Op-Eds - Centralmaine.com

Commentary: Maine’s new plan to keep kids safe by keeping families strong

by Jeanne Lambrew and Melissa Hackett From the Press Herald May 26, 2023May 26, 2023

Work on a four-pronged strategy informed by extensive public consultation can begin this year.

Commentary: No government mandate will fix the challenges Maine’s hospital nurses face

by Devin Carr From the Press Herald May 26, 2023May 25, 2023

Maine Med urges lawmakers to focus on health care education funding and accountability for those who assault nurses, not rigid staffing ratios.

Op-Eds, Opinion

Commentary: PFAS contamination also has mental health impact on Maine’s farmers

by Jacki Martinez Perkins and Annie Watson From the Press Herald May 26, 2023May 25, 2023

Cultivemos, a network funded by the 2018 Farm Bill, is making sure that farmers have increased options for access to supportive services where they live and where they work.

Op-Eds, Opinion

Douglas Rooks: Despite what you hear, guns do not equal freedom

by Douglas Rooks For Central Maine News May 25, 2023May 25, 2023

Since the 1970s, I’ve written editorials about what was then called “gun control.” In recent years, I largely passed over the subject. Back then, it was unthinkable elementary school kids could be gunned down in a classroom, Bible classes and synagogues profaned, or that shopping malls, cinemas, restaurants and music festivals would see mass killing […]

Op-Eds, Opinion

Commentary: Nuclear power won’t help Maine reach its clean-energy goals

by Gerry Runte Special to the Press Herald May 25, 2023May 24, 2023

The industry lobby is promoting a renewed call for investments in nuclear technology, but there are less complex, more affordable choices.

Op-Eds, Opinion

Commentary: Proposed paid family and medical leave bill unworkable for Maine

by Julia Munsey and Curtis Picard From the Press Herald May 25, 2023May 24, 2023

The proposal is for a new short-term disability insurance program that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars and be one of the most benefit-rich programs in the country.

Op-Eds, Opinion

Tom Waddell: Racism is in our roots

by Tom Waddell Central Maine News May 24, 2023May 24, 2023

Last month I wrote that the source of racism in America is systemic, not individual. Since the topic spans over 400 years, one column, or even two, couldn’t adequately cover how our national laws legalized racism. So, this second column on racism in America will attempt to scratch the surface a little deeper. If I […]

Op-Eds, Opinion

Jean Guerrero: Smartphones take a toll on teenagers. What choice do parents have?

by Jean Guerrero Los Angeles Times (TNS) May 24, 2023May 24, 2023

We can’t keep ignoring social media’s harmful effects on the mental health of young people. Across the world, regardless of skin color or language, people are suffering from mental health problems that are linked to the age at which they got their first smartphone or tablet, according to a new report from Sapien Labs. The […]