Labor mural removed by Maine gov. back on display

The mural that gov. Paul LePage claimed "presented a one-sided view that bowed to organized labor" was restored

BY CLARKE CANFIELD, ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A mural depicting scenes from Maine’s labor history returned to public display Monday, 22 months after the governor set off a political firestorm and spawned a federal lawsuit by ordering it removed.

Gov. Paul LePage caused an uproar in March 2011 when he ordered the mural removed from the Labor Department lobby, claiming it presented a one-sided view that bowed to organized labor and overlooked the contributions of job-creating entrepreneurs.

Beginning Monday, the mural was back on public view in an atrium that serves as the entryway to the Maine State Museum, Maine State Library and Maine State Archives. The space is open to the public six days a week.

Richard Bamforth, of Augusta, was angry when LePage first ordered the mural removed, calling it silly and petty. But he acknowledged the new venue seemed to be more appropriate than a hidden-away state office building.

“This is a much more visually appealing setting, I think,” he said as he, his wife and their 19-year-old granddaughter examined the mural in the spacious, well-lit atrium.

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http://www.salon.com/2013/01/14/labor_mural_removed_by_maine_gov_back_on_display_2/