Rural hospitals and health practices are at risk. But private equity might still be coming for them. With major reforms in health care payment, this would not be a problem. I once served on the board of a Maine small hospital and at a random board meeting the treasurer reported that we would not be […]

The April 24 Press Herald article regarding the use of traffic cameras at construction sites to slow traffic had some appalling comments regarding personal privacy. Our country has gone nuts and common sense has been lost by many. It’s fairly obvious that everyone speeds higher than the posted rate through construction zones. Anyone who tries […]

Over 70 years ago, Sen. Margaret Chase Smith bravely chastised Sen. Joseph McCarthy for his rabid anti-Communist crusade that destroyed countless innocent lives, with no evidence beyond accusations and innuendo. We remember and honor her courage and spine of steel, for which she paid dearly in the Senate. Now, as President Donald Trump and Elon […]

I was at the Hands Off! demonstration on a recent Saturday and was happy to see so many speaking out against the attempted overthrow of our system. With all the signs and speeches, however, I heard no really useful instructions on how to affect the administration’s actions. What legal actions can an individual take? What […]

In its first 100 days, the Trump administration has challenged, diminished or destroyed many foundations of our democracy. The list is long, and each day produces more damage. He has denied emergency support to the world’s most vulnerable. The unqualified and incompetent hold leadership positions in some of the government’s most critical departments. Individuals are […]

Recently President Donald Trump, in his Easter greeting to the nation, could not resist turning it into yet another of his political jabs at President Biden. After his general statement, at the end of his message, Trump again displayed his insecurity and lack of focus by claiming again that Biden was “by far, the worst […]

What do Donald Trump, Cher and John Mishler have in common? Answer: we will all be 79 in 2025. A problem? Well, some 11 months ago, there was a “…national obsession with respect to the age of both our presidential candidates (Joe Biden and Donald Trump),” (“Use your moral compass to vote,” June 29, 2024 […]

Mount Vernon and Vienna, population 2,334, share a library whose staff is the epitome of grace and good manners. The library offers all kinds of services including inter-library loan, which I use a lot, so I asked for an unusual book published in 1995 and was informed delivery was not guaranteed anymore. Why? Because libraries […]