Earlier this week I traveled with my coworkers to Northern Maine. One of my VISTAs serves in a town called Presque Isle, and we did some site development even further north in Ft. Kent. Although we were only in Ft. Kent for a while, I really liked it; it was a small town with local shops and a busy little downtown right across the river from Canada. As were were riding around looking for our hotel I was thinking how profound the river was as it separated not just two countries but two different approaches to life. If you got ill and lacked health insurance in Ft. Kent, ME, you’d be subject to heavy fees; were the same to happen just across the river, treatment would likely be covered under Canada’s universal health care system. Although I enjoyed my time up north I began to wonder just what northern northern Maine had to offer that Canada didn’t. And perhaps that’s part of the problem. When we no longer lead it is understandable that people will seek alternatives. We are all out for a good deal, and frankly, everyday low prices just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Enjoy this from Bill Moyers: Takin’ It To The Streets Again