil personal attack Edited later: I see your comment is back now. I guess I was wrong in calling it uncivil. BDN must think it’s ok.

• Anonymous

  Simply put, Sutherland-Weston should be doing NO business with the city while Weston is serving the public.

• Anonymous

  Stephen King is not on the City Council.

• Anonymous

  Happens all the time in Lisbon.   http://www.lisbonreporter.com    Read the latest findings of their inept Ethics Panel.  Truth is in today’s society it is not what you know but who you know.  No one cares about how much you know until they know how much you care.
  Do a little research on Hegelian Dialectic and you will see why &  how today’s society has become what it is.God Bless US All!!

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AMYPBQTFGQI44IAAXMTB5GVOYM David

  You’re only just scratching the surface!

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AMYPBQTFGQI44IAAXMTB5GVOYM David

  It is true that Drupal that whitehouse.gov uses is free…. as are other CMS.  But, computers only do what humans tell them to do.  This means, you have to pay humans to do the work.  What’s the going rate for website work as a consultant?  200/hour?  Does that estimate include the actual man-hours involved in setting up the system, installing software, establishing and maintaining website content, beta-testing, fault checking, etc.?
  .
  Although the website is of reasonable size, it also branches into all city services, city schools, etc.  I’d like to know a better explanation via BDN’s investigative work into the true costs involved: and are there specific city employees managing the site, and how many man-hours are budgeted?  Or is that future revenue to a vendor?

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AMYPBQTFGQI44IAAXMTB5GVOYM David

  Charlie, § 33-8 refers to the act of a person in the class of {city employee, city councilor, board member, commission member} receiving a gift.   Please help me understand how the city, a non-person entity, becomes a person receiving a gift?
  .
  Perhaps § 33-8 A. (2) might suggest that a person in the class cannot give any improper favor, service, or thing of value… which could be construed to be a contract, but the value is financially a negative number, as the vendor, not the city is incurring cost.  Furthermore, the City manager would be the person executing the contract, not the council chair….  How is it you see 33-8 applying?  That’s just not clear from the article.

• http://twitter.com/aaronprill Aaron Prill

  You’re right- it had no basis on the article… except that it provides grounds for the fact that Longo is engaging in petty partisan politics in light of his party affiliation, and that of Weston’s. Just calling it like I see it.

• Anonymous

  They ARE a marketing agency, after all, and a rather clever one at that. If an agency is willing to eat the costs of their staff’s time in order to provide the city and other organizations pro bono, why on earth shouldn’t they get “free” advertising? It’s called a “lost leader” and a common tactic in the business world. Luckily for the city, the site is decent looking and functions sufficiently. Other projects gotten by underbid RFPs, spec work, and contests… not so much. And in these times when clients don’t give second thought to a marketing strategy, and “buy the Adobe” so they can do advertising & design themselves, kudos to S&W for keeping their business afloat in this market. It cannot be easy.

• Anonymous

  Who doesn’t understand what.  If you are a part of it then you do not engage in discussion and or acceptance.  It is too bad that his company has to take a back seat but this is exactly why there is a conflict statement in the charter.

• Anonymous

  How does it serve as free advertising for his company if there is no credit or mention of his company present on the website?

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DK2NSO2GYJSIRQOPYAXLKVEIA4 James

  Please define influence peddling.

• Anonymous

  Why, David, don’t you know? Anyone can be a web designer. Skill? Training? Experience? Who needs them? After all, it’s the software that does all the work, and so much of it’s FREE! FREE! FREE! Like social networking. FREE! FREE! FREE! Facebook? FREE! LinkedIn? FREE! Twitter? FREE!
  So what if  it takes time? Lots and lots and lots of time? We don’t have to pay for anyone’s time. That’s what interns and nephews are for. 

  (If there’s a sarcasm emoticon, insert it here.)

• Anonymous

  And how much money do you think the White House poured into their site for design and development? Just because a CMS is free doesn’t mean its implementation is, unless it’s the quick & easy default install that looks just like every other website. Good custom sites, regardless of the platform they are built on, are never free.

• Anonymous

  A non-partisan analysis, certainly!

  “Calling it like you see it” from your conservative bunker, I suppose.

• http://twitter.com/aaronprill Aaron Prill

  Proud that my comment has been flagged… must have been some truth in it and I touched a nerve. I think my comment was pretty civil though in comparison to others I’m reading on here… Anyway, I don’t care as long as I don’t get banned.

• http://twitter.com/aaronprill Aaron Prill

  Touche… but “bunker” implies I’m hiding out. I’m one of the few people on here that stand behind my comments by using my real name. :)

• Anonymous

  I flagged for incivility not for your content. You certainly have the right to express yourself.  I think BDN should stick to the rules they make is all. Viva the First Amendment!

• Anonymous

  yes, but this donation was for CMS software, not design services.  Counselor Weston was donating something that likely cost his company very little on their bottom line (since they probably have a license for a large number of instances of this CMS if the are not using a free one) but he is going to claim a $7,000 tax deduction.

• Anonymous

  Public officials should go beyond avoiding conflicts of interest to avoiding even the illusion of a conflict, even if one does not exist.

• http://twitter.com/aaronprill Aaron Prill

  Councilor Longo- As I read this rule, its addressing “Gifts and Favors” TO City Council members. I would think that does not apply here because this is a Gift/Donation FROM a City council member (via his company).

  If money was changing hands, that would be different- like if a council member had the plow contract with the city, or as was the case with former Mayor Greene when he was getting paid for photography services. No payments that I know of were paid to Sutherland-Weston for this piece of software. If money does change hands in the future, that’s when we should question it.

  Also, as I understand the situation, the city WAS going to spend nearly $7,000 on an EGov platform BEFORE Weston offered to donate his company’s software in order to save the city money. What’s also not being discussed here is that Megan Collins, the city’s IT person, designed, programmed, and populated the new website for 6 months using this donated software without any payment to Sutherland-Weston. But you probably know all that already, right Councilor?
  And concerning the argument about “free advertising” that someone made below… That was non-existent (before you, Councilor Longo, made a big deal about this and therefore brought it to public view) because there is NOT even a link to Sutherland-Weston in the footer of the website (or anywhere else that I can see) as is commonly the case when a company is hoping for “free advertising”.

  In my humble opinion, this is a simple case of a “partisan bone” being picked here by Longo, and Councilor Blanchette backing up Longo out of party loyalty. Either that, or both of them are just horribly misinformed. From where I sit, Mayor Weston has saved the city lots of money and time- something he was elected to do.

• Anonymous

  Cause he blew the whistle on Mayor Greene

• Anonymous

  The ethical standard of review is not just impropriety, but the ‘appearance of impropriety’.

  Any constituent having read this, without knowing all the facts, has an immediate gut reaction that compels a thorough review. I would think the Bangor City database and control of information would be a separate bone of contention, here.

  Thank you for calling it to everyone’s  attention.

• Anonymous

  When people expect to get ‘something for nothing’ they are sure to be cheated.
  [1870 P. T. Barnum Struggles & Triumphs viii.]

• Anonymous

  When people expect to get ‘something for nothing’ they are sure to be cheated.
  [1870 P. T. Barnum Struggles & Triumphs viii.]
   

• Anonymous

  ‘Money changing hands’ is not the only ‘consideration’, as it were.

  Anything of value, like protected database information, should be weighed as well.

• Anonymous

  “The reason we do this? This is how we operate,” she said. “We can’t give it all away because we are a for-profit business and we have employees that count on their jobs, but we do want to make this area a better place to live and be happy.”
  If you believe this load of bull, don’t bother commenting …because you know nothing of human nature. Period.

• OldWench

  All they would need is a specially designed theme (web graphics) and a website administrator to keep an eye on it.  If new content is going to be added it can be done by anyone who can type and hit a post button.   My point is that it is EASY to install and manage a CMS and a computer saavy clerk could handle it.  

• Anonymous

  Stop being so abrasive, you two.  Haha.

• Anonymous

  Yep, exactly, one day he’ll fall flat on his big f#$  a@@.  He thinks he knows what he’s talking about, but he gets his information from other people who use him and he’s to d@#* to realize it.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KJEUWEYRHIPWV3PTTWWNUZ2CTQ mcmaineacjam

  Of course, seeing all of the money they are spending purchasing it, they could not afford to dump it to go to another. Oh wait, it did not cost anything. I would like to know what loophole you are talking about. No councilor is recieving a gift that I see, and any business could do the same. Might it be possible that there really are people that do things for the community? As I volunteer for the folk festival every year in spite of the fact that I do not care for much of the music, I already know the answer to this.

• Anonymous

  Doesnt really pass the smell, or even the straight face test?

• Anonymous

  Too bad we can’t clone you, Charlie.  We need people who understand the real definition of ethics. 

• Anonymous

  Is Mayor Cary Weston a Self Serving Loophole Artist???? Just asking…. 

• Anonymous

  Mister Longo should be given a medal… At last someone is questioning mr /mayor Cary Weston for all the business he contracts from the city for his company when he is sitting on the council … If I was a betting man I would  bet that Weston is more self serving then As he put it Honored to serve the city… Do you Aaron think WESTON might be a self serving Loophole Artist??? I don’t think that this one issue hit. the surface…  I am a far right republican who beilieves in captilism 100%,,, I do however have morals and fear God…. This is why I won’t vote for him a second time… I do hope there is a criminal investigation and audit into how much money is being moved into his company from the city while he sits as council member… I believe he only wants to change the city if he can profit from it… My father always said don’t except gifts from snakes..

• Anonymous

  If I give you,  you’re next car, biggnfast,  you must buy all your fuel from me for all you’re vechiles  for the next 15 years at $18.00 a gallon and a monthly service contract of $675.00… What do you think?? Do you want to make a deal.. The car is free…

• Anonymous

  roflmbo

• Anonymous

  Loophole Artist

• Anonymous

  ha ha !

• Anonymous

  she was probably busy trying to get something rammed through to benefit her neighbors/voters in  capehart.

• Anonymous

  File a civil lawsuit against the city and the company… He might be the best loophole artist, along with  George Hale this side of Augusta…

• Anonymous

  Of course he is the Mayor, didn’t you see it in the paper, the council voted him mayor… We know what his position is… “Accuracy sake”??? I have other names I could use if you’d like…

• Anonymous

  You are funny…

• Anonymous

  loophole artist WESTON will somehow charge the city for the work done on this website,, Free tires when you buy a new car,,,

• Anonymous

  It is nopt legal to donate anything whatsoever to the Police Department or State police in Maine.. you can’t raise money for them or give a car… It’s a crime… I say Aduit the city and see how many checks in the last 2 years were written to S+W… Then criminaly proscute the guilty…

• Anonymous

  Sutherland said Longo was misunderstanding the wording of her company’s bid.
   
  “I know we did put a proposal in for the PAYT marketing campaign, but the difference between our bid and the other was we had about $11,000-$15,000 going to local media for advertising, and that was specifically spelled out in our proposal,” she said.
   
  I am sure the local media would include WVOM/Bluberry Broadcasting, where Sutherland’s husband, Rick, works.
   
  Just sayin.
   
   

• Anonymous

  No, it should be as he  (Charlie) tweets everyone.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KJEUWEYRHIPWV3PTTWWNUZ2CTQ mcmaineacjam

  This law has nothing to do with gifts to the city, and Mr Longo should realize that, but instead, he wastes time at the meeting trying to make the others look bad. This is not productive, so I stand by my comment. He is acting like a teapartiest, all bluster and hot air, not offering anythng but lip service complaining and misdirecting.

• Anonymous

  The comment I made, which you are replying to, was made by someone other than you and attacked Councilor Longo’s physical charachteristics.  That is why I said it was uncalled for.  I haven’t seen any comments made by you that I would deem that way.

• http://twitter.com/CouncilorLongo Charlie Longo

  Stop

• Anonymous

  ??