Welcome to a legislative rabbit hole — the concept draft. It is a way of submitting legislation that is much abused, though it had merit as originally designed. What if this newspaper’s editor accepted “concept columns”? Title: “Concept Drafts.” Column, in its entirety: “Concept drafts may be good or bad.” It states a point of …
They say to the winner goes the spoils. Maine Democrats, who secured the majority in both state House and Senate last election, also got their way with the budget last week. The two-year, $8.3 billion budget passed by a majority vote. The final vote on the bill in the House was 77-67. The final vote …
Mainers take voting seriously. Voters can register up until the day they vote and can cast ballots absentee without an excuse. Public financing is available to candidates who want it, and Maine was first state in the nation to adopt ranked-choice voting for statewide elections. In short, Maine goes out of its way to make …
By Todd R. Nelson Billy Collins, the poet laureate, was on the phone. I had only just emailed him with an interview pitch. I never expected such a quick reply. I was a magazine associate editor hoping to interview Billy Collins about his new project: “Poetry 180,” his “online poetry jukebox.” He was working to …
Dear Editor: In 2017, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the Trump Tax Act 2017 bill would increase the national debt by $2.289 trillion, making the richest people and corporations richer and having no provisions in the bill to repair a road, create a job or tax to pay back this debt. Only Republicans voted for …
Dear Editor: Would you remain seated in a movie theater if someone yelled “fire”? Would you still remain seated if the fire alarm started going off? Would you still remain seated if you smelled smoke? Would you still remain seated if a theater employer stood at the exit signs, opened the doors and directed you …
Growing up with two God-loving conservative parents, it seemed the natural thing for me to enroll as a Republican when I registered to vote in my first election. And for years after that, as I developed a political philosophy that embraced individual liberty, fiscal responsibility, small government to the extent possible and a willingness to …
Dear Editor: My parents drilled into us that the privilege of American citizenship comes with the duty to vote. Mom always said, “If you don’t vote, you don’t get to complain.” There’s a bill in the Maine Legislature now — LD 1126 — to start online voter registration (OVR) here. Here’s why I support that. …
Welcome to a legislative rabbit hole — the concept draft. It is a way of submitting legislation that is much abused, though it had merit as originally designed. What if this newspaper’s editor accepted “concept columns”? Title: “Concept Drafts.” Column, in its entirety: “Concept drafts may be good or bad.” It states a point of …
They say to the winner goes the spoils. Maine Democrats, who secured the majority in both state House and Senate last election, also got their way with the budget last week. The two-year, $8.3 billion budget passed by a majority vote. The final vote on the bill in the House was 77-67. The final vote …
Dear Editor: I’m writing today, as chairman of the Frenchman Bay Regional Shellfish Committee, to express thanks and appreciation to the people and city of Ellsworth for their support and administration of our seven-town shellfish program these past 10-plus years. Many thanks as well to the folks and towns of Franklin, Trenton, Lamoine, Hancock, Sullivan …
Dear Editor: I am pleased that the Maine Legislature has the opportunity this year to enact a law that will permit unenrolled voters the right to vote in a primary election. Pending before the Maine Legislature is LD 231, An Act to Establish Open Primaries. As a registered Republican, I have the right to vote …
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