When it comes to animal welfare laws, Maine is doing it right. The state has ranked in the top 5 in the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s animal protection law rankings since the rankings began. Maine’s laws have only gotten tighter in the last few years, including in 2010, when animal cruelty involving 25 or more […]
American Journal Opinion
Posted inAmerican Journal
LETTERS: Speed limits in Westbrook, childish lawmakers in Augusta
Speed limit needs lowering Sunday afternoon’s accident, April 28, in Gorham was a wake-up call if there ever was one. My dad expressed a solemn thought in respect to the accident: “A family man, these days, if he wants to treat his wife and family to a leisurely Sunday drive and a dinner out, followed […]
advertisement
Posted inAmerican Journal
GUEST COLUMN: USM smoking ban has to go
In loco parentis is a Latin phrase, which means “in the place of the parent,” which really translates to, treating students regardless of their age like children, and their respective universities assume parental control over the student body. Beginning in the 1960s the parent and child relationship of in loco parentis started to face challenges […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Current, Lakes Region Weekly
EDITORIAL: Report card idea should have been flunked
Gov. Paul LePage was set to hand out report cards to Maine schools this week, kicking off an initiative he says will hold schools accountable and lead communities to rally around those that are falling behind. LePage announced the plan to grade schools on the familiar A-F standard, copied from a system used in Florida, […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Current, Lakes Region Weekly
DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: Care, love ease scars of neglect
Jasper is lucky to be alive. He was abused and neglected, living in deplorable conditions. He was kept under a porch tied with a rope around his neck and left to eat scraps of food that was thrown near him on the ground. He lived in that environment for so long that the nylon rope, […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Current, Lakes Region Weekly
DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: Care, love ease scars of neglect
Jasper is lucky to be alive. He was abused and neglected, living in deplorable conditions. He was kept under a porch tied with a rope around his neck and left to eat scraps of food that was thrown near him on the ground. He lived in that environment for so long that the nylon rope, […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Current, Lakes Region Weekly, Northern Forecaster
POLITICS AND OTHER MISTAKES: The price you pay
Want to pay less in taxes? Start by paying more. I know, that reads like a line from the Democratic Party’s state platform, but it’s not. In fact, it’s a concept supported by, among others, Republican Gov. Paul LePage. Right there, the idea runs into trouble, because as far as lots of Mainers are concerned, […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Current, Lakes Region Weekly, Northern Forecaster
POLITICS AND OTHER MISTAKES: The price you pay
Want to pay less in taxes? Start by paying more. I know, that reads like a line from the Democratic Party’s state platform, but it’s not. In fact, it’s a concept supported by, among others, Republican Gov. Paul LePage. Right there, the idea runs into trouble, because as far as lots of Mainers are concerned, […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Current, Lakes Region Weekly, Northern Forecaster, Web
POLITICS AND OTHER MISTAKES: Addicted to bad ideas
I’ve never met a Maine business owner who thought the state unemployment benefit system was fair. Or the workers compensation system. Or the environmental protection system. Or the human rights commission. And let’s not even get started on taxes. As far as these self-proclaimed job creators are concerned, all that bureaucracy – including the biased, […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Current, Lakes Region Weekly
LETTERS TO MYSELF: Awakening the warrior within
“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but those that stand with it now, deserve the love and thanks of every man and woman.” – Thomas Paine These are, indeed, trying times. The events that unfolded […]