We respect the Governor's right and responsibility to determine a storm day policy for state workers. Many of our members remain unclear as to what the determining criteria is. Based on the way the Governor's spokesman described the storm day policy, the administration appears to have already violated it.

 

The Governor's spokesman, Dan Demeritt, has described the storm day policy this way: "The rule of thumb is: If Marden's is open, Maine is open."

 

Yet on January 12, 2011, when the Governor sent state workers home at 3 PM except for those in Aroostook County, Marden's began closing some of its stores at noon because of the same storm.

 

According to the company's website, "Some Marden's stores will be closing early today due to weather." It states that on January 12, the Marden's stores in Scarborough, Lewiston, Biddeford and Sanford all closed at noon, the Calais store closed at 2 PM, and the Ellsworth store closed at 4 PM.

 

It's one thing to characterize a storm day policy with a sound-bite quip. It's another thing to actually develop, post and distribute a process or policy that protects the health and safety of all Maine people.

 

Sources:

Marden's website

 

PDF of Marden's store closing announcement for Jan. 12, 2011