The Facts
Gordon L. Weil is a contributing writer at the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting (pinetreewatchdog.org). The purpose of The Facts is, he says, “to inform people to enhance their desire and ability to participate in public affairs.” He is an author, publisher, consultant and newspaper columnist. He was formerly active in the Democratic Party, heading three Maine state agencies under Gov. Joseph Brennan and serving as a top aide to Sen. George McGovern, the 1972 Democratic nominee for president. He was Maine’s first Public Advocate with the job of protecting the consumer interest in utility regulation. He is the author or editor of 15 books including “Blackout: How the Electric Industry Exploits America.” Weil was also a correspondent for the Washington Post, Newsweek and Paris Herald-Tribune and a long-time columnist for the Financial Times. He is a former Harpswell selectman. He may be contacted at weil.gordon@gmail.com.
Additional Column Posts (1 - 17 of 17)
The Facts
Snowe’s claim that Congress is like a parliament has basis in recent history
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Mar 09Last week, Sen. Olympia Snowe said, "We are becoming more like a parliamentary system, where everyone simply votes with their party and those in ...
- OPINION: The Facts
Maine’s GOP caucuses may matter in presidential race
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Feb 10The next big splash in the Republican presidential season will come on March 6, called “Super Tuesday,” when more GOP convention delegates will be ...
OPINION: The Facts
Maine, the oldest state: causes and possible cures
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Jan 20Maine is the oldest state in the Union. That simple statement may send an important message about efforts to keep or bring young people to the ...
OPINION: The Facts
LePage MaineCare plan shows problems of containing any entitlement program
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Dec 16Trying to strike a balance between cutting government programs and finding money to pay for essential services can be dangerous. Dangerous for ...
OPINION: The Facts
Trouble is contagious: How Europe’s financial woes threaten U.S. recovery
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Nov 17Greece, Italy, much of the rest of Europe and the euro are big news these days. Why should Mainers or other Americans care? Don’t we have enough ...
OPINION: The Facts
Wind not the wave of energy future; traditional fuels and conservation are
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Oct 21To listen to talk about the world’s energy future, you might think that wind, solar and other renewable resources are the wave of the future. A ...
The Facts
Redistricting reflects party politics; may end up meaning little here
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Aug 30Once every 10 years, when you vote for members of the Legislature, you are probably unaware that you are also voting to choose the people who may ...
S&P action reveals pessimism over economy, D.C. stalemate
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Aug 12Last Friday, history was made when a company called Standard and Poor’s said that borrowing by the U.S. government had become more risky. Known ...
Tax debates in U.S., Maine, focus on what ‘rich’ should pay
By Gordon Weil, Contribut... - Aug 02The Facts is a weekly feature that provides non-partisan and independent research, background and context on topics of interest to Maine people. ...
The Facts
Energy independence for U.S., Maine comes at a price
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Feb 24Just a few months ago, almost nobody talked about the Strait of Hormuz, much less worried about its effect on our lives. Now, Iran threatens to ...
- OPINION: The Facts
LePage’s sales tax veto sheds light on issue of exemptions
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Jan 27The sales tax is one of the touchiest political issues. Unlike income or property tax, just about everybody pays it: rich and poor, resident and ...
OPINION: The Facts
Separating dollars and cents facts from myths
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Dec 30The end of the year is a good time to correct some myths recently in the news. 1. Unemployment has never been so high for this long. For one ...
OPINION: The Facts
What Maine could do to minimize winter power outages
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Nov 30In the last three months, three storms have blacked out tens of thousands of electric customers in New England. Mayors can lose elections ...
OPINION: The Facts
Election Day registration encourages voting; fraud has been hard to find
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Nov 04Should we make voting as easy as possible so that more people will vote? If we make voting easier, will many ineligible people vote? When ...
The Facts
Maine faces new power test between executive and legislative branches
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Sep 02Gov. Paul LePage recently ordered state agencies to submit all proposed rules for his approval before they are made public. His action raises ...
The Facts No. 4
Maine Medicaid under review as costs rise; Gov. LePage seeks reductions
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Aug 19Gov. Paul LePage has said he would like to see fewer Maine people eligible to get Medicaid help. His proposal has been estimated by some to move ...
No. 2 of series
History shows Maine governor benefits more from incumbency than U.S. president
By Gordon L. Weil, ... - Aug 05Will being incumbents help President Barack Obama when he runs next year and Maine Governor Paul LePage, should he seek re-election in 2014? Hist...
