# Pine & Roses > Socialist News and Commentary for Maine ## Posts - [What The Flock: Prison Populists and Palantyranny](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/what-the-flock-prison-populists-and-palantyranny/): There is a peculiar American humiliation in having to explain why you would like to buy groceries without helping populate a police database. - [Portland’s working waterfront is no place for professional soccer](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/portlands-working-waterfront-is-no-place-for-professional-soccer/): I love the Hearts of Pine. Been to my share of games. Have spent hundreds of bucks on gear. I’m on a first name basis with one of the owners. - [Political Cartoons, September 2026](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/political-cartoons-september-2026/) - [The Left Can’t Win Without an Internationalist Vision](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/the-left-cant-win-without-an-internationalist-vision/): As we enter a new age of imperial wars, internationalism is very much back on the Left’s agenda. But what is internationalism? And why does it matter? - [Troy Jackson. The right person, at the right moment.](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/troy-jackson-the-right-person-at-the-right-moment/): That is from a speech Troy Jackson gave in 2014 that I will never forget. - [How Maine Funds War](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/how-maine-funds-war/): On February 28th, 2026, rockets could be heard over Tehran. - [A Tenant Bill of Rights](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/a-tenant-bill-of-rights/): More than 300,000 people in Maine are renters who live in one of Maine’s 155,000 units. - [Why I am excited to sign the petition to pass Health Care for All Mainers](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/why-i-am-excited-to-sign-the-petition-to-pass-health-care-for-all-mainers/): I’ll be honest, I was a little skeptical when I first heard about the effort to achieve universal health care in Maine through a statewide citizen initiative. - [Political Cartoons, April 2026](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/political-cartoons-april-2026/) - [Maine Court Slams Landlords, Confirms Rent Control Laws Initiated by Maine DSA](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/maine-court-slams-landlords-confirms-rent-control-laws-initiated-by-maine-dsa/): On March 18, a Maine Superior Court judge summarily rejected the latest attempt by landlords to gut Portland’s rent control law and stifle the power of tenant unions. - [Don’t be fooled – anti-trans referendum is just a distraction while they pick your pocket](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/dont-be-fooled-anti-trans-referendum-is-just-a-distraction-while-they-pick-your-pocket/): Since Pres. Donald Trump took office, the federal government and many states have rapidly escalated attacks on the trans community seeking to erode rights, block access to health care, and exclude these Americans from accessing services and fully participating in our society. - [Collins wanted war. She got war.](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/collins-wanted-war-she-got-war/): Every time Sen. Susan Collins has made a consequential choice in regard to Iran, she has chosen to put us on a path to war. - [Political Cartoons, March 2026](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/political-cartoons-march-2026/) - [Aiming for Trump’s Achilles’ Heel: MAGA Before the Elections, Part II](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/aiming-for-trumps-achilles-heel-maga-before-the-elections-part-ii/): Several months into the second year of his second term, Trump’s might-makes-right strategy, at home and abroad, has spurred more mass disgust among his opponents and even among a few previous supporters. - [Opinion: It’s time for Mills to drop out (or step up)](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/opinion-its-time-for-mills-to-drop-out-or-step-up/): Based on recent polling, it doesn’t look good for Gov. Janet Mills. - [A Conversation on Graham Platner](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/a-conversation-on-graham-platner/): Graham Platner’s campaign in Maine’s 2026 Senate race has caused divided opinions among many of the state’s progressive and left wing voters, partly due to revelations around his former military contractor work, comments he made online in the past, and especially due to a totenkopf tattoo he received while serving in the Marines overseas. - [Organizing in the Heart of Empire: On the Left's debate around Iran](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/organizing-in-the-heart-of-empire-on-the-lefts-debate-around-iran/): The situation in Iran poses a political challenge for anyone who cares about emancipation. - [Portland's Housing Development Booming After Maine DSA Sponsored Tenant Protections](https://pineandroses.org/reports/portlands-housing-development-booming-after-maine-dsa-sponsored-tenant-protections/): My personal favorite bug-a-boo, of course, is around housing. - [Opinion: Bellows is Badass](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/opinion-bellows-is-badass/): Let me be clear up front—this is not an official endorsement of anyone running for governor. - [Maine Forces ICE to Retreat](https://pineandroses.org/news/maine-forces-ice-to-retreat/): After Renée Good’s murder on January 6, Maine went on high alert. - [Hundreds Attend "No ICE" Skill Share in Portland](https://pineandroses.org/news/hundreds-attend-no-ice-skill-share-in-portland/): On Saturday, February 7, as temperatures barely crested double digits, over 300 people across Maine gathered at the Maine Irish Heritage Center in Portland for a community meeting put on by the No ICE for ME coalition, aimed at educating residents on rights and skills to know in light of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) recent heightened activity throughout the state. - [At a dark moment, remembering Martin Luther King’s fight for equity](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/at-a-dark-moment-remembering-martin-luther-kings-fight-for-equity/): This story was originally published by The Beacon, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization, on January 21, 2026. - [Political Cartoons, February 2026](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/political-cartoons-for-february/): We offer you these political cartoons from contributor Vernon S, please enjoy and share. - [If it Walks Like a Duck and Talks Like a Duck ...](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/if-it-walks-like-a-duck-and-talks-like-a-duck/): The following is an opinion piece by the contributor T. Sinclair, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Pine & Roses Editorial Board. - [Mamdani's Swearing-In: An Inauguration of the Left](https://pineandroses.org/reports/mamdanis-swearing-in-an-inauguration-of-the-left/): After a crushing year under the Trump administration, the US left had little to celebrate at the end of 2025. - [Hands Off Venezuela: No Blood for Oil](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/hands-off-venezuela-no-blood-for-oil/): Note: the following piece was penned just days before the United States' recent military attack on Venezuela and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife on January 3rd, 2025. - [Maine DSA Holds Solidarity Conference in Lewiston](https://pineandroses.org/news/maine-dsa-holds-solidarity-conference-in-lewiston/): On Saturday, November 15, people began to slowly trickle into Lewiston’s Franco Center as soon as the doors opened at 9:00 AM. - [MAGA one year before the 2026 elections](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/maga-one-year-before-the-2026-elections/): Trump had a bad month, but he may be stronger than he looks. Defeating MAGA and the billionaires needs a better strategy. - [Maine Voters Don’t Want Janet Mills for Senate. There’s a Reason for that.](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/maine-voters-dont-want-janet-mills-for-senate-theres-a-reason-for-that/): This article was first published in Power Map Magazine, and is being re-printed here with the author's permission. - [The Case for Troy Jackson](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/the-case-for-troy-jackson/): This opinion piece is part of an ongoing debate in Maine DSA about candidates in 2026. Pine and Roses welcomes contributions. - [Revolutionary Forgiveness: Why it’s needed now more than ever](https://pineandroses.org/news/revolutionary-forgiveness-why-its-needed-now-more-than-ever/): This opinion piece is part of an ongoing debate in Maine DSA about candidates in 2026. Pine and Roses welcomes contributions. - [Platner and Jackson are standing up for Maine workers](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/platner-and-jackson-are-standing-up-for-maine-workers/): A funny thing happened on the way to Graham Platner’s political funeral. - [No Kings Rally Speech by Councilor Pelletier](https://pineandroses.org/news/no-kings-rally-speech-by-councilor-pelletier/): The following is a speech delivered by Portland City Councilor Wes Pelletier at the October 18, 2025 No Kings rally in Portland Maine. - [Cumberland County jail should cut its contract with ICE](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/cumberland-county-jail-should-cut-its-contract-with-ice/): Cumberland County Commissioners will vote whether or not to continue the county jail's contract to hold ICE detainees - [Harness street power: endorse No Kings!](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/harness-street-power-endorse-no-kings/): Will we meet the mass outpouring of anti-fascist energy where it’s at and organize them into DSA? - [Support, but don't endorse Platner](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/support-but-dont-endorse-platner/): Maine DSA should support, but not endorse, Graham Platner for U.S. Senate - [What's at stake in Maine in 2026](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/whats-at-stake-in-maine-in-2026/): Graham Platner has broken the race for US Senate wide open while Troy Jackson promises to be the most pro-union governor in the state’s history. - [New Banner, New Location, New Friends](https://pineandroses.org/news/new-banner-new-location-new-friends/): Hundreds of cars, many from out of state, crept past us in Brunswick, Maine as 43 of us held our monthly statewide coalition protest on Route 1 covering all four corners of a sprawling intersection. - [Maine DSA rejects the rollback of public health measures within the federal government and National DSA](https://pineandroses.org/news/dsa-national-convention-mask-policy/): We endorse a motion to require wearing respirators at convention, decry DSA's advice to misuse medical tests, and emphasize how the NPC's decision to not require masks hurts marginalized communities. - [As Cumberland County goes, so go immigrant rights in Maine](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/as-cumberland-county-goes-so-go-immigrant-rights-in-maine/): The Cumberland County Jail is the largest ICE detention facility in Maine. The Board of Commissioners can cancel the contract. - [Maine DSA to Hold Summer Semi-Annual](https://pineandroses.org/news/maine-dsa-to-hold-summer-semi-annual/): Every year, the Maine chapter of Democratic Socialists of America holds two conventions; a Winter Semi-Annual held in January, and a Summer Semi-Annual held in July. - [Trump’s Social Murder Bill Passes – Now What?](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/trumps-social-murder-bill-passes-now-what/): With the passage of the so-called “big beautiful bill,” the poorest of the poor are being told their shelters are no longer funded, their food pantries won't take them anymore, and their chronic illnesses will lock them into six-digit debts. - [Maine Mural: Looking Forward to the DSA National Convention](https://pineandroses.org/podcast/maine-mural-looking-forward-to-the-dsa-national-convention/): With DSA's National Convention right around the corner, our host Dylan C. - [Unions and Community Unite for May Day: Lessons for the Fight Ahead](https://pineandroses.org/reports/unions-and-community-unite-for-may-day-lessons-for-the-fight-ahead/): This article is reprinted from the Socialist Forum, a publication of DSA. - [Stop Deportation Machine: End ICE Cooperation in Cumberland County](https://pineandroses.org/news/stop-deportation-machine-end-ice-cooperation-in-cumberland-county/): On April 15, Border Patrol agents tackled a 27-year-old Salvadoran man to the pavement on Massachusetts Avenue in Portland. - [Maine Mural: Origins of the Socialist Movement](https://pineandroses.org/podcast/maine-mural-origins-of-the-socialist-movement/): This month we bring you an audio adaptation of a presentation designed by the Political Education Committee of Maine DSA. - [Two Men Abducted by ICE in Maine](https://pineandroses.org/news/two-men-abducted-by-ice-in-maine/): On May 26th, Marcos Henrique and Lucas Segobia, both skilled workers here in Maine, were abducted by ICE on their way to work at 6am. - [Bowdoin, Trump, and the Battle for Academic Freedom](https://pineandroses.org/reports/bowdoin-trump-and-the-battle-for-academic-freedoms/): All across the US, students at colleges and universities have spent over a year organizing to protest the ongoing ethnic cleansing Israel is currently committing in Gaza. - [Maine unions and community unite for May Day](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/maine-unions-and-community-unite-for-may-day/): 5,000 participants spread over 26 towns and cities from Madawaska to Orono to Portland rallied in Maine on May Day. - [Maine Mural: Presente! ME](https://pineandroses.org/podcast/maine-mural-presente-me/): An interview with the local group Presente! - [What will May Day 2025 teach us? ](https://pineandroses.org/news/what-will-may-day-2025-teach-us/): May Day will be a test of strength. But to beat back Trump's attack, we can't underestimate his strength, nor overestimate ours. - [Strength in Solidarity: May Day protests against Trump take shape in Maine](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/strength-in-solidarity-may-day-protests-against-trump-take-shape-in-maine/): The slogan “Strength in Solidarity” won the vote to lead Portland’s International Workers Day protest on May 1st. - [Maine Mural: Camp Hope, Bangor Maine](https://pineandroses.org/podcast/camp-hope-bangor-maine/): This month our Maine Mural podcast brings you interviews with houseless folks from Bangor who are being forced out of their encampment with little guidance as to where they should go. - [Sitting Down with Portland's Tenant Union](https://pineandroses.org/news/sitting-down-with-portlands-tenant-union/): T. Sinclair sat down with Bradley Davis, steering member of the Portland Tenants' Union, which has recently helped win a case where it was ruled $34,000 in illegal rent violations must be paid back to tenants. - [We need an anti-Trump united front in Maine](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/we-need-a-anti-trump-united-front-in-maine/): How do we confront Trump and MAGAism in the immediate and medium term? - [Solidarity against Trump means joining an organization](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/solidarity-against-trump-means-joining-an-organization/): Maine DSA co-chair speaks to thousands on April 5 assembled to demand Hands Off! - [Thousands say Hands Off Maine!](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/thousands-say-hands-off-maine/): Thousands turn out in Portland to say "Hands off" Maine! - [Putting Treats on the Altar](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/putting-treats-on-the-altar/): This piece may be more than what some are able to hear today. - [New England DSA protests ICE detentions](https://pineandroses.org/news/new-england-dsa-protests-ice-detentions/): Free Khalil, Ozturk and all ICE political prisoners - [The method to Trump's Medicaid Cut Madness](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/the-method-to-trumps-medicaid-cut-madness/): Trumps wants to cut MaineCare to fund tax breaks for the rich. What will it take to stop him? - [Jared Golden leads, Schumer follows, Trump wins.](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/jared-golden-leads-schumer-follows-trump-wins/): Golden’s vote back Trump's Republican budget, which seemed like an anomaly just a couple days ago, has now been endorsed by the most powerful elected Democrat in the country, Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. - [Tax the rich, it's a decent start](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/www-pineandroses-org/): Socialists want to tax the rich, but we also want to abolish capitalism - [Maine Mural: Bowdoin College Encampment](https://pineandroses.org/podcast/maine-mural-bowdoin-college-encampment/): This month our podcast looks back at the Bowdoin College encampment in early February that took over a portion of Morrell Lounge demanding the institution publicly stand against scholasticide in Gaza and divest from certain arms manufacturers who have been supplying Israel's criminal acts there. - [Commercialization of Irish American Culture](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/commercialization-of-irish-american-culture/): The following is reprinted from Brendan's Substack. - [DSA Corner - February 2025](https://pineandroses.org/reports/dsa-corner-february-2025/): DSA Corner is a monthly feature highlighting headlines from the Democratic Socialists of America from the last month. - [We’ll need popular resistance to defend trans rights in Maine](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/well-need-popular-resistance-to-defend-trans-rights-in-maine/): Socialist strategies for defending trans athletes against Trump’s attacks in Maine are part of building a united working-class movement. - [The future of housing is public](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/the-future-of-housing-is-public/): Portland is at a crossroads. Our housing crisis has been decades in the making, driven by rising costs, stagnant wages, and a lack of public investment. But we are making real progress toward a publicly owned, permanently affordable housing model that has the potential to transform how we think about housing in Maine. - [Maine DSA’s Statement in Response to Trump’s Threats](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/maine-dsas-statement-in-response-to-trumps-threats/): Maine will not be bullied into submission by a power-hungry fascist billionaire who is targeting transgender children. - [Punching above our weight in Portland, Maine](https://pineandroses.org/news/punching-above-our-weight-in-portland-maine/): Maine DSA City Councilor Wes Pelletier talks about organizing inside and outside - [International Workers Day: then and now](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/international-workers-day-then-and-now/): International Workers Day began in the US. We need to bring back its lessons to fight Trump. - [Trump leaves Maine farms out in the cold](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/trump-leaves-maine-farms-out-in-the-cold/): Trump cuts vital support for Maine farms - [Bowdoin College encampment stands up for Gaza](https://pineandroses.org/news/bowdoin-college-encampment-stands-up-for-gaza/): Bowdoin Students for Justice in Palestine turned a rally in the student union into the first Gaza encampment of the new year. - [DSA could use a dash of punk rock](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/dsa-could-use-a-dash-of-punk-rock/): Add a dash of punk rock socialism to the mix without spoiling Maine DSA's optimistic socialism recipe. - [Democratic Failures Paved the Way for Trump](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/democratic-failures-paved-the-way-for-trump/): Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris handily, winning the popular vote alongside every swing state. How did this happen? - [DSA Corner - January 2025](https://pineandroses.org/reports/comradely-corner-january-2025/): DSA Corner is a new monthly feature of handpicked headlines from the previous month highlighting news from the Democratic Socialists of America and related issues. - [Maine Socialists Say No to Trump](https://pineandroses.org/news/maine-socialists-say-no-to-trump/): Maine Democratic Socialists of America co-chair Sophie G. - [Maine DSA 2025 Platform](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/proposal-for-a-maine-dsa-2025-platform/): The following has been updated to reflect the platform passed as amended at the Maine DSA's Winter Semi-Annual Convention on January 25th, 2025. - [Don't Say ... Do Say](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/dont-say-do-say/): I started collecting these little sentences in my head, the intention behind them was to show that language matters. - [Blueberry Fields Cooperative, Pt. 2](https://pineandroses.org/podcast/blueberry-fields-cooperative-pt-2/): This is our second and final episode focused on how residents of the formerly named Linnhaven Mobile Home Park in Brunswick were able to organize, collectively purchase it, and turn it into the Blueberry Fields Cooperative. - [Why Organizers Must Read](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/why-organizers-must-read/): Is labor the source of all wealth? Is labor entitled to all it creates? Will commodity production exist under socialism? - [The Two Parties’ Embrace of Death](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/the-two-parties-embrace-of-death/): After the 1990’s “end of history” came to a crashing halt with the advent of the 2000’s “War on Terror,” broad political culture within the US has become more divided between an increasingly far-right base which has taken over the Republican Party, and an ever-centrist Democratic Party that has had to contend with an increasingly disillusioned, left-turning base of activists. - [Going Into 2025: A Call for Voices](https://pineandroses.org/editorials/going-into-2025-a-call-for-voices/): What should Maine leftists aim to accomplish in the coming few years? After many decades in the doldrums, the U.S. - [Maine Mural - Blueberry Fields Cooperative, Pt. 1](https://pineandroses.org/podcast/blueberry-fields-cooperative-pt-1/): Recently, residents of Linnhaven Mobile Home Park in Brunswick formed the Blueberry Fields Cooperative, and collectively purchased the park from its owner. - [Billionaire Blames Left for Democrats’ Woes](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/billionaire-blames-left-for-democrats-woes/): I must admit, I was naive. - [A Maine Socialist - Norman Wallace Lermond, pt. 3](https://pineandroses.org/podcast/a-maine-socialist-norman-wallace-lermond-pt-3/): This is our third and final installment in our mini-series on Norman Wallace Lermond, famed socialist and naturalist from Maine. - [Is Trump Just a Return to Reagan? Yes and No.](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/is-trump-just-a-return-to-reagan-yes-and-no/): I remember being the only kid in my 5th grade class at Pennell Elementary in Gray, Maine to vote for Jimmy Carter in 1980. - [In the Wake of the Election, Who Will Democrats Blame?](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/in-the-wake-of-the-election-who-will-democrats-blame/): In the wake of Kamala Harris’s loss to Donald Trump in the recent Presidential election, leftists can be forgiven for asking “who will the Democrats blame?” After all, the left is used to being the Party’s scapegoat. - [Maine Mural: A Maine Socialist - Norman Wallace Lermond, pt. 2](https://pineandroses.org/podcast/maine-mural-a-maine-socialist-normand-wallace-lermond-pt-2/): This month we are proud to present part two in our three-part series on noted Maine socialist and naturalist, Norman Wallace Lermond. - [Maine Mural: A Maine Socialist - Norman Wallace Lermond, pt. 1](https://pineandroses.org/podcast/maine-mural-a-maine-socialist-norman-wallace-lermond-pt-1/): This month's Maine Mural podcast presents the first episode in a three part series focused on notable Maine socialist and naturalist, Norman Wallace Lermond. - [Maine Mural: Changing Your Mind is Hard](https://pineandroses.org/podcast/maine-mural-changing-your-mind-is-hard/): In this episode, podcast host and producer D.C. - [Maine Mural: Conservative Justices are Waging a Reactionary Revolution](https://pineandroses.org/podcast/maine-mural-conservative-justices-are-waging-a-reactionary-revolution/): Our Maine Mural podcast is happy to offer this audio recording of T. - [Conservative Justices are Waging a Reactionary Revolution](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/conservative-justices-are-waging-a-reactionary-revolution/): In spite of all this nonsense from the left, we are going to win. We are in the process of taking this country back. - [Tender Comrades: On New Relationships](https://pineandroses.org/culture/tender-comrades-on-new-relationships/): Welcome to our new column: Tender Comrades. This will be a semi-regular advice column from a leftist perspective. - [Maine Mural: Socialism and Economics - A Crash Course](https://pineandroses.org/podcast/maine-mural-socialism-and-economics-a-crash-course/): In 2021, Maine DSA held a crash course session on Marx and Economics featuring retired teacher and author, Howard Engelskirchen. - [Maine Mural Podcast: Democrats or Breakaway?](https://pineandroses.org/podcast/maine-mural-podcast-democrats-or-breakaway/): In early 2019, the Maine Democratic Socialists of America held a public debate. - [On Marx’s Gamble, Optimism, and What We Do Now](https://pineandroses.org/education/on-marxs-gamble-optimism-and-what-we-do-now/): In Daniel Bensaïd’s pivotal piece, Leaps, Leaps, Leaps, he addresses Lenin’s conception of political change. A prominent leader on the French revolutionary left, Bensaïd insisted that change is non-linear, political moments come and go. - [Gaza is a political struggle](https://pineandroses.org/news/gaza-is-a-political-struggle/): On March 2, 2024, nearly 1,000 Mainers responded to a call from the Maine Coalition for Palestine to march through the middle of Portland, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and justice for Palestinians. - [Letter to the Editor: Remember Aaron Bushnell](https://pineandroses.org/opinion/letter-to-the-editor-remember-aaron-bushnell/): Aaron Bushnell was an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force in May 2020. He then became a DevOps engineer. - [What We Heard From Michigan](https://pineandroses.org/news/what-we-heard-from-michigan/): Over 100,000 voters, including the majority of voters in Dearborn sent their ceasefire message to Biden on Tuesday. - [Maine DSA Joins Palestine Coalition](https://pineandroses.org/news/maine-dsa-joins-palestine-coalition/): Since October 2023, a number of groups in Maine have coalesced around Gaza. ## Pages - [Contact the Editors](https://pineandroses.org/contact/): If you have a question, comment, or if you would like to submit a story idea, please use the form below to reach out to us. - [Who are Pine & Roses?](https://pineandroses.org/about/): PineandRoses.org is dedicated to building solidarity with working-class, feminist, anti-racist, indigenous, ecological, immigrant, LGTBQ, housing, and education struggles across the state of Maine from Kittery to Calais, from Madawaska to Rumford. [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)