Maine people deserve basic consumer protection against shady student loan companies. As lawmakers, it’s our responsibility to make sure these large, unregulated financial institutions cannot get away with unethical business practices that trap Mainers into cycles of debt. When the new Legislature meets early next year, lawmakers must join together and pass a student loan […]

This past weekend began on a high note.  Florida law enforcement officials arrested the person they believe had been mailing homemade pipe bombs to various individuals and entities he found objectionable. Those hoping the FBI had eliminated a diabolical criminal along the lines of Professor Moriarty or Hannibal Lecter were undoubtedly disappointed. The suspected domestic […]

Happy Birthday, Miss Merz.  My former teacher will be celebrating her 105th birthday in late October.  I’m nearing 80 myself but am still learning life’s lessons from my teacher. My family’s ties to teaching began in 1808 when Dan Hosbrook turned a log cabin into a subscription school (parents paid a penny a day or some […]

In less than a week, Maine citizens will determine the fate of Question 1, a divisive home care initiative that over-promises and under-delivers. The Maine Health Care Association (MHCA) is a private, not-for-profit trade association representing Maine nursing homes and assisted living communities. MHCA opposes Question 1 for several reasons: • The initiative uses tax […]

With profound sorrow and deep outrage, the Maine Council of Churches condemns the anti-Semitic act of hatred and lethal violence perpetrated on the worshiping congregation of Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh yesterday morning, and extends our prayers, our sympathy, our support and our solidarity to them and to our Jewish siblings here in Maine. […]

“You can pay me now or you can pay me later.” Many people know that famous auto repair slogan. When it comes to public policy, people prefer to pay later. A U.N. Nobel Prize panel on climate change recently reported the earth’s temperature is climbing much faster than expected.  It forecast that we are close […]

It’s fall, and time once again for the Chipper Invitational Golf Tournament here in the valley. You remember Chipper, Doc’s imaginary squirrel? The one who was squirrel-napped? Doc named the annual golf tournament to raise money for coats for kids who need them after good ‘ol Chipper, since the golf tournament itself was just about […]