It just doesn’t matter whether you oppose Plum Creek’s plans to develop the area around Moosehead Lake. What someone did to the company and some of its personnel is an attempt at political intimidation and reminiscent of the tactics used by such terror organizations as the Ku Klux Klan.Late Monday night, vandals attacked Plum Creek’s […]

Auburn voters should approve an updated and improved city charter during Tuesday’s election.Never to be confused with light reading, the new version of the city’s charter is better organized, uses less jargon and is significantly more accessible to a reader not versed in the inner workings of municipal government than its predecessor.The Charter Commission, under […]

From near famine to economic feast, the value of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is set to grow.When the Department of Defense included the high-performing shipyard on its list for closure, Maine and New Hampshire responded in horror. Efficient and effective, the shipyard has been contributing to the nation’s defense for more than a century. Its closure […]

The nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court was not derailed in the United States Senate, which has a constitutional obligation to advise and consent on the president’s picks. It was killed by members of President Bush’s own party, unconvinced by her conservative bona fides and, especially, her position on abortion.With his new nominee, […]

Question 7 on the Nov. 8 ballot is a constitutional amendment that voters should support.The amendment would allow towns to assess the value of working waterfront property based upon current use rather than on market value.Maine’s Constitution requires that all property be assessed based on its market value, with two exceptions. Earlier amendments have allowed […]

Friday, vice presidential aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby was indicted on charges of perjury, obstruction of justice and making false statements.While Libby clearly has not been convicted, the central irony remains – he’s out of a job, into hot water and could be headed to jail for allegedly covering up something that may not have […]

States rated by how they put education dollars to work. If only schools would cut administrators and spend the money on the kids, critics often complain, test scores would improve.And, indeed, a national group has popped up to promote just such a solution. First Class Education (www.firstclasseducation.org) urges state legislators to force schools to spend […]

Auburn officials say it’s too early to worry about next year’s property tax bill.They say that, however, after warning homeowners that they could see an increase of $2,000.If you ask us, it’s never too early to worry about your property taxes jumping by that much.Last week, the city sent out information about its re-evaluation. Good […]

At the same time that the state is warning of the threat of rolling blackouts this winter, opponents of a proposed wind farm on four western Maine mountains are trying to convince the Land Use Regulation Commission to stop the project.Friends of the Boundary Mountains sent letters to commissioners raising concerns about migrating birds and […]

While Question 1 on Nov. 8’s ballot has received the lion’s share of attention during the campaign season, voters also will be asked to judge an $83 million bond package, broken into five questions.Questions 2 through 6 ask voters to approve new state borrowing. All five deserve a “yes” vote.The measures are not particularly controversial. […]