After leading the Christian Civic League of Maine to considerable, even astonishing, political successes, executive director Michael Heath is leaving for a new job in Washington. While many of the 3,000 members praise Heath for his energy and determination, others blame him for the muddled condition of the League’s financial records. A tip for the next executive director: When you render unto Caesar, get a receipt.

Faced with a strong fall tourism challenge from Maine, Vermont is, for the first time in 12 years, mounting a major media campaign to attract the leaf peepers. If a new survey by the Maine Forest Service is correct in asserting that the woods are being cut considerably faster than they can regrow, Vermont could just save its money and wait us out.

Maine’s sales tax drops from 6 cents to a nice, round 5.5 this week. Leading economists estimate the money consumers will save with the half-cent cut will almost cover the calculator batteries and scratch pads needed to compute it.

Still balancing contrition with conducting business as usual, President Clinton told the crowd at a Democratic fund-raiser in Texas last weekend he is not “wallowing in regret.” Furthermore, the president vehemently denied he ever wallowed with That Woman.

Not to be left behind the naughty news curve, the journal Science reports that, despite that persistent mating-for-life myth, most members of the animal kingdom behave, basically, like a bunch of animals. And it turns out birds are particularly promiscuous. Perhaps, in the interest of fostering family values, the Legislature should rethink that new chickadee license plate and go with something less licentious, like a wholesome, monogamous lighthouse.