The Talk of Maine piece on a two-year campaign by certain Portland officials t

The Talk of Maine piece on a two-year campaign by certain Portland officials to repair the city-owned Maine State Pier by letting private developers, one of whom was politically connected, build a hotel and office complex on top of it. The firm, Ocean Properties, gave generously to the campaigns of two successful city council challengers, Dory Waxman and incumbent Jill Duson, who then became mayor. Then-mayor Edward Suslovic, the most outspoken critic of the plan, lost his seat. After the economic downturn, both developers withdrew. At that point, the city paid $1,950 to have the pier inspected, with the engineers reporting that it was in good condition. Councilors Jill Duson, Nicholas Mavodones, and James Cloutier had pushed the idea that the pier needed major repairs for continued maritime use. The pier debacle damaged public faith in Portland\u27s present form of government and now voters might decide on a new government model with a directly elected mayor