U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt came to Maine last week with promises to sort out the mess caused by the new Medicare Part D drug program.Next time he comes, we’d suggest he bring a check instead of a promise.Leavitt answered questions from the media after meeting with Gov. Baldacci on Wednesday. […]

Exposing children to the dangers of a covert methamphetamine lab goes beyond what Maine’s child endangerment laws can accommodate.If the charges against Louis Rubino and Donna Pagnani are true, they should also face charges of aggravated assault or elevated aggravated assault.Rubino, 25, and Pagnani, 21, were arrested Wednesday in connection with a suspected methamphetamine lab […]

Many pieces go into making us who we are as people.There’s the environment in which we live, the people who share their lives with us, the choices we make and the biology of whom we come from. All of that input – and much more – is part of the stew of our personalities.For adoptees, […]

If Gov. Baldacci gets his way, every child born in Maine next year will start life off with a $50 gift from the state, a jump-start on a college savings account.For parents of college students, $50 might not sound like meaningful assistance. With tuition costs soaring – and projected to go even higher – the […]

In the editorial published Jan. 20 about Gov. Baldacci’s State of the State address, the plan to raise teachers’ pay statewide was described incorrectly. Baldacci has proposed raising average starting teacher salaries from $27,000 a year to $30,000 a year in 2007. The editorial did not differentiate between average teacher salary and the salary for […]

The underlying frustration with utility bills is the feeling that you can’t do much about them unless you’re willing to suffer.Turn down the heat and live in a cold house.Turn out the light and live in the dark.Turn off the phone and live disconnected.Cable TV, for all the monopoly power it still maintains, is pushing […]

For a person earning the state’s average salary – $29,973 in 2004 – it might be a tough sell to say the governor needs a pay raise.But he does.Maine’s governor earns a salary of $70,000 a year, less than any other state chief executive in the country. There are perks. The governor can live in […]

Sabattus Central School faces a serious problem that so far has required a costly solution.The school has been plagued by a spate of bomb threats left in the restrooms. As a countermeasure, the school has deployed a monitor to keep track of bathroom traffic.The monitor is being paid the daily rate for a substitute teacher: […]

Emily Beaulieu doesn’t need a few words from us to know that she did something special for her birthday.The celebration Monday brought out the biggest dignitaries in the Twin Cities to sing her praises and honor her generosity. She even earned a key to the city.Emily, who turned seven Sunday, used her birthday to launch […]

Political fundraisers have a certain look and feel.Overcooked chicken and overstuffed suits are often the order of the day. Checks are accepted, promises are made.It’s part of the stereotype that keeps politicians unpopular with a lot of folks.What’s going on in Jay is completely different.Jay Selectman and state Rep. Ray Pineau had a stroke during […]