I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the registered voters of South Portland. I am so grateful that they upheld the short-term rental ordinance that the City Council worked so diligently at for the past 13 months. I am a 60-year resident of South Portland who grew up in a beautiful neighborhood not […]

A Democrat blitz of the Maine political establishment is another slap in the face to the state’s economy and rule of law. Janet Mills and the Democrat Legislature will tax and spend our state into debt like we haven’t seen in eight years. U.S. Sen. Angus King will continue to assist the Democrats in Washington […]

I was very disappointed at the results of the recent referendum in Yarmouth to exclude teachers and town employees from serving on the Town Council. Whatever the original intent, this rule seems to mirror current divisiveness in our country, marginalizing citizens based on social, political, gender or ethnic characteristics. Wouldn’t a more positive ruling have […]

Citizens initiatives are complicated, but it is my hope that the Rental Dwelling Ordinance in Yarmouth will, with implementation, not create problems, but instead facilitate fairness and familiarity. For example, it seems reasonable to provide 75 days’ notice for rent increases so people can decide what to do and make a shift if there is […]

How stupid do Republicans think Americans are? How stupid did they think we were? I ask this question in both the past and present tense because I am writing a few days before the Nov. 6 election, so I don’t know yet whether voters came to their senses and rejected the false narrative of the […]

I remember when Facebook first came out. My natural inclination toward optimism and geeky interest in civics thought then: “This is utopia. People able to connect with their neighbors, immediately? Transparency and accessibility? We are going to have SO MANY great conversations on here. Maybe people will start paying attention to city council meetings, even.” […]

Let’s review all the stuff we learned this election season. Just kidding. As usual, we didn’t learn anything. What’s more, most of us are already gearing up to make the same mistakes in 2020 that we’ve made every even-numbered year for our entire adult lives. Apparently, consistency is comforting. Our voting patterns are a poofy, […]

Let’s take a break from politics to consider a grave danger that should unite all of us. Our climate is changing. Extreme weather and other problems like rising seas threaten future generations and our fragile planet. This change is mostly due to air pollution – extra carbon pumped into our atmosphere by the fossil fuel […]

Last week, I wrote about how the four forces of civilization – art, religion, science and law – have a civilizing effect on society. This week, in this era of political divide, I want to explore these four forces further. The builders of the Pennsylvania Statehouse inscribed quotes detailing the four civilizing forces on the […]

My often sunny, sometimes dark, 35-year-old son Zac says to his sister, “Have you noticed that mom starts all her communications with a weather report?” He mimics how I up-tempo my voice, lift its tone, “Woo-hoo. It’s cold in Maine.” Or he lowers and deepens his pitch, “Sure is hot and humid.” Or he mocks […]