I gave this speech to the City Council on March 23rd, 2026. Their response was, “Your time is up.”
Hi. I’m Paul Madore from the Fairmount neighborhood.
Let’s talk about the disparity in quality and cost of living between a Bangor homeownwer and a Capehart resident.
As a homeowner, I first of all pay about $2100 per month on my mortgage, which includes about $300 per month in property taxes. I pay an additional $250 or so each month for electricity, the bigger portion of which is fees which are fully within the control of Augusta democrats. In the winter, I pay about $300 per month for natural gas which heats my home to Bangor Natural Gas. My water and sewer bills are separate for some reason, but together total another $200 per month. To get my family of 5 around, I pay $500 per month in car payments. To stay connected to the world, we pay $100 for internet. To stay connected to each other, we pay another $260 in cell phone bills. We spend about $200 per week to feed our three children. That’s about $4500 per month for a half decent life in Bangor.
Meanwhile, due to a criminal background which is nowhere near as bad as some in your body, the best I can do is work a minimum wage job pumping gas. Fortunately I am a disabled veteran and the compensation from that covers a portion of our bills.
According to Zillow, your policies have allowed the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in Bangor climb to $1600, which does not generally include utilities. Your property taxes also impact the rental market, as landlords really have no other choice but to pass on the cost to tenants. While more public and affordable housing is needed, there is plenty you can do to attract builders and incentivize landlords to lower the barrier to entry. But you knew that.
Now, onto Capehart. Residents there have told me the maximum rent is roughly $925. Some of them pay close to nothing in real terms. This rent figure includes their lights and heat. They do not pay for repairs to their townhomes.
By nature of qualifying for housing, many of them also qualify for a lot of other assistance, to include free cellphones. Did you know the Bangor Housing Authority also offers to pay for car repairs? All at taxpayer expense.
Certainly not every Capeharter is paying maximum rent.
Erstwhile, when I drive there to visit my niece, I can’t help but notice a lot of nicer, newer vehicles parked in the driveways. I know for a fact there are people living there that the government has no idea about, working good jobs but not reporting their income as part of the household income. I am told that a woman, for example, will sign up as a single mother with no income, then move in her boyfriend who has an income, and never report that change.
There is significant criminal activity that somehow goes totally under the radar, despite dedicated police officers.
While I do not begrudge anything to anyone, myself coming from poverty all my life, I must call for a summary audit of all Capehart leases. All details must be verified, particularly who is living there and where or if people are working.
The people who are there, working and saving for a home — they should be given more assistance in their pursuit of the American dream. The people who are driving late model SUVs while collecting every form of welfare and contributing nothing to the city tax base should be systematically removed, to make room for more honest people.
This is already the nature and spirit of the law. I am merely demanding that it be enforced.
You can say, “Oh, it’s a federal program,” but you know that’s disingenuous–it is administered by the Bangor Housing Authority.
As problems in this city go, Capehart is low hanging fruit. The taxpayers would like a government that responds to us, constantly works to save our money, protects us from the criminal element, and creates new opportunities for us.
You are not doing that. You know you’re not and that is why some of you will no longer be in this body after November 3rd.
To my fellow taxpayers sick of this Marxist city council, vote for Paul Madore on November 3rd.