Last week, during the Senate debate on the state budget, state Sen. Eric Brakey offered up a floor amendment to change the slogan displayed on Maine license plates from “Vacationland” to “Taxationland.” The proposal failed. This change would have damaged Maine’s reputation everywhere Maine cars are driven, undermining our state’s history as America’s greatest vacation […]

This year, the Maine Legislature will be considering a bill, based on the recommendations of the Commission to Develop a Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program, to create a statewide paid family and medical leave program. Enacting PFML is a way to support working families and promote a healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous society. PFML […]

I am quite assured that if the United States government and Israel look in the mirror, they would see the incarnation of the devil. Compassion is the core of the civilized world. Where there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. Ronald Gallant, Chesterville

The Maine Legislature has a bill before it to end the sale of flavored tobacco products. LD 1215, submitted by Sen. Jill Duson, would potentially be the greatest opportunity to protect the health and safety of our kids from harmful, addictive products that are marketed directly toward their age group. I’ve listened to some of […]

I write in rebuttal to Lawrence Everett’s letter (“A past not remembered may be repeated,” March 23). Those who ignore history, as Mr. Everett wrote in his letter, are doomed to repeat it. This I accept as fact. His history is good; had his friend, the Panzer commander, told him about Czechoslovakia in 1938? Does […]

I was awestruck by an article I read recently, titled “‘0% chance of survival’: World’s most premature twins defy doctors.” Written by the Guinness Book of World Records, the article discussed how twins born 126 days early to a couple in Canada just celebrated their first birthday. During the birth, the parents were told that […]

On March 20 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued its latest assessment on climate change, drawing on the findings of hundreds of scientists throughout the world. The assessment details the devastating impacts of rising greenhouse gas emissions, including destruction of homes, loss of crops and fragmentation of communities. Animal agriculture is responsible for at […]

People will always fight for their highest level of morality. And so we should. However, morality originates from different places in different people. Others and their well-being can be my utmost priority. Or, myself and my own well-being will be my first priority. It cannot be both. It will never be both. And this is […]

I would like to offer a different perspective on Mary Beth Taylor’s recent letter about the Regional School Unit 16 budget (“Reasons to oppose RSU 16 budget,” March 30). While it’s true that she expressed opposition to the budget due to concerns about a potential bond payment and unbalanced elementary student-to-teacher ratios, I know there […]

I recently got a letter from Money Metals Exchange asking me to call members of the Maine Joint Taxation Committee and to ask them to support Auburn state Sen. Eric Brakey’s bill, LD 1051. He proposes in this bill to ban Maine sales tax on the sale of gold and silver bullion and coins. I […]