It’s that time of year. No, not mud season (although it is that too). It is the time when the “Maine Economic Growth Council” — an organization established by law at the end of Gov. Jock McKernan’s tenure — releases its annual report known as the “Measures of Growth.” It takes a snapshot of certain […]
“Get lost.” It’s not a terribly friendly sentiment. That said, the idea has fractured the partisan divide in Augusta, which means Maine voters can pressure their officials without running afoul of silly political games. In this case, “lost” is an acronym for “Local Option Sales Taxes.” L.O.S.T. Last week, Portland’s Democratic Mayor Ethan Strimling joined […]
Symbols are important. The American flag will fly at half-staff throughout Maine until Sunday, when Berwick firefighter Capt. Joel Barnes is laid to rest. Lowering the flag is one way — a symbol — by which we honor those who have lost their lives in service to others. There are plenty of other symbols we […]
Well, with a new Congress being inaugurated and Janet Mills taking the oath of office, one thing is coming into focus: Democrats are a study in contrasts. In Washington, a large contingent of newly elected representatives are calling for a “Green New Deal.” What actual, concrete policy does this slogan encompass? No one is really […]
They say that “the true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.” I’ll propose a corollary: the true test of a political party’s character is what it does in the minority. There was plenty to be said over the battle between the Republican U.S. Senate and President Barack […]
Are you ready for the next election? No, I’m not talking about 2020 and the chaos of a presidential year. To all of our chagrin, that will start far too soon. Rather, the next election is the “secret” race for Maine’s constitutional offices. We’re an outlier in the United States. Our attorney general, secretary of […]
For all the (not incorrect) talk about “blue waves” and “Republican rebukes” in the election results, there is one undertow which has been under-reported: Voters still hate taxes. In Maine, one of the biggest winners on Nov. 6 was not Angus King. Or Chellie Pingree. Or Janet Mills. It was the “No on 1” campaign, […]
With the exception of the 2nd Congressional District, the election is now over in Maine. Plenty has been — and will be — written about the “meaning” of the results. But whatever meaning people derive from the results, we are about to witness one of the most miraculous aspects of American democracy: a peaceful transition […]
What if I told you I got Terry Hayes, Janet Mills, and Paul LePage to all agree on something? It would have to be pretty non-controversial, right? Something like “Maine should have good roads.” Let’s say we got Shawn Moody, John Baldacci, former Maine Supreme Court Chief Justice Dan Wathen, Alan Caron, and former Secretary […]
Well, Janet Mills is winning. Not necessarily the Blaine House. The limited polling shows a neck-and-neck race, while the lawn sign battle points to a clear Shawn Moody victory. But she is winning the money race. Through this week’s campaign finance reports, the Maine attorney general and Democratic candidate for governor has raised over $1.8 […]
