Cliff Rosen, a world-class researcher in osteoporosis, has been an invaluable asset to this region during his quarter century here as a doctor, professor and director of the Maine Center for Osteoporosis Research and Education at St. Joseph Hospital. Last week on these pages, Dr. Rosen gave something… Read More
Members of the Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee are wisely, if belatedly, meeting this summer to consider how more than a dozen bills that call for longer sentences would affect the state’s already overcrowded prisons. If lawmakers are serious about the consequences of mandatory sentences and other measure that… Read More
The manager of New England’s electricity system predicts high energy prices and tight supply will remain problems for years to come. It offers seven ways to ease both, but only one is immediately available. Using less electricity doesn’t require new power lines or generating plants, both of which… Read More
The Maine Clean Elections Act funds candidacies with public dollars not only to encourage more people to run for office and diminish the influence of large donors, it is also to improve the image of money in politics. The Maine Ethics Commission, given a chance to further improve… Read More
If a mill closes because it is losing sales to cheaper paper from South America, its workers are often eligible for special federal assistance. If workers at a similar mill are laid off because technological upgrades or lack of demand make their labor unnecessary, the trade assistance is… Read More
A curious story recently in the New York Times took a more serious look at what comedians have observed for years, but this time with science as the punch line. The observation in the story should raise questions about official reports that aren’t so funny. Read More
To avoid a patchwork of local bans and restrictions, state regulators have proposed new rules to reduce pollution from and complaints about outdoor wood boilers. Cutting emissions from new boilers is a good step, but without stricter regulations on the wood-burning furnaces already in place, the rules won’t… Read More
Tracking is the campaign practice of filming an opponent to the greatest extent possible, making amply certain the opponent is aware of the filming. Nominally, tracking is used to gather information, but in reality, a camera stuck in the face of the opponent is a weapon to intimidate,… Read More
The old Neighborhood House on Little Cranberry Island, formerly the Grange Hall, is a venue for wedding receptions, basketball games and annual affairs such as the amateur show “Wits and Nitwits,” the Firemen’s Ball, a literary evening and the Islesford Fair. But until last week,… Read More
Karl Rove has had more political power and more opportunities to employ it than any other presidential adviser in recent history. His tenure at the White House, to end this month, was marked by an omnipresent campaign for a permanent Republican majority and an inability to turn electoral… Read More
A proposal to put 38 wind turbines on Stetson Mountain in Washington County has been relatively uncontroversial – Maine Audubon, an opponent of wind projects in other parts of the state, withdrew its objections last month and now supports the project. Still, members of the Land Use Regulation… Read More
Some leaders of the digital age are hailing the birth of a revolutionary new era of cultural democracy. They cite YouTube, MySpace, Wikipedia, music file sharing and blogs as marking an end to elitism and gatekeeping and reliance on the “wisdom of the masses.” Why… Read More
Government contracts don’t get much attention until something goes wrong. Legislation, recently endorsed by the Senate’s Homeland Security Committee, would ensure that contracts are scrutinized and bids solicited and reviewed – and that government personnel are trained and available to do this work – before disasters strike and… Read More
The bad news came through loud and clear in focus-group surveys in Bangor, Belfast and Ellsworth: High cost is what keeps many travelers from flying in and out of Bangor’s airport. Participants in the survey appreciate the friendly service, short waiting lines, cheap parking and… Read More
Lawmakers in Augusta seem to like Maine’s clean election funding; in 2006, more than three-quarters of them accepted the funds. Still, they have no compunction about raiding the state’s Clean Election Fund to cover other state expenses. Now, however, the fund is in danger of not having enough… Read More
If only for a year, the Chinese government is getting serious about combating air pollution. Without upcoming Olympic games here, U.S. politicians will have to find other ways to force government action on green house gas emissions. The International Olympic Committee warned Wednesday that some… Read More
While lawmakers are right to want to stop improper practices in the student loan industry, stricter rules for the banks and businesses that make the loans will only solve part of the problem. Ensuring the Department of Education enforces the rules is also necessary. In… Read More
A week after a highway bridge collapsed in Minneapolis, Gov. Tim Pawlenty is re-thinking his opposition to increasing Minnesota’s gas tax. Tough discussions and new thinking about road funding are likely in state capitals around the country, Augusta included. Earlier this year, Gov. Pawlenty vetoed… Read More
“Free costs $1 million” is the new mantra from organizers of the American Folk Festival. Their message is that although admission to the three-day fete of music, arts and food is free, it costs $1 million each year to stage the event. Without enough corporate, foundation, government and… Read More
Members of Congress went home for their summer recess without changing U.S. strategy in Iraq, leaving a decision on changing course until after a much anticipated mid-September report from the top general and ambassador in Iraq. What lawmakers are likely to hear is that while the military surge… Read More
In a surprise filing last week to the Land Use Regulation Commission, two environmental groups argued that LURC cannot approve a rezoning petition from Plum Creek Timber Co. for its land around Moosehead Lake because the commission lacks the authority to do so. LURC may have broad discretion… Read More
When Barry Bonds hit his 755th career home run Saturday to tie Hank Aaron’s all-time record, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, Bud Selig, stood up, but left his hands in his pockets. His reaction reflects America’s ambivalence about Mr. Bonds. To change that attitude, the commissioner will… Read More
It is helpful that the leader of the agency that oversees the nation’s fisheries has called for new ways to ease overfishing. To move forward, regulators need to put money toward demonstration projects and analysis of their results to see what alternatives show the most promise. As for… Read More
Any bill that spends $286 billion over five years ought to make a lot of constituents happy, and the House version of the 2007 Farm Bill hands out enough commodity and income subsidies to keep most from complaining. But as generous as the bill is, it still doesn’t… Read More
A new study on how Bangor region restaurant and lodging sales relate to the presence of the Hollywood Slots racino points to the need for a deeper understanding of the economics of gambling here. Bangor should work toward a broad study of the demographic and economic effects of… Read More
Talk of diversifying the Washington County economy and developing niche markets for Maine paper mills are both on target, but will do little to help the 150 people put out of work by Domtar Inc.’s paper machine shut down in Baileyville. It may be a bit much to… Read More
You may have noticed that the price of milk has gone up repeatedly since the first of the year. But it’s still a bargain, says Katherine O. Musgrave, professor emerita of food science and nutrition at the University of Maine. She compares a quart of… Read More
Changes in communications technology require changes in surveillance techniques and their oversight. However, broad permission to eavesdrop on communications that pass through United States-based equipment with review by the attorney general, as the White House is seeking, goes too far. If lawmakers can’t forge a compromise that maintains… Read More
Some high school teachers and college professors try to please students and parents by marking “A” on work that doesn’t deserve it. The same thing has been done by the big national agencies that rate the quality of bonds. They have been giving their top ratings of AAA… Read More
Gov. John Baldacci’s directive this week to have multiple state agencies review what they might be doing to inhibit Maine children from enjoying the outdoors may seem like overkill, but based on an important book on the growing disconnection between Americans and the outdoors, it is entirely appropriate. Read More
Most striking among six states that have asked telecommunication carriers about their roles in the Bush administration’s wiretapping program is how utterly mild Maine’s request is. Last week, a federal judge turned down a Department of Justice attempt to stop public utility commissions from looking into how the… Read More
Acadia National Park is reminding visitors that they are supposed to pay a fee to be in the park by posting signs that say “fee area.” The problem with this nice, but vague, approach is that people who don’t realize national parks charge entrance fees aren’t likely to… Read More
After another round of less-than-forthcoming testimony to Congress, the best that can be said about Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is that he is incompetent. The worst is that he has intentionally misled Congress. Either way, it is past time for Republican senators, Maine’s included, to let the president… Read More
Federal regulators have not adequately addressed problems with gear changes they are proposing to require of lobstermen later this year, according to the Government Accountability Office. If these problems are not soon resolved, the National Marine Fisheries Service has no choice but to exempt portions of Maine from… Read More
With one federal agency too easily handing out money and another canceling needed loans, congressional oversight committees will long be busy reviewing what went wrong during and after Hurricane Katrina. Because the promise of rebuilding the Gulf Coast is far from fulfilled, depriving help to those who need… Read More
Michael Moore’s “Sicko” is an important movie. Not because it is objective. It isn’t. And not because it is fair and totally accurate. It isn’t those, either. It is important because it has found a way to energize the public debate on the future of the American system… Read More
Having scuttled the tax reform plan of his party’s legislative branch this spring, Gov. John Baldacci pledged to work on an improved version, perhaps to be considered during a special session in the fall. His office is now working on a plan. But with Democrats still angry with… Read More
Kids Count, the Anne E. Casey Foundation’s annual measure of how children are faring, ranks Maine a respectable 15 among states. But the trends in its indices show a troubling pattern this state should be watching. Two changes over the last decade are particularly notable:… Read More
Now Hiring: Several positions open for major bicycling event. Location: France. Qualified applicants should have world-class credentials and nearly inhuman levels of endurance. An ability to pass a drug test required. Those just short of top bicycling credentials who can pass the drug test will be strongly considered. Read More
Now that federal wildlife officials are reviewing a decision about protecting lynx habitat in Maine, state biologists and timberland owners have an obligation to show regulators that a cooperative approach is better than more government oversight. Building on the effort, while ensuring that federal requirements for protecting lynx… Read More
Rather than slow down a study of mercury contamination in the Penobscot River, the company ordered five years ago to do this work should ensure that the examination is done as thoroughly and expeditiously as possible so that work can begin on cleaning up the mercury before it… Read More
August promises to be a month of decision on what to do about the Iraq war. The White House keeps saying wait until September. Some generals prefer November. But in August the public will speak once more, when their representatives come home to campaign for next year’s elections. Read More
When it comes to offensive place names in Maine, the good news is that more than half the townships, mountains, lakes, ponds and islands once called Squaw have new names. Communities deciding the new names for the dozen that remain should get busy finding a better choice. Read More
Congress is likely to emerge with two leading proposals to reauthorize and expand the popular and needed State Children Health Insurance Program. President Bush has promised to veto both, leaving Congress with a strong incentive to pass the stronger of the two, knowing that negotiations with the White… Read More
Wind power, the fastest growing large-scale renewable energy source in the world, has a home in Maine. The question is whether it will thrive here and displace a significant amount of fossil fuel or whether each wind power project will become a political battle. To get the former,… Read More
Of the nation’s 250 poorest counties, argues Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, 244 are rural, and he has a plan to help them. A candidate with a plan is as common as a tourist at Old Orchard Beach; what distinguishes Mr. Edwards’ Rural Recovery Act is its details,… Read More
Congressional tax writers have been considering what to do about a tax break enjoyed by a new crop of multimillionaires. They are the managers of hedge funds, lightly regulated investment vehicles that make risky bets and often reap large profits. The wealthy investors, who must open their accounts… Read More
One of those “I knew it!” stories appeared in the New York Times recently. This one was about how average airline delay times were actually much longer than airlines were required to report, as least for passengers. The story noted that with air travel at record highs this… Read More
With rising fuel costs, outdoor wood boilers have become increasingly popular in Maine, prompting complaints from one end of the state to another and a patchwork of local bans and restrictions. To reduce pollution from the smoky furnaces and to have one set of standards statewide, the Department… Read More
With summer about half over, it’s time to consider the houseguest problem. Drawn by the promise of lazy days at the beach and endless lobster feeds, they start coming before the black flies leave. We love these fair-weather friends, but our short season gets frantic and chaotic, especially… Read More
News that American Airlines’ regional jet service will end service at Bangor International Airport in November follows a report showing the number of passengers using BIA has dropped in recent months and is further evidence that federal support for smaller facilities that divert customers from regional airports should… Read More
In the five years since the Mitchell Institute released its first study on barriers in Maine to postsecondary education, the percentage of high school students who aspire to college has risen – but the percentage who actually attend has dropped. Maine families, business owners and the students themselves… Read More
Book seven, movie five and more press than you can shake a wand at – the decade-long phenomenon of Harry Potter has engulfed the lives of millions of young readers and their parents, and with the final book in the series arriving Saturday, this is the biggest moment… Read More
One by one, Senate Republicans are concluding the president’s surge in Iraq cannot make the kind of progress necessary to justify continued American combat there, and they are looking for new ways of backing away from Iraq without leaving chaos or a new home for terrorists. Their seriousness… Read More
Maine’s largest cities are frequently cited as great, safe places to raise a family. These rankings are positive, but not exactly exciting. Now, the state, through its biggest city, Portland, has gotten high marks from the adventure-sport set. The state should find ways to capitalize on these accolades. Read More
Comedian Stephen Colbert gave politics the word “truthiness,” an assertion of belief no matter what fact or logic says – if it feels true, it is true. Now for the 2008 senatorial election, Maine has “toothiness,” a political smear that will be noticed more for its pointlessness than… Read More
Rather suddenly, the United States Supreme Court switched from generally liberal to generally conservative. In a series of 5-4 decisions, the court voided two school district plans to preserve or achieve racial integration, upheld a federal anti-abortion law, cut back public school students’ rights of free speech, and… Read More
Flowers along interstate highways and cherry trees in Washington, D.C., now seem commonplace, but before Lady Bird Johnson turned her attention to beautifying the country, junkyards and haphazard signs were more the norm. A companion to her husband’s Great Society initiatives, Mrs. Johnson’s conservation and beautification efforts endure… Read More
Diplomacy, it appears, is making a comeback in the Bush administration. After years of threats and increasing financial pressure, a surprise visit by the U.S. envoy brought substantial progress in ending the nuclear standoff with North Korea. Earlier this month, President Bush met with Russian President Vladimir Putin… Read More
A federal rule change is pushing Maine legislators to make improvements to the state’s sex offender registry that they have so far been unable to do on their own. Differentiating between the most dangerous offenders and those less likely to commit another crime will make this information more… Read More
Money from Maine’s conservation license plates, commonly called loon plates, is an important source of revenue for state wildlife and land management agencies. With declining sales of the plates, however, there is less money to fund repairs and upgrades at state parks and to monitor endangered species. The… Read More
Starting this fall, a succession of promising Maine students will benefit from a new scholarship program named for the founding president of both the College of the Atlantic and the Maine Community Foundation. Friends of Ed Kaelber gathered Thursday afternoon at the college’s Gates Center… Read More
Acknowledging that satisfactory progress has been made on fewer than half the benchmarks set by Congress, President Bush Thursday said more time was needed to improve security in Iraq to enable the government to make political progress. After nearly four years of the same message, a new strategy… Read More
Two years ago, Congress gave the Department of Energy more authority to locate power lines – sometimes against state opposition. An amendment to the energy bill passed recently by the Senate would greatly expand this federal power, especially in the case of wind, solar and geothermal power. While… Read More
You may believe that George W. Bush and Richard Nixon are the only presidents who have used their intelligence agencies for illegal domestic wiretapping. Think again. President John F. Kennedy did it, too, as shown in recently disclosed tapes and documents. Mr. Kennedy was upset… Read More
All signs point toward a good year for Maine’s number one industry, tourism. This is quite a change from last year’s rainy spring and slow start. Travel on the Maine Turnpike for Independence Day week was up 6 percent over last year, and the mass… Read More
Pushed by a surprise Supreme Court decision, major changes in policy regarding the hundreds of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay are expected. Rather than continued legal fights, the Bush administration should close the detention center in Cuba and bring to the United States those prisoners who truly pose… Read More
As the Senate again turns its attention to Iraq, one question should dominate the debate: Why wait? Why wait until September to decide to redeploy U.S. troops when it is clear that a delay means many more U.S. soldiers killed for minimal progress. When President… Read More
It’s a familiar refrain that there’s nothing to do in Bangor in the evenings. On summer Thursdays, this certainly isn’t true. Paired with the city’s outdoor concerts for the first time last year, an artisans’ market returns to downtown Bangor. So far, the reviews have been rave. What… Read More
With poor rankings for administering food stamps going back to 2004, the Baldacci administration had anticipated federal concern about the program by budgeting this year for 30 new employees for the state’s overworked food-stamp staff. Additional workers in this case seem like a good idea, but they are… Read More
Live Earth, the multicontinent, carbon-offset concerts being held today to begin a long campaign by the Alliance for Climate Protection to raise awareness about the threats of climate change, will feature stages around the world and ask listeners to pledge to reduce greenhouse gases. Our cynicism about awareness-raising… Read More
Al Gore is not running for president (yet, anyway), but the former vice president has achieved what other candidates should be able to do, and, if they are elected, must do. He has made the complex, wideranging and sometimes contradictory issue of climate change compelling. Last week, he… Read More
Four of the five sponsors and co-sponsors for tax-deductible lifelong learning accounts are the members of Maine’s congressional delegation – as is fitting. If any place would benefit from ways to make higher education less expensive for nontraditional, older students, it is a rural, below-average-income, low birthrate state… Read More
Crowding at Acadia Hospital’s narcotic treatment program and plans for a third methadone treatment facility in Bangor, as discussed in recent news stories, are powerful signs that this region – and all of Maine – must refocus on the problem of widespread drug abuse. Maine… Read More
Beverly Sills was just as comfortable singing with the Muppets as the Metropolitan Opera. Her ability to sing a complex operatic role one night and a duet full of one-liners with Carol Burnett another made her an artistic icon who helped popularize opera. America’s queen of opera was… Read More
The Plame-Libby case ends with a reporter who refused to reveal her source shipped off to jail while the source, found guilty of lying under oath about his involvement in the case, walks free. The lessons are clear: 1) The ability of government officials to tell reporters –… Read More
Below is an excerpt from the document the Fourth of July holiday is about. Two hundred thirty-one years ago, representatives in the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and adopted their Declaration of Independence. It expressed frustration and anger with the policies of Great Britain and… Read More
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last week officially removed the country’s symbol, the bald eagle, from the nation’s endangered species list. The de-listing of the eagle, while slow, is a good example of an endangered species success. It also highlights why efforts to weaken the Endangered Species… Read More
Compared with the last energy bill passed by Congress, which favored subsidies for oil companies over increases in renewable energy production or incentives for conservation, this year’s Senate version is a big improvement. That doesn’t mean, however, that it will do much to reduce our over-reliance on fossil… Read More
Perhaps you didn’t listen as closely as you might have to your graduation speaker or maybe you can’t recall the advice you were given. Here’s a second chance. With college commencement recently concluded, we thought readers would be interested in some of advice speakers have offered new graduates… Read More
Sen. Richard Lugar’s call this week for a redeployment of U.S. troops in Iraq reflects the thinking of several other Republicans who have visited Iraq, talked with commanders, with Iraqi officials and with the troops. What makes his comments noteworthy is who Sen. Lugar is and why he… Read More
Supporters of state-subsidized housing tried several well-reasoned arguments for protecting its portion of the real estate transfer tax during recent legislative sessions, but the state’s Housing Opportunities for Maine Fund gets raided regularly anyway. That leaves the recently passed LD 936, which simply prohibits by statute further diversion… Read More
Changes proposed by the Department of Agriculture appropriately add pet adoption services to rules governing the importation of dogs and cats to Maine. Pet adoption agencies are concerned that a quarantine provision – which has applied to pet shops and breeders for nearly a decade – is too… Read More
The Vatican, in a departure from theological matters, has issued a “Ten Commandments” for drivers. It tells them not to kill, not to drink and drive and to avoid road rage. It even seems to warn against tailgating. The new papal rules are as concise… Read More
After six months of hints and hype, Apple Inc.’s iPhone goes on sale tomorrow. It looks like it will become a must-have for millions, and whether it sells as well as expected or not, it marks a revolution into a new form of smart-phone technology. Read More
In his latest abuse of power, Vice President Dick Cheney’s office contends that an executive order regarding the handling of classified information does not apply to that office because it is not part of the executive branch. Worse, the vice president’s office has sought the abolishment of the… Read More
Unused drugs clutter medicine chests, sometimes leading to confusion and accidental overdoses. They can also be a target for thieves looking for prescription drugs and when thrown or flushed away, they end up in streams and lakes. A University of Maine pilot disposal program will help address these… Read More
As it prepares to reauthorize the federal education act, No Child Left Behind, Congress shouldn’t confuse a recent poll showing the public generally in favor of the act’s goals with their own duty to improve some clear shortcomings in NCLB. Instead, it has a test of its own… Read More
Two big hedge funds that were worth $20 billion two weeks ago are suddenly on the brink of collapse. Ripple effect could threaten other investments. The crisis in hedge funds suggests, as one analyst puts it, that it is time to trim them. Until now,… Read More
Term limits have shifted power away from the Legislature to lobbyists and the executive branch, ensured that lawmakers repeatedly debate the same issues and reduced the power of rural areas. Voters will have a chance to partially remedy the situation by lengthening the time state lawmakers can serve… Read More
For two centuries, Americans were among the tallest people in the world. But researchers say they are now shorter than most Western and Northern Europeans. The Dutch are now the tallest, topping non-Hispanic American whites by almost 3 inches. Scientists have wondered for a long… Read More
If it was the intention of the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine to give life to the idea that the federal chemical review program needs an overhaul, it succeeded recently by releasing the results of chemical tests on 13 Maine citizens. As research, testing such a… Read More
The Legislature’s Insurance Committee had already passed a valuable bill to identify the causes of rising health care costs and a bill to self-insure Dirigo Health when its members began in earnest to overhaul the state plan to provide affordable health coverage, a reform made necessary by the… Read More
Regional fisheries managers put off for the future consideration of more localized rules as a way to increase fish populations. More than just being included in consideration of alternatives to current fishing rules, area management – as the more localized approach is called – needs to be tried. Read More
The troop surge in Iraq this spring seemed to give a way out to members of Congress who supported the Iraq war all the way to the corner where it now resides. They could await the progress report on the surge, to be issued in September by Gen. Read More
John Steinbeck may be best known for creating Tom Joad, but the author also provided the rough outline of Simon Cowell, a decade before the “American Idol” host was even born. Newly revealed letters by one of America’s best known 20th century authors show that… Read More
A proposal to create a single fire district for communities in the Bangor-Brewer area not only didn’t get a warm reception, disappointingly, it sparked no discussion. Unlike school consolidation and collaboration, the state has no financial hold over local fire departments so it can’t use… Read More
The recent news that the federal government was suspending rules requiring American airline passengers to have a passport to re-enter the United States from Canada and Mexico shows that it is premature to extend the same requirement to those crossing the border by car. Instead of rushing ahead… Read More
Deployments to Iraq have left Maine’s Army National Guard with a little more than half its authorized equipment. Commanders say it can cope with any domestic emergency. But its readiness for further overseas deployment may be limited. The Army Guard’s equipment on hand and available… Read More
It may be more than a year too late, but U.S. and international leaders are rallying around Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The support comes after the military forces of Mr. Abbas’ party, Fatah, had been routed from the Gaza Strip by Hamas, which won control of the… Read More