Opinion

Letter: Perhaps Payne should dull it down

The letter from a citizen of Cumberland in the Nov.19 Forecaster demanding that Tony Payne be forbidden column space is odd, even a little weird. The writer's objection boils down to this, that Mr. Payne, as an elected official "... should be responsible enough to know that publishing his polit...

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Monday, November 23, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Probing Politics: As much fun as a breast exam

A government study has suggested routine mammograms should be started at age 50 instead of age 40. The evidence-based analysis seems clear – we're spending billions of dollars to screen for cancer, only to find no evidence of the disease in the vast majority of women under the age of 50. ...

Tony Payne • Opinion •
Friday, November 20, 2009 at 4:20 pm
The Universal Notebook: Walking the dog

Rudy, a handsome black mutt from Kentucky masquerading as a flat-coated retriever, knows as soon as we turn onto Hillside Street that we are going to Twin Brooks. Yearning to be free, he first expresses his impatient excitement in whines that seem the farthest thing from an expression of pleasure. T... 4

Edgar Allen Beem • Opinion •
Friday, November 20, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Global Matters: Heed the call for historic change

Nobody seems to know who first coined the well-worn quip, "There's no constituency for change," but events unfolding in Washington and indeed globally these past few weeks confirm the adage. The 2008 election in this country certainly seemed to be about change. To all appearances, ...

Perry B. Newman • Opinion •
Friday, November 20, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Editorial: A hijacking in South Portland

Depending on your point of view, the appointment of Jerald McQueeney to the South Portland School Board was probably either a routine municipal decision or a successful hijacking of the Board of Education. McQueeney is one of several city residents who expressed interest in filling the boa...

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Friday, November 20, 2009 at 1:56 am
The Universal Notebook: Marriage is a gay inevitability

"Mainers vote down gay-marriage law" screamed the banner headline on the Portland Press Herald. The cover photograph, however, was of Frank Schubert, the California carpetbagger who led the Yes on 1 campaign, exulting in victory. How very fitting. Like the m... 13

Edgar Allen Beem • Opinion •
Monday, November 16, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Superintendent's Notebook: Budget season begins early for Portland schools

Budget season comes around just like hunting season, except it begins in January, lasts through May and the game being hunted is numbers, not deer. You can prepare for hunting season by going to L.L. Bean or Cabela's and purchasing the latest all-weather gear, hand warmers or flame-orange vest...

James C. Morse Sr. • Opinion •
Monday, November 16, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Letter: Payne shouldn't have column

I find Tony Payne's essays in The Forecaster to be both eloquent and thoughtful, and even on those occasions when I don't agree fully with his message. It's clear that he's a skillful writer. That said, I believe that it is unethical of Mr. Payne to be writing an opinion column for a community newsp...

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Monday, November 16, 2009 at 11:20 am
Letter: Next target, divorce?

If Mainers believe that the recent vote to revoke the equal right of all citizens to form civil unions without discrimination safeguards our societal foundations, we are resting on hypocritical and illusory laurels. What about the widespread, documented deleterious effects on community posed by the...

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Monday, November 16, 2009 at 11:12 am
Letter: Political mailing unfair to Innes

I recently opened my mailbox to find yet another mailing from the Alliance for Maine's Future with a misleading and unfair criticism of Rep. Melissa Walsh Innes. This group bandies the "Change for Maine" slogan, but its use of this kind of scurrilous and negative campaign tactic makes one...

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Monday, November 16, 2009 at 11:10 am