Proponents of an extraction tax on water in Maine compare it to severance taxes on oil drilling in U.S. petro-states, such as Texas and Alaska. The analogy is problematic, given the stark differences between oil and water as natural resources.On its face, there are easy similarities. Both oil and water are liquids removed from the […]

Cheers and jeers from around the news:• Cheers to the staff at the Grand Summit Resort at Sunday River. Last week, the resort hosted the 14th annual “Discover New England” conference, which rotates through the New England states. We were told that when it’s your turn to host this hospitality conference, you’d better make a […]

More than just Maine’s woeful budget makes shrinking the House of Representatives a smart idea. The looming 2010 census and the demographic knowledge it will undoubtedly unveil also makes re-making districts now the right choice. Both the budget and census should be the overdue push lawmakers have needed to aggressively consider downsizing. They have faced […]

Regardless of where one stands on same-sex marriage, one universal trait in the debate in Maine has been cherishing the institution. We cannot recall another period in which marriage has been discussed in such glowing, reverential terms.There is disagreement about whose unions should be called a marriage under law. And despite Gov. John Baldacci’s signing […]

Offering charter schools in Maine is not an indictment of public schools. The opportunity to choose a different, independent form of education for a child is just that — a choice. Establishing charter schools, however, would be a realization of the limitations in the state’s current educational system, which can be inflexible against the rapid […]

Back in 1989, Gov. Jock McKernan faced a post-economic boom budget gap. One year after cutting rebate checks totaling $42 million to happy taxpayers for the holidays, the state’s shortfall started to spiral as the American economy went south.Why? Says The New York Times from Dec. 1989: “Sluggish sales of motor vehicles and building supplies […]

We used to think stories about credit card companies erroneously issuing cards to family pets were funny. “Congratulations, Bowser T. Dog, you’ve been pre-approved for a $10,000 platinum rewards card. Start building your credit history today!”In hindsight of the nation’s credit collapse, though, these scenarios don’t seem so amusing. Instead, they’re indicative of a much […]

MaineCare is the second-largest expenditure from the state’s general fund, at more than $600 million annually, which is still not enough to cover its costs. The state still owes hospitals millions for past MaineCare services, and the program itself may go bankrupt by May 8, unless a budget is passed, which would unlock federal help.Myriad […]

Cheers and jeers from around the news:• Cheers to departing Lewiston Police Chief William Welch, who’s retiring after 34 years of service and more than a decade as chief. In many cases, relations between police agencies and newspapers can get frosty; this was never the case in Lewiston. We thought Welch ran an excellent department, […]

It increasingly appears the key problem with America’s automakers was management. Foreign marquees such as Toyota and Honda have proven that producing cars in the United States is not only profitable, but cost-efficient. So why haven’t U.S. automakers done the same?Fault lies at the top. While a confluence of factors caused Chrysler and General Motors […]