The restoration of General Motors depends on the U.S. government, its savior, remaining a silent partner during the company’s emergence from bankruptcy. Taking an activist approach toward managing GM’s affairs would be disastrous — there are no car dealers in Washington. Well, at least not technically. What is lacking is a cogent notion of how […]

Cheer and jeers from around the news: • Cheers to Maine Attorney General Janet Mills, for joining with 17 other state attorneys general, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to target fraudulent home foreclosure-rescue companies. These unsavory firms are victimizing desperate people and must be stopped. Dubbed “Operation Loan Lies,” this effort […]

Finally, around 6 p.m. Wednesday, in spite of a blanketing, ashy haze and burning aroma still choking the downtown neighborhood, the shell-shocked city was free to breathe again. This freedom comes courtesy of dozens of local emergency responders, whose training, experience, wits and determination contained the tremendous inferno in Lewiston’s Cowan Mill. It was truly […]

On Tuesday, the Lewiston City Council made three mistakes. This shouldn’t surprise; this is the same council, after all, that instituted a strict moratorium on downtown development during the worst economic crisis in modern American history. Errors by this council are not only commonplace, but expected. Tuesday’s mistakes, however, were this council’s biggest. The first […]

Selectmen in Paris should brush up on their history. The last time a populist insurrection occurred in a community with that name, the results for the rulers weren’t so favorable. (And ironically enough, Tuesday was Bastille Day.) It all stemmed from failing to listen to the concerns and needs of the people. We don’t imagine […]

It’s an unfortunate colorful coincidence that Maine’s summer of crippling red tide has come during a budget season of oppressive red ink. The state’s finance commissioner, Ryan Low, is talking about the possibility of a $100 million budget deficit, even before saying the governor also wants plans for the worst-case scenario. (Low said this in […]

In honor of its enshrinement into Merriam Webster’s dictionary, let us consider the “staycation.” First, it’s a contradiction. A prerequisite of vacationing is getting away. If the homefront afforded opportunities to relax, there would no reason to leave it. Second, it’s a vapid buzzword of the recession. Nobody talked about “staycationing” during strong economic times. […]

Now, a few words about the Farmers’ Almanac. We expect honesty from our politicians, governments, families, friends and ourselves. And, of course, we expect it from the Almanac. As we’ve said, “The Almanac is trusted to be right. Those of us who consult its wisdom are hoping its forecast is bulletproof.” But not now. Last […]

The struggle of FairPoint in northern New England lends to making sudden, impassioned judgment calls. In recent weeks, a theme has emerged: The three states, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont made a huge mistake by approving FairPoint’s purchase of Verizon’s landlines. It’s too early to say this with certainty. FairPoint, unarguably, is not fulfilling its […]

Cheers and jeers from around the news: • Cheers to George Schott. Is there anything the man won’t buy? On Friday, the Sun Journal reported his investment in trailers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Schott has the trailers sitting at the Auburn Mall for sale (but definitely not for housing). Then, the Forecaster newspaper […]