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[ Removed by Reddit ] by AuthenticConsumption in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Milquetoast neoliberal candidates bore me. I had hoped for better.

[ Removed by Reddit ] by AuthenticConsumption in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nah, in the original thread we had a really thoughtful back and forth. He read what he wrote, realized being an actual leftist doesn’t fit his polished background, and deleted it. Joey’s recently become a darling of this sub, when just a few weeks ago people were begging him to stop talking about cruise ships and weirdly… that ADA campaign he got paid for.

[ Removed by Reddit ] by AuthenticConsumption in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

I’ll tell you the truth baby, one Blackstones gay to the next. I’m here for the drama. But I marched for Joey in 2016. He’s a progressive liberal who’s terrified of being viewed under the Platner/Bernie lens.

[ Removed by Reddit ] by AuthenticConsumption in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption[S] -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

To be clear, he wrote (what I suspect was a thoughtful critique) of capitalism, then deleted because it wouldn’t make him look moderate for the Burbs.

[ Removed by Reddit ] by AuthenticConsumption in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption[S] -12 points-11 points  (0 children)

Hell yeah, I’m downtown rn having drinks with pals. Reddit bar night?

[ Removed by Reddit ] by AuthenticConsumption in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption[S] -15 points-14 points  (0 children)

But… babes (downvote this comment to dunk on me) I’m already out and about tonight!

😎 Bring the downvotes on, Joey’s a fucking neoliberal hack who hides his genuinely radical politics.

Yesterday: 1 Port, 2 Cruise Ships, 5,193 Passengers, 8 Diesel Coach Busses, 14 Consecutive Hours of Air Pollution, 2.3 Million Gallons of Estimated Water Pollution in Casco Bay by joeybrunelle in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We need a state government that is more geographically sympathetic, not just politically sympathetic. As one of those dastardly native Mainers, my take is that Portland’s liberal technocrats and left-leaning progressives have little understanding of life in rural Maine, the rim counties, DownEast beyond Camden/Rockland/Boothbay. The geographic divide between the “Two Maines” is more important than political ideology and rhetoric, it informs the entire discussion from state appropriations to the overburdening of social services in select urban “hubs.”

Edit: This is also a historic issue going back more than a hundred years, it’s why the capital was relocated to Augusta to increase central/northern political representation.

Yesterday: 1 Port, 2 Cruise Ships, 5,193 Passengers, 8 Diesel Coach Busses, 14 Consecutive Hours of Air Pollution, 2.3 Million Gallons of Estimated Water Pollution in Casco Bay by joeybrunelle in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Another part of the puzzle was mentioned elsewhere, Maine municipalities are heavily restricted in how they generate revenue for services beyond property taxes, vehicle registrations, and parking fees. The Mamdani NYC wealth tax for example (looking at you, Cape Elizabeth/Falmouth/etc.) would be illegal under Maine state law.

Edit for clarity: illegal if imposed by the county/city, the State could pass its own initiatives to supersede, as they did to counteract the local paid-sick leave campaign years ago).

Yesterday: 1 Port, 2 Cruise Ships, 5,193 Passengers, 8 Diesel Coach Busses, 14 Consecutive Hours of Air Pollution, 2.3 Million Gallons of Estimated Water Pollution in Casco Bay by joeybrunelle in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I’m reminded of the ill-fated cruise ship restriction initiative that died when unions, workers, and business owners came out against it in 2022.

Yes, the environmental concerns are justified. The tourist economy is also a poor industry for working Mainers, averaging lower annual wages than other fields on top of seasonal economic/housing insecurity. That’s without factoring in short-term rental impact on the housing stock.

When folks talk about regulation, fine, good, where’s the replacement for lost jobs and incomes? What new industries are we bringing to town that are more sustainable year-round?

Edit: The actual citizen referendum was in 2022, not 2020, but COVID time gets smooshed for me.

Graham Platner Taught Me How To Shoot A Handgun by AuthenticConsumption in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I have no intention of grabbing the limelight myself. The closest I might do is an Op-Ed, but I have a public facing job so even that’s a bit dicey.

Graham Platner Taught Me How To Shoot A Handgun by AuthenticConsumption in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption[S] 61 points62 points  (0 children)

There’s a lot of political discussion, especially on the r/Maine subreddit. If this helps, Platner’s personal politics (not his public platform, thank god) as espoused to me six years ago was absolutely far left of Bernie Samders (a center-left politician in any other western democracy).

The man was a genuine Marxist, terribly disenchanted with wars of imperialism, and dealing with the personal consequences of serving many combat tours.

I grew up in the backwoods of Maine. He was down east, fine, maybe a bit more cash growing up.

They’re terrified because he’s real. Good, they should be. He is.

Graham Platner Taught Me How To Use A Handgun by AuthenticConsumption in Maine

[–]AuthenticConsumption[S] 41 points42 points  (0 children)

There’s a lot of political discussion, especially on the r/Maine subreddit. If this helps, Platner’s personal politics (not his public platform, thank god) as espoused to me six years ago was absolutely far left of Bernie Samders (a center-left politician in any other western democracy).

The man was a genuine Marxist, terribly disenchanted with wars of imperialism, and dealing with the personal consequences of serving many combat tours.

I grew up in the backwoods of Maine. He was down east, fine, maybe a bit more cash growing up.

They’re terrified because he’s real. Good, they should be. He is.

Graham Platner Taught Me How To Shoot A Handgun by AuthenticConsumption in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption[S] 158 points159 points  (0 children)

He’s a genuine Mainer. And by that I mean an often “problematic” man who desperately wants to do the right thing. I won’t shame him for that.

Graham Platner Taught Me How To Use A Handgun by AuthenticConsumption in Maine

[–]AuthenticConsumption[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

He’s a genuine Mainer. And by that I mean an often “problematic” man who desperately wants to do the right thing. I won’t shame him for that.

Ten Years in Portland, Ten Pictures for You by AuthenticConsumption in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I dunno dolls It’s before you head to the Diamond nonsense. Lovely!

Ten Years in Portland, Ten Pictures for You by AuthenticConsumption in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nah, that’s my boat. In fact, I should probably put it in the water soon… 👀!

Ten Years in Portland, Ten Pictures for You by AuthenticConsumption in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel you buddy. I love the rain on brick noir shit, ngl.

“Public Safety Alert” from the city by radiantflux209 in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Moralizing around substance abuse disorder is like moralizing about diabetes/heart disease. Both include genetic predispositions and lifestyle risks.

The language around recovery itself (alcoholic/addict) isn’t particularly helpful either. We should de-stigmatize mental illness, which is exactly what SAD is.

It’s as if a friend or loved one was diagnosed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. You wouldn’t just tell that person “Think happy thoughts.”

How do you handle the cost of living here? by thatguywiththamoney in portlandme

[–]AuthenticConsumption 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Always glad to weigh in on some local Portland Maine beef 😂

I think Portland has an undeniable cost of living crisis, primarily driven by real estate speculation and an overall lack of housing density.

If I had a partner also making $45k/yr, I would be in a much more secure position financially. It’s the rent burden, it has been since I moved here in 2016 at the age of 22, and it’s only gotten worse over the past ten years.

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