The United States Senate today will have the opportunity to right a wrong and help fulfill a promise made by President Bush to Africa during his State of the Union speech.

Sen. Mike DeWine, a Republican from Ohio, is expected to offer an amendment to the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that would increase funding for global AIDS initiatives by $289 million. Maine Sen. Susan Collins has signed on as a sponsor of the proposal. The additional funding would bring the total for 2004 to $2.4 billion.

In January, President Bush made a significant pledge to lead the world in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The DeWine amendment will help the United States meet its commitment.

“It is the right thing to do because HIV/AIDS is wiping out entire communities,” DeWine said Friday on the Senate floor. “It is the right thing to do because at least 8,000 people … mothers and fathers and children and babies … are dying every day from AIDS and millions of others who are not on treatment drugs are suffering the painful effects of the disease. It is the right thing to do because we have the ability and we have the resources to fight HIV/AIDS, and we need to do something.”

Already, 28 million people in Africa are infected with HIV and 17 million people have died of AIDS. Some advocacy organizations estimate that as many as 6,500 people in Africa die of AIDS and 9,500 are infected with HIV every day. This human toll shouldn’t be tolerated.

It’s legitimate to worry about the cost of additional spending, especially considering our country’s dangerous budget deficit and the ongoing financial obligations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This money can make a huge difference without breaking the bank.

Senators have an opportunity to save lives by voting with DeWine and Collins. We hope they will.
A good try


The results are in from New Hampshire: One-way tolls may be popular with drivers, but they put a crunch on state revenue.

When our neighbors to the south announced they would experiment with a new toll strategy to ease congestion, we thought it was a good idea for Maine to consider a similar plan. Now we know it’s a tough sell.

According the New Hampshire’s transportation commissioner, the state lost $104,000 in tolls in just 37 days and the total bill could have reached a $1 million if the test had continued for a year.

Drivers were dodging the tolls, moving traffic to local highways.

Long lines at toll plazas can create bad feelings among visitors to Maine, but right now we don’t think it’s a good idea to give up the revenue.

Maybe when EZ Pass is up and running in 2004, some of the wait at turnpike toll booths can be eliminated. Until then, keep that toll money handy, coming and going.
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