The outspoken columnist will discuss the awful, alien truth’ about tax policy.
LEWISTON – Political columnist Al Diamon will share his take on tax policy in Maine as the featured speaker at this month’s Great Falls Forum.

Diamon will present “Plan 9 from Outer Space: At Last, the Awful, Alien Truth about Tax Policy in Maine” from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, April 15, at the Lepage Conference Center on Campus Avenue.

Although Diamon was born in Portland in 1948, he claims to be a native Mainer, arguing that the city was not officially expelled from the rest of the state until 1973.

After compiling a dismal academic record and numerous mediocre job assessments, Diamon, as he likes to describe it, fell into a career in journalism about 30 years ago. He has covered state politics for a variety of newspaper, radio and TV stations, most of which he admits eventually wised up and fired him.

Since 1991, Diamon has written a weekly column, “Politics & Other Mistakes.” It appears in several Maine publications, including the Portland Phoenix, the Courier-Gazette in Rockland and the Capital Weekly in Augusta.

His writing has won numerous awards, none of which the average person has ever heard of, he says. He said he also holds the distinction of being consistently ranked among the top 10 Mainers whose names are nearly always misspelled.

Diamon’s talk promises to be fun and is sure to lighten those tax woes on Tax Day. After all, consider Diamon’s fond references found online at The York Weekly:

On Gov. John Baldacci: “If you gave him a poll that said walking down Main Street wearing nothing but a feather boa would be politically savvy, he’d do it. “

On Sen. Olympia J. Snowe: “She benefits from great press here in Maine that portrays her as a major player in Washington. She’s not.”

Lepage Conference Center is at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, 99 Campus Ave. Lunch is $5 with preregistration, $8 at the door, if space is still available. People can make lunch reservations by calling Jeanne Lachance at (207) 784-7045, ext. 2243, by Tuesday, April 13.

The forum is sponsored by the Sun Journal, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, the Lewiston Public Library and Bates College. It is a monthly public platform encouraging thought-provoking speakers and discussion. Everyone is welcome. There are no dues and no obligations.