The White House, State Department and the Pentagon have dismissed a report by United Nations investigators calling for the closing “without delay” of the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay. They called it biased, inaccurate and lacking merit and didn’t bother to dispute its details. Read More
With the state short on transportation dollars and Congress trying to limit earmarks in federal highway bills, the extension of I-95 north and the east-west highway in any direction looks grim. If only Maine could get some other country to fund the roads here. Spain, say. Or Australia. Read More
Maine’s unusually warm winter may not be an anomaly, but part of a larger global warming trend. According to British researchers, the rise in temperatures around the world in the past century were larger and more widespread than any other global climate shift in the past 1,200 years. Read More
Conserving energy is cheaper and easier than building new power plants to meet growing demand. With this in mind, a bill in the Legislature would increase funding for Efficiency Maine, the state’s energy conservation program, and encourage more efficient use of electricity through building codes, furnace and boiler… Read More
Lawmakers have a chance to put some much-needed money into a program to revitalize Maine’s downtowns. They should approve the modest budget request – $300,000 – to expand the Maine Downtown Center’s Main Street program. Better still, legislators should look for ways to permanently fund this program, which… Read More
Back in December, Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins said they had cut an uncomfortable deal. They would vote for cloture on a Defense appropriations bill that included drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In return, they would get, right after the Senate voted on the… Read More
A vote against an asbestos trust fund bill in the Senate last week gives lawmakers a chance to improve the legislation to ensure fair compensation to those sickened by the mineral. The concerns of both liberals and fiscal conservatives who opposed the bill can be answered by putting… Read More
This headline did not appear in The New York Times, The Washington Post or even The Nation. Instead, it was on the generally Bush-supporting editorial page of The Wall Street Journal. The article was by Richard A. Epstein, a professor of law at the University of Chicago and… Read More
With rising utility rates and Maine’s voice clearly drowned out by more populous and powerful New England states, it makes sense to investigate the benefits and drawbacks of withdrawing from the regional power grid. With some changes, a bill before the Legislature’s Utilities and Energy… Read More
Federal wildlife officials this week proposed removing bald eagles from the endangered species list. The rebuilding of the country’s bald eagle population shows that the Endangered Species Act works, albeit slowly. More important, the eagle de-listing highlights the need for habitat protection to help species recover. Read More
Subprime loans – those that often go to borrowers with credit risks – made up only 15 percent of total loans during the first quarter of last year in Maine but accounted for 60 percent of the foreclosures. That unhappy outcome, from the Mortgage Bankers Association, is one… Read More
Two American communities – Fulton, Mo., and Orono, Maine – recently worked their way through crises involving complaints by parents over exposing students to vulgarity. In Fulton, the flap was over a scheduled school stage production of “Grease,” the popular musical about 1950s teenage life… Read More
There are two ways to keep mercury out of Maine’s environment. One is to ban mercury-containing products. The other is to reduce emissions from facilities that use or release mercury or unintentionally burn it while incinerating the state’s trash. Bills to be considered by the Legislature this session… Read More
In July 2004 the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released the first half of its report on prewar intelligence, concluding, “Most of the major key judgments in the Intelligence Community’s October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate … either were overstated, or were not supported by the… Read More
The death last weekend of Bangor businessman and philanthropist Larry Mahaney was, first, a loss for family and friends and second a loss to the many organizations he generously supported. He will be missed in both roles, his absence felt acutely by the many who relied on him. Read More
Modest steps in Maine such as encouraging increased use of biofuels and requiring more energy-efficient appliances won’t do much to slow U.S. oil imports from the Middle East. But, given the lack of national policies to reduce oil and gas use, states have no choice but to enact… Read More
A bill before the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee today would provide Maine Indian tribes with crucial seed money to bid on federal contracts and develop niche businesses that would expand economic opportunity across the state. Lawmakers should see this legislation as both a development boost and a way for… Read More
A question before legislators today over whether insurers are allowed to pass on to customers a cost of Dirigo insurance has been answered by the presence of a bill that would prevent it. Currently, insurers can pass on the cost – $43 million this year… Read More
If Chief Justice Leigh Saufley’s recent address to lawmakers sounded familiar, it was likely because she and her predecessors have been asking for the same thing – more money for security and staffing – for years. It is beyond time for the Legislature to devote more money to… Read More
You’d better go beyond the headlines on news stories about a huge federal study about low-fat diets. One said they “may not be a panacea.” Another: “Does Not Cut Health Risks.” Still another: “Alone of Little Benefit in Preventing Ills.” The main thrust of the… Read More
At a Senate hearing yesterday on the aftermath of Katrina and who was responsible for the miserable failure of governments on several levels to respond, former FEMA Director Michael Brown more or less cleared the air, though not so much to his own benefit. His responses suggest both… Read More
There has been a long-running debate in Maine and nationally about the benefits and drawbacks of small schools. A new study here meant to shed light on the contentious topic offers little guidance. Its conclusions – that size doesn’t determine success and schools of all sizes may be… Read More
While there have been relatively few complaints of ethics violations among Maine lawmakers and lob-byists, it makes sense to periodically review the state’s rules to ensure they are adequate and in line with public expectations. The leaders of the Maine Legislature recently announced the creation of an advisory… Read More
It’s been more than 34 years since Title IX became law, requiring equal representation in sports for women. Congress did its part in passing the law. Schools have largely done their part to add women’s sports teams and athletic scholarships. Now, it is time for fans to show… Read More
Like all states, Maine follows federal law to help developmentally delayed young children get services in such areas as speech and physical therapy, social and cognitive development. This state’s program, called Child Development Services, began as a model in the 1970s, but has aged over the years and… Read More
Just as the Maine Development Foundation last week was flunking Maine yet again for its rising health care costs, advocates for one of the most effective health care cost-savers around were trying to persuade lawmakers not to let their program erode. The connection between the two is inescapable… Read More
The most striking event of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings Monday was how often Republican senators urged Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to work with Congress to find stronger checks and balances in the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance program. Committee Democrats, it was clear from their questions, wanted… Read More
Maine is focusing on the right areas for policy changes and more investment to boost the state’s economy, according to an annual report from the Maine Development Foundation. The areas where the state gets low marks – tax burden, health care costs, degree attainment and access to technology,… Read More
Long after Betty Friedan wrote “The Feminine Mystique,” she once was a guest at the Gridiron Dinner, a white-tie affair of senior Washington journalists attended by the president and other dignitaries. She had never slowed down. In the midst of the dinner, she marched up to the head… Read More
When Pentagon officials next month present Congress with their plan for the military for the next two decades, a top question from lawmakers should be why the Pentagon believes the military is adequately equipped and staffed for its many missions when two recent reports suggest otherwise. Congress must… Read More
New England fisheries regulators, who met in Portland last week, approved a further reduction in the number of days groundfishermen can go out to sea. There is a better way to manage the country’s fisheries without forcing fishermen to sit at home. A quota system, coupled with a… Read More
It has been barely a week since the Islamic group Hamas won the recent Palestinian election and the international community is already issuing ultimatums and threats to the new ruling party, which seemed as surprised as anyone to win a majority in Parliament. Rather than making quick demands… Read More
As Sen. Dennis Damon, D-Trenton, keeps saying, Maine has more than 5,000 miles of coastline, but only 25 miles of it remains working waterfront. The owners of the docks, piers, wharves and bait shacks in those 25 miles are increasingly tempted by a skyrocketing market for coastal Maine… Read More
Junkets and other gifts to members of Congress and their staffs have come under fresh scrutiny with the investigation and conviction of the super lobbyist Jack Abramoff. At least a half-dozen congressmen are already involved; recipients of the lavish handouts have been frantically giving their ill-gotten money to… Read More
The excellent news this week that Maine had received a $15 million federal grant over three years to help Brunswick and other coastal areas strengthen their economies is another opportunity for this state to develop its boat-building capacity. Maine has development advantages in relatively few industries. Marine products… Read More
Two announced candidates for governor, Nancy Oden and Bob Mills, have dropped their attempts to qualify for public funding, citing, among other things, the amount of paperwork required. Maine should have a serious standard for awarding public dollars to candidates, but it should be based on their ability… Read More
One of the advantages of having a president who has given multiple State of the Union and inaugural addresses is that telling the difference between the meaningful parts of the speech and the filler is much easier. President Bush struck several important themes Tuesday night, indications both of… Read More
David Littell, who was unanimously confirmed by the state Senate last month to head the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, is taking over the agency at a difficult time. The department has been plagued by charges that it worked too closely with paper companies and a state legislator,… Read More
A quick look back at Maine’s grades on an annual economic scorecard, issued again last week, shows the state to be surprisingly consistent since the mid-1990s. Consistent in a mediocre way. Still, there is hope and evidence that Maine may be doing better than the scores indicate. Read More
There is a lot of passion surrounding small schools. A planned march from Columbia Falls and Cherryfield, where elementary schools may close, to Augusta exemplifies the strong feelings surrounding this issue. Some of that passion has become anger directed at efforts to urge the consolidation of school districts… Read More
Many people – even those who disagree with him – believe that U.S. Rep. John Murtha is a courageous, patriotic citizen. Some quick-on-the -trigger Republican members of Congress found that out when they tried to portray him as a coward and a traitor after he said it was… Read More
Repealing the state’s business equipment tax will leave a large hole in some municipal budgets, so talk of eliminating the tax has remained just that. Now, lawmakers have a chance to repeal the tax and give towns more control over their own finances by letting communities decide for… Read More
Senate hearings to reform lobbying practices began last week before the Homeland Security and Governmental Reform Committee, with the most important point made by both its chairman, Susan Collins, and ranking member, Joseph Lieberman. They appealed to colleagues’ interest in getting something accomplished in Washington beyond enjoying a… Read More
For years, Mainers have been hearing about “once-in-a-lifetime” conservation deals that would protect the state’s crown jewels. A deal announced this week to add land around Katahdin Lake to Baxter State Park actually lives up to such accolades. The 6,000 acres, including the lake which… Read More
Every election season brings promises that accountability will be restored to Washington or Augusta or your local town office. The promises make two assumptions – that humans, faulty creatures that they are, will make mistakes and that owning up to those mistakes produces a better nation, state or… Read More
After 10 years and a public expenditure of $21 million, the longest independent counsel investigation in history has finally come to an end. The anticlimactic result was no charges, no indictment, but a 746-page report speculating without evidence that there might have been a high-level cover-up. Read More
Nothing else local government does comes close to the cost of K-12 education, so state help, known as LD 1, with local property-tax burdens that pay for this essential service was especially welcome last year. A recent report, using only very early data, found the help did have… Read More
A plan by Rep. Tom Allen addresses states’ costs as a result of the rough start to the federal Medicare drug benefit, which began Jan. 1. More important than that, however, are the recommendations that begin to address some of the built-in weaknesses exposed during the opening days… Read More
Now that the federal government has opened more land in Alaska to oil exploration, Congress has an opportunity to use the move to gain better information about drilling in the Arctic coastal plain and to generate revenue for government research and programs. The Interior Department… Read More
It would be easy to read too much into Canada’s national elections in which the Conservative Party toppled the Liberals, who had long held the prime minister’s post. It appears many Canadians supported Conservative candidates to get rid of the scandal-plagued government of Paul Martin, not necessarily because… Read More
Teachers around Maine have spent months compiling stacks of documents detailing how their students would meet local assessments required in the Maine Learning Results. The work has been long, tedious and often comes in addition to their full-time duties. The further along they have gotten, the more evidence… Read More
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has checked out thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of leads of potential terrorists who have turned out to be innocent Americans, according to a recent news story. The work has at times placed a heavy burden on the agency and… Read More
The easiest part of the debate on a bill to raise the governor’s salary is to conclude both the current pay ($70,000) and the proposed level ($220,000) are wrong. The hard part is to find a fair number that represents the importance of the position, the idea of… Read More
In a surprise move, Maryland became the first state to enact a bill requiring the state’s Wal-Mart stores to spend 8 percent of their payroll on health care for their workers. The AFL-CIO, which pushed the Fair Share Health Care bill, says it has lined up campaigns in… Read More
As Congress performs its lobbying-corruption cleansing over the next couple of weeks it should first forget about trying to expunge the sins of lobbyist Jack Abramoff. His kickbacks, deceits and tax evasions already are illegal, and are useful only to signal to the public that something else is… Read More
Mainers got a fresh slant last week on the old thought that high taxes discourage businesses from settling here. It’s only one factor, a leading Boston economist told a forum at the Maine Center for Economic Policy in Augusta, and not always a leading one. Read More
If environmental regulators are not persuaded by concerns over human health, maybe the concerns of investors will get them to reconsider unnecessary changes in federal rules on the reporting of toxic chemical use and disposal. Last fall, the Environmental Protection Agency announced proposed changes to… Read More
There are few good options for halting Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons. Sanctions that are acceptable to the country’s trading partners, such as Russia and China, are not likely to be effective in punishing Iran’s regime into abandoning its nuclear ambitions. Military intervention is out of the question. Read More
Those expecting an eloquent speech full of lofty goals and broad vision were no doubt disappointed by Gov. Baldacci’s State of the State address Wednesday. However, these speeches, meant to shore up support among the electorate and to build legislative support for the governor’s agenda and budget, are… Read More
In the Bush administration’s annual overestimation of the deficit, it blamed Hurricanes Katrina and Rita for creating substantial, if temporary, trouble in 2006 with the nation projected by the White House to finish $400 billion in the red. If previous patterns hold, the deficit won’t be as high… Read More
Lawmakers in Augusta have an opportunity to improve the lives of thousands of Maine families, not through a major health care overhaul or by remaking the state’s tax system, but simply by increasing the minimum wage. Passing LD 235 would be a good start. The… Read More
Maine’s anti-smoking efforts are getting results and getting noticed. High cigarette taxes, dedicated money for programs to prevent tobacco use and harsh ads have worked to cut the state’s adult smoking rate by a third and cut the teen smoking rate more than in half. It is a… Read More
American presidents often run into trouble if they succeed in getting re-elected to a second term. Richard Nixon had his Watergate. Ronald Reagan had his Iran-Contra scandal. Bill Clinton had his Monica affair. And now President Bush has a prolonged war on his hands, as well as controversies… Read More
Members of the Legislature’s Education Committee should have a strong sense of the extensive process a statewide test endures before it is allowed to stand as a measure of student achievement. Today, when they are expected to consider whether to allow the use of the SAT as an… Read More
Federal regulators last week withdrew a proposal to rewrite guidelines aimed at ending overfishing in the nation’s oceans. Taking back National Standard 1 gives regulators the opportunity not just to further review the new guidelines, which the agency says it needs a year to do, but to re-write… Read More
A proposal to require a passport to cross the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico threatened to dampen trade and tourism and, worse, could lead to a false sense of security. So, it is encouraging that the Department of State recently said it was looking at other, less… Read More
There may be no more fitting way to observe the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. than to recall his defining speech, delivered in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 1963. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties… Read More
Maine’s salmon aquaculture industry is undergoing a rebirth of sorts. After dwindling to less than one-third of its top output, because of court orders and disease outbreaks, the industry is now rebuilding itself. Whether it can grow to, or even surpass, its former size depends largely on one… Read More
Less than two weeks after the start of Medicare’s new drug benefit is too soon to say whether the program will provide the help promised when passed three years ago. But it’s not too soon to see that seniors should be given more time to decide which of… Read More
It seems quaint today, but telling women in the 1950s that they could take control of their bodies and have babies only when they wanted was a radical idea. One of the most important radicals in this realm in Maine was Mabel Wadsworth, who died Wednesday at the… Read More
It is not surprising that automakers have sued to negate Maine’s new rules for automobile emissions since they’ve pursued litigation against other states that have adopted similar standards. Because federal regulators have also weighed in against state rules, it is likely the emissions standards will be tied up… Read More
Disagreeing with Judge Samuel Alito Jr.’s conservative views is insufficient grounds for opposing his nomination to the Supreme Court. By almost all measures, Judge Alito has an outstanding academic background, unusual intelligence, real decency and deep experience that place him well within the bounds of being qualified for… Read More
The announcement expected today that Citgo will provide Maine with the equivalent of a deep discount on 8 million gallons of heating oil means that 48,000 low-income families here will get an added $100 in heating fuel. This generous offer is especially welcome because Washington has been unable… Read More
The easy part of a recent report on the efficiency of the Maine Legislature got the most attention, but a more important aspect will be ignored unless legislative leaders from both parties can explain its value to rank and file and to the public. The… Read More
How far does the president’s authority reach? President Bush and others assert that it is farther than Congress might recognize. He contends that his inherent constitutional power and the Iraq war powers act permit him to order warrantless domestic wire tapping, prohibited by a 1978 statute. Read More
With so many Maine residents having declared their ambition to become governor, former Portland Police Chief Michael Chitwood might have had the right idea Monday: It’s easier for those not running to announce their non-candidacies. But Mr. Chitwood’s unusual press conference barely diminishes the potential demand on public… Read More
There are encouraging signs that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon may recover from the massive stroke he suffered last week. Such a recovery, his doctor warned, will likely be limited to “basic functions,” leaving a return to politics extremely unlikely. What Israel needs now is a leader who… Read More
A behind-the-scenes struggle involving the National Park Service is reaching a climax. Its outcome could affect the future of Acadia National Park, valued as Maine’s greatest natural treasure. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
In a recent New York Review of Books, environment writer Bill McKibbon reintroduces the nonscientific world to James Hansen, who 17 years ago warned the public of the presence of global warming. Mr. Hansen was subsequently vilified and heralded, his work as a NASA scientist refuted then supported. Read More
Heavily loaded trucks should not be wending their way through downtown Bangor. But, because of federal rules and the desire to move as much freight as quickly and cheaply as possible, they are. The vast majority of them make it through the city just fine, so the overturning… Read More
Because they thought it was OK to work with a paper company in secret to develop new water quality standards, some staff members at the Department of Environmental Protection will soon undergo training in adhering to the state’s public records law. Their session can be short and simple. Read More
No one should object to President Bush’s tapping of domestic phone calls and e-mail messages when the other end of the conversation appears to be a known al-Qaida agent, if the president had acted within the law. That sort of eavesdropping might have alerted him to the 2001… Read More
Maine in the past couple of years has either produced or purchased several studies that exhort development officials to emphasize high-end tourism and to do so in a regional way. The Piscataquis County Economic Development Council and the county’s commissioners have been building capacity for this kind of… Read More
Euphoria turned to grief early yesterday when it became clear that 12 miners trapped in a coal mine had died. One miner survived, but was in critical condition. Many questions remain about why families were initially told that the men were found alive only to find out hours… Read More
Gov. John Baldacci took a political risk last week when warning that Medicare’s new drug benefit, called Part D, would not be ready for seniors and was not nearly helpful enough to overworked pharmacists trying to fill prescriptions. The governor, however, is to be commended because he didn’t… Read More
Money, as the late House Speaker Tip O’Neill once said, is the mother’s milk of politics. And sometimes that milk can curdle, as shown by yesterday’s guilty plea by Jack Abramoff, whose huge lobbying network had been distributing money and favors to members of Congress. Read More
With Appleton Rep. Barbara Merrill’s departure this week from the Democratic Party, the Maine House of Representatives falls into a tie, with both major parties at 73 seats, with one Green Party member and now four independents. As a result, House Republicans have called for a greater sharing… Read More
Many Maine residents will grumble when they open their electric bills this spring because generation rates are going up about 10 percent. Before calling the Public Utilities Commission to complain, know the situation could have been worse. Realizing that the prices for power can fluctuate… Read More
Sign-ups are going slower than projected and some computer records reportedly are incomplete for the new Medicare drug program, but the program has begun. With the Jan. 1 deadline gone, questions persist as to the program costs, workability and even what it might look like in the future. Read More
Generous donations during the holiday season to restore Bangor’s Dakin Pool were evidence of enthusiasm for a facility that has been enjoyed by city residents for a half century. But the committee dedicated to ensuring the future of the pool needs a lot more help to complete its… Read More
By far the greatest issue facing George W. Bush, as he gets well into his second term as president, is the war in Iraq. It is already a political issue, with a few but increasing demands for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. It promises to… Read More
Once again, just like clockwork, here comes New Year’s Day. Once again, in a wave sweeping across time zones, the world will count backward from 10. Celebrants will wish each other the best and mean it, at least for as long as the cup of kindness brims. Parades… Read More
By striking down parts of Augusta’s parade and mass-gathering ordinances, U.S. District Court John A. Woodcock last week vigorously protected the First Amendment against the over-reach of government. The ruling was impressive in its treatment of the issue and welcome in its result. The city… Read More
If you’ve read, heard or watched the news in recent years, you know that health officials and researchers have long warned that Americans are unfit. Rather than wait for the follow-up study that finds a lack of exercise is the reason for our collective unfitness, go for a… Read More
Should a bird-flu pandemic roost in Minnesota, officials there recommend chicken soup in a flu care kit, hair of the dog if there ever was. New Hampshire urges frequent hand-washing and staying home from work or school if you’re sick to limit the spread of the flu. And… Read More
Doctors, or any other health care providers in Maine who wondered how this year’s Medicaid-computer disaster occurred, what the initial state reaction was and where things stood now had limited choices for finding out. They might try calling various offices of the Department of Health and Human Services… Read More
Two long articles recently by Jane E. Brody, The New York Times personal health reporter, raise serious questions about older drivers: By 2020, more than 40 million Americans 70 or older will be licensed motorists, driving more miles a year than ever before. They are three times as… Read More
Financial markets seem to hang on every word uttered or written by the Federal Reserve. But often those words appear vague or worse, contradictory. Such was the case recently when the country’s interest rate setters wrote about “policy firming” and not being “accommodative.” The language left even financial… Read More
Most Mainers don’t think much about where their trash goes and where their electricity comes from. Increasingly, the two are related as burning trash produces electricity. It can also result in contamination and pollution. Because Maine cannot stop trash from coming into the state, it must focus on… Read More
The stories that advocates for fuel assistance hear every year are heart-breaking. This year is particularly bad: a disabled man was down to his last 35 gallons of fuel and was getting by, for now, by keeping his thermostat at 50 degrees and wearing two pairs of pants,… Read More