I made something similar back in 2017 to help people understand how their city works, where the money comes from, and how it is spent. I'm delighted to bring you an updated version now. I spent considerable time and effort making sure the charts, tables and slices of the data are accurate and relatively easy to comprehend. All the data is from publicly available city budget docs (which can run in the hundreds of pages). Knowledge is power!

What do you see in the data?

Me, I find it interesting how the HHS budget went up during and after Covid, but has since started coming down. At the same time, the amount Portland receives in non-tax revenue for HHS is huge, but declining.

Also, property taxes have generally risen faster than inflation, which isn't sustainable long-term, as costs like healthcare have gone up, some departmental budgets have gone up too, and reimbursements from the State and Federal governments have declined.

Anything you don't see here you'd like to see added?

(If you want to meet me in person and learn about my campaign for city council, join me at Bunker Brewing this Friday from 5:30-7. Then we'll go to the Vigil for Juju at Congress Square Park.)

>To the residents of Portland, there is a crisis the city will have to contend with in the winter of 2026-2027. In 2025, according to records kept by local social service agencies, 52 unhoused people died in Portland. The 52 unhoused who died were remembered at a Winter solstice vigil in December.

>The average age of those who died was 57. The deaths are due to chronic medical conditions, overdoses, suicide and vehicle accidents. On average, the unhoused live 28 years less than those of us who are housed.

>The warming shelter to house the homeless during extreme winter conditions at 166 Riverside St. closed for good after the winter season finished. This year the city does not yet have space for a new warming shelter. I am urging you to support a warming shelter, even possibly in your part of town.

Read the full letter from Eric Brewer: https://www.pressherald.com/2026/08/15/portland-must-prioritize-search-for-warming-shelter-site-opinion/

I went to the Scarborough ICE facility on Saturday mid-day and met the folks who are doing daily observing. I can't emphasize enough what important work these folks are doing - observing the comings-and-goings of ICE agents and the arrival of detainees, supporting immigrants who are made to wait in the elements at the facility, and liaising with families who need critical assistance when a loved one is taken. They wanted me to communicate a few key points about what's happening:

1. There are an average of 2 detainments every single day, sometimes more. They never take a day off, even weekends. They are detaining people in front of their children on the streets and during routine immigration check-ins at the facility.

Saturday after I left they detained one man and they heard an agent shout “stop resisting” twice, before three agents present rushed out of the parking lot.

On Sunday another man, an asylum seeker with a no order for his removal (according to projectreliefme), was taken from his car in front of his sobbing wife and child.

2. They are shackling detainees. The observers say this started several weeks ago. They told me they shackle feet and hands and sometimes all four together (reminiscent of slaves in antebellum south). One person told me, "Wait til you hear the sound of the shackles."

3. They drive extremely recklessly in and out of the facility. When I was there Saturday I saw two ICE vehicles come ripping down the street and swerve into the parking lot at very high speed, as if they were racecar drivers. I was told that there's a cargo van which drives even more recklessly, and I saw a couple videos in which that driver hit the gas and accelerated right at the observers only to swerve at the very last second. In one case they actually hit one of the observers.

4. Folks say they need people on the ground to observe mostly between the hours of 9am-3pm but ask if anyone can show up between 7am-4pm because it’s imperative to track the first and last movements of the day.

5. They ask that any monetary donations should go to projectreliefme, as that organization is doing rapid response care for families whose loved ones are kidnapped. They also said they could use help from folks with language skills, particularly french and lingala.

6. If you cannot come down to the facility, feel free to stop by and grab flyers to pass out instead, or offer water. It may not be necessary, but it is much appreciated every time.

I went to the Scarborough ICE facility on Saturday mid-day and met the folks who are doing daily observing. I can't emphasize enough what important work these folks are doing - observing the comings-and-goings of ICE agents and the arrival of detainees, supporting immigrants who are made to wait in the elements at the facility, and liaising with families who need critical assistance when a loved one is taken. They wanted me to communicate a few key points about what's happening:

1. There are an average of 2 detainments every single day, sometimes more. They never take a day off, even weekends. They are detaining people in front of their children on the streets and during routine immigration check-ins at the facility.

Saturday after I left they detained one man and they heard an agent shout “stop resisting” twice, before three agents present rushed out of the parking lot.

On Sunday another man, an asylum seeker with a no order for his removal (according to projectreliefme), was taken from his car in front of his sobbing wife and child.

2. They are shackling detainees. The observers say this started several weeks ago. They told me they shackle feet and hands and sometimes all four together (reminiscent of slaves in antebellum south). One person told me, "Wait til you hear the sound of the shackles."

3. They drive extremely recklessly in and out of the facility. When I was there Saturday I saw two ICE vehicles come ripping down the street and swerve into the parking lot at very high speed, as if they were racecar drivers. I was told that there's a cargo van which drives even more recklessly, and I saw a couple videos in which that driver hit the gas and accelerated right at the observers only to swerve at the very last second. In one case they actually hit one of the observers.

4. Folks say they need people on the ground to observe mostly between the hours of 9am-3pm but ask if anyone can show up between 7am-4pm because it’s imperative to track the first and last movements of the day.

5. They ask that any monetary donations should go to projectreliefme, as that organization is doing rapid response care for families whose loved ones are kidnapped. They also said they could use help from folks with language skills, particularly french and lingala.

6. If you cannot come down to the facility, feel free to stop by and grab flyers to pass out instead, or offer water. It may not be necessary, but it is much appreciated every time.

They asked that I share their comments and ask for help:

>They are taking people everyday and transferring them across state lines. Many of whom are asylum seekers. They are moving people to Boston and New Hampshire.

>They let people’s cars be abandoned in their lot if they take someone during a routine immigration check in, and they’ve started using shackles during transport on detainees hands and feet.

>They are forcing people to stand in the sun with their small children for hours waiting for routine immigration checkins.

>Yesterday a woman was forced to uber with her infant child to come pick up her two older daughters (3 and 6) who were made to stand in parking lot alone until she arrived because they took their father in front of them. He is a confirmed asylum seeker.

>We were able to give her a ride and take their family car home because she doesn’t drive. They do this every. single. day.

>We observe daily and share information of detainments. We provide resources on the ground to families picking up personal items from their loved ones that have been taken.

>We offer links to legal services, rental assistance, and water/shade.

>We need more people to observe and offer support. We need allied organizations to tell people what’s going on and to offer their assistance.

>More people are needed on the ground to help in real time; translators, lawyers, social services professionals.

>We get more support than dissent daily, but not enough people stop and stay for a while. But coming by even for 20 min to talk and observe is helpful. I think people should know that. The more the merrier.

>We have shade, water, snacks, and we are NOT a group. There is NO leader. We are all individual people who agree on one thing: ICE out of Maine, ICE out of the country, our neighbors deserve peace and safety no matter who they are.

The ICE facility's address is 40 Manson Libby Road, Scarborough, if you want to join the observers. They say the most important thing is that people come down. Most active times are 9am -3pm Monday-Friday, but there is still activity all days and all hours, they say.

They asked that I share their comments and ask for help:

>They are taking people everyday and transferring them across state lines. Many of whom are asylum seekers. They are moving people to Boston and New Hampshire.

>They let people’s cars be abandoned in their lot if they take someone during a routine immigration check in, and they’ve started using shackles during transport on detainees hands and feet.

>They are forcing people to stand in the sun with their small children for hours waiting for routine immigration checkins.

>Yesterday a woman was forced to uber with her infant child to come pick up her two older daughters (3 and 6) who were made to stand in parking lot alone until she arrived because they took their father in front of them. He is a confirmed asylum seeker.

>We were able to give her a ride and take their family car home because she doesn’t drive. They do this every. single. day.

>We observe daily and share information of detainments. We provide resources on the ground to families picking up personal items from their loved ones that have been taken.

>We offer links to legal services, rental assistance, and water/shade.

>We need more people to observe and offer support. We need allied organizations to tell people what’s going on and to offer their assistance.

>More people are needed on the ground to help in real time; translators, lawyers, social services professionals.

>We get more support than dissent daily, but not enough people stop and stay for a while. But coming by even for 20 min to talk and observe is helpful. I think people should know that. The more the merrier.

>We have shade, water, snacks, and we are NOT a group. There is NO leader. We are all individual people who agree on one thing: ICE out of Maine, ICE out of the country, our neighbors deserve peace and safety no matter who they are.

The ICE facility's address is 40 Manson Libby Road, Scarborough, if you want to join the observers. They say the most important thing is that people come down. Most active times are 9am -3pm Monday-Friday, but there is still activity all days and all hours, they say.

>From Portland PD:

On Monday, August 3, 2026, the Portland Police Department conducted an enhanced traffic safety enforcement operation as part of the City’s ongoing commitment to improving roadway safety and supporting its Vision Zero Action Plan.

Throughout the day, additional officers focused enforcement in areas with a history of crashes, speeding complaints and other unsafe roadway behaviors.

During the operation, officers:

Conducted 115 traffic stops:
27 - improper use of handheld device
24 - failure to stop at stop sign
13 - failure to stop for stop light
10 - failure to yield to pedestrians showing intent to enter a crosswalk

Issued 64 Citations
Issued 42 warnings
Issued 21 citations for distracted driving
Issued 7 citations for no proof of insurance
Issued 3 citations for speeding
Issued 39 citations for “other violations”

*The state traffic statistics are only broken down into the above categories. “Other” includes violations such as failure to stop, failure to yield to pedestrians, unregistered vehicles etc…

“Our goal is to change driving behavior and prevent crashes before they happen,” said Chief Mark Dubois. “We appreciate the many drivers who obey the law every day, and these enforcement efforts are intended to improve safety for everyone who uses Portland’s streets.”

This operation marks the beginning of increased traffic enforcement efforts that will continue throughout the coming weeks and months. The Portland Police Department will continue to focus on hazardous driving behaviors, including speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving and other violations that place motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists at risk.

The Portland Police Department reminds everyone that safe driving is a shared responsibility. Obeying traffic laws, staying alert and looking out for one another helps make Portland’s streets safer for all.