maine

Speaking of weak Democrats, you have no idea how much trouble I've had getting Democrats in #Maine to introduce or otherwise advocate for gun reform legislation. I've written multiple times to the chair of the Democratic Senate Committee, the Executive Director of the Maine Democratic Party, Senate President Mattie Daughtry (my state senator), the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, and more. All of them refuse to answer me. What cowardice. #Politics #Democrats #Guns #GunReform #Democracy #US #USpol

Whoa, big thunderclaps right now.

#maine #weather #thunderstorm #summer

We've gotten about an inch of snow up here overnight and this morning, and it looks like we're in for a bit more.

Last year around this time (Apr 4 2024) we lost power because of a storm a bit like this one. It snowed much more heavily, and since the temperature hovered near freezing the snow was a heavy wet mess that tore down power lines and trees. Our power was out for around 4 days. If I recall correctly over 300,000 people were without power at some point, around 1/4 of the population of the state. We'd had a 2-day power outage only a week earlier, right at the end of March, and were feeling pretty rough by the time the power came back on. We were putting buckets of ice and snow into the refrigerator to keep the food cold that we hadn't put in the coolers on the porch. It's looking like we're in for some more snow yet but I don't think it'll be like the storm last year.

The tree in the foreground of this picture was crushed by the ice and snow of that storm last year. I had to take off a couple of limbs that were broken almost completely through.

#maine #spring

The USDA failed to follow its own guidance for a rural mortgage program, taking years to foreclose on delinquent loans.

As a result, 55 Maine borrowers racked up, on average, $110,000 in additional debt before the agency moved to take the homes.
https://www.propublica.org/article/usda-maine-foreclosures-rural-homeowners?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

#News #Maine #Rural #Housing #Home #Debt #Poverty #USDA

Big turkey family in our yard today. 3 adults, maybe 10 little ones.

#maine #turkeys #summer #wildlife

Are You a Public Housing Resident Behind on Rent? Received an Eviction Notice? Here’s What to Know.
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If you’re one of 1.6 million people living in public housing nationally, you have special protections meant to prevent low-income tenants from being evicted when they fall behind on rent. We created a guide to the process.
https://www.propublica.org/article/maine-eviction-safeguards-public-housing?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

#Housing #Poverty #Homelessness #Homeless #PublicHousing #Maine

Jasmin Belanger believed the deal was simple: pay off what she owed, and her landlord would let her keep her housing.

It wasn’t until months later that she learned it had left her with a permanent record of an eviction — despite there never being one.
https://www.propublica.org/article/maine-public-housing-eviction-repayment-agreements?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

#News #Maine #Housing #Poverty #PublicHousing #Eviction

Part of route 302 in Windham closed and shelter in place order issued because of a shooting in North Windham. Just got an emergency alert about this.

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/public-safety/part-of-route-302-in-windham-closed-due-to-police-incident/97-40212da0-d8f9-4fb5-a9cd-5e805e0d00a1

WINDHAM, Maine — The Windham Police Department and Cumberland County Sheriff's Office issued a shelter-in-place order at around 4 p.m. Friday to people in and along the Windham and Raymond town line.

This comes after police closed part of Route 302 in Windham was closed Friday afternoon as police searched for a person connected to a shooting in North Windham.

#maine #shooting #GunViolence #EmergencyAlert

#Maine USA picks of the day:

➡️ @MaineMonitor - Independent public interest news site run by non-profit in Maine

➡️ @www.centralmaine.com - News feed from Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel local newspapers

➡️ @mainebeacon.com - News feed from Maine Beacon, news service run by local progressive group

➡️ @hikinginmaine.blog - Feed from hiking blog in Maine

➡️ @www.portlandfoodmap.com - Feed of food news from Maine

🧵 1/3

UPDATE! 1.9 magnitude #Earthquake in #LimingtonME!

Yikes! A very loud "BOOM" that shook the neighborhood in the Buxton-Hollis area of York County, #Maine. Did anyone else feel it? WTF is going on?!!

#SonicBoom #YorkCountyMaine #DYFI

Four whitetail deer right up close to the house, eating the clover.

#maine #deer #fall #clover

Democratic and Republican lawmakers across the country tried to push through bills to tighten gift limits, toughen conflict-of-interest provisions or expand financial disclosure reporting requirements. But many of the measures were derailed.

https://www.propublica.org/article/ethics-reform-legislation-blocked-statehouses?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

#News #Ethics #Law #Government #Virginia #Texas #NewMexico #NorthDakota #Connecticut #Maine

I voted no on question 1 in the referendum election in Maine. Today is the last day to vote.

This is the text of the question:

Do you want to change Maine election laws to eliminate two days of absentee voting, prohibit requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, end ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limit the number of drop boxes, require voters to show certain photo ID before voting, and make other changes to our elections?

A yes vote is voter suppression: people with disabilities, older folks, folks in rural areas, folks without IDs for whatever reason, folks who are out of state, students, and many other demographics would find it harder to vote if this passes and is enacted.

Ban prepaid postage? Besides suppressing voting, this question is straight-up cruel. Frankly, I think that particular clause is a tell that this is a bad faith measure.

#maine #VoteNoOnQuestion1 #Q1 #vote