One of Portland’s recently passed referenda, hazard pay (which sets the minimum wage at $18 an hour during declared emergencies), has been creating a stir among Portland business owners. It is unclear when this ordinance will go into effect; one of the primary obstacles preventing its implementation is that multiple Portland business owners say it […]

The pandemic notwithstanding, did we all of a sudden wake up in an alternate universe, or is Mark Trail having a bad dream? The current story line makes this venerable comic strip look amateurish and has pushed the characters into roles totally opposite of their original makeup. One can only hope that this is a […]

To all those voters who think that Donald Trump won the 2020 election, I would offer this information: The difference between Joe Biden’s and Donald Trump’s total popular vote is approximately 6,870,000. In other words, the difference is as if all the eligible voters in the 10 smallest states or federal districts by population (Wyoming, […]

Thank you, kind stranger, for treating me to my Dunkin’ Donuts order on Thanksgiving morning at the Main Street South Portland store drive-through. When I pulled up to collect my two coffees and a doughnut, the server said the man in the car ahead had paid for me. I couldn’t even thank him, as he […]

Which of the following laws is a violation of your sacred constitutional rights? 1. Being required to purchase and wear glasses or contacts in order to drive if you fail the Bureau of Motor Vehicles eye test ($200 for cheap frames and lenses). 2. Being required to purchase new brakes and tires if the yearly […]

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend and I were biking on one of the many streets in Portland that are without bike lanes when a man in a large pickup got dangerously close to us as he sped by, clearly intending to make us as uncomfortable as possible. We soon caught him at a stoplight […]

Re: “Trump administration’s rule change could allow gas, firing squads for U.S. executions” (Nov. 27): Just in time for a joyous Yuletide, the William Barr/Donald Trump “Justice” Department is implementing a policy that will expedite the state-sponsored murder of federal death row inmates by all manner of once-outlawed barbaric tortures – not confined to the […]

Re: “Maine’s bold climate action plan will require effort, money” (Maine Sunday Telegram, Nov. 29, Page A1): This is the most exciting and meaningful state initiative I have seen in my lifetime. Will it require investment? Of course! Will the return on investment far exceed the investment? You bet! (Read any of the major “neutral” […]