For millions of Americans it is, indeed, a summer of discontent. Sinking stocks, stalled housing, a slowing economy and a Congress paralyzed by partisanship and radically different visions of the future. But the real toll of this recession is heard in the anguished voices of unemployed Americans, people who want to work but are simply […]
Our View
Posted inOur View
Time to raise criminal stakes on ‘bath salts’
On Friday, the Maine Prosecutors’ Association “strongly” endorsed the efforts of Gov. Paul LePage to strengthen criminal laws regarding possession, use and distribution of so-called bath salts. The endorsement is significant, given that members of this association are the ones responsible for prosecuting bath salts-related crimes. Last week, LePage said bath salts are “wreaking havoc” […]
advertisement
Posted inOur View
An unfortunate truth will haunt Mitt Romney
Occasionally, a national politician gets caught telling the truth. And there’s usually hell to pay for it. Experienced politicians normally speak in carefully rehearsed, focus group-tested sound bites designed to please more voters than they offend. Efforts to extract new insights or information from candidates invariably results in a recitation of old position statements. Washington […]
Posted inOur View
It’s the threat in the corner of every living room
Between war, debt, politics and the stinking economy, Americans have a lot to worry about. Add one more thing — our TV sets are killing us. People who do not get enough physical activity are more prone to a host of ailments, from heart disease to diabetes, which shorten their lives. And most people are […]
Posted inOur View
Republican plan for redistricting is far too radical
They’ve barely just begun, but some members of the state Legislature’s commission to redraw Maine’s two U.S. congressional districts are already playing partisan games. That’s discouraging but not unexpected. Rather than following the clear guidance of U.S. and state courts, Republicans came out of the gate with a controversial proposal that drastically reorganizes how residents […]
Posted inOur View
Open-carry puts shoppers on edge
Shoppers at Best Buy in Auburn Sunday may have seen a young man in a black T-shirt, hat, sunglasses and camouflage pants. But what really set him apart from other shoppers was the large handgun strapped to his hip. As Mainers, of course, we realize citizens have the right to carry their firearms openly in […]
Posted inOur View
Carignan left his mark on students, community
Committed, dedicated, extraordinary, optimistic and visionary were the words others used Sunday to describe former Bates College Dean and Lewiston City Councilor James Carignan. We will add a few adjectives of our own: determined, stubborn and emphatic about the many things he felt passionately about. And yet, even when Carignan strongly disagreed with something or […]
Posted inOur View
Video dramatic, but we need to audit the system
Gov. Paul LePage reacted appropriately Thursday, without jumping to conclusions, to an undercover video purportedly showing Maine at risk of welfare fraud. At a news conference, two conservative groups unveiled a secretly recorded video showing an interaction between an actor pretending to apply for MaineCare benefits and two state employees. The response of the first […]
Posted inOur View
A look back at the week’s news
On Tuesday, a national study that measures the number of volunteers in each state was released. According to the report titled Volunteering in America, Americans volunteered 8.1 billion hours in 2010. That’s a drop from 2009, which is unfortunate, but according to the Corporation for National and Community Service — which issued the report — […]
Posted inOur View
Bachmann will benefit from an unfair news photo
During Easter week in 2009, Newsweek magazine made a remarkable pronouncement on its cover: “The Decline and Fall of Christian America.” The letters were shaped like a red cross for added emphasis. Pretty dramatic. Until, of course, a host of Christian groups pointed out that the number of self-described Christians here had actually increased from […]