The news from tsunami-stricken countries in Asia continues to be heartbreakingly bad. The number of dead climbs daily. Fears of disease, which could kill more people than the deadly wave, are increasing due to knee-deep stagnant water in many areas, a lack of clean drinking water and generally… Read More
A federal Health and Human Services task force demonstrated in a report recently that if the nation spends enough money to regulate the flow of imported prescription drugs the incentive of cost savings can be all but removed from what are now substantially less expensive medications. What it… Read More
For Maine to know whether its new community college system and its reformed University of Maine System are going to work well, the Legislature needs to leave their basic structures alone long enough to see results. Instead, legislators have several bills that undo last year’s work or add… Read More
Once again, just like clockwork, it’s New Year’s Day. Once again, in a wave sweeping across time zones, the world has counted backward from 10. Celebrants have wished each other the best and meant it, at least for as long as the cup of kindness brims. Parades march… Read More
Responding to a commission that called for more attention to the country’s oceans, President Bush recently took the important first step of creating a Cabinet-level committee on marine policy to coordinate the 15 federal agencies involved in such issues. Signing an executive order to create such a committee… Read More
A memo this week from the Maine Municipal Association speaks of anger fast becoming rage. MMA, you’ll recall, was the group last June that brought voters Question 1 and the promise of substantially lower property taxes. Yet instead of enjoying the fruits of its victory it finds itself… Read More
Michael Leavitt’s unexpected departure from the Environmental Protection Agency should re-energize efforts to elevate the agency to a Cabinet-level department. Mr. Leavitt, who headed the EPA for only 13 months, is taking over the Department of Health and Human Services. He has long said that he sought a… Read More
Hospitals account for about a third of health care costs in Maine. Their charges tend to be higher than those of hospitals in nearby states and their profit margins are higher, though the population they serve is poorer and, as nonprofit organizations, those profits look generous. They do… Read More
Scary-sounding acronyms and warnings that thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals are released into the environment in Maine each year are sure to get people’s attention, as they should. But a recent report by three environmental groups fails to mention even once in its 71 pages that these… Read More
This was supposed to be the week that the nation’s missile defense system would begin operation. But the recent failure of the first test of it in two years punctuated what must have disappointed the administration: The system doesn’t appear to be close to ready. Disappointed but not… Read More
Maine’s state population is equal to a single large city – it is slightly larger than San Diego and Phoenix, a bit behind Philadelphia. It is less diverse than many large cities, lacking, for instance, the huge income disparities that separate people within these metropolitan areas. Despite its… Read More
For those living safely away from the effects of a colossal earthquake and tsunamis centered off Indonesia Sunday, the way to measure the terrible effects was in the number of people killed. They were counted first by the hundreds, then when that proved inadequate, the thousands. There are… Read More
A Defense Department review earlier this month found that a succession of leaders at the United States Air Force Academy were to blame for a decade of sexual assault and harassment at the Colorado school. While it is helpful to know the shortcomings of the leaders, none of… Read More
Each year in Maine, abuse prematurely ends the lives of at least three children, irreparably damages thousands of other lives and costs the state millions of dollars. Fortunately, there are programs that can reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect. To do so, they need more money… Read More
It is the beginning of the third millennium of the Christian era. The Roman legions once garrisoned in Palestine long ago returned to dust. But the passing of scores of generations of common men and of hundreds of kings and tyrants and presidents has made remarkably little difference… Read More
If you buy or receive one of those colorful gift cards, or if you are following a growing controversy about gift cards, the main thing to keep in mind is that it’s not the merchant’s money, it’s your money. Sure, it’s an easy last-minute holiday… Read More
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are… Read More
After an attack on a military base outside Mosul on Tuesday left 22 people dead and more than 60 injured, Mainers and Americans were left with a complex mix of emotions characterized by anguish, determination and disbelief. Two of those killed and 10 injured at Forward Operating Base… Read More
It pays not only to be in the right place at the right time but to also have the right expertise. With this in mind, officials at Maine Maritime Academy are positioning the school to meet the growing demands of the liquefied natural gas industry. Having the school… Read More
If you are old enough for your parents to show this to you, you are old enough to know that adults sometimes make poor choices. We made one last Saturday when we published in the comics section a story that began “Warning: Not suited for readers under age… Read More
When previous administrations needed to reform Social Security, they took predictable steps: They increased the amount collected to anticipate baby boomer retirements, raised the age at which beneficiaries would receive the full payment, adjusted the rate of payment increase to more closely match inflation. These steps were significant… Read More
That’s some harsh language, but it’s what Washington calls the anxious waiting period when pressure mounts for a public official to resign or get fired. One striking instance, 30 years ago, was when the Nixon administration wanted to get rid of Patrick Gray, the director… Read More
Outgoing State Treasurer Dale McCormick has made a name for herself by pushing major corporations to be more responsive to their shareholders and to be more forthcoming about the costs and consequences of, for instance, climate change. Fortunately, David Lemoine, a former state representative who takes over as… Read More
Phishing is the name for a new scam that threatens to fleece unwary computer users in Maine and throughout the country. Be wary and you can save yourself a lot of trouble including access by a stranger to your bank or security accounts. In the worst case, it… Read More
Many inside the beltway expressed surprise at President Bush’s decision to move former Utah Gov. Michael Leavitt from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Department of Health and Human Services. Mr. Leavitt, who has a reputation as a pragmatic dealmaker, is a good choice for the department that… Read More
With millions of acres of timberland changing hands in recent years, mills closing and shrinking and land being put off limits to some activities, uncertainty has been the predominant sentiment in northern Maine. An ambitious plan from Plum Creek Timber Co., the outlines of which were unveiled this… Read More
The Public Utilities Commission just approved electricity rate hikes of an average of $120 a year for homes, leaving you with the options of cursing, sitting in the dark in protest or taking steps to make your home more efficient to offset the added cost. For those who… Read More
People used to use the expression “sound as a dollar.” Seems pretty quaint, doesn’t it, with the dollar losing value almost every day? It is off about 13 percent against the Euro since May of this year. It has slid by similar amounts against the Japanese yen and… Read More
Everyone should know by this time that white tailed deer are a mixed blessing. Animal lovers relish their grace as they leap across the landscape. Hunters like to shoot them to fill their winter larders. Still, deer often figure in vehicle smashups, and they carry Lyme disease and… Read More
It is easy to complain about an upcoming jump in electricity prices in Maine. The price increase, approved earlier this week by the Public Utilities Commission, is, however, overdue. As part of electric deregulation, the PUC in 2001 negotiated a three-year deal that kept electricity prices constant. Although… Read More
So much from so many directions has been written and debated about prescription drug prices that the simple desire for a fair price on heartburn medication may make your condition worse. Should you demand your doctor prescribe a specific medication? Is generic OK? Should you order from Canada?… Read More
It may have been a lack of data, not a lack of workers, that doomed a second call center in central Maine. No one knew how many workers were likely to respond to the “Help wanted” ads, so one company – L.L. Bean – dropped plans to open… Read More
The Tree of Cracow, situated in 18th-century Paris, was the gathering spot for gossips and debaters. It and a few similar places were where one went for information. Historian Robert Darnton writes that the tree probably got its name “from heated discussions that took place around it during… Read More
It took only six days and only 10,000 U.S. and 2,000 Iraqi troops to conquer Fallujah. Now the hard part begins. Securing the city and, when the bombs stop falling, rebuilding it; bringing back most of its 300,000 residents and creating a peaceful, viable community may take many… Read More
Just before heading out the door, Congress thankfully passed a measure to delay, and perhaps avert altogether, the gutting of a successful program that has connected rural schools and libraries to the Internet and, hence, the rest of the world. Funding for and administration of the E-Rate program… Read More
The public is counting on Congress to assemble a broad and accurate overview of the abuses at prisons in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, so that the persistent stories of what would be clear rights violations can be verified and understood. Congress must respond energetically not only to… Read More
Facing the prospect of a large fine from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the city of Bangor came up with an innovative way to reduce pollution in the region. Beginning this spring, the city will burn a biodiesel mixture in its buses, fire trucks and heavy equipment. The… Read More
It is easy to mock the inadequate answers Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld gave to soldiers headed to Iraq. His answers, especially those regarding the lack of armor for military vehicles, aren’t funny. Worse, they aren’t accurate. Asked by a soldier from the Tennessee National… Read More
Maine wears its outdoor traditions proudly. The woods and sea are not only a part of the state symbol but part of everyday life for many here. But the sense that this heritage is departing, or being pushed out by global economic demands, advances in technology, limits on… Read More
Look before you leap if your credit card company has offered to help you meet holiday expenses by mailing you some personal blank checks at a special low interest rate. They sound like a bargain, but you need to be careful. These checks, sometimes inaccurately… Read More
Opposing sprawl can be a lot like opposing winter, which is also costly, difficult environmentally and contributes to various human maladies. But winter arrives anyway, and would even if regulations were passed against it. As Maine’s first Smart Growth Summit convenes in Augusta today to consider ways to… Read More
Automakers, who earlier this week filed a lawsuit to block new California emissions standards, are right that the federal government should set such standards. As the automakers contend, a national standard is preferable to differing sets of state regulation. But, in the absence of federal action on reducing… Read More
There are good reasons to teach young Americans about sexual abstinence. These programs, however, must be based on facts, not distortions and scare tactics. Yet, a congressional investigation has found that many abstinence-only programs rely on false information to encourage kids to delay sex until after marriage. Given… Read More
Reforming the nation’s intelligence-gathering agencies has been such a political fight this fall that it is easy to forget about the important communication improvements it makes among agencies so that they can better anticipate threats from terrorists. With a strong shove from President Bush and a minor language… Read More
Forestry companies and hotels and restaurants are already bracing for a labor shortage next summer because the federal government has refused to raise the limit on the number of visas that can be offered to foreign workers. The hospitality and forestry industry relies upon foreign workers who qualify… Read More
Departing Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson attracted attention last week when he said he couldn’t understand why terrorists hadn’t attacked the nation’s food supply “because it is so easy to do. We are importing a lot of food from the Middle East, and it would be… Read More
Accounts, comments and reminiscences of that terrible morning 63 years ago give dramatic emphasis to America’s need to commemorate Pearl Harbor. Dec. 7, 1941 was a colossal lapse and failure militarily and a tragic awakening to the realities of war and eventually to a new era in international… Read More
It’s getting harder and harder to get information out of the federal government. Bureaucrats by nature often play their cards close to the chest. The 9-11 attacks gave solid basis for considering new limits on what can be told about the government’s affairs. But the Bush administration has… Read More
Putting projects on a “Dirty Dozen” list may be a good way to attract attention, but in the case of two Maine facilities, it isn’t accurate. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop the Toxics Action Center from including the West Old Town landfill and Bangor’s Griffin Park housing complex as… Read More
Gov. John Baldacci promised voters that if they turned away the Palesky tax cap referendum – which he termed a “meat ax” approach – he would come up with meaningful property tax relief. Voters rejected the tax cap in November and now the governor has delivered. Read More
Climate change is as international as Arctic people joining with tropical islanders to protect their homelands from the effects of greenhouse gases and as local as Maine maple syrup makers testifying before the Legislature that their season is starting much earlier, likely to their detriment. Officials from the… Read More
If the House were to vote on a compromise reform of the nation’s intelligence agencies, a reform that passed easily in the Senate and is supported by the White House, many observers believe it would become law. Speaker Dennis Hastert, who controls whether the reform is brought up… Read More
Iran now has backed off from a demand that had stalled an agreement worked out by France, Britain and Germany to freeze all of Iran’s uranium processing activities. After a week of tense negotiations, Iran has agreed to include 20 disputed centrifuges in the freeze. Iran had sought… Read More
There are thousands of items tucked in the massive spending bill recently passed by Congress. One of them puts Maine, already isolated, at a real disadvantage. Without committee deliberation, New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, a member of the Appropriations Committee, slipped a provision in the bill to raise… Read More
After a prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq, the International Committee of the Red Cross has reportedly found that prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay are subjected to interrogation methods that are “tantamount to torture.” The Pentagon should immediately investigate the group’s findings about the treatment of detainees at the… Read More
In the largely gray and white wintry landscape, the sight of those tiny school children racing home in their colorful jackets from the stopped yellow buses offers welcome relief from the drab scene and a reminder that these are our future citizens. The amber and… Read More
With 3,000 pages of spending, the federal omnibus spending bill for 2005 will require weeks to untangle and see where its $388 billion went, but it is already clear where it didn’t: Maine fared poorly with transportation. A second chance, with reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for… Read More
A former director of the Congressional Budget Office recently provided the National Journal with enough dour thoughts on the state of Medicare to ruin anyone’s pre-holiday festivities. Still, it’s nice of him to spread the warning. Dan Crippen, former CBO chief and former domestic policy… Read More
While the U.S. military reports on securing Fallujah, a leaked memo from senior Marine Corps officers on the scene warns against premature withdrawal of American forces. The “brutally honest” seven-page report went to senior Marine Corps and Army officers in Iraq. The New York Times said it learned… Read More
Fortunately, there have been no reports of the flu yet in Maine and it looks like this will be a mild season for the illness that kills thousands of people a year. That’s good news since the country’s supply of flu shots was cut in half when problems… Read More
Safety concerns raised by Canadian officials about a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal on Passamaquoddy Bay may or may not have merit. However, growing criticism of the potential terminal’s location highlights the need for a more thorough analysis of the best place to locate such a facility should… Read More
When moderate Republicans in the Senate ensured their party a chamber majority, they held a special kind of power: They couldn’t drive an agenda by themselves but they could stop legislation they didn’t like. That gave them clout. With the GOP about to hold 55 seats and moderates… Read More
As the nation and, in places, Maine recover from a draining recession, local stores again are full of people beginning another year intense Christmas shopping. Things aren’t so festive, however, for families where jobs have been lost or chronic underemployment have made it difficult to pay the every-day… Read More
Finally, agreement. The $389 billion omnibus appropriations bill passed by Congress, according to conservatives, is a model of fiscal restraint; and, according to liberals, a deliberate squeeze on domestic spending. Either way, they are saying the same thing – the federal government in 2005 will be spending less… Read More
Harriet Beecher Stowe moved to Maine in 1850, with her husband, Calvin Ellis Stowe, a professor at Bowdoin College. In Brunswick, she wrote her famous ?Uncle Tom?s Cabin? and many stories about New England life, including ?The Pearl of Orr?s Island? (1862) and ?Oldtown Folks? (1869). The latter… Read More
Yet another study has found that breathing dirty air is bad for your health. But don’t expect the government to improve the situation. The best you can do is to change your habits, drive less for example, to reduce your contribution to this growing problem. Read More
Perhaps it is only an accounting matter in the chaos of the war in Iraq, but as American troops shift from Fallujah to Mosul to Baquba or wherever else uprisings occur, it is worth considering whether there is firm evidence their bravery and risk are producing a safer… Read More
The White House wants an overhauled intelligence-agency structure. So do congressional committees that have looked into the issue, and so do the initial drafters of a blueprint for the overhaul, the members of the 9-11 Commission. Families of the victims of the 9-11 attacks have held numerous press… Read More
After urging voters to “come home” now that the election has passed, Green Party leader Pat LaMarche last week contrasted the Greens from the major parties, saying, “It’s for everyone who feels like they’ve been left in the shade of those parties’ butt cheeks,” thereby giving new meaning… Read More
Maine has a killer of young people in its midst, but sadly few are willing to talk about it. Talk – and action – are needed if the state is going to reduce suicide, now the second-leading cause of death among Mainers aged 15 to 24 behind accidents. Read More
It’s been more than a year since the Maine Indian Tribal State Commission has met. Without participation from the tribes, long-vacant seats and the resignation next month of its chairman, the commission is defunct. It is not too late to revive it. Gov. John Baldacci… Read More
The narrow difference in the vote Wednesday by corporators of Eastern Maine Healthcare to accept bylaw changes that reduce their role and emphasize a more regional system sent an unmistakable message to the health care system’s board: The plan should go forward, but the community demands and deserves… Read More
“If the Red Sox can win the world championship, Maine can win on jobs and development.” – John Baldacci, on yesterday’s announcement that T-Mobile USA would be establishing a customer-service center in Maine. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
Millions of television viewers watched “Saving Private Ryan” on Veterans Day. Viewers in 20 cities, including Portland, did not have the opportunity because affiliates there worried that showing the movie would run afoul of the Federal Communications Commission’s prohibitions on airing violence and profane language. While the stations’… Read More
An investigation of insurance company practices, including possible bid rigging and payments for steering business to certain companies, launched by the New York attorney general has spread to Maine and other states. That could be good news for consumers and businesses that have been paying rates that are… Read More
While there is good news about youth and adult smoking – both are on the decline – tobacco use among college students is on the rise. That’s why this year’s Great American Smokeout, the 28th iteration of which takes place today, focuses on curbing smoking on campus. Read More
Just as Gov. John Baldacci’s staff was examining priorities for funding next year, it discovered by reading the newspaper that Bangor Mental Health Institute’s Learning Center had been axed, largely for budgetary reasons. Legislators discovered the same way or through letters from constituents. The decision not only was… Read More
Now, with the battle for Fallujah over, is a good time for reflection as to what it means for the future of the Iraq war. The battle appears to have been a successful application of the Powell Doctrine insofar as overwhelming force resulted in victory over what was… Read More
Burning trash in your back yard or woodstove may seem like no big deal. After all, most municipal garbage is eventually incinerated. Burning trash on your own, however, is especially bad for the environment because it releases a large quantity of highly toxic pollutants. Also, it is illegal. Read More
Maine will increasingly rely on regional networks to provide health care, networks of the type hospitals have been forming or joining statewide for decades. Tomorrow, Eastern Maine Healthcare will place before its corporators – more than 400 local residents who help steer the major medical center in this… Read More
Secretary of State Colin Powell’s tenure will be remembered by many for the mistaken case he made to the United Nations Security Council in February 2003 that Saddam Hussein was hiding weapons of mass destruction. Far more important, however, was Gen. Powell’s calm and intelligent understanding of the… Read More
Conservative author David Frum, a former speechwriter for President Bush, recently offered a succinct and accurate response to the many politicians and pundits urging the president and his party to reach out and find compromise with the Democrats. He also offered a means out of the… Read More
A case involving a National Guard soldier in Washington may be an extreme example, but it highlights a problem for the military as fighting in Iraq continues, stretching an already shrunken military and dissuading potential recruits. It is a problem the military must address head-on, not through recruiting… Read More
Gov. John Baldacci intends to have a tax-reduction plan ready by early December, when lawmakers return to Augusta to be sworn in. He is right to try to capitalize on the scare from the 1 percent property-tax vote earlier this month. He would be even more right if… Read More
It is good news that the Department of Conservation has joined the discussion on the future of Sears Island. The department, which oversees the state’s parks and public lands, will bring a new perspective to the debate over the best use for the large island. This, however, does… Read More
Stories of neighbors who each holiday season pass an aging fruitcake, uneaten and unwanted, among themselves are probably apocryphal. But Maine receives just such a fruitcake regularly from its neighbor on its western border in the form of a declaration that the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is not in… Read More
If more evidence was needed that global climate change is occurring – and having serious consequences – it arrived in force this week. A report by eight nations, including the United States, warned that the Arctic is already seeing the results of climate change with temperatures rising twice… Read More
Asked whether they wanted the new Bangor police station downtown, 9,525 Bangor voters said yes, against 5,993 against. The issue did not receive an overwhelming amount of attention before Election Day, but it certainly received enough and, in any event, the question was simple: Though it will cost… Read More
Terrorism, the war in response and the war in Iraq give Veterans Day special urgency today. The nation is encountering new types of warfare, wondering about old enemies and, appropriately, recalling with new respect the veterans of wars past and present. All of this gives the origins of… Read More
The battle for Fallujah began, after months of unheeded calls for surrender, with a massive air and armored attack by 10,000 troops whose goal was clear: capture or kill the 3,000 insurgents thought to be in the city. Yesterday, Defense Secre-tary Donald H. Rumsfeld was asked by reporters… Read More
There’s still no free lunch, but a recent analysis by doctors in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that, for the morbidly obese, the benefits of weight loss through surgery are compelling. The reasons to be concerned about obesity have been well documented. Read More
The United States’ financial challenges – rapidly growing national debt, an expanded trade deficit and a prolonged and costly war – are taking a toll on the dollar. It has plunged in value compared with other national currencies. The one bright spot, however, is that the favorable exchange… Read More
Maine may feel as if it couldn’t stand yet another round of referendums – four more were seeking signatures as of last week – but the state got off easy compared with many. Thirty-four states decided a total of 163 statewide questions Nov. 2; voters in Illinois were… Read More
Contradicting several past examinations, a new study concludes that toxic chemicals sickened many soldiers who served in the 1991 Gulf War. Previous studies concluded that so-called “Gulf War Syndrome” was the result of wartime stress. The new report’s findings are especially important as veterans of the current war… Read More
Fishermen in Down East Maine start work before dawn now that the days are shorter. That means revving up a pickup to drive to the dock and starting up a diesel or outboard on the boat. It can mean a lot of early-morning noise. Some non-fishermen don’t like… Read More
Sportsmen and officials within the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife may be heartened by the defeat of Question 2, a measure to ban the baiting, hounding and trapping of bear. But, they should quickly celebrate their victory and then get down to the business of changing the… Read More
Yasser Arafat spent more than 40 years surviving politically – through the Jordanian war, the Yom Kippur War, Lebanon, countless attacks and conspiracies, the Gulf War and beyond. He will end his life in Paris, away from his homeland and deceased politically for several years. Read More
The results of Tuesday’s election got you down? Get over it. Instead, look at all the positives in your life, like the fact you live in a country where you get to vote and can worry about taxes rather than war or famine. Maintaining a positive outlook could… Read More
Democrats maintained their slight edge in the State House, although the gap in the House of Representatives appears to have narrowed. With a Democrat also in the Blaine House, they must, unlike the past two years, use their power to craft legislation that can win Republican support rather… Read More
Rocking ever so slightly for weeks between 49 percent and 51 percent of the vote, supporters of Sen. John Kerry believed in the days just before Tuesday that their candidate would win. Many of President Bush’s supporters seemed to believe it, too. But by early Wednesday morning, it… Read More