It seems the unthinking folks down at the city of Auburn haven’t learned anything since the last time they did an intrusive assessment and had my elderly parents crying to me in a panic because “some stranger was looking through their closets.” Karen Scammon, the city’s tax assessor, insists “we need an accurate assessment,” but […]

Maine’s low scores on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress are worth noting, given Maine ranks 15th in the country in per pupil spending. Our fourth graders ranked 43rd both in reading and math, and eighth graders were 27th in math and 35th in reading. How refreshing it would be for the state Department […]

The United States is not an island unto itself, though the current administration’s actions on immigration, climate change, tariffs, research and foreign aid appear to reflect that view. A country does not exist in isolation. Diseases spread around the world, especially when countries are poor and lack robust health care systems. Weather is worldwide; air […]

When the Challenger spacecraft exploded shortly after takeoff in 1986, President Reagan gave a speech for the ages to lead and soothe us in our national grief. I suppose he could have railed against government bureaucracy, which was a theme of his administration, but he understood the need to rise above partisanship and rise he […]