Category Archives: commentary

Coronavirus turns economic theory into action

There is a scene in the movie “Independence Day” when President Whitmore and senior leaders take refuge in Area 51. They meet the wild-eyed Dr. Brackish Okun, who had spent years studying the alien’s technology. Okun was enthused; the arrival of extraterrestrials turned the crashed spaceship “on.” Caught up in the excitement of the science, […]

Nevertheless, Collins, other Maine leaders, persist during coronavirus pandemic

Susan Collins had her Elizabeth Warren moment this week. You may remember back in 2017 during the early days of the Trump administration. Partisan rancor continued unabated and seemingly every nomination the new president made was hotly-contested by Democratic minorities in the United States Senate. One nomination was then-Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general. […]

Universal basic income gives Americans freedom to take risks, and to manage a pandemic

Risk. What word do you associate with it? Danger? Reward? Both certainly fit. We take risks every day. Certainly, the ongoing COVID-19 situation presents a risk. While the vast majority of the population has no need to fear it on an individual level, it could have a massive impact on those with underlying conditions or […]

Happy 200th Maine

Happy birthday, Maine. Your life story is pretty compelling. You were born as a twin. Don’t worry; you’re the good one. Congress “compromised” to let Missouri enter the union as a slave state. You were the balance, the detente. Here, men and women — of all colors and creeds — were free. Both sides got […]

What a difference four years made for Bernie Sanders in Maine

What a difference four years makes. In 2016, Maine’s Democratic caucuses saw around 48,000 party faithful — as well as die-hard supporters of a certain democratic socialist — turn out on a Sunday. Sen. Bernie Sanders trounced Hillary Clinton by nearly 30 points. However, in our largest city, the Portland Democrats’ caucus efforts were described […]

Be wary of politicians offering simple solutions

They say you should beware of Greeks bearing gifts. We should probably also be wary of politicians offering simple solutions. The Democratic presidential field is winnowing as we approach “Super Tuesday.” For the most part, there isn’t much distinction between the candidates. Even the non-Democrats — socialist Bernie Sanders and recently-independent technocrat Michael Bloomberg — […]

The importance of political spending is overblown

Cash. Money. Scratch. Moo-lah. Whatever you want to call it, it is in the political news. Much has been made of former Vice President Joe Biden’s poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire. It has had a second-order effect; his fundraising is drying up. This isn’t fatal for the former vice president. The role of […]

The world was a better place with the Patriots in the Super Bowl

I think this is the Patriots’ fault. Seriously. During the first three years of Donald Trump’s presidency, the New England Patriots represented the AFC in the Super Bowl.  There was plenty of craziness arising in the American political system during that time. However, it all seemed … manageable. So this year? Our hometown team didn’t […]

Infrastructure funding will determine whether Maine is not Washington

Well, at the very least, things are consistent. Just over a year ago, I wrote that Democrats — in Augusta and Washington — are a study in contrasts. It’s still true today. In the past 10 days, we saw two traditional ceremonies take place. In our nation’s capital, a procession of House Democrats marched to […]