At a recent public hearing, arguing against a prevailing-wage ordinance that would raise wages and create apprenticeship opportunities in large city contracts, Chamber of Commerce lobbyist Simon Thompson cited a city memo relying on market-fundamentalist think tanks – including those funded by the oligarchic Koch Brothers.
It’s disturbing that some in our city government take their cues from the owners of the country’s second largest private company. Perhaps worse, Thompson himself works on the re-election campaigns of at-large Councilor Nick Mavodones and District 2 Councilor Spencer Thibodeau. Can we trust them to stand up for workers against their friends at the Chamber?
Prevailing-wage would give Maine’s workers much-needed support. But that won’t happen if our city government remains in the pocket of the richest men in America. Joey Brunelle and Jon Torsch are running for City Council against, respectively, Mavodones and Thibodeau. They’ve rejected the influence of folks like the Kochs and the Chamber, and they deserve your vote.
Caleb Horton
Portland
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.