And another thing …

Last year, as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine was suffering catastrophic financial loses, company officials were given some generous raises, pushing the CEO’s salary up to $311,000. Now, with a sale to Anthem of Indiana pending, BC/BS officials have packed themselves some generous golden parachutes — up to $1.4 million for the CEO — in the event they lose their jobs after the transition. Nothing succeeds like success. Except, apparently, failure.

Fairchild Semiconductor and South Portland have worked out a sweet deal of their own. Thanks to the overlapping Tax Increment Financing and Business Equipment Tax Reimbursement programs, Fairchild gets a $10-million exemption on property taxes for plant improvements and a refund for taxes on the new machinery, including a refund of the $10 million it’s not paying; South Portland gets an increase in valuation without the reduction in state aid to education that usually comes from an increase in valuation. A Fairchild exec calls it “win-win” for the company and the city. Since that money inevitably has to come from other school districts and taxpayers, it looks elsewhere like lose-lose-lose-lose…

Scott Anthoine is on leave from his staff job with the state House Republican Office while he faces charges for submitting a fraudulent ballot petition on behalf of a prospective legislative candidate, a petition that included the signature of a woman who passed away four years ago. Not idled by this setback, Mr. Anthoine now is gainfully employed as a consultant for the Maine Republican Party. Should make for a get-out-the-vote effort that’s out of this world.

Unhappy with the difficulty it had in getting straight answers about the source of financial backing and the educational prospects of the new totally on-line Portland College, the Legislature this spring refused to confer degree-granting authority upon the for-profit offshoot of Maine Educational Services, the non-profit company that had virtually complete control over taxpayer backed bonds for student loans. Undeterred by the setback, Portland College has moved to Montana, a state with no laws or regulations regarding unaccredited colleges operating in the state. It’s understandable that the name will be kept, since the Web domain PortlandCollege.edu already is registered, but the lighthouse logo really should be changed. For reasons not entirely to do with the Western relocation, perhaps something in a bull motif.

The state of Maine first entered into a federal consent decree on services for mentally retarded people back in 1978. A new auditor’s report finds services still below standards. The mental health commissioner says the findings are no surprise, but identified areas that need additional work. The governor’s office says a new system that will resolve problems is experiencing growing pains. Key legislators say they’re deeply concerned and intend to provide diligent oversight. A routine this polished can only come with 22 years’ practice.