2007 seems determined to end on a bitter, bloody and worrisome note: Assassination in Pakistan, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, genocide in Darfur, steroids in baseball and global warming everywhere.But, the end of the year is also a good time to stand back and take the long view, the really long view. When we do, […]

Maine has hit a new high. Created a new record.This year, the number of drivers cited by the Maine State Police for operating after their licenses have been suspended has well exceeded 3,000.Last year, the number of drivers stopped for OAS was 2,044. Those are just the stops made by state police. There are hundreds […]

If you ask most Mainers, they will tell you there are not enough “good” jobs in the state. Paradoxically, many employers will tell you there are not enough skilled Mainers to fill the good jobs they have.Most Mainers will also tell you that the state suffers from a “brain drain.” In other words, many of […]

There are few things more sobering than pondering the carnage caused by drunken drivers. Seldom has that been more visibly illustrated than by a Christmas Eve crash one year ago that took six young lives.For the past year, six extended families and six circles of friends have been mourning, healing and slowly picking up the […]

It started at Big Rock Alpine Ski Area, just south of Presque Isle. It spread to Black Mountain of Maine in Rumford. And, now, we support its expansion at Spruce Mountain in Jay.What is it?Free skiing.Really.The Maine Winter Sports Center, which owns Big Rock and Black Mountain, organizes free skiing on specified days of the […]

Democrats took control of Congress in 2007 promising to reform the “earmark” process so often blamed for “pork-barrel” spending.“We will bring transparency and openness to the budget process, and to the use of earmarks,” said Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi in December of 2006.If transparency and accountability were the goals, the marching orders apparently didn’t filter all […]

In recent weeks, we’ve been criticizing state government. (As editorial pages are wont to do.) It’s only fair, however, to also mention what’s been working well in Augusta. There’s one state agency whose performance, both recently and during the past few months, has earned our sincere applause.Please stand up, Maine Public Utilities Commission.It’s a low-profile […]

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the east, not a creature was stirring, not even the Turner Beast. By the Blaine House was strung, with bureaucratic-like care, low-energy Christmas lights, casting a glare.Snug inside, perhaps in stocking and cap, is Gov. John Baldacci, ready for a long winter’s nap. Instead of dancing sugarplums […]

The farm bill, when passed by the Senate last week, landed with a plop, a cow patty on the meadow of responsible governance. Few observers of federal government found anything redeeming from the legislative largesses the bill bestow on already-wealthy “farmers.”Because the farm bill isn’t just about farms. It’s also about nutrition policies and low-income […]

A criminal court is the wrong place to try the convictions of JoAn Karkos. The context of her opposition to “It’s Perfectly Normal” is irrelevant to her court case, which centers alone on evaluating her conduct.Did Karkos remove a book from the Lewiston Public Library and fail to return it? The incontestable answer is yes. […]