by Jonathan Reisman

December has been a bit of an emotional and political rollercoaster, which can make focusing on weekly wordsmithing problematic. End of year Christmas and New Year’s columns often have early deadlines, and that is the case this year. On top of that, my head is spinning from a strange combination of sadness and grief one year after my wife’s passing and confident optimism, pride, and pleasure in my writing and political and policy productivity. The result is a somewhat scattershot column.

Equity and ME

by Jonathan Reisman

Jeopardy Answer: Policy goal that is loudly proclaimed and pursued across nearly every sector of American society but is rarely (if ever) defined or assessed. 

Jeopardy Question: What is Equity?

by Jonathan Reisman

My Policy Ronin column on political samurai without masters elicited a number of responses. Two readers sent uniform/wardrobe suggestions. The armored chain mail option would probably protect me from lefty lances, but I am skeptical it would be allowed through the security checkpoints in Augusta. The less martial masked alternative is clearly the post-Covid cosplay of choice.

by Jonathan Reisman

by Jonathan Reisman

I left Eastern Maine a week after the election to visit my sisters in the Sierra foothills. The three-thousand-mile journey started with a meditative just-under-two-hour drive to my elder son Asher’s abode in Brewer and a next-day flight from Bangor to Sacramento via Newark. My younger son Avram, happily, romantically, and politically engaged and employed in the swamp, traveled separately and joined me in Sacramento. My boys think their 68-year-old widowed father has lost a step or two and should not travel alone, and they are probably right. 

by Jonathan Reisman

by Jonathan Reisman

Poll Worker Musings

I worked the polls from 9:30 a.m. to almost midnight on Nov. 5. It was a long day of recognizing graying neighbors, friends, and a few new arrivals/same-day registrants. I carefully declined asking for any ID, which was fortunate for both legal and old acquaintances I forgot/failed to recognize.

by Jonathan Reisman

National Popular Vote Compact Karma

by Jonathan Reisman

HVAC Politics

I am not sure whether I get more forced hot air from my heat pump or the political ads. The heat pump at least keeps me comfortable if perhaps a little dry, plus there are Green New Deal virtue signaling points. I am told that laughter and humor are good for the immune system, and given the questionable efficacy of the Covid vaccines, I probably need all the help I can get.

World Series as Election Metaphor

by Jonathan Reisman

Maine’s draft climate action plan update is posted at Maine-Wont-Wait-Draft-10.15.24.pdf. 

It doubles down on expensive and unreliable energy (solar and wind), electric vehicles, youth indoctrination (Climate Corps anyone?), damaging rural Maine, moral preening, and refusing to tell the people of Maine how much global warming will be averted (none) and at what cost (bend over).

I will be having at least three bills submitted in response, led by “An Act to Promote Sound Science and Transparency in Climate Change Policy.”