“Mayor Bloomberg, should you exist?” asked political reporter Chuck Todd. “I can’t speak for all billionaires,” Michael Bloomberg replied. “All I know is, I’ve been very lucky, made a lot of money and I’m giving it away to make this country better.” Billionaires justify their existences by giving their billions away. That seems to be the prevailing ethic among the very rich. […]
Forecaster Opinion
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Here’s Something: 2020 is a year for anniversaries
This year is shaping up to be quite a year for anniversaries. The oldest anniversary we’ll mark this year is the landing of the Pilgrims in Plymouth 400 years ago. An estimated 35 million Americans can trace their lineage to the Mayflower. The U.S. Mint will release a coin to mark the occasion, and the United […]
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Posted inForecaster Opinion
Life Unwound: Sometimes it’s normal to feel ‘not very OK at all’
Winter blues. They’re real. As a mental health counselor, I know how to diagnose depression. I know signs, symptoms and risk factors. I help others move through heaviness and help that heaviness move through and out of them. And me? I’ve never been described as “down.” But lately I awoke at 5 a.m. with no […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Letter: Student agrees with Balentine on drone law
I completely agree with John Balentine’s editorial “Drone surveillance law needed in Maine,” (Feb. 4). I believe that there should be a drone surveillance law in Maine. The drone issue is getting progressively worse and I believe eventually people will be using guns to shoot the drones down. This could be an issue because what […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Letter: Balentine stumbles again with Sanders put-down
To be kind, John Balentne’s put-down of Bernie Sanders (“Who wants to be a millionaire under Sanders?,” Feb. 26) reflects neither disingenuousness, stupidity nor historical ignorance. He merely ignores the “democratic” in “democratic socialist,” which allows making Bernie a communist. Any cosmopolitan experience, such as millions of American travelers and servicemen have of Europe annually, […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Letter: Support for Falmouth’s Underwood Springs Forest is vital
The Falmouth Land Trust is committed to preserving and stewarding fields, forests, farms and shorelines while maintaining the historical character of our town and enjoyment of the land by our community forever. We have an amazing opportunity to preserve one of the few remaining large undeveloped parcels of land east of the rapidly growing Route […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
The Universal Notebook: Susan Collins must go
The short answer to why Sen. Susan Collins must go is that Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell must go and she is one of their chief enablers. In order to restore the democratic rule of law, it is absolutely imperative that we replace the tyrant Trump and the obstructionist McConnell with elected officials who will […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: Windham councilor no dope for opposing pot
The Windham town councilor who resigned last week while the board was debating an ordinance governing retail marijuana stores was right to quit in protest. Some have argued that Rebecca Cummings should have stayed on the board, and in the proverbial political fight, rather than resigning, but I applaud her act. It brought widespread attention […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Mainewhile: Solutions require accurate, honest communication
There is a book from my childhood that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. “The Judge: An Untrue Tale,” by Harve Semach (author) and Margot Zemach (author, illustrator), is the story of a town in the midst of a crisis. One by one, townsfolk rush in to warn the judge of “a terrible thing” […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Letter: State, not parents, responsible for public health threats
In his recent opinion piece John Balentine wrote “parents – not the state – should determine whether their children are vaccinated.” He further adds “no one should want the government telling parents what they must do with their children …” This flies in the face of the preservation of public health and responsibilities given to […]