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Maine News

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Maine News for Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Real Clear Politics
RCP Average 10/13 - 10/20 Obama 49.8 to McCain 43.8

Portland Press Herald
Maine parties keep feuding over McCain attack tactics
Amid the sparring, more Republicans criticize the Ayers theme that McCain has defended.

Health professionals urge rejection of Question 1
They say repealing the beverage tax would further cripple the Dirigo Health care system.

BILL NEMITZCollins gets October surprise

Cruise ships no cash cow for Maine?
A study ranks the state 41st in economic benefits from the industry, but some call the numbers misleading.

Second stimulus idea gains traction
Congress weighs a special session after the election, and Maine's delegation says more must be done.

Council clears way for retail complex
Westbrook approves a zoning change needed to allow construction of Stroudwater Place.

House District 121: Incumbent, newcomer competing for seat
One Democrat and one Republican from Cape Elizabeth outline their political priorities.

House District 134: Doctor challenges incumbent in Saco race
In a contest of 'new blood' versus experience, both women emphasize the need for state tax reform.

Freeport School Board: Incumbent, three other candidates seek two seats
Their priorities include the proposed consolidation with Durham and Pownal and improving curriculum.

Question 3: Upheaval unlikely to impact borrowing
Question 3 on the ballot, aimed at maintaining water quality, has generated little debate.

Allen-Collins debate refrain's the same
He stresses the need for change. She insists she's not been a rubber stamp for President Bush.

Freddie Mac lobbied in secret
The lobbying campaign aimed to derail regulatory overhaul of both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

Editorial
Locking in oil price can still look like a good deal
Making sure you can afford to heat your home this winter has real value.

Negative campaigning by 'robo-call' deserved criticism
The calls placed by Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign could be misleading.

RON BANCROFTElecting more moderates would boost state's economic outlook
There are ways to find out where legislative candidates stand on policies that favor growth.

Bangor Daily News
BANGOR, Maine — The current global financial crisis has officially hit the University of Maine System. UMS Chancellor Richard L. Pattenaude announced Monday afternoon a series of spending control measures, effective immediately, that the system hopes will reduce operating costs at its centralized operations center and seven universities.

BANGOR, Maine — The Maine Supreme Judicial Court hits the road Wednesday in what has become its annual fall sojourn to high schools around the state. The seven justices will hear oral arguments in three different cases at each school, convening during the morning hours in towns from York to Washington counties.

BANGOR, Maine — The doctors and others who oppose Question 1 on the Nov. 4 ballot on Monday blasted new advertisements and an economic study commissioned by their political foes, calling them misleading.

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — U.S. Rep. Tom Allen and Sen. Susan Collins stuck to familiar themes when they met Monday night to debate for the eighth time, at Presque Isle Middle School.

The first five steps are the hardest ones in the conversion to digital TV. Do the time-consuming work on the first five steps featured in the first part of the series published Monday and it makes these next five seem like a piece of cake.
LINCOLN, Maine — An Upper Pond resident says planning board chairman Peter Phinney should recuse himself from deliberations over a proposed $120 million wind farm because Phinney works

Editorial
Socialism has become a dirty word on the presidential campaign trail. Supporters of Republican John McCain increasingly say they fear that Democrats, led by their candidate Barack Obama, will lead the country into socialism, defined as a system under which the means of production and distribution are owned and operated by the community or society rather than private individuals.

Kennebec Journal
IRIGO DEMISE FEARED Health-care advocates say rejection of beverage tax could have 'crippling' effect
AUGUSTA -- Opponents of Question 1 -- a repeal on beverage taxes to pay for Dirigo Health -- said Monday that Dirigo would be "crippled" if the new funding source isn't allowed to go into effect.

AUGUSTA Council OKs taxi fare increases
AUGUSTA -- Taxi rates are going up. But other hotly debated changes proposed for the city's taxi ordinance are on hold, for now.

UMA president tells staff to prepare for cost-cutting steps
AUGUSTA -- University of Maine at Augusta's President Allyson Hughes Handley suggested to audience members during her formal installation ceremony Sunday that her honeymoon might be ending.

Study sees consolidation progress Sticking points also discovered among community voters
The committees planning school district mergers across Maine are making progress in complying with the state's district consolidation law, according to an analysis of the consolidation mandate.

On Maine Politics
Gordon Smith: Dirigo will be “wounded” 10/20/08

WATERVILLE MAYORAL CONTEST Debate hits contrasts
WATERVILLE -- Mayoral candidate Rosemary J. Winslow and incumbent Paul R. LePage described strikingly different leadership styles in Monday evening's debate.

Editorial

Pingree sports refreshing dose of bipartisanship
Chellie Pingree has changed from her more partisan days as a leading Democrat, in chambers comfortably controlled by Democrats, at the Statehouse in Augusta.

DAVID B. OFFER : McCain should return to integrity of 'Straight Talk Express'
Two weeks from today we will elect the next president of the United States.

Sun Journal
Drink tax supporters dispute study's findings
PORTLAND (AP) - A coalition that supports new taxes to help fund the state-sponsored Dirigo Health program said Monday that an opposition group is inflating the financial impact of the taxes.

Sunday Telegram endorses Pingree
PORTLAND (AP) - The Democratic candidate in Maine's 1st District congressional race, Chellie Pingree, has won the endorsement of the Maine Sunday Telegram.

Sunday River tests out new snowmaking guns
NEWRY, Maine (AP) - The snow guns have been running at the Sunday River ski resort in western Maine.

UMaine chancellor orders cost reductions
BANGOR (AP) - University of Maine System Chancellor Richard Pattenaude is ordering systemwide spending controls in response to declining enrollments and the effects of the global financial crisis.

Study: State lags behind in cruise ship revenues
PORTLAND - Walking around the Old Port on Monday, you couldn't miss the cruise ship visitors.

Push is on to prime economy

WASHINGTON ­- What's another $150 billion on top of the more than $1 trillion that's already been spent to rescue the sinking economy and financial markets?

Editorial
Some good advice on robo-calls
As days grow shorter and weather turns colder, political campaigns lose their light and crank the heat.

The irrational exuberance of our nation's Election Day
"Throw the bums out!" That's one of the most familiar campaign cries in our history. It's even more effective than Herbert Hoover's slogan of "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage" and stirs the blood like "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too" never could. Sometimes a little bum-throwing makes sense. Sometimes it doesn't.

MPBN
Pledge in Casino Ad Questioned By Opponents
A new television ad for the proposed casino in Oxford County has become the latest flash point in the debate over Question 2 on next month's ballot. In it, two Maine lawmakers pledge that if Maine voters approve the question, they and the legislature will fix many of its flaws. But casino opponents say there's a problem with the lawmakers and their pledge. For one thing, both voted against the casino last spring. And for another, one of them is barred from seeking re-election because of term limits. A.J. Higgins reports.

Casino Stakeholders Identified
The chief spokesman for the anti-casino campaign in Oxford county has welcomed the unveiling by a local newspaper over the weekend, of the project's minority shareholders. Dennis Bailey, from the Casinos No pressure group, said the identification of the 9 individuals by the Lewiston Sun Journal on Saturday was 'better late than never.' Tom Porter has details.

LED Lights Brighten Pineland Campus
Hundreds of people work in offices on the Pineland Farms campus in New Gloucester. In recent weeks, some of them began noticing something odd going on. The light bulbs were disappearing from the lampposts. But the fixtures were still lighting the sidewalks and parking lots. As Josie Huang reports, Jim Caspar, director of facilities, explains how by pointing to the top of one such lamppost.

Maine Trade Center Plans Mideast Trade Mission
The smaller states ringing the Persian Gulf are a region of explosive growth. Next February, a trade mission to Dubai is aimed at helping Maine companies win a larger slice of that growing economic pie. The Maine International Trade Center's President, Janine Bisaillon-Cary, has already visited the region and told Morning Edition host Irwin Gratz there's a huge need for one of Maine's natural resources: hardwood lumber.

Political Ads Analyzed
Advertising executives Brenda Garrand and Sam Surprise join Morning Edition host Irwin Gratz in a discussion of political ads being run by Maine's candidates for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Maine News for Monday, October 20, 2008

Real Clear Politics
RCP Average 10/13 - 10/19 -- Obama 49.0 McCain 43.8

Portland Press Herald

Riding the oil roller coaster
The drop in heating oil prices produces a mix of regret and satisfaction among customers who signed early contracts.

Maine investors flock to bonds for state, local projects
Buyers are capitalizing on high interest rates while also helping the state raise money in tight times.

Retailers rationing as supply of wood pellets dries up
Demand is very high right now, but there will be enough pellets to last the winter, a state official says.

Question 1: Both sides make a case in beverage tax debate
A supporter of repeal calls it 'a massive tax,' while an opponent says it promotes health.

House District 117: Haskell a sure winner, but question is, which one?
Incumbent Anne Haskell and challenger Philip Haskell put a premium on tax relief for Mainers.

House District 118: Housing, health, energy concern candidate
Maine could benefit economically by creating more renewable energy sources, Jon Hinck says.

House District 119: Candidates differ on beverage tax, agree on exemption review
Universal health coverage is Daniel Jenkins' priority. Herb Adams backs funds for preserving public land.

MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER

Span to be site of national homeland security testing
Officials plan to see how vibrations affect bridges, which, they say, are key to the nation's infrastructure.

Bush economic adviser: Parts of country already in recession; bailout will take time

Editorial
Social Security ripe for a sensible fix
The politics of the issue are hard, but the numbers argue for a straightfoward solution.

Old nickname should be off the table in Scarborough vote
'Red Storm' may not be an inspired choice, but getting rid of an offensive name was.

LEIGH DONALDSONLack of voting rights for poor women remains an American problem
Official policies and laws enable easier voting, but many remain absent from voting booths.

Bangor Daily News
Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and her Democratic challenger, 1st District Rep. Tom Allen, prepared in different ways over the weekend for their debate tonight in Presque Isle.

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine’s congressional delegation says the economy needs a further stimulus, and supports the move to reconvene in November to consider several proposals to accomplish that

BANGOR, Maine — Two Maine newspapers — the Bangor Daily News and The Times Record of Brunswick — have given their editorial endorsements to Barack Obama.

PROSPECT, Maine — The aging Waldo-Hancock Bridge may have a role to play in homeland security before and after it is torn down. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is working

Editorial
At a Senate subcommittee field hearing in Portland Tuesday, a federal fisheries regulator said the current rules have “not entirely achieved the desired results.” That was a big … more
Senators and representatives to Congress earn about $170,000 annually, enjoy generous health care benefits and, if they stay in office long enough, receive a generous federal pension.

Kennebec Journal
University forging ahead with plans for fundraising
AUGUSTA -- As colleges across the United States brace for a drop in donations and scale back ambitions accordingly, the University of Maine at Augusta will press on with plans to develop a fundraising operation from the ground up.

Handley installed; climate-change researcher speaks
AUGUSTA -- Representatives from the University of Maine at Augusta, the city of Augusta and Maine state government heaped praise on Allyson Hughes Handley on Sunday afternoon as the state's university system formally installed her as UMA's president at the institution's annual convocation.

Retailers, manufacturers try to keep up with demand for wood pellets
Twenty-four tons of wood pellets roll into Rocky's Stove Shoppe in Augusta every week, but owner Rocky Gaslin still cannot keep up with demand.

KENNEBEC COMMUTER: Check your car for the winter
We almost hate to talk about it, but you all knew it was coming: It's time yet again to winterize your vehicle for another Maine winter.

SAD 47 to close early Election Day to let voting to flow well
OAKLAND -- School Administrative District 47 will close its schools at noon on Election Day to make it easier for Oakland voters to get to the polling station, which is at Williams Elementary School.

Editorial

Drinking, waste water pipes need repairs

Sun Journal
Pingree, Summers vie for seat in 1st District
PORTLAND (AP) - The Maine stereotype holds that the people who populate the southern 1st Congressional District are a bunch of liberals who like taxes and gay rights and dislike hunting. They've elected Democrats in 11 of the past 12 elections.

New Hampshire arrives in port for commissioning
KITTERY (AP) - Escorted by a fireboat that sprayed plumes of water, the Navy's newest submarine has arrived at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in preparation for this week's commissioning.

Powell backs Obama
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Democrat Barack Obama saw his campaign bolstered on two fronts Sunday - a key endorsement from a nationally known Republican and the announcement of a record month for fundraising - as forces seemed to be aligning in his favor for the final two weeks of the presidential campaign.

Locked-in prices a cause for pause
Crude oil prices that have been sliced in half since hitting a record high in July are leaving consumers almost as woozy as the sharp climb that took place this spring.

Allen: I represent change
Tom Allen is not a new face in Maine politics, but he's billed his campaign for U.S. Senate as one of change.

Quick bites
McCain: Supported campaign finance reform and authored legislation (McCain-Feingold) to restrict soft money. Is running his presidential campaign with public money and is abiding by spending limits.

Editorial
Toll plan must look at I-295
Any plan to raise tolls along the Maine Turnpike should also include proposals to increase revenue from traffic on I-295 from Portland to Gardiner.

MPBN
States Charges Nursing Homes With Mismanagement
The state has taken over seven private nursing and assisted living homes in Maine, citing corporate financial mismanagement. The state Department of Health and Human Services first received complaints of residents losing weight at Penobscot Nursing Home in Penobscot, but as that problem was resolved, inspectors became concerned about financial and accounting practices. As Anne Ravana reports, the Connecticut-based company that owns the facilities vows to fight the state's allegations in court.

LNG Plans Delayed
Quoddy Bay LNG, which is seeking to build an LNG terminal in Maine has been dealt what would normally be a blow by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Oklahoma-based company has been notified by FERC that it's being dismissed from the federal review process. But as Keith McKeen reports, the company's president says he welcomes the federal agency's decision.

Republican Collins Denounces Her Party's Phone Tactics
Maine Republican senator Susan Collins has denounced her own party's use this week of automated phone calls, or 'robocalls' linking Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama with 60s radical Bill Ayers. Tom Porter has the story.

City Council Squabble Becomes Civil Liberties Issue
When does a compliment rise to the level of a political endorsement? That's the question that Portland City Council candidate Dory Waxman wanted the state ethics commission to determine today in an ongoing dispute with her opponent, Portland Mayor Edward Suslovic. Suslovic was accused of "exaggerating" flattering comments made by well-known local politicians on his campaign literature. But as A.J. Higgins reports, his opponent's complaint was ultimately dismissed.