One of the most celebrated explosions of American art actually occurred in the midst of the nation’s worst recession. As part of his New Deal plan to stimulate economic growth in 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration, or WPA, which put millions of men, and some women, to work on public works […]
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Setting the scene of national debate, Maine candidates
Well, now we have it. The field is nearly set for Election Day 2012. President Barack Obama versus presumptive Republican challenger Mitt Romney. U.S. Senate contenders Charlie Summers versus Cynthia Dill versus Angus King. U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud versus Republican challenger Kevin Raye. U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree versus a Republican challenger Jon Courtney. Sen. Susan […]
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Burning through Maine’s forests, people, properties
There have been more wildfires in Maine so far in 2012 than in all of 2011. That’s hard to believe, since some of us are still soggy from last week’s drenching rains, but less than two months ago the Maine Forest Service was warning of dangerously dry conditions after a low-snow winter, unseasonably high temperatures […]
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Wisely, Maine gave firm no to private prisons
Maine flirted briefly in 2011 and 2012 with a bill that would have allowed construction of a private prison in the Piscataquis County town of Milo. Officials there, where unemployment has been high, have been talking for several years with the Corrections Corporation of America, the largest for-profit prison operator in the country. Both Gov. […]
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Outlook dire, says report on Maine PACs
A report issued last week raises serious questions about the future of campaign financing in Maine. While a recent survey shows Maine voters think reducing the influence of special interest money and leveling the playing field for candidates are very important, our state may be doing the opposite: * Increasing special-interest money and influence in […]
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Love of learning, and learning to be a ‘watchdog’
Cecile Allen was one of 150 members of Lewiston Adult Education’s graduating Class of 2012 receiving diplomas Tuesday. A mother of six, Allen works a part-time job at Kohl’s and attended a career fair Friday morning to investigate local job openings. A woman who says she’s good with figures, she plans to attend college and […]
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Two cases show pets and women too often abused
People who abuse animals often end up harming or threatening other people. That fact has been well established by a host of studies. Only rarely, however, do we find two direct examples in the news on a given day. In the first case, the Maine Attorney General’s Office is seeking a court order to prevent […]
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Ignoring salmonella inexcusable
Just when you think the Jack DeCoster egg empire couldn’t look more rotten. . . well, this just in: Court records show managers at one of DeCoster’s Iowa egg farms knew its hens were “almost certainly” laying contaminated eggs months before one of the nation’s largest outbreaks of food-borne illness. An Iowa State University scientist […]
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Turnpike rate increase simply unfair
With its upcoming rate hike, the Maine Turnpike Commission has an opportunity to make intra-state travel fairer in Maine. But a Turnpike staff rate recommendation does just the opposite, actually heightening existing disparities between western and coastal Maine. We have long complained that Maine has a two-tier highway structure: A free roadway for Portland and […]
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Working hard to stay healthy at work
If you’re out and about any weekday around noontime in Norway or in Lewiston, among other towns, you’ll notice business types sporting sneakers and walking with purpose along local sidewalks and parks. These folks are being encouraged by their employers to get a little exercise during the lunch hour. It’s not a perk. It’s a […]