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Maine News

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Maine News for Wednesday, November 21, 2007

PRESS HERALD:

Ex-president to utilize wind at Walker's Point George H.W. Bush decides to have a wind turbine installed for electricity at his Kennebunkport home.

Jail plan targeting six county facilities The state weighs cuts in Waldo, Oxford, Franklin, Piscataquis and two other counties.

GOP strategist could be acquitted, retried The definition of harassment could determine a Mainer's fate in a phone-jamming plot.

Republican hopes to unseat MichaudJohn Frary, a conservative, announces his candidacy in Maine's 2nd District.

Short-term savings measures could be hardest The state of Maine will have to cope with a revenue drop in a tight time frame.

EDITORIAL: Lower Kennebec school merger leads the way With many kinks still to be ironed out, the school district consolidation process begins.

LTE: Allen should take oath seriously

LTE: Investment in Farm Bill a step toward ending hunger

BANGOR DAILY:

TIF approved for Stetson Mountain projectWednesday, November 21, 2007MACHIAS, Maine - Washington County officials have given a boost to a power project planned for northern Washington County and set a milestone in Maine by becoming the first county in the state to establish a tax increment financing district in the Unorganized Territory.

Jail overhaul hampered by lack of trustWednesday, November 21, 2007AUGUSTA, Maine - Acknowledging a loss of trust, state and county officials are developing separate plans to overhaul corrections in Maine, and members of the Legislature's Criminal Justice Committee criticized both Tuesday for not cooperating to reach a compromise.

Snowe presses for increased LIHEAP aidWednesday, November 21, 2007Sen. Olympia Snowe stopped in Portland on Tuesday morning to press her case for additional federal funds to help low-income Mainers pay the higher-than-usual heating bills they are expected to face this winter.

Leaders apprehensive about school law Wednesday, November 21, 2007SEDGWICK, Maine - Maine's school consolidation law, proposed as an effort to save money in administrative costs, has raised questions - and anxieties - about the loss of local control, fast-track planning deadlines and unresolved details in the law.

Tobin hearing focuses on definitionsWednesday, November 21, 2007 CONCORD, N.H. - Shades of distinction on the meanings of harassment and intention - and a judge's view of those - could mean acquittal or a second criminal trial for a former national Republican Party official implicated in a five-year-old phone jamming plot.

State seeks solutions to revenue reductionWednesday, November 21, 2007 AUGUSTA, Maine - Less than half of a $95 million drop in state revenue estimates will hit in the current fiscal year, but the timing probably makes the short-term problem more daunting than the longer-term challenge.

Farmington: Retired professor enters House raceWednesday, November 21, 2007FARMINGTON, Maine - A retired history and political science professor is entering the race for Maine's 2nd District congressional race in hopes of unseating third-term Democratic Rep. Michael Michaud.

Brewer: Michaud promotes economic development billWednesday, November 21, 2007BREWER, Maine - Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud paid a visit to the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday to explain a bill he proposed that would send federal dollars to economically distressed areas of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York state.

EDITORIAL: Beyond tradeWednesday, November 21, 2007Changes pending in Congress would expand special federal assistance to workers who lose their jobs because of trade. Providing help to more laid-off workers is a positive move.

Editorial: The cribbage crisisWednesday, November 21, 2007Playing cribbage is a lot of harmless fun all over Maine, especially in American Legion posts, as the state police and Legislature now know if they didn't before.

Derek Mitchell: Cut college costs, not opportunitiesMr. Viano, a former chemistry professor at the University of Maine, suggests that laboratories are in disarray and the department needs more modern equipment and more money for graduate students and faculty.

Wednesday's Letters to the Editor … No racism in my vote … Between casinos … Wind power hot air … Ruthless Republicans

KENNEBEC JOURNAL:

Sidney major is acting chief of Warden Service AUGUSTA -- A Sidney man has been named acting head of the Maine Warden Service in the wake of Col. Tom Santaguida's resignation after he was charged with keeping undersized lobsters.

Harassment focus of phone jamming case CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- Shades of distinction on the meanings of harassment and intention -- and a judge's view of those -- could mean acquittal or a second criminal trial for a former national Republican Party official implicated in a five-year-old phone jamming plot against New Hampshire Democrats.

EDITORIAL: Dechaine panel: Independent, but still official A government for the people and by the people is a government accountable to the people -- a lesson that has been momentarily lost on the members of a commission set up by Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe.

GEORGE SMITH : The unraveling of Maine school consolidation It seemed like a good idea at the time. We were almost unanimous in our understanding that Maine was spending too much on school administration. We agreed that this problem ought to be fixed. We were unified and ready to act.

LTE: Senators' farm bill vote hard to understand It's hard to believe that on the heels of Gary Remal's report (Nov. 16) on the alarmingly high hunger statistics in Maine, that Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe voted against moving forward to pass the farm bill without further delay.

LTE: Let's count our blessings by helping those in need With Thanksgiving Day near, I want to encourage everyone to be thankful for our religious faith and for a constitutional government that recognizes the individual dignity based on that faith.

MORNING SENTINEL:

Wounded Fairfield soldier 'good to go' FAIRFIELD -- An Army soldier from Fairfield told his parents Tuesday via the Internet that he will be "good to go" soon after being wounded in a mortar attack Sunday in Baghdad.

Kingfield Water District gets grant KINGFIELD -- The Kingfield Water District will receive a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to help fund public water supply repairs and upgrades.

FairPoint plan nears PUC vote For the past 11 months, a telecommunications company from North Carolina has tried to convince utility regulators in Maine and two other New England states it should take over the region's telephone service.

SUN JOURNAL:

Soaring toward dreamPARIS - Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School senior Amelia Moore's lifelong goal to become a Naval fighter pilot is one step closer today. She has been nominated by U.S. Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins, both R-Maine, to three of the five U.S. service academies.

Other students nominated Several other local students were also nominated to attend a U.S. service academy by Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe including:

Import duty savings lauded
AUBURN - For two sessions, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins worked to get a bill passed that would allow tariffs to be suspended for U.S. manufacturers who need to import products not found in the states.

Ex-RNC official may get acquitted or face new trial CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Shades of distinction on the meanings of harassment and intention - and a judge's view of those - could mean acquittal or a second criminal trial for a former national Republican Party official implicated in a 5-year-old phone jamming plot against New Hampshire Democrats.

Lawmakers must address shortfallAUGUSTA (AP) - Less than half of a $95 million drop in state revenue estimates will hit in the current fiscal year, but the timing probably makes the short-term problem more daunting than the longer-term challenge.

State loses $20 million on risky investmentTwo of Maine's highest ranking political leaders are demanding change in the way the state invests tax dollars after an investment linked to subprime mortgages tanked.

Bill aims to protect homeowners facing foreclosureLEWISTON - A single mother in an Androscoggin County town decided to buy a mobile home in 2005. She financed purchase and installation of the home through a conventional lender, despite the high closing fees. She was told her construction loan would convert to a permanent mortgage after she moved in.

LTE: Photo opportunityElections are coming soon. As I was watching presidential candidates on television all standing in a row, I asked myself what I was really seeing. To my astonishment, all I remember was a row of blended men in suits running for office. Trying to remember who supported which issue is difficult, as they all looked alike.

TIMES RECORD:

Oil price surge blows $95M hole in state budget...(full story)

410 bills await Maine Legislature...(full story)

EDITORIAL: One pact for all...(full story)

LTE: Aiming for Iran...(full story)

PORTSMOUTH HERALD:

'Bombshell' on school merger shocks York
YORK, Maine — New information on the proposed merger of York and Wells-Ogunquit schools created deep concerns about the loss of local budget control and the need for extra elections at the York selectmen's meeting on Monday night.

Former RNC official could be acquitted in phone jam
CONCORD — Shades of distinction on the meanings of harassment and intention — and a judge's view of those — could mean acquittal or a second criminal trial for a former national Republican Party official implicated in a 5-year-old...

PORTLAND PHOENIX:

Killing bills: Congress inactionAuto workers, oil companies, and farmers all snarling together in a pit of special interests — it’s not a pretty picture.

All the dark horses: Politics and other mistakesHere’s what I like about the gambling industry: It provides suitable locations for sleazeballs and stupid people to hang out.

CAMDEN HERALD:

Camden lawyer's attorney defends him against charges filed by Maine Attorney General
AUGUSTA — Following is a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 20, by attorney Mal Lyons, on behalf of Jack Sanford of Camden who is facing allegations by the state of improperly operating a non-profit corporation. The original story detailing these allegations can also be read on the Herald's home page.

STATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE:

Key changes to merger law seen diffusing opposition

Lawmakers face action on 410 billsState budget deficit in millions and climbing

POLITICKERME.COM:

Campaign funds thief to run for Congress
A former legislator fresh out of jail for stealing election funds told the Portland Press Herald that he plans to run for Congress.

Lawmakers eye changes in ethics laws
After a gubernatorial candidate paid her spouse for campaign work with public funds, and a Lewiston lawmaker forged campaign reports and instead used Clean Elections funds for personal use, legislators are targeting campaign finance laws in the upcoming session.

Daggett endorses Lawrence
Former Senate President Beverly Daggett, D-Augusta, has endorsed York County District Attorney Mark Lawrence for the first Congressional District seat.

John Frary takes on Congressman Michaud in the Second Congressional District.
Wow – now there’s a match-up that will have the Washington insiders scrambling to find ways to funnel money in to Maine’s second Congressional District.

MAINE BIZ:

FCC doles out telehealth grant
A multi-state telehealth network based in Maine recently received a federal grant of nearly $25 million to enhance rural health care.

BLOGS:

Snowe 'Deeply Troubled' by Limbaugh Comments

State Revenue Forecast Revised Down $112 Million

Think Gore Can't Sink Any Lower? Think Again
If Gore, a former U.S. VP, had a shred of class he would never have accepted an award from an outfit awarding, at the same time, a show on the assassination of a sitting U.S. President. Another roll in the mud for Gore.

Conservapedia: As Queer as a $3 Bill
It’s kind of comforting to know that of the millions of pages viewed at conservapedia.com (the “wikipedia” for right wing super conservative family values Bible believing patriots) nine out of the top 10 most popular sections are all “Homosexual and…”

McLelland blows the cover off Plame-gate
Wondering what you're all thinking about the news that Scott McLelland has written a book, and his publisher has released an excerpt in which Scott says he was lied to by Card, Libby, Rove, Cheney, and Bush regarding their involvement in the outing of Valerie Plame.

Rep. Michaud (ME-2) Gets a GOP Challenger
Those of you in District 2 will now have something to write about - well, maybe not that much. From Central Maine Newspapers:

Why Not One More?
I point to this simply because it's hard to pass up a good quote. From the Portland Press Herald:

Maine Video Roundup : 14 Recent Political and News Videos

Allen Rejects National Lawyers Guild Impeachment Resolution
Resolution on Impeachment of Bush and Cheney Whereas George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney:

Wednesday Early Morning Briefs
And, should Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich enter the Alaska race, Mitch McConnell's record-low poll numbers continue, and Tom Allen close the gap on Susan Collins over the next several months (as well as Treasurer John N. ...

local stuffs
... Nelson has been working with Susan Collins, R-Maine, on that language. He said he is waiting in line for Democratic leadership to support his idea, if and when the next plan goes down. "Sometimes, everything else has to fail before ...

'Scarborough Country' for Jan. 28 - Transcripts
WHITMAN: Well, they are the people who did mount the challenge against Arlen Specter and who said they were doing it not just to defeat him, but also to send a message to Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and other moderates they better ...

All the Senator's Men? - The Ethics in Advancing a Campaign's Story - An Investigative Study by Carl Lindemann (see bio and disclosure)
Excerpt 1:"Overview:Last January, the Media Bloggers Association (MBA) gained national attention before the I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby trial when the group’s president and founder Robert Cox and several MBA members were credentialed to “blog” the federal court case. … Now, months later, what direction are Cox and some of his fellow MBA “Libby Bloggers” taking? How they participated in bringing forward a story from Senator Susan Collins’ (R-Maine) reelection campaign may point the way...."

MoveOn Decries Facebook's Project BacnAccording to Fox News anchor John Gibson, Google has blocked ads that US Senator Susan Collins (Rep... MoveOn.org Slams Google Trademark Policy and Supports Free Speech Instead. Last week we reported on ads protesting the political ...

Monday, November 19, 2007

Maine News for Monday, November 19, 2007

PRESS HERALD:

Gambling issues headed for votesAn Oxford County casino proposal and a plan to ban slot machines likely will be on ballots in 2008 and 2009.

Five midcoast towns set for merger of schools The emerging district expects to be the first to arise from the state's school consolidation law.

You say 'tomato'; they say 'profit' A Madison company has produced 17 million pounds in the past year and plans to expand.

Sens. Lynn Bromley and Karl Turner: FairPoint offers good deal for Maine Its purchase of Verizon will enhance jobs, technology and business opportunities.

LTE: Single-payer health plan makes economic sense

LTE: School consolidation benefits questionable

LTE: Plum Creek proposal threatens state's values

LTE: Disaffected people find hope in candidate Ron Paul

BANGOR DAILY:

Immediate solutions needed, not just long-term proposalsLINCOLN - Excise taxes. A federal heavy-vehicle use tax. A road tax. Federal and state sales taxes on everything from fuel to ham and cheese sandwiches. And federal and state income taxes.

Fuel costs push truckers toward brink LINCOLN - Record diesel prices that reached $3.65 per gallon Saturday are pushing logging truckers into a state of emergency that could imperil Maine's entire forestry products industry.

Flocking south: Canadians spending loonies in MaineBANGOR - Before Joanne Carroll left Chili's Grill & Bar for lunch on Saturday, she had to stop and say 'hello' to three friends scattered at different tables throughout the restaurant.

Tobin seeks dismissal of charges today The same federal judge who presided over his trial nearly two years ago in Concord, N.H., will decide if James Tobin of Bangor will spend the holidays an exonerated man or face a new trial on charges he conspired to disrupt Democrats' get-out-the-vote effort in 2002 by jamming their phone lines.

Rockport: Regionalization worries aired ROCKPORT - Residents who gathered for the public hearing last week on the new school consolidation law felt the state had jeopardized local control, lowered the quality of education and created hidden budget costs that eventually would wipe out any savings realized from consolidation.

EDITORIAL: Religious CompromiseThe surprising endorsement of Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani by Christian conservative Pat Robertson may have more to do with friendship than with any guidance from God.

Arthur Greif: Occupation in Iraq should not be permanentAs national opinion consolidates around the certainty that the invasion of Iraq has been the worst foreign policy mistake in the nation's history, Maine's two senators have put forth a counter-narrative.

David Broder: Preprimary debates for headlines onlyDuring Thursday night's Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was given a chance to answer the question about offering driver's licenses to illegal immigrants

Monday's Letters to the Editor … Racino facts … County should secede

KENNEBEC JOURNAL:

EDITORIAL: Alfond's gifts came with good strings attached Few Mainers are untouched by Harold Alfond's generosity.

LTE: Officials should rethink approach to vets' vice Conveniently, too many of us have short memories. If it were not for our veterans, what freedoms do remain in our blest nation probably would be but a memory found hiding somewhere in a history book fortunately missed by a Nazi bonfire.

LTE: Mainers did not succumb to 'voter guilt' on racino Hurray to Mainers for shooting down the proposed racino! I am glad to see that, with all the "voter guilt" floating around, we still have the sense to reject something that we do not want in our state.

LTE: Iraq-WWII analogy collapses I would like to comment on Jeffrey K. Jacob's letter published in the newspaper on Nov. 9. Jacob suggests that President Franklin Roosevelt was guilty of war crimes and should have been impeached because he led us to war against Germany in 1941, despite the fact that "Hitler had never done one thing to us and there was never one shred of evidence Germany was involved with (the Japanese attack on) Pearl Harbor." In the ensuing struggle, tens of thousands of American troops died.

LTE: Susan Collins doesn't get it While Olympia Snowe may toe the party line sometimes, she mostly looks out for the good of Maine.

MORNING SENTINEL:

Controversy takes stage at exhibit KENNEBUNK -- Residents here may never be unanimous on what is appropriate handling of the American flag.

Pro, con gambling sides to go for at least 2 years Voters will likely spend at least two more years weighing the pros and cons of gambling in Maine.

SUN JOURNAL:

Campaign bundling gains political clout WASHINGTON - Johnny Taylor Jr. is connected.

Soldiers: Time in Iraq made us closerAUBURN - The first time Army Sgt. Tim Verreault saw the woman who would become his wife, he rolled his eyes and thought, "Ohhh, another private."

Fire grant to benefit three departments: Paris, Norway and Oxford
Republican U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe announced Nov. 7 that the Paris Fire Department would receive $65,973 through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, or FIRE Act. The three towns must make a matching contribution of $3,472.

EDITORIAL: Tip o' the capOn Friday, Sen. John Nutting, D-Leeds, delivered to the Legislature's Appropriations Committee a list of 50-plus positions within state government he considers "duplicative and unnecessary."

LTE: Publishing insanityThis letter is in response to the Nov. 14 letter by Joel Denison, "Wartime 101."

LTE: Free equals taxesHow's the Canadian socialist health care system, which Sen. Hillary Clinton attempted to copy in 1993-94? The liberal media won't tell you. An article in the Sept. 17 issue of Forbes magazine did.LTE: Losing education lusterRepublican candidates for president are sticking close to their conservative playbook by promoting a small number of social, religious and other hot-button wedge issues, rather than comprehensively addressing the full range of serious challenges faced by the United States.

PORTSMOUTH HERALD:

Progressives launch funds
WASHINGTON (AP) — The term of choice in political giving these days is straight out of the world of finance — donors have become "investors." Now, liberal California venture capitalists have come up with the natural corollary —...

WCSH:

Sacopee Valley Middle School Is Dedicated
The Sacopee Valley Middle School, which serves Hiram, Baldwin, Cornish, Parsonsfield and Porter, opened this September. On Sunday, students got to show the community, including Senator Susan Collins, around.

CURRENT PUBLISHING:

100 % PRO-LIFE HUCKABEE. YES!

POLITICKERME.COM:

‘This is such a long shot’: Republican challenger to Michaud enters race
John Frary, a retired college professor from Farmington, announced Saturday that he plans to challenge U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud in the 2008 election to represent the Second Congressional District.

Some of Mike Heath’s Best Friends are Catholic
Mike Heath, the Executive Director of the Christian Civic League sent a happy little note to his followers this weekend. I think the main point of the e-mail was Mike’s usual wrap up of all things evil.

THE HILL:

Veterans fight for Cold War Medal "The Hill"
They have some stalwart supporters on Capitol Hill, including Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who sponsored a bill with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) that would direct the secretary of Defense to award a Cold War service medal to those who served honorably from the end of World War II to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

MONTEREY COUNTY HERALD:

Sales of kids' cold medicines declineHenry Waxman, D-Calif., and Tom Allen, D-Maine, have introduced legislation that would give the agency power to pull such products from the market more ...

BLOGS:

Reid: 'Indisputable. Goals of the Surge Have Failed' 11/16
Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following statement today on the floor of the U.S. Senate in support of the House-passed Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act of 2008:

Baldacci Calls for New Regional Plan: Rail Investment

COY NO MORE: FRARY vs. MICHAUD

FEMA Wastes Another $46 Million - Where's Collins?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency wasted about $30 million last year in maintaining trailers for Hurricane Katrina survivors in Mississippi, according to a new government report. In one case cited, FEMA awarded contracts that could have cost as much as $229,000 to support one family in a single trailer -- roughly the price of a five-bedroom home in Jackson, Miss.

Myers Watch
Here's Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) on the status of Julie Myers's nomination to head the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE):

Field Report: Two Approaches
Meanwhile, Smith and Maine Sen. Susan Collins are moving to inoculate themselves against criticism on the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq.

More ruminations on Fred
5 hours ago by A Wiser Man Than I Jim Jeffords, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to vote against removing Bill Clinton from office for perjury. Thompson, whom President Nixon once called "dumb as hell," claimed to have carefully studied the Constitution and determined ...

Bill Moyers JournalRICK KARR: Last week on Capitol Hill, members of Congress sent a sharp message to the FCC: Maine Republican Olympia Snowe was among the Senators who said, "No more media consolidation." OLYMPIA SNOWE: It seems like "Here we go again" in ...

Halliburton Secretly Doing Business With Key Member of Iran's ...The amendment, sponsored by Senator Susan Collins R-Maine, would penalize companies that continue to skirt US law by setting up offshore subsidiaries as a way to legally conduct and avoid US sanctions under the International Emergency ...