Increasingly, concerns arise with this legislative session about proposals to raise taxes on Mainers. One of the most egregious efforts resides in L.D. 1254, an effort to burden Mainers with local-option taxes under the cloak of helping rural parts of the state. This misguided and harmful change would force the hotels and restaurants to suffer […]

The most important climate bill in the current legislative session doesn’t even have the word “climate” in it. I write to urge Gov. Mills and our legislators to support L.D. 1646, An Act to Restore Local Ownership and Control of Maine’s Power Delivery Systems. There are many compelling reasons to support this bill, which would […]

Falmouth Town Council candidate Valentine Sheldon urged hundreds of residents recently to attend public meetings where a large majority spoke favoring a rollback of rezoning ordinances enacted in 2016, because of a lack of transparency and citizen input. A show of hands at these meetings reflected an overwhelming desire to roll back the ordinances. Sheldon […]

In a recent letter (May 25), Craig A. Pendleton argued that waterfront zoning protecting fishermen would cut off development – the economic engine of the city. I disagree. The economic engine of the city has never been tied to just fishermen. It’s tied to schools, public services, a variety of housing types and neighborhoods, honest […]

There are several common-sense gun bills up for discussion in the Maine Legislature right now, including L.D. 379 (the safe-storage bill) and L.D. 1312 (the “red flag” bill). As a clinical counselor, I believe we are in the midst of a full-blown public health crisis, one that won’t end until we do something about it. […]

One of my fondest memories as a child was collecting lightning bugs. On special summer nights, as the sun would set, our tiny backyard would begin to sparkle and glow. My cousins and I would dance and squeal as we carefully collected fireflies in cupped hands. As adults, the magic some of us remember of […]

As executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland, I know that town councils that support the need for affordable housing are critical to our mission and goal: that Falmouth town employees, plus others whose jobs are closely linked with our residents’ needs, can afford to live here. For several years I have worked […]