Tag Archives: Democrats

Ranked-choice voting for governor is exciting — like math!

I really like math. So what does that have to do with Maine politics? Well, it turns out at June’s gubernatorial primary we will vote by ranked choice ballot. That means math. As we sit here today, several Democrats — Sean Faircloth, Jim Boyle, and Patrick Eisenhart — have dropped out of the race for […]

The four-letter word of Medicaid expansion

“Work” isn’t a four-letter word. Well, OK, it is, but not one of those four-letter words. The Trump Administration made national headlines by opening the door to work requirements for individuals enrolling in Medicaid, or, as we know it here, MaineCare. For years, this policy prescription was a lodestar for Gov. Paul LePage and former […]

Responsible Republicans are leading the way

Thank goodness for reasonable Republicans. Tuesday night saw our political environment writ clearly on stages both large and small. Roy Moore, a man accused of what can only be described as heinous actions, lost a Senate seat in Alabama, a state Donald Trump won by 28 points. Meanwhile, back in Maine, Shane Bouchard won the […]

Can we tax reform our way out of debt?

I, for one, welcome our new debt-concerned Democrats. As the tax reform debate wages in Washington, those on the left are assailing GOP plans from an unusual vantage: our national debt. Some estimates indicate the reform proposals will add $1.5 trillion to the national debt over 10 years. That is why some Democrats claim they […]

Read past this headline, or you may not understand what’s really going on

“Report: Majority Of Portland Residents Can’t Afford Average Rent, Median Home Prices” “There’s a growing gap between Republicans and Democrats on helping needy” Read those two headlines. Now, what is your first impression? Probably that Portland is on the verge of mass homelessness and that one political party doesn’t want to help needy individuals. Back […]

Can we end gerrymandering?

The Gerrymander. The most evil of political beasts, destroying competition in the electoral sphere and laying eggs of partisanship to perpetuate itself. To get the full effect, you need to read that in the voice of Sir David Attenborough. Because when it comes to redistricting and representation, the entire concept is treated as some strange, […]

Forget campaign 2018, let’s just watch TV

Adam Cote. Janet Mills. Mark Eves. Betsy Sweet. Jim Boyle. Patrick Eisenhart. To quote Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker in 2008’s The Dark Knight: “And here. We. Go.” That line was one of the final ones uttered in the now-iconic performance. Ledger’s chaotic character wanted one ferry full of Gotham citizens to blow up […]

Tax reform or the Augusta War: Which way will Maine go?

“The Great Shutdown of 2017” will be remembered much like the “Aroostook War”; an interesting historical footnote in Maine’s history. The apocryphal casualties of the latter consisted of one cow. For the former, two vehicles of Republican representatives may or may not have been vandalized by individuals who missed the childhood lesson on using their words. […]

What Mary Mayhew and Wonder Woman have in common

Grossing over $100 million in the U.S. last weekend, “Wonder Woman” made quite a splash.  And although I haven’t seen it, after reading the plot, it isn’t hard to understand why; a legendary superhero — who happens to be female — overcomes tall odds, fights with friends-turned-enemies, and (spoiler alert!) ultimately triumphs and remains on […]

Will the real will of the people please stand up?

“The will of the people!” That is one of the rallying cries shouted over the past few weeks, whether in Portland City Hall or under the capitol dome in Augusta. Somewhat sardonically, it was also the name of a socialist revolutionary terrorist organization in 19th century Russia, counting Vladimir Lenin’s older brother amongst its members. […]