Here’s a tale of two states, the pope and a Virginia student who just wanted to use the bathroom. The battle for equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people is an ongoing struggle. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is.

Yes, there were frustrations, but on balance, I really enjoyed my 10 years (1989-2000) working as “communications guy” with Republican legislators in the Maine House and Senate. What a great way to learn about the making of state law and how government works. Hired solely on my communication credentials, I came into the State House a clean slate. Never having worked in government or politics, I arrived without prejudice or expectations.

Shawn Moody's sudden conversion to conservatism has Maine people scratching their heads. Moody was anything but conservative when running for governor as an independent. As a political appointee of the Governor, he managed to keep a low profile within the LePage political machine.

On Monday, I had an opportunity to spend two hours with the Democratic candidates for governor, co-hosting a radio forum on Portland's Newsradio, WGAN.

Current Maine Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Janet Mills started her first television commercial of the campaign with an image of Gov. Paul LePage.

Since this year is an Election Year, I must warn the Maine people that politicians have no legal obligation to be honest in their promises, campaign ads or remarks. Some of them will say or do anything to get elected.

Like an intermittent buzz or rattle inside my car while driving, stories and memories of irresponsible news reporting are appearing this week at odd times. These memories and stories are troubling for the future of news reporting. Especially, not exclusively, political news reporting. Irresponsible news reporting has been around a long time, and it drives out responsible reporting, and that’s bad for the profession, the nation, for people duped by it.

After months of controversy, residents of Scarborough voted Tuesday -- by a wide margin -- to recall three members of its school board. Ejected were members Donna Beely, Cari Lyford and Jodi Shea

It’s impossible for me to think about food stamps and not think about my Uncle Buddy – my mom’s brother. He was a gun-owning, motorcycle-riding, construction-working, leave-me-the-hell alone Republican. He worked on my grandmother’s farm high up in the Appalachian mountains of southwest Virginia – raising green peppers, tobacco, beef cattle and horses – and during the season he worked in construction, when there was work to be had.

Once again the media and the political establishment have anointed who they think should be the candidates, explained to the voters why we should just except their established infallibility, and just embrace the inevitable by voting the way they indicate. So again, it's the same old, same old. Two candidates, who the “powers that be” have foisted upon us, to which we are expected to accept without question.

Is the proposed citizen initiative question legal according to the Maine Constitution?

John Williams is an accused cop-killer. The police believe, with a great deal of very credible evidence, that Williams is responsible for the shooting death of Cpl. Eugene Cole, after a confrontation in Norridgewock.

The dysfunction – and frankly, absurdity – in politics today has forced the courts to be the arbiter of last resort on issues that rightly should never come before them.

Three days ago sunny, low 60-degree weather melted the last of the thick layer of ice covering Camp Marlene pond all winter. Migratory ducks — mergansers, golden eye, wood ducks, and mallards — were back scouring shallow shoreline water for water vegetation, insects, and fry.

Maine’s progressives have been selling the benefits of the minimum wage increase using faulty analysis. Don’t buy the hype.

The Grange is now just over 150 years old. On Dec. 4, 1867, sitting around a plain wooden table in Washington, D.C., seven men organized the Grange. They were all men of vision -- had faith in God, their fellow man and the future. Their focus was on agriculture and the principle that life would not exist without farming. From these humble beginnings, a fraternal order known as the Patrons of Husbandry was born.

Andy Torbett, I am mightily concerned about the exaggerated statements in your (April 18 column) “The Plight of Small Town Maine.”

After “finding a public policy problem, invite to the table experienced people with all points of view, truly listen to each other, and find a solution. In the process, always remember we’re dealing with people. It’s not enough to simply change public policy. We have to make sure we have help for the people the policy change leaves behind. That’s the philosophy of the symposium,” said Kandyce Powell, RN.