Ultimately, Maine should not be ashamed of its redistricting process, but it should not celebrate it as the pinnacle of democracy and representation either. By entrusting map drawing to politicians and limiting time for public feedback, there is a question as to how well the new district lines truly serve the public interest. As a state that avoids the worst of redistricting, we should continue to ask ourselves how we can do better.
Alex Lear
A Maine native and Colby College graduate, Alex has been covering coastal communities since 2001. He lives in the Portland area with his wife Lauren, 4-year-old daughter Alaina, and 7-year-old bulldog Walter. He has released four CDs of original music and does occasional research work for Marvel Comics' collected editions.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Brad Dyer: Support fixed-income Maine seniors by protecting Medicare Advantage
The budget plan being passed through Congress right now is supposed to help the American people. But cutting Medicare Advantage Health Plan coverage from the 27 million seniors and disabled individuals who depend on Medicare Advantage would do more harm than good, shifting the financial burden back to seniors, most of whom are on a fixed income.
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Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Leonard Pitts Jr.: Dear Mike Pence
Bad enough a right-wing horde smashes into the citadel of American democracy because they didn’t like the outcome of the election. What’s infinitely worse — what’s flat-out pathetic — is all the alleged conservatives downplaying, blame-shifting — and even lionizing — that act of insurrection.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Froma Harrop: So-called progressives versus the Democratic Party
The left is a minority within the Democratic Party. Its champions lost recent primaries in New York, Virginia, Louisiana and Ohio. The radical fringe seems larger than it is because it gets media attention, especially when it flames other Democrats. Only Democratic voters can exact a price for sabotaging the team.
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Bob Mennealy: LePage ‘a disaster for the state’
Is an individual’s right not to get vaccinated mitigated by the danger such behavior can cause others? In such an instance living free can cause others to die, as over 90% of ICU patients are unvaccinated. Now onto my high school classmate, Paul Lepage, as his last name was then spelled. Paul LePage was a […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
James Cutting: Sanchez would be ‘excellent’ Lewiston city councilor
Caring for the community one represents is one of the most important qualities a council candidate can have. Amy Sanchez cares deeply for her neighborhood and Lewiston as a whole. At the beginning of the pandemic, she made 2,000-plus masks to donate to the community, helping safeguard her neighbors. Soon after leaving St. Martin De […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Mark Lee: Sheline would ‘build a brighter future’ for Lewiston
Carl Sheline is the right person to lead Lewiston as our next mayor. He has proven experience as a hardworking and honest business owner, demonstrated leadership and commitment through his voluntary service to many local area boards and organizations, and supported growth in Lewiston by investing and contributing to our community’s business and nonprofits. We […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Jules Patry: Sheline ‘a great ambassador for Lewiston’
It is my pleasure to endorse Carl Sheline for mayor. I have known Carl for approximately five years, and have worked with him on numerous downtown initiatives. In the time that I have known him, he has proven to be a great ambassador for Lewiston and is committed to bringing positive change to our city. […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Chelsea Washburn: Corridor project dangerous, unfair, misleading
“It’s not just unfair, it’s dangerous.” This is coming from an advertisement that has been pushed tirelessly on our TVs as of late. It’s no surprise that Avangrid, the international corporation that owns CMP, is spending millions of dollars on misleading commercials. They’ve been misleading Mainers since Day One, and I’m sure with the amount […]