Scattered Acres

With the death of Roe v. Wade , the reactionaries who call the Republican Party home have launched two campaigns. One is to extend the prohibition of abortion nationwide, as articulated by former Vice President Pence. Much more ominous is the view of Justice Clarence Thomas who in his concurring opinion on Roe suggested that other rights established by precedent should be revisited. Overturning Roe means that anything is possible - no rights are safe.  Specifically, Justice Thomas questions the validity of the decision in Griswold vs Connecticut which buttressed the right of privacy and decriminalized contraception. The same is true of Lawrence v. Texas which threw out the states sodomy laws that prohibited same sex sexual relations. Another is Obergefell v. Hodges that recognize the legality of  same sex marriage nationwide.  Notably absent from Justice Thomas hit list is Loving v. Virginia , the 1967 case that legalized interracial marriage. Little is said aloud...

I opened up a bottle of Poland Spring water and had a drink on a hot day at an outdoor party. Not meaning to litter the landscape, I brought it home for recycling. I was in Massachusetts at the time, a state that requires a deposit when buying a plastic bottle so as to encourage recycling. On reading the label in search of “deposit” states, I read, “Not for sale in bottle deposit states”. So where did the bottle of Poland Spring water come from? So here we have a “No deposit” bottle of water that comes from Maine and finds its way to Massachusetts, a  "deposit state”. I’ve driven through Poland Spring and mining water there is a great, big operation. It used to be part of the global corporate giant Nestlé, but they sold out and a series of financial transactions followed. Some in Maine protest the mine.   But what am I to do with the plastic bottle? Put it in the land fill? 

Congressman Jared Golden, a back bencher, has distinguished himself once again by being the sole Democrat to vote against the “Build Back Better” bill in the House. Golden has a habit of voting against Democrats, starting with his vote against Nancy Pelosi for Speaker.  Golden is catering to “know-nothing” Trump voters of the Second District. He finds fault a provision favoring well-to-do homeowners and has taken the stance of a deficit hawk. Instead of explaining as a leader how “Build Back Better” addresses the serious needs of the rural Second District, Golden has prioritized his perfect over the good.  If some Maine Democrat doesn’t mount a primary challenge to Golden, then the party is moribund and devoid of leadership and imagination. In spite of his incumbency, it is hard to see how Golden can win reelection, having alienated a significant number of Democratic voters. A primary fight will make the division even more apparent.  Meanwhile, Bruce Poliquin, his li...

After my last post about 2nd District Maine Congressman Jared Golden, I contacted his office to let him know about my posts on March 11 and August 19, 2021. Neither of them were complimentary or supportive. Using my Maine address, since I am a Damariscotta property owner, I got a email back from his office thanking me for contacting him and advising me to seek help from Chellie Pingree of the First District if I needed any assistance.  Next, I received an envelope from Jared Golden seeking a campaign contribution. The cover letter states that three Republicans are set to run against him in ’22, including Bruce Poliquin whom Golden defeated in 2018, thanks to ranked choice voting. Golden claims he’s a victim of special interests, Super PACs and disinformation. It says nothing about what Golden stands for, his platform or his voting record. We do  know that as a Blue Dog Democrat, he is placing Biden's extensive second infrastructure bill in jeopardy.  Golden’s singula...

Thanks to ranked-choice voting, Jared Golden, a Democrat, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine’s Second District in 2018, beating the incumbent, Bruce Poliquin, by a hair when votes were redistributed. Golden was an attractive candidate with Marine Corps service in Iran and Afghanistan and as a graduate from one of Maine’s fine liberal arts colleges. He was reelected in 2020; but with fewer votes than polling had predicted. The District, however, was carried by Donald Trump which provided him with an electoral vote under Maine election law.   Wise to his constituency, Golden chose to show that he was no garden variety Democrat. The first thing he did upon arrival in Congress was to cast a vote for  Speaker of the House other than for Nancy Pelosi . I haven’t been following his voting record closely until he emerged this week as one of nine Blue Dog Democrats. This group insists that the House vote on the “hard” infrastructure bill and uncouple it from t...

Here, in the People’s Republic of Amherst, we had a revolution a few years ago. Or was it a counter-revolution. The broad based Representative Town Meeting of 240 members was thought to be cumbersome and inefficient, with some even saying that it wasn’t representative at all. In the name of efficiency and effectiveness, the voters of Amherst agreed to a charter that called for a city council type government for the Town of Amherst. The legislative agenda for the town would now be set by 13 Councilors who would elect a Chairperson and hire the City Manager.  The town has a hefty capital improvements program on the table. At the head of the list is a $36 million improvement to the beloved Jone Library. The argument goes that the library needs $15 million in improvements, so if you can stitch together a grant from the state and some contributions from those who can afford it, that leaves only about $14 million in bonds to be paid off by the town’s taxpayers. So what the heck, the town...

Dear Jared Golden, I had high hopes for you. You have a good military record and you got yourself an education. But lately you’ve been voting Republican - and as a Democrat, uniquely so. Granted that your congressional district voted for former president Trump, giving him one of Maine’s electoral votes. But that does not call for a duly elected Democratic congressman to vote against the much needed aid for an ailing economy in the time of a global pandemic that is not yet over. You’ve gone about as far as you can go. Don’t even think about ever running for the Senate or state-wide office. The votes wouldn’t be there. Regrettably, you have become a follower of your constituents rather than a leader. And when the voters come to their senses about what is good for them, good for Maine and good for America, you might have a tough time getting reelected at all. Remember the old adage, “When the voters are given a choice between a fake Republican and a real Republican, they will choose the r...

It didn't take four years to know that Donald J. Trump would be an American catastrophe. If I didn’t know for sure before his inauguration, I was certain of it on the day of his inauguration. George W. Bush reportedly referred to Trump’s inaugural speech as "some weird shit" after the ceremony concluded. It took only Trump’s insistence on the size of the crowd to realize that he was prepared to construct a fantasy universe built on lies. No, his inaugural crowd on the Mall was nowhere near as large as that for Obama. Anyone who saw the pictures would know it.  That Trump was a nasty campaigner was nothing new. After all, the gentlemanly George H. W. Bush employed Willy Horton to beat Mike Dukakis and LBJ has a little girl counting the daisy petals left before Barry Goldwater would start nuclear war. But in office from the very first minute, one had to know that Trump was something different. One can disagree with his policies that squandered the goodness in America. But...

I’m not sure we need $600 each from the new slug of federal stimulus funds. While I always appreciate money that comes over the transom, we run a tight financial ship that provides for the essentials in life and small pleasures. In other words, as retirees, we plan prudently for what we need and what we want with the resources at hand.  Millions of people are hurting as a result of the pandemic through absolutely no fault of their own. That includes the laid off unemployed and the myriad of very small businesses that are forced to abide with pandemic guidelines that destroy their financial viability. Those who continue to work as before are doing well. What is needed is 1) a predictable safety net for the unemployed, 2) aid to keep small businesses with fixed expenses afloat until restrictions upon them are removed, and 3) aid for states, cities and towns that are working with reduced revenues and, incidentally, employ millions.  So do I need $600? $1,200 for the two of us? Do...

Do you know how close Joe Biden came to losing the election? Terrifyingly close! According to the vastest figures available on line, Biden won Arizona and 11 Electoral votes by 10,457 popular votes, Georgia’s 16 Electoral votes by 11,779 popular votes, and Wisconsin’s 10 Electoral votes by 20,682 popular votes. Biden won these three states by 42,918 votes. Together they account for 37 Electoral votes which, if gone to Trump, would have caused a tie in the Electoral College and thrown the election into the House where Trump wins the majority Republican states.  OK, a tie. But additionally, if Nebraska’s single Biden Electoral vote from the 2nd Congressional District hadn’t gone to Biden by 22,091 votes, Trump wins. Or if Nevada’s 6 Electoral votes hadn’t gone to Biden by 33,596, Trump wins.  Under the Constitutional provisions for the Electoral College and the custom of winner-take-all by states, Biden won the presidency by a mere 65,009 votes. Imagine that. The loss of a ...

There is light at the end of the tunnel. COVID-19 vaccine is on the way. It may not be here for all of us for a while and it may not be soon enough for some who will succumb to the virus. The vaccine is welcome news, nevertheless. But the pandemic didn’t have to be so bad. Trumpian leadership failed from the beginning. The president’s vanity trumped the simplest of defenses - a mask, social distancing, limited travel. That a vaccine was developed at warp speed is a tribute to the science that Trump has so disparaged.  A second pandemic is upon us. It’s the assault on truth. It may turn out to be far more dangerous, more widespread, and long-lasting than the coronavirus pandemic that we know. Again, it didn’t have to be this way. President Trump is on record for tens of thousands of lies. As a narcissistic sociopath and pathological liar he is under the delusion what what he says is true. And a good many millions of people believe what he says. His lies have gone viral . Trump’s pow...

President Biden’s first job is to sooth the wounds that Trump has brought upon America. In that regard, he should form a unity government that includes some responsible Republicans (a rare animal, indeed). This will infuriate progressives (of which I consider myself one), but the Democratic Party did not do well down ballot. It’s a time for healing. In particular, Biden can give the rural, white, partially educated, Trump supporters not what they want, but what they need. What they need are respect, decent employment, education, medical care, community, etc. What to do? My list in no particular order: 1) Omnibus Infrastructure Program for the Future. - Includes widespread repairs and updating; Broadband extension to rural areas; Clean energy  and conservation measures; Climate change defense and amelioration; More I haven’t thought of. It’s a jobs program.  2) Employment and Income Security. - $15/hour minimum federal wage; Equal opportunity employment; Pages from the New Deal...

TW3 was a TV program of the sixties that satirized the week's political, social and cultural events and actions. Among the luminaries on the screen were David Frost, Nichols and May, with cameo appearances by Gloria Steinem, Tom Lehrer and many others. But what could they have done with the week just passed?  Number 1, Saturday: Trump announces the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to replace the recently deceased RBG on the Supreme  Court. He couldn’t have picked a more polar opposite justice. McConnell promises to rush Senate confirmation, negating his principle of not elevating a nominee to the court so close to a presidential election.  Number 2, Sunday: The New York Times publishes information about Trump’s tax returns and his business losses. Trump paid $750 in the first two years of his presidency and nothing in many preceding years. As a businessman, his business loses were staggering.  Number 3, Tuesday: Trump blusters interruptions at what was billed was the...

Donald J. Trump is his own Joseph Goebbels. For those who don’t know the name, Goebbels was Reich Minister of Propaganda of Nazi Germany. Trump is his own minister of propaganda. Between Goebbels and Hitler, the big lie was perfected by repeated articulation.  Trump has indicated publicly that he may not abide by the results of the coming November election. He claims already the despite the polls showing Biden ahead nationally, that he has won the election and any contrary result will be due to a rigged election. How often have you heard rigged election? This repetition is the big lie in process.  Trump is beyond violating traditional American norms. He is beyond his own personality disorders and flawed character. He is undermining faith in American institutions at every turn. He is trashing the Constitution. American democracy as we know it is under dire threat. It behooves everyone who believes in democracy, rather than authoritarianism, to address the threat. You can do t...

Followers of this blog may wonder why it has been silent for almost two weeks.  The news is breaking fast.  Trump this. Trump that. There are an abundance of good writers who are on top of each hour. Too much for me to digest, reflect on, and write about. It's not just current events that command attention. Folks are beginning to speculate of what things will be like on November 4 and the days and weeks to follow. "We'll have to see what happens". 

  Democrats:    1) Democracy is in deep trouble.    2) Trump is not fit for the office.  Republicans:    1) Praise Trump from whom all blessings flow.     2) Biden is the socialist's stooge. 

I saw my first convention on a small black and white screen TV in 1956. I saw then President Eisenhower make his way in a cavalcade of motor vehicles to the Republican convention site at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. That’s right, the Cow Palace. I saw his opponent, Adlai Stevenson, campaign in Boston’s Mechanics Hall. He tried to “talk sense to the American people”, but lost handily. The next convention of memory was the Democrats of 1960. Kennedy had the nomination locked up, so only the VP pick remained. Kennedy picked rival Lyndon Johnson and the convention erupted in boos.  1968 was a year to remember in many ways. The Democratic Convention in Chicago takes the prize for drama. LBJ had dropped out; Bobby Kennedy had been assassinated. There were lots of loose delegates which headed toward VP Hubert Humphrey. The backdrop however, was the Vietnam War and the hippy movement. Humphrey carried the burden of Johnson’s war and so became a target of protest. And protest there was ...

We don’t have cable, so I don’t get to see Fox News very often. Usually it’s at a motel while traveling. This time it was an overnight in the hospital for a routine procedure.  What I saw on Fox and Friends was a parade of cynical, hard-nosed commentators with the singular purpose of advancing a right wing political agenda. Well, I’m not sure I saw an agenda, but what I saw was a constant tear down of Democrats. The big issue was socialism , socialism ,  socialism , without ever defining it. The second big issue was violence in the cities with plenty of video up close and personal. Often words were attributed to Democrats only identified by mug-shot, but not by name. And during the hour or so I watched, I saw virtually no reference to the COVID-19 pandemic. For those who get their information solely from Fox News, some critical thinking is needed. Viewers should fact-check and verify what they hear and see from other sources. Fox News is carbon-copy of the Trump campaign pla...

Maine, where I live, is one of the states least affected by the coronavirus. Here, about one out of every 313 people in the state has been touched by the virus. And my county is even safer with one case recorded for every 990 people.  So you can imagine how surprised I was to learn that a case arrived next door. Arrived is the correct word, because it came from away . It was the middle-aged son or our neighbor whom I see in my imagination arriving home saying, "Mom, I'm sick." It turns out that the gentleman lives in a far away state and seems to have caught the bug at a wedding. Weren't we all warned about that? I don't know where the wedding was held, but here's a story from Millinocket, Maine, the gateway to Mount Katahdan and the terminus of the Appalachian Trail. They had a wedding reception there with 65 people gathered in a church with reception to follow. 26 folk tested positive with 6 more probables. About half the people caught COVID-19 at the weddi...