Six years into writing mine, I’m looking back with awe and gratitude.
Op-Eds
Opinion columns from the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.
Commentary: Maine officials remain deeply committed to child protection
A combination of laws and legal concerns prevent the Office of Child and Family Services from revealing as much information as the public wants. We’re making a concerted effort to bridge those gaps any way we can.
Commentary: How new House Speaker Mike Johnson tried again and again to overturn Biden’s election
In less than 15 months, Congress will count and certify the votes from the electoral college. It is truly frightening that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., from the far right of the Republican Party, might have a prominent role in the process. If Republicans keep control of the House in the November 2024 elections, it […]
Commentary: American dams are being demolished. And nature is pushing that along
This summer, the first of four dams on the West’s Klamath River was destroyed, unleashing a torrent of cold water that had been held back for a century. By the end of 2024, three more dams near the California-Oregon border will come down, restoring the massive runs of salmon and steelhead along some 400 miles […]
Commentary: In debate over Pine Tree Power, utilities should speak for themselves
The ‘Yes on 3’ campaign for Pine Tree Power is challenging top executives at CMP and Versant to a public debate.
Ben Bragdon: For their sake, we’ve got to let kids be kids
You have to watch out for nostalgia. No matter what people say, hindsight isn’t always 20-20. Sometimes, it’s a lot hazier. That’s why so many people today look back with fondness at an American past that never really existed, while others feel hopeless against today’s biggest challenges, and unable to acknowledge how much better life […]
Maine Compass: Question 3 opponents focus on fear
Do we want to empower ourselves and choose our own energy direction by creating a customer-owned utility directly accountable to us?
Douglas Rooks: Voter’s choice on Nov. 7 constitutional questions
Mainers making their way through the lengthy Nov. 7 statewide ballot may come to a surprising conclusion: that the four constitutional amendments they’ll consider are considerably more interesting than the four rather tedious initiated referendum questions that precede them. Question 3, which envisions scrapping Maine’s century-old private but publicly regulated electric companies, Central Maine Power […]
Commentary: Restoration of democratic skill and civil discourse starts with us
We need to strive to listen when we hear – and not just to like-minded people.
Commentary: Pine Tree Power good for both consumers and climate goals
Climate advocacy groups support Question 3 because they believe a consumer-owned utility can help Maine meet environmental objectives.