President Trump’s proposal to drastically increase the Pentagon’s budget by more than $50 billion at the expense of funding some of our nation’s most important diplomatic, foreign policy, and national security tools is a travesty of morality and of common sense, and will only serve to make our country less safe.  In addition to severe […]

The Affordable Care Act and its reform are causing confusion. Here’s what we know. It covers more people than did the free market system and changes some of the terms of insurance policies, but it does not abolish the market. Conservatives dislike it because they believe it substitutes government for the free market, costs too […]

One of my friends is in a band, which means whenever she plays a gig I get to assume the role of ardent fanboy. Mostly this entails sitting in a noisy bar and shooting her encouraging looks while I sip the suds of a paint-peeling microbrew. Which is fine by me. I get to watch […]

One of my friends is in a band, which means whenever she plays a gig I get to assume the role of ardent fanboy. Mostly this entails sitting in a noisy bar and shooting her encouraging looks while I sip the suds of a paint-peeling microbrew. Which is fine by me. I get to watch […]

Recently, I shared an article on my personal Facebook page that really struck a nerve with people on both sides of the political aisle. My intention was not to spark a heated political debate, but rather to pass on relevant information about our state finances. Nonetheless, it led to an impassioned flurry of comments. The […]

Last Tuesday’s blizzard left significantly more than a foot of snow on the ground, meaning there was no school that day. Now my fellow public school teachers and I won’t start our summer vacations until June 27 or so, a state of affairs nearly as horrifying to us as it undoubtedly is to the young […]

In predictable economic times, it makes sense—indeed it is essential—to put money aside and save for the coming rainy day. Trouble is brewing for each and every one of us. For some, it is just two appliances failing in the same month. For others, it is the unexpected loss of employment due to a company […]

President Trump wants to build a wall with Mexico. The United Kingdom wants out of the European Union. The Netherlands blocks the Turkish Foreign Minister from campaigning. Gov. LePage wants to keep more refugees out of Maine. What these policies have in common is a desire to keep a high degree of national identity alive […]

Until recently, the word “media” didn’t really have a negative connotation. Sure, there was a contingent that used the phrase “mainstream media” in a derogatory sense, as in, “Don’t trust the mainstream media,” or “The mainstream media won’t leggo my Eggo.” Generally, though, media was just media. It was where you got your news, celebrity […]

I don’t have a crystal ball, and I’m not a mind reader, but there’s one thing I can say without a doubt: People in York County are worried about their property taxes. The reason I’m so sure is that I’ve heard from them. I have heard the frustration and the uncertainty in their voices. Residents […]