Politics in Bangor (Orono, Millinocket, Union: home, schools, university)

[1cocomut]

What is the political climate like in the Bangor area?

[mainegrl2011]

Maybe reading the Bangor Daily News will help you decide. Maine news, sports, politics and obituaries — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Bangor is very liberal. They seized a fine deli where five generations of the same family had worked so a newer store could be built. The newer store owner had political connections. The traditional store owner did not.

Now the Bangor City Council has declared war on Northen Maine by endorsing a national park up here. It would be 3.2 MILLION ACRES. A century ago, Bangor was a lumber town. Today it is an artsy town. There is a statue of Paul Bunyan on Maine Street. Old Paul is a prisoner of war in their war against Northern Maine. We ought to go down here some night and repatriate Paul Bunyan to bring him home to Millinocket!

[bangorme]

I would say that Bangor is moderate. Please don't use the Bangor Daily News as a barometer for Bangor politics. It is a VERY liberal paper that gives a VERY distorted view of the area. Last I heard, it was suffering with decreasing circulation, but I haven't (and won't) give it the time to see if that's still the case. Bangor has great schools and good city services. It suffers, as all cities do, from having a large poor and disabled population that require services. Taxes are high, but not because of outlandish social programs. The Bangor City Council issue cited above is true, but more about the idiocy of the current members on the council than about the overall politics of the area. The Council itself has never been a shining star of government effectiveness and productivity.

[Submariner]

I have friends that live in Bangor, and my wife works in Bangor. As the nearest city, it is the primary economic and healthcare hub for most of Maine.

I read the BDN; it seems to me that their articles are usually very slanted.

Bangor City Counsel rulings, ordinances, decisions always leave me scratching my head. Businesses that draw customers get shut down. The city likes writing tailored ordinances specifically focused on singling out and harassing one business owner at a time. It is obvious that there must be a lot of bargaining going on behind closed-doors that the public never sees. Whatever their secret agenda is, they will openly make your live miserable, if you do not comply with their agenda.

The Bangor Chamber of Commerce has sent me notices of plans on what they want to do for the downtown Farmer's Market a few years in a row, asking me if I would be a vendor there. But from the stories I have seen in the BDN, I do not think I could trust the city counsel.

One fraternity I belong to, was going to have one of the City Councilmen come and speak to us on a topic. He had to reschedule, so we changed our schedule to suit him. He assured me that with the new schedule he would definitely attend and speak to our fraternity. When the event happened, he failed to show up, and we have not heard back from him.

I am glad that I do not live in Bangor. I would never want to be a business man trying to do business in Bangor.

[maineguy8888]

Just look at who they elect to the Legislature and the vote tallies for statewide/national offices...... that is the best indicator. Bangor is pretty liberal.

[znlwovuhrjw]

I sometimes wonder because at the University of Maine in Orono, the republican club is made up of... 6 people.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by kingdomkz

I sometimes wonder because at the University of Maine in Orono, the republican club is made up of... 6 people.

LOL

I had no idea they even hosted a Repub club.

I know people in Orono in the Dem group [I don't know if it is a club, but they all work for the Dem party, etc] and I have known people in the Orono Marxist group.

[RHB]

Currently they are fighting over the school budget - today I saw one of the pigs (not really sure what pigs have to do with it) but they put one up today on the Union Street detour circle - waiting to see the pile of dung next. (pig says vote no - dung has a sign saying cut the sh.. vote yes) At least they have humor in their signage.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Replacing or resurfacing a bridge on Union Street is a two or three year project.