Category Archives: Home

Politicians need to care more about the country and less about themselves

Earlier this week, Lance Duston wrote on his BDN blog about the need for better-qualified public officials. He argued that voters need to get rid of their fixation on candidates’ regular-guy appeal and instead support those who have government experience and relevant education. I agree with Lance on his first point, but I think he misses the […]

The Republican healthcare plan would cause more American deaths than terrorism

Of all the threats to American lives, few frighten the country more than terrorism. Thousands of Americans and tens of thousands of people elsewhere in the world have lost their lives to terrorism over the past two decades. ISIS has killed upwards of 50,000 people over the course of their existence, one or two hundred of […]

Trump won’t bring the paper industry back to Maine

The BDN Editorial Board sort of beat me to the punch here, but their article makes a similar point in a different way, so I’m still posting my take. Donald Trump won the election on a false hope. He said and promised many things that brought him the support that delivered him the presidency, but […]

Judging by History, a European Ban on Maine Lobster Might Really Happen

Earlier this year, Sweden complained about finding American lobsters in nearby waters and called for a ban on imports of the crustacean. Last week, the EU took a major step forward in the process for pursuing such a ban when a scientific review body said that Sweden’s complaint has merit. That means that a further review will now be […]

How to Fix Trade

One of the key issues underlying the political currents driving the election this year is free trade. The candidates frequently discuss the topic itself, but trade is also an indirect cause or contributor to the broader sentiments defining each political side. On the right you have supporters of Donald Trump looking warily at the rest of the […]

Why New Balance Factories Will Close If TPP Passes—The Deal Explained

The Trans Pacific Partnership. A name simultaneously so grand and so vague that it’s easy to find it either ominous or inspirational, depending on your disposition. At the highest level, the TPP is pretty easy to understand. It’s a big free trade agreement—the biggest ever in fact—between some Pacific Rim countries. Start delving into the […]

How Collins and King May Vote on the Biggest Trade Deal Ever

This post continues a series of articles on the Trans Pacific Partnership and discusses the stances of Senators Susan Collins and Angus King on the issue. Read the first post, on Reps. Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin, here. Susan Collins Figuring out Susan Collins’ stance on the TPP is not quite as easy as Chellie […]