After more than three years in office, we know our governor to be an abrupt and impulsive man who often speaks curtly and then leaves the explaining to others. That’s what happened last week when the governor’s staff was left trying to explain a cartoon the governor mailed to the state’s school principals that seemed […]
Our View
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Pay off the hospitals then collect the cash
Since there is apparently a pot of gold at the end of Maine’s liquor contract rainbow, it’s not too early to begin thinking about how that money should be handled. Maine Gov. Paul LePage is rumored to have his own plan, and we can only hope it’s different than the one offered in the early […]
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More voters simply dodging TV election ads
As money floods into politics, a growing number of voters are tuning out the TV ads that money buys — literally. That is according to several surveys, including one commissioned by SAY Media and conducted by Public Opinion Strategies. The polling found, according to the magazine “Campaigns and Elections,” one-third of likely voters nationwide say […]
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A free ride might fill job market
The Maine CareerCenter held a job fair Monday morning. The event was held at its office on Mollison Way in Lewiston where more than 30 employers — all of whom are hiring — were available to talk to job seekers. This was, in simple terms, a recruitment effort by Carbonite, Cianbro, Fastenal, FedEx, Geiger Bros., […]
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Many questions as we march toward Nov. 6
On Monday night, the Franco-American Heritage Center was the center of political attention in the U.S. Senate race to replace retiring Sen. Olympia Snowe. On the center’s impressive stage sat independent candidate Angus King, Republican candidate Secretary of State Charlie Summers and Democratic candidate state Sen. Cynthia Dill. And, squarely at center stage were major […]
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Cut smart or cut ugly, but cut we must
The Maine Hospital Association warned last week that automatic Medicare cuts will cost the state $21 million next year and nearly 3,000 jobs. This is the result of the robot-like sequestration process Congress came up with last year. That scheme was designed to be so frightening and so repugnant to both sides that it would […]
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Of political signs and county fairs
Officials in Alfred, Lewiston and Farmington have “decided” not to enforce municipal bans on political signs on private property? How nice. Especially since any enforcement of such a ban might very well be a violation of a property owner’s First Amendment right to free speech. Makes a person wonder how any such ordinance ever came […]
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OUR VIEW: Athletic shoe tariff protects jobs in Maine
Conservation scientists recently listed the world’s most 100 endangered species, including the three-toed pygmy sloth. They could just as easily have included another endangered business species, the American athletic shoe manufacturer. Just one of those left, and it has a large presence in our region and state: New Balance. While many here are familiar with […]
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Lack of scrutiny casts doubt upon man’s reputation
An incomplete law enforcement investigation has left an unfortunate cloud of doubt over the distinguished record of former Husson University President Bill Beardsley. It has also left the public wondering whether law enforcement officials curtailed an investigation of sex abuse due to Beardsley’s prominence and political connections. At issue is whether Beardsley knew of child […]
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OUR VIEW: Cut the cost of booze? Let’s not do that
But we should speak loudly and clearly that cutting the cost of hard liquor in order to boost state revenue would be foolish and counterproductive. Gary Reid, director of the Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations, told a state legislative committee Wednesday that reducing the price of alcoholic beverages would benefit consumers and […]