Concerning the article in the Sept. 14 paper (“Portland exploring how to fill long vacant storefronts in Arts District”), does anyone besides me find it disconcerting that the profit margin of a real estate agency is the deciding factor of the needs of our community? Maybe this paradigm of personal profit versus community needs should be […]

It’s become clear to anyone paying attention since last October that Israel has shown itself to be an utterly racist, merciless nation. It is willing to slaughter tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians, mostly women and children, and it is quite sickening to hear Kamala Harris pretend to be someone who cares about people while […]

As an educator, I’ve had lots of exposure to the theory-practice gap. This expression is shorthand for noting that translating ideas into actions is usually much more complicated than first appears. For example, our current City Council seems largely focused on ideas without grasping realistic implications of turning concepts into policies and practices. The main […]

Soon for Portland there will be a new land use code. That code will govern how building occurs in the city, including what type of uses are permitted and where, standards for those uses, such as lot coverage, height and setbacks, density and parking requirements. The last major overhaul of the code occurred more than […]

As a former state representative (2010-2018), I served on Maine’s powerful Appropriations Committee; it prioritizes our hard-earned money. From 2019 to 2022 (most recent data), the state expenditures exploded by a staggering $4 billion. Comparably, from 2014-2018, spending only grew by $360 million. The state has a shortage of experienced legislators in office. We need […]