A revenue-neutral approach that would be of major benefit to Maine seniors is to freeze their real estate taxes at the current (or other) level, but let the taxes that would otherwise be paid accumulate, with interest, to be paid upon the person’s transfer of the property. The municipalities would receive the benefit of all […]

I am writing to correct the misapprehension of one of your readers who wrote in a letter published on Sept. 21 (“Politically, Maine isn’t what it used to be“) that the “Democrats always seem to get us into wars and the Republicans bail us out.” Just to set the record straight, the Republicans were responsible […]

As I read Jim Fossel’s Sept. 14 column (“A good federal budget is not an omnibus budget“), I once again grow weary of a misleading statement too often promoted by the president and his supporters:  “…more than half the country voted for Trump…” That is not correct. Trump, of course, won the Electoral College and […]

On Oct. 4, 2025, days before the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, this opinion section published a letter minimizing Hamas’ brutal slaughter of 1,200 innocent concertgoers. The fact that Hamas raped hundreds of women, beheaded babies and took elderly people hostage on Oct. […]

How about building apartments on the empty parking lot at the Maine Mall? As a side benefit, they would increase sales at the stores. Harley MarshallPortland

Child care workers deserve to earn a living wage. They educate our children during the most critical years of development. However, the proposed minimum wage increase in Portland to $19 by 2028 presents a serious challenge for child care. We cannot simply raise prices or absorb additional costs. Every dollar we pay must come directly from […]

I’m in the process of putting together a team to look at what making Maine the next “presumptive equal care state” would look like. Many states use a “best interests of the children” criteria, and divorcing or separating Maine parents are required to mediate custody before going to trial. Judges will be the first to […]