What if the end of the world came and nobody noticed? It’s not quite an idle question. You see, something remarkable happened just recently. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of scientists working under the aegis of the United Nations, issued a report on our planet’s health. Turns out it’s worse than we […]
Op-Eds
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
When President Trump says he’ll do it, you can believe it
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump may be remembered as the most honest president in modern American history. Don’t get me wrong, Trump lies all the time. He said that he “enacted the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history” (actually they are the eighth largest) and that “our economy is the strongest it’s ever been […]
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A cold war against China is won at home
NEW YORK — The Trump administration’s most significant and lasting decisions will be about U.S. policy toward China. Far more consequential than even the Supreme Court’s composition or immigration policy is whether the 21st century will be marked by conflict or cooperation between the two most prosperous and powerful countries on the planet. The last […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
There are many ways for people to take action to end domestic violence
As we recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October, it is an opportunity to reflect on the ways we can all participate in making our communities safer places for everyone. Last year, domestic violence resource centers around the state adopted Take Action Maine as the theme for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It resonated so well […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
What does it take?
We now have a new associate justice on the Supreme Court. We also have tax conformity here in Maine. That is good news. How we got these results is another matter. Nobody who knows the facts can honestly assess the behavior of our elected representatives in Augusta and Washington as anything but a disgrace and […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Question 1 sounds too good to be true
Ask any older person if they would prefer to receive nursing care or other supports in their own homes, and the answer is likely to be “yes.” Referendum Question 1 on the November ballot plays on Maine voters’ wishes and hopes by promising free home care for everyone. If people want real action on home […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Iraq's new government confronts Iran and corruption
After four months of vote recounts and bitter negotiations following May’s indecisive election, in September Iraq’s strife-ridden Council of Representatives voted to form the nucleus of a stable government when its parliamentarians agreed to select Barham Salih as president. In early October, Salih chose Adel Abdul-Mahdi to be prime minister and charged him with forming […]
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Democrats' ruthless tactics backfired
WASHINGTON — President Trump apologized to Justice Brett Kavanaugh and his family for the “terrible pain and suffering” they endured during his confirmation process, declaring that “what happened to the Kavanaugh family violates every notion of fairness, decency and due process.” Democrats seem to be taking the opposite lesson from the Kavanaugh fight. As Politico […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Progressives need more than size
Here’s what gets me about progressives. They never seem to realize that they are the majority. Yet on issue after issue, the polling consistently shows that they are. Abortion? Sixty-four percent of Americans support Roe v. Wade. Guns? Sixty-seven percent want stricter laws. Taxes? Sixty-one percent say the rich need to pay more. Health care? […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Senate speech was Susan Collins' finest hour
In a speech announcing her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, reminded me of some of the great orators of the past. Her speech was measured in tone, substantive in content and delivered with conviction. Collins is no conservative. She has voted in favor of abortion and same-sex […]