Maine News for Monday, February 25, 2008

Portland Press Herald:

Ocean Gateway 'just beautiful'
The new cruise ship-and-ferry terminal is attracting attention as it nears completion.

Neighbors pitch in to help needy stay warm
Bottle drives, concerts and dedicated parking fines are used to raise money to fill fuel tanks.

No reason to fear these IRS notices
Maine taxpayers soon will receive letters with details on the tax rebates passed to stimulate the economy.

STATE HOUSE NOTES: Candidates line up for legislative races

Other fuels in greater demand
Firewood, wood pellets and coal are now less expensive to use than oil, propane and natural gas.

Legislative Hearings

Education funds to shrink
School officials prepare for state's deficit-induced budget cuts.

Editorial: Developers' interest bodes well for Bayside
City officials should carefully choose which plan would best shape the new neighborhood.

Editorial: Domestic terror study is not an invitation to 'big brother'
Groups are usually right to be skeptical about government, but not necessarily this time.

Column: Is our government 'fence-sitting' on immigration reform?
A border fence is being built under questionable contracts, while little else is happening.

Column: Who wants looser gun laws?
Most of Maine's delegation, apparently -- even though the administration disagrees.

LTE: How should we get there from here?
Widening I-295 is just another unnecessary way to spend money that no level of government seems to have.

LTE: Legislation would make waterways, roadways safer
I applaud Bill Nemitz for encouraging the Legislature to pass the mandatory boater-education bill. As he correctly put it, "It's about time" (Jan. 20).

LTE: Tobin Tax proposal won't fly with swing investor
The column by Laurie Dobson regarding the Tobin Tax is, in my opinion, absurd ("Major source of revenue goes untaxed," Feb. 14).

Bangor Daily News

Sheriff cuts ties with MDEA
MACHIAS, Maine - Sheriff Donnie Smith of the Washington County Sheriff's Department has ordered his staff members not to work with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency until further notice.

Baldacci sees $200M budget gap in wake of new revenue forecast
AUGUSTA, Maine - As the state revenue forecasting team sits down to update its budget-governing estimates today, Gov. John Baldacci already has penciled in a number.

Obama gleans most from Maine donors
PORTLAND, Maine - Sen. Barack Obama has raised more money in Maine for his presidential bid than any other candidate, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Forum focuses on religion, politics
CAMDEN - In the 400 years before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the impact of religion on world politics has largely been ignored.

Editorial: Driver's License Fix
Maine may have lost some footing in its resistance to initiatives such as the federal Real ID plan with the recent embarrassing news that revealed the ease with which one can secure a state-issued driver's license.

Editorial: Better Land Use Oversight
A bill to raise the stipends of the members of the Land Use Regulation Commission and the Board of Environmental Protection offers lawmakers an opportunity to have an overdue conversation of the changed roles of these panels and whether updates in their structure and mandate are necessary.

Opinion: Maggie Drummond: Preserve historic neighborhood schools
As Maine struggles to compete in a new and more competitive economy, among the things we need to relearn is how to do more with less and how to do everything more efficiently. Just as generations of Mainers have done before us, we need to rediscover frugality and common sense.

Opinion: Jon Reisman: Pingree, Koffman bills toxic to Maine
Gov. John Baldacci, Rep. Ted Koffman, D-Bar Harbor, and Rep. Hannah Pingree, D-North Haven, have a legacy they wish to bestow on Maine: the green nanny state. And it looks like they have a pretty good chance of getting their wish.

Opinion: Waldo Proffitt: Truman and a Maine reporter's helpful whisper
Stories about the Democratic caucuses in Maine earlier this month caused me to look back to 1948, the year Harry Truman famously defeated Tom Dewey, and to recall my small but arguably critical contribution to that result.

Monday's Letters to the Editor
Clinton, not Obama, Store blocking, No hope for Hillary care, Where are the rabbits? Thanks, refs, Safe boating sense, Grateful for R.K. Warren

Kennebec Journal:

Flu near peak State officials see increase in cases
AUGUSTA -- Maine thus far has dodged widespread cases of the flu, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Plenty of races shaping up for House and Senate seats
AUGUSTA -- With the deadline to file for legislative seats just three weeks away, it's fun to look at who's lining up to run.

Tough going for Maine loggers Industry being squeezed by high fuel costs, low prices
MOOSE RIVER -- Logger Dan Melcher has seen plenty of downturns in the 34 years since he first drove a skidder into the woods.

State's fiscal crunch may hit students
SOUTH PORTLAND --Justin Anthony, 21, said he would not be enrolled in college if there was no culinary arts program at Southern Maine Community College.

Editorials: Times has journalistic lapse in McCain story
Just about everyone is on the The New York Times' case for its John McCain story.

Columns: Corn can't save us: Debunking the biofuel myth
Dwindling foreign oil, rising prices at the gas pump, and hype from politically well-connected U.S. agribusiness have combined to create a frenzied rush to convert food grains into ethanol fuel. The move is badly conceived and ill advised. Corporate spin and pork barrel legislation aside, here, by the numbers, are the scientific reasons why corn won't provide our energy needs:\

LTE: Bill of Rights protects from tyranny of majority
Albert Boynton, Christian, responded to Naomi Schalit's account of discrimination she experienced as a Jew (Jan. 7). "Majority Christian culture shouldn't alter for 1 person" echoes thinking that justified 1,500 years of religious persecution and made Auschwitz possible.

LTE: Books have information, much safer than snakes
Lewiston resident JoAn Karkos, who believes that "children's sex education book has no place in a public library," should turn in her library card and take up knitting. ("Lone Ranger keeps up fight," Kennebec Journal, Tuesday, Feb. 12).

Morning Sentinel

LTE: Time for Maine to have primaries, not caucuses
I just attended the Democratic caucus at Waterville High School this afternoon -- and it did take the whole afternoon, 2-5 p.m. I realize they had many more people than they had expected -- which is great -- but I feel that a caucus that made sense in the 19th or 20th century just doesn't fit in 2008.

Sun Journal:

Angry Clinton rips Obama
CINCINNATI (AP) - Hillary Rodham Clinton angrily accused her Democratic rival Saturday of deliberately misrepresenting her positions on NAFTA and health care in mass mailings to voters, adding, "Shame on you, Barack Obama."

Nader announces his bid for White House Many Democrats feel he lost Gore 2000 election
WASHINGTON (AP) - Ralph Nader on Sunday announced a fresh bid for the White House, criticizing the top contenders as too close to big business and dismissing the possibility that his third-party candidacy could tip the election to Republicans.

Obama accuses Clinton of trying to walk away from NAFTA support
LORAIN, Ohio (AP) ­- Barack Obama accused Democratic presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday of trying to walk away from a long record of support for NAFTA, the free trade agreement that he said has cost 50,000 jobs in Ohio, site of next week's primary.

Forecast brings new budget debate
AUGUSTA (AP) - As the state revenue forecasting team sits down Monday to update its budget-governing estimates, Gov. John Baldacci has already penciled in a number.

Obama leads in cash from Mainers
PORTLAND (AP) - Sen. Barack Obama has raised more money in Maine for his presidential bid than any other candidate, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Maine getting more in heating assistance
AUGUSTA (AP) - Maine is in line to receive nearly $4 million more in federal heating assistance.

Bill proposes to allow home wine deliveries
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -For the fourth time in as many years, Maine lawmakers will take up the question of whether to allow consumers to have wine shipped to their homes.

Note: The editorial page of the Sun Journal is not loading correctly this morning; I will check back later to see if there is anything of note. If you wish to check yourself, the link is: http://www.sunjournal.com/EditorialPage/1/7/10/index.html

Waldo County Citizen

League of Conservation Voters applauds Sen Collins

WASHINGTON (Feb 25): The League of Conservation Voters, an independent group devoted to environmentally sound public policy, has announced that Sen. Susan Collins has received a perfect score of 100 percent on LCV-monitored votes in the U.S. Senate over the past year.

Seacoast Online

Maine political roundup

PORTLAND, Maine — The future of the U.S. Constitution and the role of Congress will be discussed by the candidates for Congress vying to replace Tom Allen representing Maine's 1st Congressional District.

As Maine Goes:

Maine Might Turn Into New Jersey After All
Gov. King tried to scare us into thinking rural Maine development would turn Maine into New Jersey. Looks like he was half-right. He should have warned about Maine's spending habits.

Maine Owl:

Why is Thomas Friedman advising the nation's governors on energy? States and energy independence (with clip of Governor Baldacci)

Turn Maine Blue:

Minimum wage, maximum stimulus

Here in Maine, we're experiencing a very tough winter. Across the state, thousands of people are unable to heat their homes because of increases in fuel costs (it's gotten so bad that a number of landlords are simply not buying heating oil for their tenants, because the expense is now so great they fear they'd be bankrupted and lose their properties while their tenants would be evicted).

Another Bush promise to Military personnel being broken.

In 2002 President Bush signed a bill to put citizenship applications of non US citizens who serve in the military on "the fast track". In addition, fees for citizenship are waived. Like many other promises made to military personnel this one is not being kept.

Maine News for Friday, February 22, 2008

Portland Press Herald:
Human services cuts get lukewarm response
The commissioner proposes $34 million in new reductions in the agency's budget.

Charity groups key to heating assistance
Funding for Maine's "211" crisis line depends on donations from corporate and community groups.

Editorial: Superdelegates can pick a nominee or pick chaos
Democratic Party leaders are not appointed to overrule the expressed will of the voters.

Editorial: Serb territory in Kosovo should be partitioned
The lesson of the Balkan wars is that ethnic minorities need international protections.

Editorial: Satellite shoot-down carries political, diplomatic implications
Therefore, Americans can expect to see missile defense become a campaign issue.

Column: State's higher ed systems need closer ties
While they serve somewhat different needs, student transitions should be seamless.

LTE: Benefits for illegal aliens jeopardize state budget

LTE: Taxpayers wouldn't profit from convention center


Bangor Daily News:
DHHS, health panel at odds over budget
AUGUSTA, Maine — The Department of Health and Human Services has yet to provide the details on how it will achieve its targets in budget savings to help balance the state budget, and that led to some testy exchanges between lawmakers and the agency at a meeting Thursday.

Colombian trade pact condemned
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — The proposed U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement was condemned by nearly all the Mainers who testified at a hearing Thursday night before the Maine Citizen Trade Policy Commission.

Editorial: McCain's life and the times
The New York Times' lengthy story Thursday about presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain has, predictably, put conservative talk radio and TV news programs on screech mode.

Editorial: End the torture debate
Congress last week approved new restrictions on CIA interrogations to protect detainees from abuse despite warning that this would harm the country's ability to gain information that could stop terrorist attacks. Protecting all detainees, regardless of who is questioning and holding them, from cruel treatment is overdue.

Charles Krauthammer: Iraq is becoming a federal state
"No one can spend some 10 days visiting the battlefields in Iraq without seeing major progress in every area. ... If the U.S. provides sustained support to the Iraqi government — in security, governance, and development — there is now a very real chance that Iraq will emerge as a secure and stable state."

LTEs: Do the right thing'; 'Shoot to kill'; Burger blues


Morning Sentinel:
Official offers plan to cut $34M in social services
AUGUSTA -- The head of the state's top human services official proposed $34 million in new cuts Thursday, a mix of administrative savings and service reductions.

Editorial: Animal welfare progress tested by puppy mill case
By all accounts, Norma Worley has done a fine job over the last few years as head of the state's Animal Welfare Program.

LTE: Allen should sign on to impeachment movement
Thomas Jefferson didn't insert language saying to prioritize electoral politics, nor to forgo impeachment if one thinks, "it will take too long."

LTE: Limit welfare to five years; make people work
To save the state money, make the people who are on Temporary Assistance to Needy Families off it within five years.


Kennebec Journal:
Mainers' oil outlay doubles
AUGUSTA -- An energy task force report says fuel for heating and personal transportation eats up more than 10 percent of an average Mainer's income, up from 5 percent five years ago.

More budget cuts urged: Sexual assault and domestic violence victims, homeless and foster youths targeted
AUGUSTA -- The state's top human services official proposed $34 million in new cuts Thursday, a mix of administrative savings and service reductions.


MPBN:
Death Raises More Concerns About State Sex Offender Registry
Augusta police are investigating the death of a registered sex offender who apparantly had no place to stay and died in the bathroom of their own police department. Dean Sawyer had a history of drug and alcohol abuse. But his ex-wife says he became despondant after getting out of prison on an unrelated charge and finding out he was required to add his name to the state's sex offender registry for a crime that occurred in 1982. As Susan Sharon reports, Sawyer's case is raising more concerns about the registry and who required to be on it.

State Budget Crafters Express Frustration In Finding $99 Million Dollar Solution
While most lawmakers were enjoying a February break from Augusta this week, members of the legislature's Appropriations Committee met daily in an attempt to identify nearly $99 million in new state budget reductions. As A.J. Higgins reports, it's been a frustrating exercise.

How Is Maine's Economy Doing? It Depends...
Economic indicators released from the nation's financial centers may paint a grim picture of the US economy. But there are those in Maine who say things aren't that bad...and they're willing to gaurantee that now is the time to buy! Keith Shortall reports.


Lewiston Sun Journal:
Grant funds VISTA volunteer services
AUGUSTA - Communities for Children and Youth, in collaboration with the Muskie School of Public Service, is seeking applications from organizations across Maine that can utilize a full-time AmeriCorps*VISTA member to address anti-poverty initiatives focused on children, youth and/or seniors.

New Jersey senator endorses Allen
PORTLAND (AP) - U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg said Thursday that taxpayers are being bilked by contractors profiting from the war in Iraq.

Editorial: What the president needs to do
The 2007-2008 presidential election (it's silly to confine the campaign to a single year) is just getting started.

LTE: More Handouts
Seven hundred million dollars to Africa? From President Bush! (Feb. 18)

LTE: Ditch Bush dogma


Times Record:
Editorial: The market's far from free
Like an annoying pop song that can't be purged from our collective consciousness, "Run government like a business" echoes incessantly at all levels of public discourse. The refrain gets louder as the economy gets worse.


WMTW-8
Collins To Call For Tax Credit For Buyers Of Wood Stoves
GORHAM, Maine -- If U.S. Sen. Susan Collins has her way, buyers of new, clean-burning wood stoves will be entitled to a $500 tax credit.


Boston Globe:
New Jersey senator endorses Allen in Maine race
PORTLAND, Maine—U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg said Thursday that taxpayers are being bilked by contractors profiting from the war in Iraq.


Politicker ME:
Collins' staff responds to Allen's allegations
Tom Allen is attacking Sen. Susan Collins for allowing war-profiteering when she blocked a request by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., to investigate Halliburton.

Allen accuses Collins of protecting Halliburton
U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., is accusing U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Bangor, of allowing war profiteering to occur when she denied his request to investigate Halliburton in her role as chairwoman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.


Washington Post:
McCain, the New Bush?
With so much attention focused on the presidential race, vulnerable Senate Republicans facing reelection in November have largely escaped the spotlight. But Democrats aim to change that by launching an Iraq attack, starring Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), his party's presumptive presidential nominee, as whipping boy.


Blogs:
As Maine Goes: League of Conservation Voters Scorecard Online
Vote Scorecard: 110th, 1st session Search Results

As Maine Goes: States Scrutinize Caffeinated Brews
BOCA RATON, Fla. (Reuters) — Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing said several state attorneys general had demanded information on how they market/sell caffeinated alcoholic drinks.

As Maine Goes: Heating Schools with Slash Piles: Good Idea in Maine?
St. Maries School District is turning to the nearby forest to cut its power bill.

Business Wire: Senator Collins, Maine EMS Applaud Donation of 25 Defibtech AEDs for Maine Schools
CARMEL, Maine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. Senator Susan Collins and Maine EMS today applauded a donation of 25 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for Maine schools from Defibtech, a company that designs and manufactures the portable, electronic devices that can shock a heart back into normal rhythm and save a victim of sudden cardiac arrest.

Senate Guru: LCV Releases Environmental Scores for 2007
The League of Conservation Voters released their National Environmental Scorecard for 2007, grading members of Congress on their votes on legislation affecting the environment.

Turn Maine Blue: ME-1: Candidate Debate
Tuesday, 26 February @ 7:00 p.m., the candidates for the 1st District seat will be debating at the 1st Parish UU Chuch in Portland - see here for more details.

Senate Guru: Thursday Tidbits
Maine: Senator Frank Lautenberg will hold an endorsement event with Congressman Tom Allen today. Why is this particularly notable? Because Lautenberg was perhaps the most vocal Senator in calling for Susan Collins to hold oversight hearings on Iraq waste and mismanagement while Collins was Chair of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Oversight, hearings that Collins seemingly never got around to holding.

Turn Maine Blue: Sen. Lautenberg (D-NJ) endorse Allen, critiques Collins
This morning in Portland, Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey endorsed Tom Allen's bid to unseat Maine's junior senator, Susan Collins. Lautenberg had this to say:

Maine News for Thursday, February 21, 2008

Portland Press Herald:
Lobster industry suffers decline
A weak 2007 harvest could spell even more trouble as overhead increases and a possible recession looms.

Internet tobacco law struck down
The Supreme Court's ruling on Maine legislation could affect efforts nationwide to stem sales to minors.

Officials to defend new toll sites
The four locations being considered for the new $35 million plaza draw mixed reactions.

STATE: WRONG TIME FOR WRITE-OFF
Facing a budget shortfall that would get worse, officials say Maine can't afford to match a federal tax break for business investments.

Editorial: A 1,000-mile journey may have begun in Cuba
The resignation of Fidel Castro, 81, is a critical first step toward meaningful reform.

Editorial: Portland goes with the flow when it comes to oil
The oil coursing between Maine and Canada carries critical economic consequences.

Editorial: Guns, dogs and bag checks: Welcome to modern train travel
Amtrak's new counterterror measures are a sign of the times -- unfortunate but necessary.

Column: What kind of party calls itself Democratic and uses superdelegates?
A failed attempt to attend a local caucus leaves one wondering how poor this system will prove to be.

LTE: Collins' criticism of MoveOn off-base
The recent attack ad approved by Sen. Susan Collins attempts to score points with voters by grossly mischaracterizing who is a member of MoveOn.org, a group that has supported Rep. Tom Allen ("Allen's MoveOn funding criticized," Feb. 6).

LTE: Bring back primary, the proper form for democrac
Primarily, this letter is to thank you for your Feb. 12 editorial, "Biggest caucus ever still left too many out."

LTE: Congress should hold Bush/Cheney accountable
"When Clinton lied, nobody died" -- yet, President Clinton was reprimanded by Congress with articles of impeachment 10 years ago.


Bangor Daily News:
Canada's bridge comment clarified
CALAIS - The Americans "misunderstood" is how Canadian officials characterized a statement made by a Canada Border Services Agency representative last week about the partial opening of a $120 million bridge over the St. Croix River and a customs house next year.

State: Recalled beef 'on hold' in Maine
AUGUSTA - Many Maine schools have supplies of ground beef from Westland Meats, the subject of a recent national recall, but the state Department of Education said Wednesday the beef has been "on hold" in Maine schools since Jan. 31, more than two weeks before the official recall was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Another candidate in Senate race
BANGOR - Another independent candidate from southern Maine has thrown his hat into the ring for U.S. Senate.

Editorial: Reconsider 'Super' Perk
In this age of instant and mass opinion expression, in which the "American Idol" winner is anointed by text-message votes, it's hard to believe that state legislatures once elected U.S. presidents.


Morning Sentinel:
Licensing legislation sought by midwives
AUGUSTA -- Midwives hoping to be licensed by the state said Wednesday they will continue to push for licensing legislation despite a state report that recommends against it.

Franklin County rate drops after valuation
FARMINGTON -- The tax rate for Franklin County has gone down this year as property values rose in nearly every town, according to state valuation figures.

Consolidation desire persists School Union 52 wants talks to continue
OAKLAND -- Messalonskee School Superintendent James Morse on Wednesday assured his school board that School Union 52 officials are still interested in continuing consolidation talks.

Column: Superdelegates owe party benefit of their best judgment
All this talk about how Democratic convention superdelegates are plotting to steal the nomination from Barack Obama grows tiresome.


Kennebec Journal:
FASTER DEPRECIATION Maine can't afford federal tax breaks for businesses
The federal government, trying to avoid a recession, is encouraging businesses to spend money by allowing them to write off investments faster than normal. But officials in Maine say they can't afford to give businesses the same break on state taxes.

Susan Cover: Hoffman's run, Allen gets endorsement
Another independent is jumping in to the Senate race to challenge headliners Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat.


MPBN:
Electronic Medical Records Raise Privacy Concerns
A top Bush administration official was in Maine today to announce a new initiative to promote the use of electronic medical records in the nation's healthcare system. But as Barbara Cariddi reports, despite incentives for Maine to participate, some are concerned the initiative will result in a loss of patients' privacy.

Rules To Protect Whales From Ship Strikes Linger At OMB
This week marks a year since the National Marine Fisheries Service submitted a proposed final rule to the Bush Administration to protect endangered whales from death and injury caused by ship strikes. But so far there's been no action from the Office of Management and Budget. As Susan Sharon reports, this has some Maine lobstermen upset that they are being asked to bear the brunt of the responsibility for protecting whales.

Court Deals Blow To Law Prohibiting Internet Cigarette Sales
The U.S. Supreme Court is invalidating parts of Maine's law barring internet tobacco sales to minors. In a unanimous decision, the court says Maine cannot impose restrictions on shipping companies that deliver tobacco products directly to consumers. Barbara Cariddi has more.


Sun Journal:
Council considers sister city request
LEWISTON - The City Council is considering a local professor's request to form a relationship with Chechnya's Starye Atagi - pronounced Star-yee At-a-kee - and make it the second international town to be called Lewiston's sister city.

Editorial: Where do the development dollars go?
In the business of helping business, Maine's government can act like, well, a government - by pouring money into popular programs and initiatives that promise plentiful rewards, but suffer from poor accountability and limp auditing.

Column: Democrats end program of terrorist surveillance
Last week, in the words of Nancy Pelosi, House Democrats struck back against "fear" and "fear-mongering." They let the terrorist surveillance program expire, thus making a stirring gesture of national self-confidence and fearlessness.

LTE: Liberals, guns and drugs
The shootings on the campuses and schools will continue as long as there are three things: Ritalin, Prozac and gun-free zones. Liberals and others against guns don't want to hear that.


Times Record:
Committee endorses flat funding for schools
AUGUSTA — The Education Committee is "reluctantly" endorsing a Department of Education plan to flat fund local schools next year by cutting $37 million from promised new school aid as a way to help fill a growing state budget hole — a move the governor's office says he hopes to avoid.

Column: Don't trust state to run county jails
At a time when a news report claims that Maine is the highest taxed state with the lowest household earnings in the country, this taxed payee could not stand it any longer and had to put pen to paper.

Editorial: BIW rises to the challenge
The mood was subdued outside the main gate at Bath Iron Works this morning as workers filed in for their regular shifts. Although some were not familiar with the details, most had heard about the awarding of the DD(X) design contract to Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss.


WMTW-8:
N.J. Senator To Campaign For Allen In Maine Senate Race
PORTLAND, Maine -- New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg is visiting Maine on Thursday to give a boost to fellow Democrat Tom Allen's Senate campaign.


The Lincoln County News:
School Consolidation Amendment Garners Furious Lobbying
With a major amendment to the school consolidation law pending in the Senate that would give local school boards more power, but not achieve the 80 districts statewide the governor wants, both sides are using the Legislature's mid-session break this week to try and sway votes.

Consumer Advocate Tapped to Solve Dirigo Woes
The Senate last week voted along party lines to confirm Gov. John Baldacci's nominee for the superintendent of insurance after a debate that is a harbinger of partisan battles over the fate of the Dirigo Health subsidized insurance plan.

Pieh Sponsors Legislation To Regulate Dog Breeding
Rep. Wendy Pieh, D-Bremen, presented a bill to ensure the responsible breeding of dogs to members of the Legislature's Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee on Mon., Feb. 11.


Portland Phoenix:
A "GOOD" TAX BREAK IN THE MAKING
Legislative Document 262, "An Act to Amend the Credit for Rehabilitation of Historic Properties," broadly expands state income-tax credits to firms that rehab old buildings. It would create a new tax break.

MAINE'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION COWERS IN FEAR
When criminal-trespassing charges were dropped February 5 against three Maine eco-activists, the activists were relieved. After all, they had merely been standing in a business's parking lot during business hours, and had left when a security guard asked them to. But some authoritarian types, including Maine's entire congressional delegation, might have seen a weakness in our legal system — a vulnerability our elected representatives in Washington are continuing to try to shore up.


Ellsworth American:
Sen. Collins Lands Grant For MCMH
Collins met with the board of trustees before announcing the grant, then watched a slideshow of plans for the new facility.

Society Struggles With What to Do With Offenders After Release
ELLSWORTH — No one wants sex offenders nearby but everyone wants to know where they are and what they're doing.

Gov. Baldacci: Status Quo Won't Do on Electricity
ELLSWORTH — Governor John Baldacci has put Independent System Operator-New England (ISO-NE) on notice that the status quo system used by the regional energy consortium to provide electricity to Maine consumers won't cut it.

Legislators Considering Bill to Require Proof of Residency
AUGUSTA — Legislators are considering a bill that would require people to prove they live in Maine before being given a driver's license here, but they are skirting the more contentious issue of whether the state Department of Motor Vehicles should ask applicants to show they are in the country legally.

Republicans, Business Uneasy
AUGUSTA — Governor John Baldacci's nomination of Mila Kofman of Georgetown University Health Policy Institute as the state's new superintendent of insurance is moving ahead despite concerns from Republicans and business groups.

Snowe, Senate Panel Hear Area Lobstermen's Concerns
BREWER — Lobstermen on Tuesday expressed frustration with controversial new federal regulations that will force most Maine lobstermen to replace the rope connecting their traps, called groundlines, with new sinking rope.

Editorial: In Baldacci's Crosshairs
Governor John Baldacci and Maine Education Commissioner Susan Gendron are going to be very busy while schools are closed for vacation this week.

Editorial: The Old Ball Game
For Republicans in Congress, Roger Clemens apparently walks on water. As far as Democrats are concerned, he may be lying through his teeth. The partisan divide that characterizes so much of the political process in Washington these days extended to the question of Clemens' credibility last week, leaving many Americans scratching their heads and wondering, "What's next?"


Politicker ME:
Maine Senate race: The other candidates
As the Susan Collins vs. Tom Allen race heats up, four other challengers have emerged in the race.


WCSH-6:
Another Independent Joins Maine Senate Race
PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER) -- Another independent is joining the race for U.S. Senate here in Maine. Herbert Hoffman, a retired psychologist from Ogunquit, announced his candidacy Wednesday at a series of news conferences.


Sanford NEWS:
Sanford chosen as site for firefighter grant workshop
The workshops will help Maine fire departments best apply for the Department of Homeland Security's AFG Program, according to Sen. Collins. In the past month alone, 16 Maine fire departments have been awarded over $1.6 million in AFG funding.


Blogs:
Turn Maine Blue: The Border Fence
Many of us understand that the GOP is more interested in using illegal immigration as a campaign issue than actually dealing with it, this cycles "gay marriage" if you will. The GOP will use it to entice people to the polls, preying on people's genuine fears of illegal immigrants, and in some cases, their thinly veiled racism.

Turn Maine Blue: Still waiting: Collins has not responded to the Senate Guru
On 29 January, Senate2008Guru sent this open letter to Jen Burita asking if she would clarify her LTE in the Kennebec Journal:

Turn Maine Blue: Sen. Frank Lautenberg to endorse Tom Allen
Rep. Tom Allen is engaged in a tought fight to unseat Bush/Cheney enabler Susan Collins, and tomorrow will receive the endorsement of Sen. Frank Lautenberg. From the press release:

Turn Maine Blue: Open Thread
The readers of the Portland Press Herald must be wondering about these letters to the editor in today's edition, seeing as the PPH has yet to print one story about the attack ad that Collins has about MoveOn.org.

MyDD: Running Against MoveOn
The right-wing is licking its chops at the prospect of an Obama nomination because it will allow them to run against "one of the most liberal senators in the senate!" I know, pretty scary stuff. One of the biggest arrows in their quiver, from their so 3 years ago perspective, is MoveOn.org's endorsement of Obama, which the right still thinks it can use as an extremist albatross to throw around Democrats' necks.

DailyKos: ME-Sen: Frank Lautenberg to endorse Tom Allen
Rep. Tom Allen is engaged in a tought fight to unseat Bush/Cheney enabler Susan Collins, and tomorrow will receive the endorsement of Sen. Frank Lautenberg. From the press release:

Maine News for Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Portland Press Herald:
Canadian oil causes drop in Portland cargo
But the city's port saw more cruise ships and container traffic in 2007, so officials are optimistic.

Northern Maine lynx habitat gets another look
A federal agency has a year to decide whether to designate 10,000 miles it previously dropped.

Preble Street to get grant
The $1 million from the Kresge Foundation is intended to help end chronic homelessness.

Former soldiers hiking to benefit homeless veterans
Two men just back from Iraq will walk the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.

Energy drinks: Time to kill the buzz?
Worried about caffeine, a legislator proposes a ban on selling energy drinks to those under 18. Teens don't see what the fuss is about.

Editorial: Congress is starting the silly season too soon
Election-year posturing sets the tone for what could be a bitter fight over national security.

Editorial: Real dollars being lost to convention-center failures
Millions more could be pumped into the state's economy if Portland had better meeting space.

ANOTHER VIEW: Too many alternatives exist to even consider widening I-295
Expanding a highway like that one will only encourage more driving and thus waste resources.

LTE: State can find ways to help needy
The recent responses of the governor, Maine's Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education are in reaction to long-standing federal rules.

LTE: Stimulus package support shows candidates' failings
I attended the Democratic caucus in Scarborough and, contrary to what the record turnout may indicate, found myself very underwhelmed.

LTE; State should stop giving licenses to illegal aliens
People who are in this country illegally are being issued driver's licenses in Maine. In other words, illegal aliens, who are not citizens in this state and have no valid Social Security number, are able to receive driver's licenses in our state.


Bangor Daily News:
County family stuck far from home, unable to find facility for ailing woman
BANGOR, Maine — Vaughn Drost, 83, wakes up every morning at the Stucco Lodge motel in Veazie in the room he shares with his daughter Darlene Garland. The two of them have a bite of breakfast, making use of the microwave and minifridge in their room. Then they head out to spend the day at the Stillwater Health Care nursing home in Bangor, where Vaughn's wife, Annie, has been a patient for several months.

Good news for state budget
AUGUSTA, Maine — After getting a lot of bad news recently from the federal government, the state has received some good news — to the tune of $12 million — that will help ease the difficult task of balancing the state budget, according to the Baldacci administration.

Humanity's 'footprint' hits oceans hard
A new study by a team of international researchers says humans are leaving their mark on every corner of the world's oceans and are seriously affecting more than 40 percent of marine ecosystems, including the Gulf of Maine.

Editorial: War of confusion
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is worried there is confusion among Europeans that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are connected. Perhaps the secretary should take that worry to his boss, President Bush, who has been trying to connect the two for nearly five years.

Editorial: Moving beyond 'no'
"No" has become the most frequently heard word in Augusta. Merge the state's natural resource agencies? No. Reduce services to and funding for foster families? No way. Close a youth detention facility? No how.

John Buell: Stimulus plan not based on sound economics
The recent fight over a stimulus package to revive the economy speaks volumes about the current priorities of Republican leadership. Republicans often portray themselves as the party of free markets.

Lawrence E. Lockman: Ignorance and envy among the electorate
It's not often that a political candidate drops the code language for a moment, and distills in a sentence or two his core beliefs about the proper role of government in American society. Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards did us that favor in his speech announcing his withdrawal from the presidential race last month.

LTEs: Family basic to society; Media minions; Clean Candidate


Morning Sentinel:
MAINE'S AGING BOOMERS: For many boomers, working longer is desire and necessity
Lane, 49, a licensed clinical social worker who teaches at Kennebec Valley Community College, sees her job as far more than a regular paycheck. "I do like working," she said. "I think we get a lot from working. It is the social contact. It is the feeling good about what we do. It is the gratification both mentally and emotionally. But I also love my job."

MAINE'S AGING BOOMERS: Who will pay for long-term care?
High turnover, worker shortages, low wages, unstable funding and hard, physical work are key issues plaguing employees at long-term care facilities in Maine.

LTE: Plant trees with your economic stimulus check
What will you do with your "economic stimulus" check due to arrive sometime this spring? The federal government would like to see you spend some of this money to help bolster the economy: maybe an Ipod, digital TV, or new cell phone?


MPBN:
Maine Homeowners Seek Shelter From Foreclosure
In January, a new state law took effect aimed at protecting future Maine homeowners from predatory mortgage lending practices that have contributed to a record number of foreclosures. But the law cannot assist those who have already fallen prey to loan application fraud, unfair and deceptive trade practices by mortgage brokers or lenders, and it can do nothing to stop the process of foreclosure. For that, many homeowners with little or no resources must seek out help from advocates and attorneys who only expect their caseloads to get bigger. Susan Sharon has more.

Making The Case Against The Caucus
Today is President's Day - a good opportunity perhaps to reflect on the nature of American democracy - the greatest in the world, we're led to believe. Many regarded this month's Maine Democratic Party Caucus as a triumph of democracy in action - nearly 50,000 party followers turned out across the state to help choose the presidential candidate. In Portland, 4,000 of them swamped the high school, where the caucus was held, eager to play their part in selecting the leader of the free world. However, Maine author and independent journalist Colin Woodard feels that many of thousands of people standing in the snow last weekend may not have bothered if they had known how little their opinions really mattered. He spoke with MPBN's Tom Porter.


Sun Journal:
Mayors invited to regional talk
AUBURN - Mayors from Maine's largest cities will meet next week to look for savings and efficiencies.

Editorial: Separate licenses and immigration
For such an easy decision, debate about requiring residency for Maine driver's licenses has grown difficult.

LTE: Enhanced process
The Democratic caucus on Feb. 10 was an impressive experience, with at least 800 people attending. I want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding as we did our best with the limited resources we had.


Times Record:
Fighting for veterans at home
It was just about a year ago that the nation was shocked by a Washington Post story that revealed the dismal conditions inside the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

LTE: Turned away from caucus
I am a fairly new U.S. citizen who will be voting in my first presidential election. I have registered as an independent.


Politico:
Weak GOP-ers eager to stump with McCain
When President Bush hit the campaign trail in 2006, some Republican House and Senate candidates suddenly found the need to be somewhere else.


Huffington Post:
Proper Role of Superdelegates Debated
WASHINGTON — First-term Rep. Carol Shea-Porter supports Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination, even though her New Hampshire constituents voted for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.


Blogs:
Turn Maine Blue: Maine ranks 3rd per capita in military recruits
I've been thinking about this story form last Saturday's BDN since I read it, and I'm still not sure what to make of it.

Colllins Watch: The Remix
Just when I thought it was safe to take a couple of days off, Gerald catches Sen. Collins removing the offensive, over-the-top Allen smear video from her attack site standuptomoveon.org.

As Maine Goes: Impeachment Forum, Portland - Where Else!
PORTLAND, ME - February 18 - The future of the U.S. Constitution and the role of Congress will be discussed by the Candidates for Congress vying to replace Tom Allen representing Maine's First Congressional District. John Nichols, Washington correspondent for The Nation magazine, will set the stage at the forum by addressing the constitutional issues that have been created during the current Bush-Cheney Administration.

Maine News for Friday, February 15, 2008

Portland Press Herald:
In a city friendly to walking, lots of slips and falls
Hospitals report a surge in injuries as people try to cope with icy sidewalks and blocked crosswalks.

New ship contract awarded to BIW
The $1.4 billion job to build the first Zumwalt destroyer is expected to help the shipyard avoid layoffs.

A gun sale limit that spurs little criticism?
State House: A bill restricting sales to minors is supported widely, but no one's hailing it as a victory for gun control.

GOP candidate late with financial filing
Election 2008: Dean Scontras calls missing a disclosure deadline by over five months an oversight.

Official touts need for energy diversity
Maine must develop a number of energy sources, including wind, tidal and solar, John Kerry says.

Editorial: Let King parents opt out of birth control at clinic
By not doing so, some students whose parents feel strongly miss out on other clinic services.

Column: More and more, legitimacy is determined by counting heads
A trend to see voting as the only source of authority in society has a downside we ignore.

Maine Voices: Agency merger just false economy
The state's major natural resources departments will only be weakened by this approach.

LTE: Downeaster valuable asset in state's economic growth
At a time when we are facing the increasing cost of energy, we don't want to give up an excellent alternate mode of transportation.


Bangor Daily News:
State official's actions under investigation
AUGUSTA - An internal investigation will be conducted into the actions of an official with the state Bureau of Motor Vehicles who helped an Irish citizen obtain a Maine driver's license in 2006, according to a spokesman for the secretary of state. The Irish citizen, Niall Clarke, later was convicted of robbing a Bangor bank.

Many residents plan to pay bills with federal rebate check
Bangor-area residents are beginning to think about how they will spend the tax rebates President Bush signed into law Wednesday, and many seem to be sure of one thing: They will not splurge on themselves.

Calais: Canada changes mind on bridge plan
CALAIS - A Canadian customs official said this week Canada would not agree to a partial opening in summer 2009 of a new $120 million international bridge and customs house to commercial traffic.

Editorial: Winning and Losing
As the presidential campaign goes on, we will continue to hear a lot of comparisons of Iraq and Vietnam. Especially with John McCain, a true Vietnam hero, as the emerging Republican nominee. The two wars are both different and alike.

Editorial: Healing Our Troops
The phrase "War is hell," attributed to Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman during the Civil War, is perhaps the most succinct and eloquent description of armed conflict. Yet it falls far short of bridging the gulf between those who have experienced war and those who have not, and it fails to impart the indelible impression this particular hell leaves on young hearts and minds.

Matthew Arnett: Bush has made the U.S. more vulnerable
In his Feb. 8 column, "The secret of McCain's big success: George Bush," Charles Krauthammer closes his observations with the statement, "Bush remains popular in his party [because of] his singular achievement: he's kept us safe." Would that it were so!

LTEs: Break Baldacci mold; Politically incorrect; Pellet stoves an answer


Morning Sentinel:
License residency definition elusive as committee considers bill
AUGUSTA (AP) -- There was no shortage of support Thursday for a bill to impose a residency requirement to get a Maine driver's license when a legislative panel took up the issue. But lawmakers acknowledged that their dilemma is how to define residency.

Speaker urges energy conservation
WATERVILLE -- We hurt the environment, threaten public and economic health, and continue to depend on unfriendly nations as we gobble up costly foreign oil and gas.

Editorial: Wind power gets boost from task force ideas
Energy demands are mounting, oil prices are on the rise, oil supplies are diminishing. The potentially devastating global -- and local -- environmental impacts of fossil fuel use are increasingly apparent.

Column: Patients shouldn't pay for medical errors
Most of us probably know the stress of being hospitalized or having a loved one hospitalized.

LTE: Support bill to protect kids in cars from smoke
I want to applaud Rep. Brian Duprey, Rep. Patricia Blanchette and co-sponsors Speaker Glenn Cummings, Rep. Sheryl Briggs and Rep. Christine Savage for taking the initiative to sponsor a bill that will protect Maine children in vehicles from secondhand smoke. I also want to thank the Health and Human Services Committee for voting unanimously on this bill.

LTE: Last 4 recessions were under GOP presidents
Why does everyone believe that Republican fiscal policies are best for the U.S. economy, just because they are perceived as "pro-business."

LTE: Drug war doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime
Regarding your Feb. 6 editorial -- Not only should medical marijuana be made available to patients in need, but adult recreational use should be regulated.


MPBN:
Bill Would Allow Only Residents to Have Maine Drivers Licenses
In the post-9-11 world, proof of identity has become a contentious issue that ignites spirited debates on solutions ranging from federal Read ID national identity cards to qualifications for state driver's licenses. Last year, Maine's policy of not requiring proof of residency in order to obtain a driver's license came under fire from critics who claimed Maine was turning into a sanctuary state for illegal aliens. Hoping to diffuse some of the controversy, a working group convened by Secretary of State Mat Dunlap is recommending legislation that would require license applicants to prove that they live in Maine. But as A.J. Higgins reports, the bill may not go far enough for some.

Court Decision Makes Same-Sex Adoption Possible
Last month, Kennebunk resident Starr Waisenen adopted a daughter--not a baby girl, but a grown woman. For the past 24 years, Waisenen has helped raise Melissa Bergen, the biological daughter of Waisenen's partner, Connie Bergen. Now at age 26, Melissa is officially Waisenen's daughter too. Barbara Cariddi reports.


Sun Journal:
Maine schools overspending, report concludes
AUGUSTA - Most Maine school systems are spending more than the state recommends, and not passing full tax relief on to property owners, a report released Thursday said.

Split Senate confirms insurance nominee
AUGUSTA (AP) - Gov. John Baldacci's nominee for the open post of Maine insurance superintendent won Senate confirmation Thursday in a party-line vote.

Column: When theory and reality clash on gun control
The First Amendment gives me the right to write it, but doesn't necessarily give you the right to read it. Or so I was once told by an attorney. While the right to free speech certainly infers a corresponding right to hear what is being spoken, he said, the First Amendment doesn't explicitly grant such a right. So theoretically, it could be argued that no such right exists.

Editorial: Congress takes its third strike
A former Red Sox pitcher and his disreputable trainer led Congress on a five-hour sojourn into evasiveness, equivocation and embarrassment Wednesday, which ended with…well, it just ended.


Brunswick Times Record:
Bath, Brunswick reaping benefits from recycling efforts
BRUNSWICK — During the past year, both Bath and Brunswick have seen drastic changes in the recycling habits of residents, with both communities reporting that the pay-per-bag system and single-stream recycling have significantly reduced the amount of trash disposed in landfills by increasing recycling.

Column: Respect the grassroots
Sunday was an extraordinary day for the Maine Democratic Party. Despite bitter cold and wind-driven snow, more than 40,000 people trudged, slipped and slid to local caucuses, the least glamorous and most time-consuming elements of the electoral process. The turnout more than doubled the previous caucus participation figure of 17,000 in 2004.


Maine Coast Now:
Will Obama tide raise all Dems?
The turnouts at the Democratic caucuses throughout the Midcoast smashed the previous records. However, a closer review of back editions of The Courier-Gazette shows that despite statements from party officials that the previous record was in 2004, it turns out that the previous record was in 1980.


WLBZ-2 NBC:
Maine Shipyard Gets Contract For New Destroyer
BATH (AP) -- The Navy on Thursday awarded Maine shipyard Bath Iron Works a final $1.4 billion contract to build the DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class destroyer, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said.

The Tennessean:
Alexander plies GOP agenda in new post
"He's doing a terrific job," Collins said. "The themes of bipartisan, cooperation and working together are very welcome."


BLOGS:
NRSC video:Democrats' Extreme Friends: US Marines "Unwelcome Intruders"

Turn Maine Blue: [UPDATED]: Press Herald: Retroactive immunity for telecoms a bad idea
This morning's Portland Press Herald has this editorial explaining why granting retroactive immunity to the telecom industry from civil suits is such a bad idea:

Turn Maine Blue: Chinese Economic Stimulus- Open Thread
1) You will be receiving a $600 check in the mail ($1,200 if a couple, $300 more for each kid).

Senate Guru: Happy Valentine's Day
NRSC Chair John Ensign is once again publicly chiding Republican Senators for not contributing enough to the NRSC. I guess times must be really tough over at the NRSC. And Ensign must be really concerned about how bad the 2008 Senate race results will make him look.

White Noise Insanity: They're gonna use a missile to shoot down a satellite?
George Bush has given the orders to our Navy to use one of their missiles to shoot down a satellite…..to protect us. Uh huh. Yeah right. I think the warmongering Decider of America is lying!