I have written several times in the past about the irresponsible spending in South Portland. While there can be some weak arguments made to support the current level of spending, there should be no debate about raising excessive taxes from budgeting errors. The resulting accumulation of surpluses and assets – well in excess of South […]
American Journal Opinion
Posted inAmerican Journal, Current, Lakes Region Weekly, Northern Forecaster, Web
GREETINGS FROM ZIP CODE 04074: A century of memories
There was a story in the paper the other day that could not possibly have meant anything to you. Nothing. Nada. I promise. An old-school tire company in Portland is closing its doors. Century Tire. Why does this mean anything to any of us? Only because a tiny, tiny sliver of important Maine culture is […]
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Posted inAmerican Journal, Current, Web
DOWN THE ROAD A PIECE: The write stuff, Maine-style
Ever think about newspapers? I know you haven’t thought about them lately, there’s too much shoveling to do. But newspapers have been around Maine for a long time. From the early 1700s on, we’ve had newspapers to read and write angry letters to. In the early days, Maine journals produced legends like Seba Smith and […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Current
DOWN THE ROAD A PIECE: The write stuff, Maine-style
Ever think about newspapers? I know you haven’t thought about them lately, there’s too much shoveling to do. But newspapers have been around Maine for a long time. From the early 1700s on, we’ve had newspapers to read and write angry letters to. In the early days, Maine journals produced legends like Seba Smith and […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Current
DOWN THE ROAD A PIECE: The write stuff, Maine-style
Ever think about newspapers? I know you haven’t thought about them lately, there’s too much shoveling to do. But newspapers have been around Maine for a long time. From the early 1700s on, we’ve had newspapers to read and write angry letters to. In the early days, Maine journals produced legends like Seba Smith and […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Current
POLITICS & OTHER MISTAKES: Money and movie stars
Maine desperately wants to be cool. Not clueless cool like “Portlandia,” the TV series about the other Portland. Not phony, bad-boy cool like the recently delinquentized Justin Bieber. Not Euro-trashy cool like, well, Euro-trash. The trouble is, real cool doesn’t mix well with desperation. As all truly cool people – Thelonious Monk, Hunter S. Thompson, […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Current, Lakes Region Weekly, Northern Forecaster
ON THE RIGHT LANE: America’s ponzi scheme
I never saw this coming but I guess it’s going to change the way I think about too much government at every level in this great country we live in. Let me make this particular point clear that if what I heard is a lie, I will digress back to square one where I started. […]
Posted inAmerican Journal
LETTERS: Timely commentary
I am writing this letter to comment on the editorial, “Fuel funds need your donations,” American Journal, Jan. 30, written by John Balantine, managing editor. Thank you for a timely commentary on an important issue, especially this season with some of the coldest weather we have had in a few years. Making information available and […]
Posted inAmerican Journal
LETTERS: Timely commentary
I am writing this letter to comment on the editorial, “Fuel funds need your donations,” American Journal, Jan. 30, written by John Balantine, managing editor. Thank you for a timely commentary on an important issue, especially this season with some of the coldest weather we have had in a few years. Making information available and […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Current, Lakes Region Weekly
DOWN THE ROAD A PIECE: The real truth about Maine
The other day I got a call from a producer at a radio station in St. Louis, Mo. He said that every week for a year the station was doing a feature on one of the 50 states, and this particular week it was Maine’s turn. He wanted to know if I would provide him […]