Those of you who are still waiting for that transparency in government that Gov. Paul LePage promised when he took office a year ago won’t be surprised to know that the governor has now hijacked the Land Use Regulation Commission Reform Commission, dismissed the state Legislature, and decided to have his own henchmen write a […]

Maine is the best place I’ve lived. Love the scenery, the coast, the people. But loving Maine doesn’t make it perfect. Take the roads. No, seriously, take them. Rip the entire system out by the roots and start from scratch. Please. It wouldn’t be that hard. In the top half of the state you practically […]

So Kestrel Aircraft, designer of the soon-to-be-but-as-yet-unbuilt Kestrel turboprop passenger airplane, has decided to send the vast majority of the aircraft’s future production to Wisconsin, rather than build the planes in Maine, as originally expected. While Maine may still benefit from as many as 100 good jobs at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station, some […]

I do not usually agree with Edgar Allen Beem and his columns, but I do agree with him and his latest essay concerning population. I have scant respect for environmentalists, conservationists, and those who advocate for “green,” when they refuse to acknowledge the dangers of overpopulation. Why is this a forbidden subject? It is time […]

I would like to share a story with you about a little girl, age 7, who went to see the fireworks in Cumberland with her mom and dad. Since it was the Fourth of July, there was a large crowd of people. Everyone was anxiously awaiting the big moment when the fireworks would begin. Suddenly, […]

I arrived at a big-box store to buy some ink for my computer. I had put it off for days because I so hate going to one at all, but it was finally time. I arrived at 6:15 p.m., the door opened, and no one was in sight. Suddenly, a woman appeared to say, “We […]

Seacoast United soccer in Freeport? That’s not the issue. Expanded commercial zoning in residential neighborhoods is the issue. Here in Freeport, we have the chairman of the Town Council, the chairwoman of the Planning Board, and the previous Freeport Economic Development Corp. president, now a councilor, all guiding and participating in deliberations and decisions in […]

There is a problem in this country that needs to be addressed: the connection between money and politics. Members of Congress spend much of their time raising money for their re-election campaigns. Because Washington lobbyists can easily access funds, lawmakers turn to them for help. Over time they become dependent on them and the corporations […]

For almost 35 years, I have been an industrial hygienist working to prevent exposures in the workplace to toxic chemicals that can cause cancer and other serious health issues.  I am writing to thank U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins for publicly acknowledging that our chemical safety laws are broken.  Their public statements come […]

I would like to thank Rep. Meredith Strang Burgess, R-Cumberland, for her support of Maine’s prevention programs funded by the Fund for a Healthy Maine.  A majority of the Health and Human Services Committee, which she chairs, voted to decimate Maine’s public health system, basically sticking Maine’s taxpayers, our children and grandchildren with unaffordable health […]