Ben Bragdon

Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel

Latest

Published
June 18, 2023

Our View: Maine must act now to make the most of offshore wind

The state can take steps this month to build an industry that promises both clean energy and good jobs.
Published
June 16, 2023

Commentary: The complex, misunderstood problem of absent fathers

With Father’s Day upon us, many of us will take a moment this weekend to show our appreciation to our dads. But what is often forgotten is that around 20% of fathers in the United States will likely not hear their child say “Happy Father’s Day.” For a number of reasons, they are absent fathers. […]
Published
June 15, 2023

Ben Bragdon: Gardiner school officials remove Pride flag, and take sides with bullies

A Pride flag hung until recently in Gardiner Area High School, sending to LGBTQ students the message that they belong, just like everyone else. It’s the right message to send to a group of students who haven’t always been treated well, and who now face a targeted attack by some of the most powerful people […]
Published
June 13, 2023

Commentary: Who deserves welfare? That’s the wrong question

The latest deal to avert a U.S. government default, with its new work requirements for welfare programs, illustrates a fundamental flaw in America’s social safety net: It’s far too focused on identifying the worthy, to the detriment of the needy. By official measures, nearly 40 million Americans are living in poverty. Yet not a single […]
Published
June 10, 2023

Our View: The effects of the global climate crisis will be local

The climate crisis is global. The effects, however, will be overwhelmingly local. That reality could not be more obvious this week, as smoke from wildfires in Canada blanketed the East Coast, giving New York for a moment the worst air quality of any major city in the world. Maine, which has felt the unhealthy effects […]
Published
June 10, 2023

Maine Compass: Meet me on the Merrymeeting Trail

Imagine a trail from Augusta to Brunswick, offering rare and breathtaking views as it traces the Kennebec, Cathance, and Androscoggin rivers. Running along an inactive state-owned railroad corridor, it would attract tourists from around the country, benefit small businesses in our town centers, and provide opportunities for exercise, alternative transportation, and connection to people of […]
Published
June 9, 2023

Commentary: Why Donald Trump’s federal indictment is as breathtaking as it was inevitable

In one sense, it was breathtaking: the first ever indictment of a former president by the Department of Justice he once oversaw — and therefore the most important federal charge in U.S. history. In another, it was expected. Once Donald Trump had received a formal target letter from the department, his fate was effectively sealed. […]
Published
June 8, 2023

Our View: Maine families need lawmakers to support child care industry

A new report shows that most Mainers have trouble finding affordable, high-quality child care. It’s hurting everyone.
Published
June 7, 2023

Commentary: Biden, Feinstein, Trump — how do we know when our leaders are too old?

In politics, as in life, it’s all too easy to write off old people, especially when they are frail or disabled. President Joe Biden’s fall on stage during the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony on Thursday immediately raised questions of fitness. Even I, a geriatrician and anti-ageism advocate, looked at Dianne Feinstein’s recent return to […]
Published
June 6, 2023

Martin Schram: The making of MAGA

Today we will be exploring why Donald Trump’s little-understood MAGA Republican base has seemed so stunningly shatterproof – despite being pounded by nonstop news revelations of potential prosecutions, more unsavory conduct and eruptions that sound unpatriotic to outsiders’ ears. Now this: The 2024 presidential campaign attacks are just getting started. Former Trump endorsers are now […]