With millions flowing to Maine from the stimulus package, the governor and lawmakers must make decisions for these funds in the most transparent, accountable way. Gov. John Baldacci has acted already by setting up a stimulus Web site to track its expense.It’s a good idea, but more could be done. Public reporting of where the […]

Talk about being careful what you wish for.During the Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, stole the spotlight for several minutes to encourage President Barack Obama – a two-time Grammy winner himself – to create a Cabinet position for the arts.The proposal received applause from the audience of artists […]

Cheers and jeers from around the news (and Happy Valentine’s Day):• Cheers to the staff of SAD 17, for illustrating the very principle of selflessness by donating a day’s salary to preserve the jobs of seven others. The story is heartwarming for its charity, and commendable for its message: We all can get through tough […]

Apparently, bipartisanship is making people dislike you equally.Over the past weeks, Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe worked with Democrats on slimming the stimulus legislation into a leaner, meaner package.They, and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., were the only Republicans to support the stimulus. A prior vote on the House of Representatives’ version of the […]

There are enough empty buildings. Schools shouldn’t be among them.Two pieces of legislation, in the nascent days of this session, have proposed four-day school weeks for districts to cope with budget deficits. The idea is one fewer day would garner savings in energy, transportation, maintenance and other daily costs associated with running a school.Four-day weeks […]

Greed is still good, even when it’s done so much bad.In this fiscal crisis, bailout is talked one day, then punishment the next. President Barack Obama supports a $500,000 salary cap on bailed-out executives for this latter reason.Trust us, there are few finer visions than a trussed-up Wall Street fat-cat being forced to accept a […]

The Base Realignment and Closure Commission couldn’t close Brunswick Naval Air Station today. Every cent of political capital available in the affected communities, state and Congress would be spent to stop it, or alter its terms, because of the economy.Unfortunately, the decision wasn’t made this year. It was made four years ago, in different times […]

Waterford Rep. Sawin Millett’s bill reviving a casino for Oxford County hasn’t been printed yet, but if its text echoes his sentiments so far, the venerable lawmaker has a good idea.Oxford County needs development. That 500 people would apply for six full-time and 11 part-time jobs at the new tractor store in Oxford, the proposed […]

In taking blame for the taxing problem of Tom Daschle, the defunct nominee for secretary of health and human services, President Barack Obama said the American people cannot be told one standard exists for them, while another exists in Washington.It was a consummate political statement – humble, regretful and populist. Yet while it was a […]

It’s been about a month since we launched this series, “Tough People, Smart Money,” and the response from you, our readers, has been terrific. We’re receiving money-saving tips from our readers daily, plus lots of compliments for undertaking the series. Meanwhile, two other newspapers have contacted us about running a similar series in their areas. […]