A piece of business advice in the Internet era: Try many things, determine as quickly as possible if they work and, if not, shut them down and move on. Ten years ago, adding ethanol to gasoline was one of those bright ideas intended to help the environment and reduce our dependency on foreign oil. It […]
Our View
Posted inOur View
A public bid needed to set lucrative deal
Mid-week, Gov. Paul LePage received a written plea from Maine Beverage Company to negotiate only with that company — which holds Maine’s current liquor distribution contract — on a new 10-year public-private partnership deal. LePage immediately declined, explaining that state government has an obligation to bid the deal to all interested vendors. Prost! There’s a […]
advertisement
Posted inOur View
So, you think writing a city slogan is easy
As Lewiston-Auburn searches for a new slogan, it is worth noting that the Lewiston Chamber of Commerce was doing exactly the same thing back in February of 1913. According to our “Looking Back” column, in January of 1913 the process was simple. The Chamber offered a $20 gold coin to “the man, woman or child […]
Posted inOur View
In any life, an occupation isn’t enough
Gov. Paul LePage joined business leaders Tuesday to launch a campaign to interest more Maine students in manufacturing jobs. This is a good idea, no doubt. Students should be aware of opportunities in all areas and realistic about the career paths they take. LePage used the occasion to take a swipe at the educational establishment. […]
Posted inOur View
Towns cannot allow disruptive meeting behavior
We all live with the confidence that if our town steps on our toes or we feel strongly about an issue, we could stand up at a city council or selectmen’s meeting and give ’em a piece of our mind. Fortunately, most of us go decades, or even our entire lives, without feeling the need. […]
Posted inOur View
Politics slows economy that wants to grow
There has been constant disagreement throughout this long economic slump about what the government should be doing to stimulate the economy and reduce unemployment. But we may have finally reached the point where the best thing Washington can do is simply get off the front page and out of the way. Many experts now agree […]
Posted inOur View
Governor has chosen tax increases
“At this time, the governor is not interested in tax hikes,” administration spokesperson Adrienne Bennett told the Sun Journal Thursday. Actually, at this time Gov. Paul LePage is all about hiking taxes, property taxes. While the governor may tell himself he is not proposing to raise taxes, when you start cutting tax discounts for property […]
Posted inOur View
More guns more violence, no coincidence
It is usually the National Rifle Association trotting out the slippery slope argument. For instance, they say, if we ban 30-round clips for assault weapons now they will eventually ban your bird-hunting shotgun. But here’s the real slippery-slope danger in this gun-crazy nation. A Maine state legislator has now proposed a bill allowing teachers and […]
Posted inOur View
Remediation rates no cause for celebration
Maine’s teachers were heartened last week when recently collected data showed that fewer Maine students entering the university system needed remediation help than students in other states. Only 12 percent of this year’s freshmen class in the University of Maine System who came from Maine high schools needed the extra help compared to 24 to […]
Posted inOur View
Bethel poet sees our unity, not division
“One Today” by Richard Blanco, as read at Monday’s presidential inaugural for Barack Obama. One sun rose on us today, kindled over our shores,peeking over the Smokies, greeting the facesof the Great Lakes, spreading a simple truthacross the Great Plains, then charging across the Rockies.One light, waking up rooftops, under each one, a storytold by […]