For politicians, there are three types of pictures you should always avoid. Police mug shots. Funny hats or clothes. And the blurry hand trying to block the camera. The first tells people you’re a criminal. The second says you’re trying too hard and opens you up to ridicule. And the third says you’re hiding or […]
The governor is a man who would rather climb a tree to tell a lie, than stand on the ground and tell the truth. And there are a lot of trees in Maine.
There are no heroes in a government shutdown. No bravery involved. No courage. The pitiful display we saw this weekend may have been cloaked in the language of a virtuous stand, but the men and women who talked of themselves like they are heroes for shutting down state government surely aren’t. Early in the morning […]
Burn it down. That’s not a governing philosophy or an ideal. It isn’t honorable. And isn’t even practical. But that is the approach that too many Republicans are taking with government. In Congress, Republicans – save for a few sane voices like that of Maine Sen. Susan Collins – are willing to reduce the number […]
Augusta politicians have decided that they know better than the voters. As the Maine Public headline says, “All Voter-Approved Initiatives From 2016 Ballot in Flux in the Legislature.” Since the Legislature – and particularly Republican leaders – and the governor so comfortably ignore the outcome of elections, I’d like to suggest a few others that […]
The gym at Schenck High School in East Millinocket was full. There were two tables for participants. A moderator from the Bangor Daily News. TV cameras. Reporters. Signs and stickers. And a big crowd. It was two years ago this month on June 18, and it was just one of literally hundreds of events – […]
Everyone should have enough food to eat. Period. Everyone. Every single person. Every child. Every mother. Every father. Every grandmother. Every worker. Every person who doesn’t work. Every person with a disability. Every person fighting addiction. The convicted criminal. The saint. The loving. The mean. The forgiving. The spiteful. The thoughtful. The vindictive. Everyone. During […]
The kids are all right. Honest. Despite the moaning and groaning of old people like me when they talk about “kids these days,” I think the future is in good hands. Certainly better hands than we’re in today. There’s this notion that kids today have been ruined and that they’ve been made soft by over […]
Voters are getting pummeled in the Legislature. Last year, the stalemate on important issues caused by a hothead of a governor and a divided Legislature led voters to take matters into their own hands. In a crowded November ballot, they passed four of five citizens’ initiatives. Voters said yes to legalizing marijuana, raising the minimum […]
Maine lawmakers face a conundrum of their own making. And the only real way out is to trust the voters. A well-financed – and extremely troubling – campaign to build a new casino in southern Maine has collected enough signatures to force a ballot initiative this fall. The backers of the casino question have skirted campaign […]
David Farmer is a political and media consultant in Portland, where he lives with his wife and two children. He was senior adviser to Democrat Mike Michaud’s campaign for governor and a longtime journalist. You can reach him at dfarmer14@hotmail.com.
