“It’s complicated.” That often means “I don’t know”, or “It’s none of your business.” But nothing significant is ever simple or easy and that is particularly true of health costs in America. We are again immersed in a quadrennial flood of promises to make healthcare and medications at once less costly and more accessible. Most […]

Climate Council work critical On Jan. 29 I drove up to Augusta to attend a meeting of the Maine Climate Council. The Council has been charged by the Legislature to develop a plan to “meet state greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets that are now in law, including a gross 45% greenhouse gas emissions reduction below […]

Vote no to support kids’ health While the world’s news media reports several times a day about the status of the deadly epidemic caused by the coronavirus, it is incredulous to me that, at the same time, Maine voters are faced with a ballot question about whether or not children should be protected from communicable […]

By now, the vote by Angus King to convict President Trump of “high crimes and misdemeanors” and remove him from office – and Susan Collins’ vote to acquit – have receded from the news, while coverage of the presidential race resumes, full tilt. Years from now, though, Mainers will be reading about the words and […]

A year ago, I presented my Administration’s first biennial budget. That budget was based on HOPE – health, opportunity, prosperity, and education. The Legislature then debated that proposal, negotiated some compromises and then they enacted – respectfully and in timely fashion – a balanced budget, with two-thirds bipartisan support, without raising any taxes. Since that […]

Like many clubs and organizations, the Brunswick Rotary Club features numerous committees to accomplish work in specific areas. The Pride and Heritage committee is responsible for identifying and commemorating historical locations in the Midcoast region. With the assistance of the Pejepscot Historical Society, the Village Historical Society, the Midcoast Region Redevelopment Authority and the Brunswick […]

“Like great harps on which the wind makes music. There is no finer tree.” – Henry Thoreau writing about the white pine in his Journal, September 16th, 1857. It took one microburst, three consults, and a dark, wind-fraught night before we made the final call. “Yes, Jeff,” we said to local arborist Jeff Gillis, “we’d […]

Sen. Collins is no Margaret Chase Smith! Maine Sen. Smith stood up for the United States against the assault by Sen. McCarthy on free speech in the 1950s. Today, Sen. Collins pretends to be a champion of the Constitution and honest government, but in essence, she has supported Donald Trump’s illegal, outrageous, and anti-American behavior. […]

Words spoken by two Republican senators fairly summarize the impeachment experience. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska stated sadly, “Given the partisan nature of the impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate.” Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, concluded, “Just because […]