By March marks the dawn of town meeting season. That means the system of government observed by over 400 Maine municipalities is now under way. Here’s what every voter should know about it: Agenda Though a town meeting can cover a wide range of subjects, from taxes to trash, from dog barking to cell phone […]
Perspective
Posted inOp-Eds, Perspective
Response to child abuse: Too little, too late?
The power of religion, despite the decline in the number of practitioners, must be strong if there are still people today who believe and practice in spite of the scandals within major religions. Especially sexual scandals. In the past week, Pope Francis has convened a Vatican summit to address the issue of priests and bishops sexually […]
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Posted inPerspective, Politics
Caught between Trump and the left, Democrats seek to avoid socialism squeeze
The presidential candidates are tussling over how far left to move policies, as Republicans take aim at their most liberal proposals.
Posted inPerspective
Calls for socialism during WWI were met with resistance in Maine
A glimpse of the climate of opinion faced by Maine radical voices during World War I and the ‘Red Scare.’
Posted inNation / World, Perspective
What’s actually in the ‘Green New Deal’ from Democrats?
No one is proposing to “eliminate all planes, cars, cows, oil, gas and the military.” No one created “doctored” versions of the Green New Deal that included these outlandish proposals.
Posted inPerspective
Debate over science of global warming is shifting, smartly, to dialogue about solutions
There are reasons for optimism in the journey to address the accelerating risks of climate change.
Posted inNation / World, Perspective
How to design a Green New Deal that isn’t over the top
The emphasis should be on climate change while limiting costly new entitlements.
Posted inPerspective, sj-web
Trump's State of the Union attack on migrants ignores their most characteristic trait
In his State of the Union address Tuesday, President Trump once again presented his case for a wall on the United States’ southern border. There is plenty to debate about what such a wall would accomplish, but the president has no doubt: It would keep out bad stuff, such as drugs and guns, and bad […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Perspective
History has taught us a lot about walls and what they protect
Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign slogan, “Build That Wall,” has achieved iconic status as a shorthand for the cultural divide between those Americans who see immigration as integral to our national character and a southern boundary wall as immoral and those who view immigration as a threat to our way of life and an open […]
Posted inPerspective, sj-web
Lawmakers can reach a border deal if they ignore Trump's threats
As one of the members tasked with resolving how to fund the Department of Homeland Security before the current continuing resolution expires on Feb. 15, I’m confident that we can reach an agreement – but only if we ignore President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to shut down the government again or declare a national emergency, […]