The latest deal to avert a U.S. government default, with its new work requirements for welfare programs, illustrates a fundamental flaw in America’s social safety net: It’s far too focused on identifying the worthy, to the detriment of the needy. By official measures, nearly 40 million Americans are living in poverty. Yet not a single […]
Op-Eds
Opinion columns from the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Sagadahoc Sheriff Merry: Statewide flavored tobacco ban will protect Maine’s kids
The Legislature should pass L.D. 1215 to stand up to an industry that preys on our young people and uses misinformation to create inertia.
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Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: Expand Mainers’ eligibility for the Medicare Savings Program
There couldn’t be a better time to provide justice to the thousands of older Mainers now struggling to make ends meet.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: The Legislature must limit future electric rate increases
Older Mainers stand to gain if our legislators reform the solar payment law now.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
The Maine Millennial: Anti-gay rights crowd has a new target, but it’s the same old hate
I am pro-freedom, and I understand that all of our freedoms are connected.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Maine Compass: Stop underpaying state workers for providing services we all count on
Nearly one in six positions in state government is vacant due to the state’s inability to recruit and retain workers at the current pay rates.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: The solution to ending encampments is shelter
Maine must first commit to providing the most basic of needs: a roof over every head.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Jim Fossel: Slow and steady negotiation best route for Maine tribes
It’s not going to be easy to address tribal relations in one fell swoop. So let’s try another way.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Maine Compass: Meet me on the Merrymeeting Trail
Imagine a trail from Augusta to Brunswick, offering rare and breathtaking views as it traces the Kennebec, Cathance, and Androscoggin rivers. Running along an inactive state-owned railroad corridor, it would attract tourists from around the country, benefit small businesses in our town centers, and provide opportunities for exercise, alternative transportation, and connection to people of […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: Why Donald Trump’s federal indictment is as breathtaking as it was inevitable
In one sense, it was breathtaking: the first ever indictment of a former president by the Department of Justice he once oversaw — and therefore the most important federal charge in U.S. history. In another, it was expected. Once Donald Trump had received a formal target letter from the department, his fate was effectively sealed. […]