The 2017 federal tax cuts are working for Maine’s job creators, say NFIB’s small-business members in a recent survey. Most business owners say the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act had a positive effect on the economy, more than half said it positively impacted their business and two-thirds saw their tax bill go down. That’s why […]

The Empire State Building is 102 stories high and took about 14 months to build before opening in 1931. Exactly how much longer will it take to complete the renovations to the Holiday Inn in downtown Portland, which have blocked traffic on Spring Street for much longer than that already? Dan Skwire Portland

During these divisive times, I find myself wanting to support nonpartisan candidates, the type of people who are project-oriented and not opposition-oriented. I support folks who work with all viewpoints as long as a job gets done. I support people who live in the cities they govern, and who love and value both the history […]

I’m supporting Spencer Thibodeau for Portland mayor for the following reasons: He’s a lawyer, well versed in laws and regulations related to the changes and development our city is currently experiencing. His remarks are not full of strong emotion and a rescue mentality. His positions are well thought out and temperate. Most importantly, Spencer has […]

It’s election season again, and it’s time for change! Not change to the town (we’ve seen enough of that already), but time for a change in those who represent us on the Town Council. We need to elect candidates who truly have the best interests of all the residents in Scarborough! Betsy Gleysteen and Ken […]

Marcella Makinen’s Oct. 1 letter (“City manager system marginalizes Portland’s poor, people of color”) was uninformed. Municipalities with managers make it easier for the disadvantaged, since a manager (not a mayor) is bound by a code of ethics to serve all residents equally. Voters throughout Maine – not the Ku Klux Klan – voted to […]

“Come mothers and fathers throughout the land And don’t criticize What you can’t understand Your sons and your daughters Are beyond your command Your old road is rapidly agin’ Please get out of the new one If you can’t lend your hand For the times they are a-changin.’ ” The lyrics of this Bob Dylan […]

You are known by the friends you make, according to Aesop, and that’s also be true for enemies. Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling is opposed by landlords, developers, real estate attorneys, lobbyists and similar interests. By contrast, Strimling’s background is one of “afflicting the comfortable,” as another old saying goes. His affiliations with organizations like LearningWorks […]