When Mainers file their federal income taxes next year, many of them will do so for free — thanks to a new IRS program that was piloted in 12 states for Tax Year 2023 and will now be expanded nationwide. Not every state will participate, but Maine Revenue Services announced its intention to join recently, […]
Op-Eds
Opinion columns from the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.
Commentary: Maybe legalizing weed wasn’t such a great idea
Depending on where you live and how you want to use it, it is pretty easy to get marijuana in the U.S. At first medical marijuana, which has legitimate palliative uses, achieved widespread acceptance. Over time, however, the requirements for proof of medical use weakened, leading to de facto legalization in many areas. Now 24 […]
Opinion: Why are Republican voters putting up with this?
Please, not again.
Commentary: Special interests are pushing a dangerous new nuclear missile
The Pentagon is in the midst of an enormously expensive program aimed at building a new generation of nuclear-armed missiles, bombers, and submarines, at a cost of at least $2 trillion over the next three decades. The plan is both dangerous and unnecessary. Of particular concern is the effort to build a new intercontinental ballistic […]
Commentary: America’s fertility policy gap is bad economics
Even if you didn’t care about or respect women’s choices when it comes to having children, the “childless cat ladies” comments from Donald Trump running mate JD Vance are still deeply problematic because they suggest a misunderstanding of a vital policy issue: fertility. In its most basic form, economists care about fertility because it’s difficult […]
Commentary: Why are Americans so willing to move to disaster zones?
Four years ago, the rise of remote work created a new version of the American dream: No longer forced to live close to the office, millions of people realized they could pull up stakes from New Jersey or wherever and move to sunnier, cheaper places. Unfortunately, many who made the trip found a nightmare waiting […]
Opinion: NIMBYs think they’re protecting Maine; they’re mistaken
People who shoot down affordable housing are standing in the way of myriad benefits of economic diversity – starting in schools.
Commentary: Voting rights are dying by a thousand cuts
If you want to understand what’s happened to voting rights in the U.S. over the past decade, just take a look at the recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. That ultraconservative court took a substantial bite out of voting rights when it reversed its own precedent to hold that […]
Commentary: Olympic boxer’s gender is a manufactured controversy
When Italian boxer Angela Carini reported that she had “never felt a punch like that” after conceding to Algeria’s Imane Khelif 46 seconds after their Olympic match began, social media exploded with accusations. Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling chimed in, accusing Khelif of being a man posing as a woman to cheat. The case highlights […]
Hilary Koch: An Olympic-sized revelation in the 1,500-meter race
Two Americans who outperformed expectations really captured the spirit of our country, writes the columnist.