ORONO, Maine -- Gov. Paul LePage told a small audience in Orono Wednesday night that he will never authorize the release of $15 million for senior housing bonds.
During one of his weekly town meetings, LePage was asked when he planned to approve the borrowing package that was endorsed by nearly 70 percent of Maine voters last fall.
"Not while I'm governor," he responded. "And I'll tell you why: The problems with the bonds are this - if I give that money, that money, those bonds, go for senior housing, but they don't say you have to do senior housing, they don't say anything about rents. What you don't realize, and what you voted on, was that money is going to make people millionaires overnight."
The Maine House has given initial approval to a bill that would direct the $15 million housing bond to be issued with or without the governor's approval. The bill awaits further votes in both the House and Senate.