Many of the alumni of Good Will have opposed the current Good Will Home Association and its board of directors for many years.

We have tried to alert the public to their manipulative and devious actions. They have changed the mission of Good Will from providing a home and a helping hand to homeless and disadvantaged children to helping at-risk children.

The Good Will Home was the expert in helping disadvantaged children without government programs and government assistance. Many fine organizations in Maine, such as the Sweetser Home, are experts in working with government programs and at-risk children. Good Will’s board shifted the school’s focus because government programs mean big money. In 2008, the government dumped Good Will and so did the Alfond Foundation. Two private reports said the board members were guilty of mismanagement and irresponsibility. Now, they are the center of great controversy again, and, once again, have brought reproach upon our great home.

The Domestic Nonprofit Corp., state of Maine Articles of Incorporation state:

“No substantial part of the activities of the Corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Corporation shall not participate in or intervene in (including the publication or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.”

The political clause for the IRS 501c3 for tax exemption is even stronger.

If offering the Maine Speaker of the House Mark Eves, D-North Berwick, a $120,000 per year job at a time the budget is due for vote is not attempting to influence legislation (the budget that includes $530,000 to the Good Will Home Association), then what does constitute an attempt to influence legislation?

Republican and Democrat legislators and Attorney General Janet Mills should stop investigating Gov. Paul LePage and should investigate the Good Will Home Association and its board of directors, as well as Eves, on this possible violation of corporate interference of legislation. If they have not violated Maine corporate law, they have at least been unethical. It is the responsibility of the governor to do what is in the best interest of the state of Maine and its taxpaying citizens.

The contract between the board of directors and Eves was abuse of public funds, as is the $30,000 they paid Eves to get out of the contract.

The board chairman is quoted as saying the directors wanted to hire Eves to get Good Will going in a new direction. They neither know or care about the true mission of Good Will and its founder, Dr. G.W. Hinckley. The direction to move Good Will is to bring it back to its true mission.

We encourage the people and legislators of Maine to remove the Good Will board and its chairman as being derelict in their duty and getting involved in a political situation not allowed in the articles of incorporation. We propose replacing them with faithful alumni who will return to Good Will’s original mission with the recommendation of Wes Johnston as the new chairman of the board.

Johnston was chaplain at Good Will for nine years and currently is CEO of the Lake Norman School in Charlotte, North Carolina. He maintains his home in Fairfield. He has an impressive resume and is a real leader. He would be quite capable of reorganizing a new board of directors and acquiring public support.

We hope this is a way to get Good Will back on its feet and once again respected by all.

Paul Nagy, of Middletown, Ohio, is president of Hinckley-Price Homes. Email to PNAGY2@cinci.rr.com.

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