If any of President Trump’s supporters think that his policies will benefit anyone other than himself and his cronies, I hope the following letter from my summer renters might demonstrate how we’ll all pay the price for his megalomania.

I own a small condominium in Old Orchard Beach that has been rented for two weeks every summer to a Canadian family. They have, as they write below, been traveling with a large group to Ocean Park from Toronto for the past 50 years and will not come this year. It’s not just small-time property owners like me who will pay the price for Trump’s tariffs, but restaurants, shops, hotels, markets, our whole state and the nation.

Hi Elaine,
I hope all is well with you and your family.
I know you must be wondering why we have not confirmed our rental.
We have all been struggling with the decision of whether to travel south this summer. This has involved about 40 of our extended families, and goes back to 50 years of meeting on the beach at OOB.
But, in view of the animosity and ill will that has been displayed by your leader towards our country, the general consensus by all is to cancel our Maine vacation this year.
Please know that I and all our family realize that you, personally, do not agree with what’s going on, nor do many of the American people. We’ve always been such good neighbors, but we cannot justify spending literally thousands of dollars in the States this year.
We pray that next year will be different. Please take care. We hope you understand.

Elaine Kahaner
Cape Elizabeth