Unnecessary secrecy is making the difficult fight against the closure of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and the reductions at Brunswick Naval Air Station tougher, and that’s likely the intent.Disguised as an effort to protect homeland security, the Pentagon’s reluctance to share the data it used to draw up its hit list of military bases is an […]

Deeply disturbing. That’s the best description for the character assassination that is aimed at W. Mark Felt, now identified as the famous anonymous source called “Deep Throat.”President Nixon’s crew of henchmen, tricksters, crooks and liars are pulling out all the stops to discredit a person who told the truth.Felt has been called a traitor. He’s […]

When Lewiston announced its Heritage Initiative last year, plans calling for a new boulevard and office building drew almost immediate opposition from some downtown residents and community groups.City leaders had two choices: Force the issue and overcome its opponents, or develop an alternative. They chose the latter, to their credit.Instead of the original plan, the […]

Term limits were a well-intentioned experiment, but they have fallen short of the hopes of their sponsors.Passed into law with the hope of limiting the amount of time lawmakers could spend in Augusta and of returning the Legislature to its citizen-politician roots, term limits have instead transferred power from the elected representatives of the people […]

A meeting of one?It might make it quicker to call a vote and streamline debate, but it’s a formula for disaster in elected government.Hartford has been rattled by problems with a municipal election held May 17. There were several irregularities with voting, including an opened ballot box, re-voting and a missing name on approximately 10 […]

Maine can do only so much to improve the quality of air in the state. Much of the work requires a national approach and a commitment from the federal government to reduce airborne pollution.But Tuesday, Gov. Baldacci signed into law legislation that moves the state forward with a progressive approach to vehicle emissions that will […]

Today is the deadline for leaders of the state’s legislative committees to present what the departments they oversee would look like if their budgets were cut by 5 percent.When the list of draconian cuts becomes public, there’s no need to panic. The across-the-board possibilities are likely for show and represent a worst-case scenario.Last week, Democratic […]

The Legislature has fallen victim again to a streak of libertarianism.On Thursday, the House of Representatives killed a bill that would have made failing to wear a seat belt a primary offense for people older than 18. A bill to require all motorcyclists to wear a helmet also failed.In both cases, legitimate public health and […]

“…this memorial is for those who have died, and for us to remember them.”– Maya Ying Lin, designer,Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall Wilton is in line for a special honor.“The Moving Wall,” a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., will be on display in the town Aug. 2-8. The miniature monument doesn’t carry […]

Tonight, “Nightline” will repeat its controversial tribute to soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan with a show titled “The Fallen.” During the 45-minute, expanded show, anchor Ted Koppel will read the names of all the U.S. troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since the news program aired a similar tribute last year. Pictures of the […]