Portland’s mayor and City Council wonder, uneasily, why there is such vigorous support for citizen referendums to address problems in the city. They are uncomfortable with the way referendums bypass their control of the city. I can tell you exactly why I support such referendums: It’s precisely because they bypass the City Council and give […]

I oppose Question 5, which would give the Portland Board of Public Education sole authority to create school budgets. Currently, the school board focuses on the needs of parents, students and employees. The Portland City Council considers the needs of all stakeholders, including families struggling to pay property taxes. The council often requires cuts in […]

Most if not all of Scarborough’s citizens agree that our present library is very small and agree with the proposal to expand it. There are those who say doing such a project now is a bad idea (Sept. 28). When does something cost less later? If the financial figures are correct, it would cost a […]

Thank you to the Portland Press Herald for the much-needed coverage of the horrible parking situation in Portland, especially for workers and residents. Not to mention the inconvenience to guests and tourists – a bad taste for anyone. It was not always like this, and it need not continue. I remember, before Unified Parking Partners […]

Gov. Mills’ Big Government Education Department works to divide us (Sept. 23). In a slideshow presentation by the department’s Maine Opportunities for Online Sustained Education program titled “Racism is a Virus,” the following terms are listed as phrases that should be associated with racism and white supremacy: “MAGA,” “All Lives Matter,” “paternalism,” “meritocracy myth,” “colorblindness” and […]

After listening to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ unpleasant efforts to limit the freedoms of the people of Florida for the past few years, it was a pleasant surprise to hear his positive comments about providing assistance for the victims of Hurricane Ian. I rather sensed a split personality beginning to show. William J. Leffler II Kennebunkport

Maine Republican Party Executive Director Jason Savage is claiming, essentially, that “Janet Mills is teaching Maine kids that people who say ‘MAGA’ are racists!” He is attributing to her brief comments in the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine’s online diversity teacher training module. Here’s the truth: A significant faction in the Make America […]

On Sept. 28, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill strengthening the right of California farmworkers to organize into unions. Meanwhile, here in Maine, Gov. Mills vetoed a bill giving farmworkers the right to organize, thus sacrificing a basic, fundamental human right at the altar of Big Ag interests. Given that farmworkers work extraordinarily hard, […]