Talk of the Towns 4/13/18

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Engineer: Amy Browne

Conversation with Douglas Rooks on Rise, Decline and Renewal: The Democratic Party in Maine, published by Hamilton Books, 2018

Key Discussion Points:
You begin your book with chapters on the Rise of the Democratic Party… what was so remarkable about Edmund Muskie’s election as governor in 1954?
Who was key to the rise of the democratic party and what were their key contributions (Coffin, Muskie, Curtis, Brennan)
In the meantime, what was happening in the Republican party and the role of independent candidates? (Longley, King, Cutler)
What internal factors led to the decline of the Democratic party in Maine…
What has been the effect of term limits on governance in Maine and the ability of either party to lead?
What hopes do you have for renewal? What can overcome the current state of politics in Maine? Review suggestions for Voting, Party, Legislative and Budget Reform (Chapter 9)

Guests: Douglas Rooks, journalist, author of Statesman: George Mitchell and the Art of the Possible in 2016; former editor, Maine Times, and editorial page editor, Kennebec Journal

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 4/12/18

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Is there any way we can preserve some personal privacy online in our digital world?

Facebook has been much in the news lately since Cambridge Analytica scraped data on 87 million American Facebook users and used that information to try to influence voters in the last national election. But, of course, using people’s personal information to profile them is nothing new – it goes on all the time for all sorts of purposes. That’s the bargain we users make. We use free online services like Facebook, and those services sell our information to others who will pay for it. Is there any way we can preserve some personal privacy online in our digital world? Here is a first suggestion.

Power for the People 4/11/18

Producer/Host: Steve Kahl
Engineer: John Greenman

Alternative Energy: Discussion of NGO A Climate to Thrive of Bar Harbor

Key Discussion Points
-Solar farms and PPAs
-National and state solar policies
-Home weatherization

Guest: Gary Friedmann, Chair of the Board of Directors of A Climate to Thrive