We have seen the enemy, and it is the robot. A wave of fear over automation is driving dire predictions about robots rendering swaths of Americans unemployable and has created a vogue for outlandishly stupid policy proposals. A popular idea in Silicon Valley is for a so-called universal basic income — the government would write […]
Op-Eds
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With Trump in driver’s seat, nation in for one rough ride
WASHINGTON — The pleasant surprise of the First 100 Days is over. The action was hectic, heated, often confused, but well within the bounds of normalcy. Policy (e.g., health care) was being hashed out, a Supreme Court nominee confirmed, foreign policy challenges (e.g. North Korea) addressed. Donald Trump’s character — volatile, impulsive, often self-destructive — […]
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Clock ticking for new budget that works for all Mainers
The Maine Legislature has less than two months to craft and enact its next two-year budget. Education, social services, public safety, infrastructure and veterans services all hang in the balance. Fortunately, the state is in a better position financially than it has been at any point during my time in the Legislature. Years after the […]
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Working to keep alive the spirit of American democracy
NEW YORK — I have tried to evaluate Donald Trump’s presidency fairly. I’ve praised him when he has appointed competent people to high office and expressed support for his policies when they seemed serious and sensible (even though this has drawn criticism from some quarters). But there has always been another aspect to this presidency […]
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Animus of white working class deeper than politics
“White people riot by voting.” Years later, I no longer recall who first shared that bit of wisdom with me, but I’ve always found it striking. Not, of course, that it is literally true. As is attested by any fair reading of the history of urban uprisings — New York City in 1863, Chicago in […]
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Trump needs to get over his Obama fixation
Dear Mr. So-Called President: You really need to get over this Obama fixation. Can’t you see he’s just not that into you? The sooner you accept that and get on with your life, the better off you’ll be. No, it is not uncommon for a president to blame bad tidings on the guy before him, […]
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Saudi leaders won’t be telling the truth
President Trump is about to score a religious trifecta, visiting Saudi Arabia, Israel and Rome, the “home” of three monotheistic religions. The president has said he wants to make the ultimate deal and achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians. While the goal is similar to a high school kid attempting to hit a curve […]
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GOP should look to Lincoln, not Jackson
Donald Trump is trying to do for Andrew Jackson what Lin-Manuel Miranda did for Alexander Hamilton. Trump, like Miranda, is out to restore the reputation of a great American figure once threatened with removal from U.S. currency. Trump doesn’t have the cultural pull of the writer and star of “Hamilton,” yet his salvage job might […]
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Important for victims of domestic violence to know help is available
Each year, approximately half of the homicides in Maine are related to domestic violence, and while most of us are aware that this is an issue that impacts our communities, we don’t always see the many forms domestic violence can take. Many people automatically think of the dynamics between two spouses or dating partners. We […]
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Tax plan would lead to larger deficit
WASHINGTON — Let’s be clear: America is an undertaxed society. Our wants and needs from government — the two blur — exceed our willingness to be taxed. This has been true for decades, but it’s especially relevant now because the number of older Americans, who are the largest beneficiaries of federal spending, is rising rapidly. […]