The South Portlander

David, thanks for the thoughtful analysis. I would ditto that Tom Blake would be a great choice. He is a thinker who values the input of others and isn’t afraid to seek input. He is a very humble and thoughtful man. Exactly the kind of person people can get behind.

After last night’s deadlocked caucus, I call on Linda Boudreau to do the right thing. It is time to put egos aside, and do what is in the best interests of all residents of South Portland. I was not surprised to hear her defensive and negative comments last night because those in power, those advocating for the status quo, are threatened by new voices and new ideas. Linda has served the city admirably for 25 years, three of those as Mayor; it is time for change. Time to let the next generation of councilors lead us and inspire us and give us hope again. I call on other residents to join me in asking Linda to do the right thing and support change.

I believe former Councilor Jacobs is spot-on. The position of Mayor should be, I believe, used to move this City forward, not one to be used as a recognition for past service. People who deal with the Mayor want to know that the person will be on the Council in the years ahead.

Linda Boudreau has served as Mayor previously, and she is nearing the end of her time on the Council. Give someone else a chance to give direction to the City. We don’t need to just recycle old ideas.

I hope one of the four withholding their votes will change and support Tom Blake.

The real issue here is that Linda Boudreau has a ton of baggage, is divisive, and not well liked by many constituents.  Why reward her negativity?  She complains about press coverage and public opinion when criticized and lags far behind Councilor Blake in community engagement beyond her seat as councilor.  Tom Blake is such an obvious choice for mayor that I can only view Linda Boudreau’s desires for the office as sheer ego.

Here’s a crazy idea but maybe the citizens should be allowed to choose the mayor. Do they not trust us with such a weighty decision?

I’m just curious—and I’m not being facetious—what has Mayor Soule accomplished during his first year as mayor?  I mean, let’s say that the citizens were actually allowed to elect the mayor, and Mayor Soule was campaigning and a reporter asked him what accomplishments he was most proud of during his first term, what would he say?  His secession thing obviously didn’t work, and when he backpedaled and said it was to draw attention to the lack of education funding our city receives… well, clearly we’re still in the same situation and it doesn’t appear that anybody in Augusta noticed (aside from Baldacci getting a good laugh from the secession idea)…

I for one agree that Linda is in a great position to support the freshmen councilors and help a NEW mayor move this city forward.  With three terms as Mayor, her work there is done. 
I support Tom Blake.  Perhaps since the councilors have been reading this blog, they will consider what the community would like as well.

It seems clear to me that it is time for some fresh perspectives at the mayoral position.  Both Linda and Tom have a demonstrated history of commitment in leadership and their dedication to the South Portland community, but I support Tom Blake.  Linda has had her opportunity with three terms as mayor, and Mr. Soule is completing his first term memorable only for a failed and foolhardy secession movement.  It is time for some fresh perspectives at the mayoral position, Tom would best fulfill this position with an objective approach.

This city is in need of change!!  There have been too many back room deals (like recent Wainwright / Maietta deal where one gets an unneeded road that has to be named after him and the other gets to fill in wetlands to build more homes).  There has been too much construction and pavement (SoPo’s waterways are paying the price - the city needs to preserve more land instead of building).  Residents are upset about homes being built on <5000 square foot lots (if residents wanted more density they would live in Portland). 
Residents should be able to elect the mayor.  Then there would be more accountability and improvements in the SoPo quality of life!

I agree with many of the above posters. Monumental change needs to come to SoPo and fresh leadership is the only answer. What have the same old “leaders” brought forward? Their “vision” has created an 80 acre parking lot teetering on the verge of bankruptcy in the west end and the “wisdom” to completely ignore the open space plan they created years ago. Now they want to shoehorn houses onto every last square foot available so they can enrich their developer friends. We need leaders who will understand the need to factor quality of life into their decision making process. We can make South Portland a city we can be proud we live in (and our children will want to live in) or we can continue to turn it into a giant sprawling mess. We know where the past mayors stand.

Linda Boudreau has served the city for a long time and has given a lot. She works hard and cares. If she wants to be mayor, especially in her last term, she would offer the city a lot of experience during what could be a tough year.

Does the ballot have to be secret? I would like to see some transparency. This would be a great opportunity for voters to know how their representatives vote. This would be one piece we can use to help evaluate performance in future elections.

I am giving my support to Tom Blake because I think he will do a good job and we do need to start looking forward and charting our future with new perspectives.  I think that this next year will be a critical and pivotal one for the future of the city.
I also think that it is important for our leaders to get the chance to lead.  During my recent campaign I came to believe that I couldn’t get the support of Linda or Maxine because they stood the chance of losing a voting block if I too was elected to the council (in this case maybe I was right).
Unfortunately, whomever wins will most likely do so only by obtaining the needed one extra vote (Jim Soule)which will be a shame all the way around.  I think whoever is selected Mayor should be done so by the clear majority (meaning that in the end everyone should throw their support to one person - for unity). 
Regardless of who is Mayor, I think it will be a tough road ahead for the following reasons:

a.  If the council is split then the sitting mayor will have to spend his/her time bringing the council together which will be a big waste of time and detract from the council doing its work.

b.  I predict that this year the council will be forced to cut services, lay-off staff and we still will have a tax increase.  All things I’m not personally looking forward to.  But, the reality is that city revenues will be significantly down, the state is cutting back on school funding, request for bonds may be coming forward and virtually all of the city’s fixed costs continue to rise (just like it is for existing businesses in the city and for us personally). 

To some of the posters, in order for the city to be the place that many of us moved to and want to see continue (full city (not town) services at a reasonable rate with an appreciation of open space) there must be a continual balance of healthy economic development/re-development, respect for property rights and judicious use/appreciation for the open space we do have.  It’s a balancing act that isn’t easy to juggle.

P.S.  I’m not sure that council members read The SouthPortlander!

Mark

Secret ballots?  Where is that in the charter?  They are supposed to caucus.  It’s pretty clear 3 councilors want to move forward and 4 are stuck in the old way of doing things.

Tom Blake has proven that he is a civic minded individual who has given to the community in many ways. His previous profession as an EMT shows his dedication to the community and his service to people. At all of the council meetings he is not just civil, he is respectful of the other Councilors and the public. He truly wants people involved in the processes that the City works through. I have had experiences where I have emailed or called councilors (all of the councilors) and Tom Blake is one (as well as Jim Soule) who has returned my calls or emailed me back with answers every time.

He is a man of integrity and who cares about South Portland and what his constituents need and want. I don’t always agree with Councilor Blake’s decisions or recommendations but he makes them out of reason and logic, not emotion and for personal gain. I voted for him and I support him for Mayor because he is a great person for the job. He can lead our changing community and the council forward in the next year.
-Crystal Goodrich

Please lets not make this discussion negative or personal. Whether you agree with her or not, Linda Boudreau has served our City well for over 20 years. What we should discuss, as well as impress upon the Council, is that the freshmen councilors need to lead now while they have the guidance and experience of the senior councilors to call upon. In the next three years, there will be no senior councilors on the bench. If we are respectful, I am certain that Linda Boudreau will see that a good leader knows when to pass the reigns. Thank you.

What’s up in this City with the Mayor’s spot. Can it be used to something productive? Mayor Soule got a lot of press a year ago and then seems to have hidden in a closet since then, coming out only on council nights. We need someone who will use the mayor’s position to help this city and to get things done. Probably, from what I know about Blake, he’s the most likely one to do that. I hope the council agrees so it can move forward.

"I’m not sure that council members read The SouthPortlander!” Most of them probably don’t, and that’s part of the problem.

I appreciate Mark Gandolfo’s post...it was refreshingly honest for a politician. He brings up a good point about political favors. I read comments made in previous news stories on this blog of votes being traded by councilors. I think someone mentioned that Claude Morgan campaigned for Jim Soule so Morgan could be mayor that year. This is not fair to the voters. Each of the councilors are elected equally...no one councilor should have more power or authority than others. If the mayor position is truly ceremonial, then it shouldn’t matter who is elected. Obviously, seniority plays a role as well as ability...I couldn’t ever imagine farmer Fickett being mayor. But if someone has been mayor three times versus someone who wants it for the first time, then Linda Boudreau should step out of the way. I think it shows poor decision making on her part, but most especially, on Jim Hughes and Maxine Beecher. This whole thing is an embarrassment to the city and the voters.

I have to comment on Give Linda a Break’s posting. “If she wants to be mayor, especially in her last term, she would offer the city a lot of experience during what could be a tough year.” I don’t think the issue is whether Linda has experience or has done good work. The issue is that there is someone else that wants to be mayor and Linda has already held that role three times. Don’t you think the others make a good point that her experience would serve us residents best if she mentored the next generation of councilors? Its not like Linda won’t still be a councilor and able to share her knowledge like she always does.

Well, at least one councilor (elect) reads the South Portlander.  The problem we have is three well-qualified candidates seeking a single position.  Many municipalities might envy this ‘trilemma’!

The post of South Portland Mayor is largely but not completely ceremonial.  The Mayor is the ‘chair’ of the council, but also has a role in setting the agenda, running meetings, and so forth.  The mayor does not have any more voting power than any other councilor.

I am interested in hearing comments from anyone with an opinion (ideally a reasoned opinion) on who would make the best mayor from among the declared candidates.  Posting on this blog would be welcome, and I will be checking back frequently to see what folks have had to say.

Thanks Mr. Coward. Your participation on this blog proves that change is coming at City Hall...open, honest communications with the public. How refreshing! Hopefully the relics of politics-past will realize that the people want new leadership. I think Tom Blake is the perfect one to usher in this new era of collaboration and communication as our next Mayor.

Mayors often set the tone for the council and the city for the coming year. I, for one, would love to see what Tom Blake could bring to the table as Mayor. Plus, unlike Linda, he will be around after his term as Mayor to help follow through on any long-term goals put in place.

I want Tom Blake to be my Mayor. How can we vote on this? Do we have to do a petition?

Tom Blake will be an excellent mayor for the City of South Portland during some very challenging times. He is a smart, well-prepared, compassionate member of council and has the temperment and work ethic necessary to tackle this very tough job.
Tom Blake has already earned the respect of countless South Portland residents through his dedicated years of service to our community. He also earned more votes than any other council candidate in last year’s election - in each and every district of our city. Of all the candidates for Mayor of South Portland, Tom Blake is best suited for the job.
I hope the rest of council will stand behind the rest of South Portland and elect Tom Blake as our next mayor.

First, let me say that as a Councilor I do read this blog on a regular basis.  I find the stories up to date and appreciate the day to day report on what is happening in South Portland.  I give credit to Linda Hersey and the Current for their efforts to keep this blog up to date, accurate and positive.
Secondly, let me thank all of you for your kind words as I seek the Mayorship.  You are all way too kind!!  I have confidence that with the council and constituent support, I can do a superb job as Mayor.  While I can make no promises, I can promise to listen to all of you, to work hard and to consensus build. I much prefer sugar over spice and think with a positive collaberative effort we can indeed contiue to make SP a great place to live and perhaps even improve our community.  Again, thank you for your support, and win or lose I will continue to seek your involvement and will contiue to work hard for all of our citizens.  As usual, never hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Tom Blake
Councilor at-large

Well said Mr. Beck! Tom Blake for Mayor!

Tom Blake gets my “vote"-reasonable, well liked, positive, active in the community, interested in SoPo; not unlike Jim Soule or Linda Boudreau but Linda has had her opportunity and Jim just had his. Why not let the newcomer?

This is a good discussion, but a little one sided.  Who could convince more councilors to chime in??
I too would love to see Tom Blake get the mayorship.  I love his style and his talent for bringing folks together in a friendly, thoughtful, caring way can really set the tone for a year of difficult decisions.  While the position may be mostly “ceremonial”, I believe that the all important culture of an organization or entity is set at the top.  I think a culture of thoughtful deliberation and respectful disagreement are second nature to Tom.
I think Mr. Beck’s point that Tom received the most number of votes from SoPo voters is another good reason he deserves a chance at Mayor. 
Best regards, Brenda Peluso

Can Monday’s meeting, where the mayoral vote is set to be taken, be broadcast on cable TV? I can’t be at the meeting, but I am certainly very interested in not only the results, but hearing what the councilors have to say and how they vote. If the answer is no, it won’t be broadcast, why not?

The meeting’s agenda shows it as a workshop in the Community Center. Workshops aren’t routinely broadcast on SPCTV.  Anyone can attend the workshop but the council doesn’t have to ask for input from the public and normally doesn’t - they have recently broke with this tradition with the Willard Beach issue and the Armory use meeting.

I know that the new council members and maybe one or two existing councilors may be interested in finding a way to televise workshops.  I was at a recent workshop where the SPCTV staff mentioned that sometime next year they will be replacing the cameras in the Council Chambers and perhaps the older models could be installed in the Community Center - also there may be some future ability to offer meetings in a “live, streaming format” so citizens can watch over the internet.  Also, there may be some support for opening up future workshops for more citizen input.

If you support these kinds of changes and move towards more “transparency” I really would encourage everyone to contact their councilor and push for it.

Mark

WhyNot, good question! I asked a similar question but it wasn’t posted for some reason. I wanted to know whether the public could speak at the caucus. It is important that we remind the council that they work for us.

I am very much in favor of broadcasting city council meetings (and anything else that normally appears on the city’s TV station) on the internet.  I don’t have cable and I have no desire to pay $40+ a month for it, but I’d still like to be able to see what goes on at these meetings.  Other cities and towns have been showing their meetings online for years.  The technology is dead simple.  If “live streaming” is too complicated or too expensive, why not just post the videos on YouTube?  Cost: $0.  Difficulty: a kid could do it.

I support Tom Blake for Mayor!  He has the energy and foresight that this City has been lacking for quite some time.  Another reason to support Tom is he has the ability to draw people out and get them motivated - we need action, not just words.  Go Tom!

This discussion about public meetings and open communications is the exact reason why Tom Blake should be our next mayor. He has pledged to push for better transparency and public involvement in the process. Linda Boudreau has the attitude that she was elected to do what she wants to do, not what the public wants. Boudreau and Blake are at the opposite ends of the spectrum as it relates to transparency...the better choice for mayor is clear.

I hope that both Jim Soule and Linda Boudreau take a moment to consider the overwhelming citizen response reflected on this comment thread to have Tom Blake as their mayor.  I would suggest that a link be emailed to each of them so that we know that the message has been received.  If 100% citizen support seen here is not taken in to consideration then we must be concerned with each councilor’s motivations for seeking to monopolize the position of mayor.  Once you have emailed a link to Mayor Soule and councilor Boudreau perhaps confirming it on this thread would help.

I too support Tom Blake for Mayor!  I don’t recall a City Councilor who has spent more time than Tom in his community listening to voters and making sure our voices are heard.

I think the crux of the matter, for me, comes down to the spirit of the leadership. Linda Boudreau has time again shown outright disdain for the electorate, and is angered by the democratic process in general. She mocks folks who organize for a cause, and is angered by having her actions placed under the microscope of the press. That her fellow councilors would vote to put her in a place of greater visibility speaks to the fact that those councilors support her past behavior. Shame on them. Put Tom Blake in the seat and let him lead; he has shown nothing but respect for and interest in the voice of the people who put him on the council in the first place. This is the kind of leadership we need.

First, please be clear that my advocating for Tom Blake is in no way meant to diminish my respect for Linda Boudreau. Having my finger on the pulse of the community, I am hearing that people want change. I am confused by the reasons being given to support Linda. In The Forecaster, other councilors are saying that we need a mayor with experience, yet they voted for Claude Morgan for mayor after he had only served one year on the council. They say that Linda has experience with the budget as if the mayor alone controls this process. The fact is that the City Manager leads this process, not the mayor, and the council as a whole equally plays an integral role. I understand that this is Linda’s last term and that she wants to have this last feather in her cap. However, this only serves Linda’s best interests...not the best interests of the public. I am hoping that the council is hearing from all of those who have posted here and that they will put ego aside and vote for change and for new leadership at Monday’s caucus for mayor. Thanks.

I also read this blog and applaud Linda Hersey, et al. for their efforts in keeping us up-to-date on what’s happening in South Portland.  I also appreciate reading the feedback from so many people.  Blogging is an important form of communication in the 21st century and I am happy to be plugged in.  I agree that we need to come together in selecting a Mayor quickly so that the newly formed Council can move on to the many pressing issues facing South Portland today.  I am always open to feedback and don’t hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns.

We believe that the residents of South Portland, by their recent votes, are eager to see change in the city council.  For the past few years it seems the councilors, perhaps due to certain issues being unresolved and reoccurring year in and out, are experiencing levels of fatigue that has hindered the very problem solving that they wish to achieve.

We are hoping that they will all support Tom Blake’s nomination to the position of Mayor of So. Portland.  He has been on the council long enough to know the protocol yet is fresh enough to enthusiastically embrace issues.  He has a broad background of achievements in So. Portland, and a strong demonstration of his commitment to our city.  As a successful athletic coach, he is well versed in team building and personality management.  He has the demonstrated ability to develop and run programs and events, such as the paramedic program at SMCC. In his work with the Land Trust he has demonstrated over and again creative problem solving. 

We hope that the council will support Tom for our next Mayor.  We believe he can work with the council to develop fresh approaches to old and new issues.  The residents of SP, as the rest of the country, are looking for change and we’re fortunate to have new leadership already on the council.

By nominating and voting for himself for mayor, Mr. Soule has once again brought negative publicity to the city of South Portland.  First, it was his inane suggestion of secession during his inauguration speech and now this. During his last campaign, Mr. Soule highlighted ten initiatives that he said he would accomplish within his first one hundred days on the council.  I would like to see a recap of which of these initiatives was indeed accommplished by Mr. Soule.

Anyone for bets on Jim Soule casting his vote for Linda Boudreau just to stick his finger in the eye of a citizen call for change.  That’s where my funny money is.  Of course in an honorable world both he and Linda would step down and allow the citizens to be heard and a fresh face in Tom Blake to have a turn at representing South Portland.

My bet is that Jim Soule will get it. If no one budges, my guess is that the freshmen councilors will go for Soule rather than give in to Linda Boudreau’s power play.

When I first began reading the daily articles on the South Portlander website some months ago, I found it to be a great way to keep in touch with my hometown news.  Now I’m ashamed of the negativity that lingers over the blogs and the lack of respect some people in this city have for the people on the council that work hard to make the city a better place to live.  It’s very easy for some of you to post anonymously, bad mouthing my father and the others on the council, but I know how hard he and the others have worked for the city of South Portland.  Over the 20+ years my family has lived in South Portland, my father has not only been a dedicated member of the city council, but also a representative on the RWS board, president of the South Portland High School Track Boosters Club, and held numerous coaching positions (among many of his other positions and activities).  Not to mention the fact that he has also owned and operated a business in this city since 1986 employing dozens of hard working Mainers.  I ask that bloggers use a little more respect and courtesy in their postings.  If we really want this city to change, why don’t we start with ourselves.

What change are you all talking about that we voted for?  District 1 was Tom.  There was no other choice.  Dist 2 Loring stepped down so we had no choice there but to vote someone new in. Dist 5 we voted Jim back in.  The way it looks to me we voted for no change.  In most of the state level the same got voted back in.  I don’t see any change.