Bangor Daily News, Oct. 13 A recent opinion poll showed that some Maine residents are dangerously confused about the consequences of Question 1, the proposal to cap property taxes. Surprisingly, the poll found no difference in the level of support for the measure between southern and northern Maine. What it did find was that support […]

It’s worth repeating: The tax cap, which appears on the November ballot as Question 1, is a terrible idea that should be rejected by voters.The plan, which would cap property taxes in the state at 10 mills or 1 percent, has serious flaws. In an advisory opinion, Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that parts […]

Supporters of Question 2, which would ban certain bear hunting methods, have good intentions. Unfortunately, as we see it, they are also wrong.Voters should vote no on the referendum.Question 2, if passed, would make it illegal to shoot bears over bait, hunt them with dogs or use traps. The question’s backers offer three main arguments […]

When it comes to the projected gap for the 2006-2007 state budget cycle, any good news is welcome.On Tuesday, Gov. Baldacci’s administration released numbers showing that the structural gap of $785 million had been cut by $52 million. It’s a second time the gap has been revised down. Earlier this year, it was estimated to […]

Answering a call before it becomes desperate, several large organizations have handed over their supply of flu vaccines to help cover the high-risk population in Maine.When about half of the country’s flu vaccine – 48 million doses – was ruled unusable, people were left scrambling for the preventative measure. There are reports that unscrupulous manufacturers […]

John Kerry won’t fight for his own beliefs – by his own admission. Every time one of the debates with President Bush turned to social issues, Kerry sank knee-deep into a mire created by his need to pose as a kind of cultural conservative, although one who would never dare effect any socially conservative legislation.Asked […]

On Oct. 13, a platoon of about 18 men and women in Iraq refused a direct order to deliver fuel from a base near Nasiriya in the south to another location further north near Baghdad.The unit members, part of the 343rd Quartermaster Co., said they disobeyed the order because their vehicles were not armored, no […]

There are only 15 days to go, but they are likely to be the longest 15 days of this seemingly endless presidential election season as the candidates fire off increasingly shrill volleys of negative ads and misleading accusations.It wouldn’t be so bad if the candidates could at least stick to the facts. Even during the […]

Another business scandal? While it’s too early to say for sure, there is compelling evidence that one of the nation’s largest insurance brokers, Marsh & McLennan, colluded with insurance companies to cheat large companies, school districts and individuals.The charges were brought Thursday by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. They come on top of a […]

Politics – especially this year – is a nasty business. The digs. The innuendoes. The hurt. The anger.No one is safe.Not even the children.Not even Mary Cheney.White House hopefuls John Kerry and John Edwards each took special pains to mention Ms. Cheney’s sexual orientation during their respective debates with their opponents, invading her privacy and […]