Sen. Arlen Specter’s sudden departure from the Republican Party is both repudiation of its political principles and embrace of its political reality. As the party drifted to the right, Specter realized his re-election chances were drifting away. So he jumped the proverbial ship.That’s his choice; he must deal with the fallout. We disagree with his […]

Sen. Susan Collins, in our estimation, showed good judgment in throwing the flag on $900 million for pandemic flu preparedness in the federal stimulus. The purpose of that legislation was economic recovery, after all, which was – and still is – at crisis levels. The stimulus needed focus on that one issue and Collins brought […]

Legislation to enable an Oxford County resort casino is likely ill-fated. Voters killed the idea last November and Gov. John Baldacci is bound to veto it. That said, gambling and how to regulate gambling should not be a dead issue.During Monday’s public hearing on the bill, the state’s top gambling regulator, Robert Welch, testified the […]

A point for lawmakers to remember while compiling energy legislation for Maine is that wonderful incentives, reforms, policies and procedures are futile, if too little is invested into a work force to make it possible.No single initiative has the same potential for job creation as energy. President Barack Obama surfed into office on a crest […]

Several Maine paper mills are using an obscure tax credit as an unofficial bailout. They’re adding a little diesel to a homemade energy source, a wood byproduct called “black liquor,” to qualify as blended biofuel, getting 50 cents on every gallon from the government.The Androscoggin Mill in Jay got nearly $30 million from this credit […]

Nearly five months of public debate crescendoed this week during a remarkable public hearing at the Augusta Civic Center. Thousands crammed the arena to hear and provide testimony on allowing same-sex marriage in Maine, a contentious issue that crosses religious, moral and political sensibilities.The arguments for equality in marriage are strong; so are those for […]

Cheers and jeers from around the news:• First off, a somber entry about William Young, the 77-year-old man from Auburn who died from exposure near Moosehead Lake, after leaving his home last week on a humanitarian mission.Young was suffering from dementia, which affected his understanding of reality, his judgment and the passage of time. He […]

Anybody remember Smokey Bear?He was the good-natured bruin in the forest ranger’s hat, who as guardian of the unspoiled forest wilderness, reminded reckless campers “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Old Smokey’s timeless message is one that – terrible pun alert – now bears repeating after events earlier this week.Before the blessed rain in Maine […]

As the old saying goes, a little knowledge can be dangerous. With new, vigorous federal incentives available for expanding broadband Internet access, the state’s ConnectME authority is beginning a precise study of where in Maine broadband is, and is not, accessible.Since its inception in 2006, the ConnectME authority has been tasked with promoting expansion of […]

On this Earth Day, pause to consider the true meaning of “going green.”The phrase has become synonymous with environmental protection, sensibility and consciousness, but its overuse threatens to turn it into a cliché. Not everything that says it’s green is really green.Maine has a great example coming up in November, in a referendum question to […]