My favorite Founding Father has gotten me into trouble recently. What’s worse, by many he’s not even considered a real Founding Father. Don’t panic: I’m not about to birth an illegitimate nation. But I am re-reading Thomas Paine, and I’m a fan. That’s tougher than being a fan of George Washington or John Adams, who […]

I want to put in a good word for partisanship. This might sound strange to some readers. I’ve written a lot about our problem with tribalism, including hyper-partisanship and political polarization. It was a major theme of my cheerily titled book “Suicide of the West. So I’m happy to concede that too much partisanship — […]

Your recent June 17 article about the results of Somerville’s town meeting deserves correction (“Somerville voters pass $565,275 municipal budget“). While the numbers are accurate, the story gives the reader a false impression of what is driving up property taxes. The amount approved at town meeting for the fire department plus stipends is still less […]

Your July 17 editorial, “Our View: ‘Extreme heat’ on tap for Maine summers,” was a well-stated and timely reminder that the high heat and humidity we recently experienced is an uncomfortable harbinger of summers to come in Maine. However, your final sentence, “Voters, it’s time to choose which future you want” is off the mark, […]

Maine is doing a lot to make sure that people who need help get it – but there is still more work to be done.

The showing of “Last Tango in Paris” shows we still have a way to go, even in the #MeToo era.