BOSTON GLOBE/AP:
PUC approves Verizon-FairPoint land line deal
After a long day of deliberations, Maine utility regulators Thursday night approved a negotiated agreement allowing FairPoint Communications' $2.7 billion buyout of Verizon's land lines in the three northern New England states. (AP, 1/3/08)
Special panel sketches outline for promoting prosperity
Legislative leaders and rank-and-file negotiators hailed a bipartisan agreement by a special legislative panel Thursday that they said was designed to foster economic well-being for Maine in the years ahead.
PRESS HERALD:
Repeal supporters: '15,000 to go' The group trying to repeal the school consolidation law faces a deadline for legislative review.
No deadlines in Iraq, says Collins (Published in the Morning Sentinel as well)
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine sharpened the distinction with her opponent in this year's election, Rep. Tom Allen, noting on Thursday that she remains opposed to any deadlines for withdrawing troops from Iraq.
Verizon sale to FairPoint approved PUC
Vermont and New Hampshire regulators and the FCC must give their approvals for the sale to become final.
Authority to set up at BNAS
The group overseeing reuse plans for the Brunswick air station is moving to the base.
Web site lets you keep tabs on lobbyists
AUGUSTA — Do you want to keep tabs on how Maine's more than 300 lobbyists earn a living but don't have the time to hang out at the State House?
Large wind farm proposal wins approval
AUGUSTA — Maine's wilderness zoning board has given final approval to a 57-megawatt wind farm in northern Washington County, which would be the largest such project in New England.
Bill would crack down on metal theft
A lawmaker from Bowdoinham wants to crack down on thefts of copper and other metals by requiring scrap dealers to verify where the metal comes from and who is selling it to them.
Preliminary agreement on fiscal reform draws praise
An efficiency panel seeking $75 million in savings is a key part of the plan for the state.
EDITORIAL: A little shift in Medicaid can bring big trouble
A dispute with the federal government over its share of the program could add up fast.
State court records belong where public can see them Maine is long overdue in its efforts to make court records available online.
Oil touches $100 a barrel, and the impact shows up everywhere While gas prices are expected to rise by summer, the cost of heat is going up now.
MAINE VOICES: Rail expansion tied to Downeaster funding
Future freight and passenger traffic could be lost if the state passes up its present opportunity.
LTE: Baldacci's budget cuts harmful to those in need
With regards to Gov. Baldacci's recent budget cuts, a $95 million shortfall was not brought about by the Department of Education or teachers' salaries.
LTE: Mainers can act to save Moosehead from developers
Shame, shame, we have all been asleep at the switch, for years, while land speculators assessed our beautiful Moosehead, Lily Bay, Long Pond and Greenville area.
LTE: Somalis should protest in their own country
Why is it that I get really upset when I see Somalis protesting in the streets?
BANGOR DAILY NEWS:
Inspector: Iraq rebuilding has mixed success
BANGOR - The U.S. government's top auditor of reconstruction efforts in Iraq described his staff's job Thursday as providing "oversight under fire" in a high-stakes arena replete with successes and failures.
FairPoint deal gets green light from state PUC
AUGUSTA - Almost a year after it was first announced, FairPoint Communications' proposal to buy Verizon's northern New England telephone and Internet land lines was approved unanimously by Maine regulators late Thursday night.
Obama, Huckabee victors in Iowa
EDITORIAL: New villages needed
Thousands of Mainers work within sight or smell of salt water, but when it's time to go home, they have to drive miles away from that water. The shortage of affordable housing, particularly along the coast and in southern Maine, could become a geographical class divide if planners do not act to counter this trend.
EDITORIAL: Budget balancing act
As lawmakers begin a new session in Augusta this week, the state's growing budget shortfall will demand much of their time and attention.
Op-Ed: Bhutto's democracy false
Of all the understandings of the democratic idea, none could be more wrong than this one. Democracy at its very core is an antidote to the kind of dynastic revenge young Bhutto was suggesting.
LTEs: Don't tax airplanes; School Consolidation; Repeal Consolidation
KENNEBEC JOURNAL:
CONSOLIDATIONWindsor votes Chelsea into unit WINDSOR -- The Windsor School Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to include Chelsea in a new seven-town regional school unit.
FAME asked to issue bond for newspaper The new owners of The Times Record, a daily newspaper in Brunswick, are asking the Finance Authority of Maine to issue a $7 million revenue bond to finance the purchase of the newspaper's publishing facility in Brunswick.
MORNING SENTINEL:
Mainer to receive medals for Bay of Pigs mission
Jack Hegarty of Dennistown Plantation, in northern Somerset County, was a 21-year-old sailor in the U.S. Navy when he and his mates shipped out for Cuba in April 1961.
COLUMN: Candidates should think more about governing than winning
More than 2,500 journalists were accredited to cover the Iowa caucuses. More than one reporter for every 100 caucus attendees, a ludicrous amount of attention for a state and a process that, were it not for the concentrated output of these men and women, would say little about how we will be governed after the next election.
LTE: Radical Muslims' actions justify U.S. policy
It is about time some of you people out there realize that this is exactly what these radical Muslims want anyone who is not a Muslim want to do -- die.
KENNEBEC JOURNAL:
LTE: Plum Creek's plan may inspire others
SUN JOURNAL:
Smokers fired up over 'safe' butts
Months after slower-burning cigarettes began appearing on store shelves, the impact they have on the smoker depends largely on who you ask.
Posters harass Muslims
Several copies of a harassing, anti-Muslim poster appeared Thursday outside a downtown Somali-owned store.
EDITORIAL: Maybe judges should be elected to the bench
COLUMN: Without U.S. involvement, peace efforts are doomed
When President Bush arrives in Jerusalem next week, he will step into a fledgling peace process already set up to fail. His brief, photo-op visit will likely do little but sustain the illusion of progress for the few days he is there.
MPBN:
Lawmakers Applaud Plan To Jumpstart Economy
After a lengthy deliberation, the Legislature's Committee on Future Maine Prosperity has voted unanimously to endorse a plan to jumpstart the state's economy. Although details of the proposal are still being assembled, a key component is a $75 million reduction in state spending and the creation of a tax relief fund. Democratic and Republican leaders in the Legislature are applauding the recommendations, but as A.J. Higgins reports, bipartisanship could quickly dissolve over budget cuts and taxes.
Same-Sex Couples Surprised By New Law's Loophole
In New Hampshire, civil unions became legal as the clock struck midnight New Years Eve. As many same-sex couples held ceremonies and celebrated, others were shocked to discover they won't get the same benefits afforded to married couples. New Hampshire Public Radio's Amy Quinton reports.
TIMES RECORD:
COLUMN: Can tax reform provide relief?
If there has been a defining issue to Maine politics over the past decade, it is our tax system and the desire to change it. Both in referendums and at the Legislature, it is hard to find any terms used more frequently than "tax reform" and "tax relief."
Bath pursues biz park growth
BATH — The city of Bath is closing in on the early stages of a Wing Farm Parkway expansion, where City Manager William Giroux hopes Phase 2 of the business park development can at least equal the 150 jobs created by Phase 1.
Lawmakers to review Legislature's budget for savings to reduce deficit
The Legislature plans to do its part to reduce the state's budget deficit, but doesn't want to be told by the governor how much to give.
keepMEcurrent
Senate president: State must consider tax increase
Senate President Beth Edmonds said a tax or fee increase or some other revenue source should at least be considered to fill the state's budget hole because further cuts in social services will harm Maine citizens – a posture the Senate minority leader says is a non-starter with
PolitickerME.com
A Unanimous Report for the Prosperity Committee?!
Two points for Senator Jon Courtney, the Republican from Sanford. Apparently Senator Courtney was instrumental in pulling off the impossible
Michaud supports Cheney impeachment
U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud has announced his support for the impeachment hearings of Vice President Dick Cheney.
Raye family to lead Giuliani campaign
Republican BLOGS:
Perspectives on Iraq and the Maine Senate race
The Portland Press Herald ran an op-ed by Edward Erickson, a graduate student from Bowdoinham, that lays out an interesting perspective on the relationship of the Iraq War to the upcoming Maine Senate contest:
Collins Watch: Hmm
Why is Sen. Collins accompanying the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction--an executive branch employee--to meetings with the editorial boards of the Portland Press Herald and Bangor Daily News?
As Maine Goes: Sen. Courtney's Proposal to Cut $75M from State Budget
Augusta – Late last night the Prosperity Committee unanimously approved Senator Jon Courtney's (R-York) proposal to cut $75 million from the state budget. Senator Courtney's plan meets the goals put forth in the Brookings Report which called for an independent commission to find savings. The plan also offers tax relief by investing the budget savings in the Maine Tax Relief Fund.
As Maine Goes: How Does This School Consolidation Save Money?
AUBURN - The Auburn School Committee voted unanimously to make interim Superintendent Tom Morrill the superintendent for the rest of his contract, or until June 2010. Morrill's annual salary of $103,000 will not change.
As Maine Goes: Giuliani Announces Maine Leadership Team
As Maine Goes: Romney Announces Maine Statewide Steering Committee
Maine News: Senate Poll (Updated Results)
Tom Allen: 57%Laurie Dobson: 34%Susan Collins: 8%
WHITE NOISE INSANITY: Will gas reach $4/gallon this winter? Oh probably. George Bush, The Decider, has decided that he won't tap into our nation's oil reserves to bring the price of oil down. Why? Because he hates Americans as we witnessed shortly after the levees broke down in New Orleans after Katrina had devastated the whole Gulf Coast.
NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW:
High diesel prices have a troubling ripple effect Congress is working to address the issue on several fronts. U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen of Maine, along with New Hampshire's two representatives in Congress, Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter, have co-sponsored several bills, either passed or pending.
AVIATION WEEK:
Bush Defense Authorization Veto CoBush Defense Authorization Veto Could Hamper Contracting ReformsSusan Collins, a Maine Republican on the panel, called Bush's decision "extremely disappointing," noting the legislation includes "a pay raise for our .
Maine News Headline Animator
Friday, January 4, 2008
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Maine News for Thursday, January 3, 2008
PRESS HERALD:
As session convenes, big issues hold sway
Short ceremonies are followed by a committee meetingoncuts aimed at balancing the budget.
Cross country case at standstill, police say
Officers investigating a claim that a man threw something in the eyes of a runner at a high school cross country meet have no leads, even after reviewing 3,500 videos and photos from the competition.
Maine joins suit over auto emissions
Maine joined California and 15 other states and sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday for preventing the states from setting greenhouse gas limits for vehicles.
Audit alleges Medicaid mistakes
A federal audit says that Maine overcharged the Medicaid program, which is funded jointly by the state and federal governments, by $44.2 million in 2002 and 2003 and that the state should reimburse the federal government $29.7 million for its share.
Push made to post court data on Web
Maine's judicial branch aims to make documents available while protecting privacy.
Unisys picked to handle MaineCare computers
The move will displace about 100 state jobs, but many people may be hired by the contractor.
EDITORIAL: NASA air-safety report should be fully available
The agency's actions reek of institutional arrogance and disregard for the public good.
EDITORIAL: Scant support for recall doesn't mean approval
Undoing the voters' choices for Portland School Committee would have been a big step.
MAINE VOICES: Moosehead's past outdoes Plum Creek
One hundred years ago, a trip from Greenville to Seboomook by boat would reveal a level of economic development that would boggle the mind of today's conservationist, preservationist or protectionist.
New Hampshire takes the right path with same-sex unions
This matter belongs in a state legislature, and soon it may be Maine's time to debate it.
LTE: Don't waste funding on Downeaster
LTE: Readers dispute wall separating church, state
BANGOR DAILY:
Prayers, taps herald 2008 legislative sessionThursday, January 03, 2008AUGUSTA, Maine - The sounds of prayers, the national anthem and taps ceremonially opened Maine's 2008 legislative session on Wednesday. But behind the pageantry was a sobering assessment of state finances facing lawmakers as they get down to work.
Bangor: Chamber plans annual events
Susan Collins will receive the Public Service Award, sponsored by Husson College.
Maine Senate '08 session opens with warning
Maine Senate President Beth Edmonds, welcoming colleagues back to the State House as the 2008 legislative session opened Wednesday, warned lawmakers "there is a very hard winter ahead" and that in rebalancing the budget they must recognize "we have cut all the fat" already.
School group's deadline nears
The group seeking to repeal the state's school consolidation law will make a final push this month to collect the required number of signatures on petitions that would bring the repeal issue to legislators or to a referendum vote.
EDITORIAL: Budget balancing act
As lawmakers begin a new session in Augusta this week, the state's growing budget shortfall will demand much of their time and attention. Gov. John Baldacci, through an executive order last month, has already outlined much of his blueprint for cost cutting with more to come when he unveils his supplemental budget next week.
Ralph Chapman: Schools' day of reckoning
Then, last spring with warmer weather coming, school years' end within sight, and several months of acclimating to the reality that our newly re-elected Democratic governor was trying to implement his secret before-the-election school consolidation plan, only the Legislature stood ready to inject some reason into the political processes that seemed to have gone so astray.
LTEs: Silence is Complicity; In defence of Israel; Cut-off from troops
Recovering soldiers and marines at Walter Reed Hospital are definitely more secure, thanks to Homeland Security. They won't be threatened by Christmas and holiday cards sent from supportive and appreciative Americans. This will hearten and reassure those wounded men and women now fighting to regain a sense of well-being.
KENNEBEC JOURNAL
Lawmakers expecting 'tough year'
AUGUSTA -- Liam Knowles came to the Statehouse Wednesday to watch his granddad, Ralph W. Sarty Jr. of Denmark, take the oath of office.
School, budget, insurance issues await
AUGUSTA -- The budget, school consolidation, energy costs and health insurance all made the list of major topics lawmakers plan to tackle this session.
State disputing claimof Medicaid overcharges
AUGUSTA -- A new federal audit says Maine overcharged the Medicaid program, which is funded jointly by the state and federal governments, by $44.2 million in 2002 and 2003 and the state should reimburse the federal government $29.7 million for its share. But state officials insist that Maine's Bureau of Child and Family Services calculated the costs correctly so the state does not owe the federal government a refund.
Jail readyto staff up
AUGUSTA -- Uncooperative inmates and double shifts are part of the job for Kennebec County sheriff's deputies, but relief is in sight now that the hiring of 16 new corrections officers has been approved.
Maine courtsstumble online
If you want to see a document from a case in Maine's court system, you have to visit the appropriate county courthouse, wait in line and review the hard copy. In some instances, you need a docket number or other information to find the file.
Editorials:
Historic sitesbill is investmentin Maine's future
The sight of empty brick mills and other old industrial buildings -- windows broken, pigeons perched on the roof -- is all too commonplace in Maine. Across the state, these symbols of our state's vibrant past have been abandoned and deemed too expensive for developers to rehabilitate. And when they lie unused and deteriorating, they can suck the life from their towns and cities.
JIM BRUNELLE : Lawmakers need spirit ofJanuary to conquer problems
This is my time of year, the season of optimism and cycle of the fresh start.
MORNING SENTINTEL:
Maine courts moving to put records online
If you want to see a document from a case in Maine's court system, you have to visit the appropriate county courthouse, wait in line and review the hard copy. In some instances, you need a docket number or other information to find the file.
EDITORIAL: Historic sites bill is investment in Maine's future
Veteran: Care received at Togus is 'excellent'
SUN JOURNAL:
Firefighters get grants from feds
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday it has awarded $869,626 in grants to nine Maine fire departments. The money is provided through the "Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program," a news release from U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, D-Maine, stated.
LTE: Crisis centers need funding
Gov. Baldacci recently curtailed $38 million to balance the state budget, including money earmarked by the Legislature for the prevention of sexual and domestic violence initiatives.
MPBN:
Snowfall Strains Municipal Budgets Statewide
It's been snowing in Maine--more than usual for this time of year. According to the National Weather Service, Portland residents shoveled and plowed nearly 40 inches of snow in December, making it the city's 3rd snowiest December on record. Barbara Cariddi reports.
Feds To Cut Drug Enforcement Funding To Maine
At a time when Maine is seeing more drug-related homicides - five in 2007- and more drug related violence than ever before, the federal government is slashing funds used to support the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and drug prosecutors in district attorneys' offices around the state. The cuts are not unique to Maine, but as Susan Sharon reports, a state budget shortfall and other fiscal contraints are likely to make it even more challenging to fund Maine's war on drugs.
Maine Legislature Opens Its Doors For Business
Maine lawmakers returned to the State House today vowing to make finances their top priority as they weigh a budget deficit totalling 95 million dollars over the next two years. A little more than a third of that have will have to be closed prior to the end of the fiscal year in June, and lawmakers are gearing up for some intense debate over how to achieve those savings. A.J. Higgins reports.
THE TIMES RECORD:
'Big box' study law scrutinized A law passed in 2007 designed to make it tougher for big-box stores to come into town and take business away from local retailers will be up for discussion again in 2008, with an amendment proposed to allow communities to opt out of the new rule.
Clipped wingsMaine's tax policy reads more like political satire every day, but it's no laughing matter. It's embarrassing.
COURIER-GAZETTE:
'Kiddie' tax grows up
If you had a plan to shift some of your tax burden to your youngster, it's time to consider devising a Plan B. Due to Congressional action last year that officially extended childhood from age 14 to age 18 for purposes of calculating tax on invested income, the so-called "kiddie tax" is growing up.
THE ELLSWORTH AMERICAN:
Local Control Battle Looms In Augusta
AUGUSTA — With legislators returning this week to continue their debate on the new school consolidation law, expect a battle over allowing local school committees to maintain control over their kindergarten through grade 8 schools in newly formed "super unions."
EDITORIAL: The Consolidation Debacle
BLOGS:
As Maine Goes: Dem Consensus on Redistribution of Income"There's a real Democratic consensus now," said Rep. Barney Frank. The "reality of stagnant income for most Americans" is shaping Democratic priorities. "What you've got, essentially, is a movement on the Democratic side [toward] the view that growth alone is not enough, and concern about the distribution of income has to be part of the equation."
As Maine Goes: Bye Bye, Light Bulb Just like that--like flipping a switch--Congress and the president banned incandescent light bulbs last month. OK, they did not exactly ban them. But the energy bill passed by Congress and signed by President Bush sets energy-efficiency standards for light bulbs that traditional incandescent bulbs cannot meet.
Maine Web Report: Phase 2 of the Baldacci Tourism Marketing PlanGovernor Baldacci's efforts to accelerate a small-business diaspora continue. This time, Baldacci's economic stormtroopers are trying to stamp out the last vestiges of potential tourism revenue from airfield hangers across the state. Here's the AP report:
Turn Maine Blue: Portland ME Schools and Birth Control--UpdateThe right wing made two attempts to challenge this, and both have failed.
Turn Maine Blue: Open ThreadMaine Today is reporting that Maine has joined California in suing the EPA over its recent ruling to not grant a waiver that would set a higher NOx standard than that of the Fed.
Maine News: "Poll: If the election were held today, who would you vote for in the Maine Senate Race? (Alphabetical)" As of Wednesday, January 2 at 11:30 pm, the results of the poll were as follows:Laurie Dobson 70%Tom Allen 25%Susan Collins 3%
EarthNews: EPA approves Northeast states' mercury plan Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), have called for stronger federal regulation of mercury.
2 Jan 08 January, USA National Stalking Awareness Month Washington, DC U.S. Senators Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced a resolution designating January as National Stalking Awareness Month.
As session convenes, big issues hold sway
Short ceremonies are followed by a committee meetingoncuts aimed at balancing the budget.
Cross country case at standstill, police say
Officers investigating a claim that a man threw something in the eyes of a runner at a high school cross country meet have no leads, even after reviewing 3,500 videos and photos from the competition.
Maine joins suit over auto emissions
Maine joined California and 15 other states and sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday for preventing the states from setting greenhouse gas limits for vehicles.
Audit alleges Medicaid mistakes
A federal audit says that Maine overcharged the Medicaid program, which is funded jointly by the state and federal governments, by $44.2 million in 2002 and 2003 and that the state should reimburse the federal government $29.7 million for its share.
Push made to post court data on Web
Maine's judicial branch aims to make documents available while protecting privacy.
Unisys picked to handle MaineCare computers
The move will displace about 100 state jobs, but many people may be hired by the contractor.
EDITORIAL: NASA air-safety report should be fully available
The agency's actions reek of institutional arrogance and disregard for the public good.
EDITORIAL: Scant support for recall doesn't mean approval
Undoing the voters' choices for Portland School Committee would have been a big step.
MAINE VOICES: Moosehead's past outdoes Plum Creek
One hundred years ago, a trip from Greenville to Seboomook by boat would reveal a level of economic development that would boggle the mind of today's conservationist, preservationist or protectionist.
New Hampshire takes the right path with same-sex unions
This matter belongs in a state legislature, and soon it may be Maine's time to debate it.
LTE: Don't waste funding on Downeaster
LTE: Readers dispute wall separating church, state
BANGOR DAILY:
Prayers, taps herald 2008 legislative sessionThursday, January 03, 2008AUGUSTA, Maine - The sounds of prayers, the national anthem and taps ceremonially opened Maine's 2008 legislative session on Wednesday. But behind the pageantry was a sobering assessment of state finances facing lawmakers as they get down to work.
Bangor: Chamber plans annual events
Susan Collins will receive the Public Service Award, sponsored by Husson College.
Maine Senate '08 session opens with warning
Maine Senate President Beth Edmonds, welcoming colleagues back to the State House as the 2008 legislative session opened Wednesday, warned lawmakers "there is a very hard winter ahead" and that in rebalancing the budget they must recognize "we have cut all the fat" already.
School group's deadline nears
The group seeking to repeal the state's school consolidation law will make a final push this month to collect the required number of signatures on petitions that would bring the repeal issue to legislators or to a referendum vote.
EDITORIAL: Budget balancing act
As lawmakers begin a new session in Augusta this week, the state's growing budget shortfall will demand much of their time and attention. Gov. John Baldacci, through an executive order last month, has already outlined much of his blueprint for cost cutting with more to come when he unveils his supplemental budget next week.
Ralph Chapman: Schools' day of reckoning
Then, last spring with warmer weather coming, school years' end within sight, and several months of acclimating to the reality that our newly re-elected Democratic governor was trying to implement his secret before-the-election school consolidation plan, only the Legislature stood ready to inject some reason into the political processes that seemed to have gone so astray.
LTEs: Silence is Complicity; In defence of Israel; Cut-off from troops
Recovering soldiers and marines at Walter Reed Hospital are definitely more secure, thanks to Homeland Security. They won't be threatened by Christmas and holiday cards sent from supportive and appreciative Americans. This will hearten and reassure those wounded men and women now fighting to regain a sense of well-being.
KENNEBEC JOURNAL
Lawmakers expecting 'tough year'
AUGUSTA -- Liam Knowles came to the Statehouse Wednesday to watch his granddad, Ralph W. Sarty Jr. of Denmark, take the oath of office.
School, budget, insurance issues await
AUGUSTA -- The budget, school consolidation, energy costs and health insurance all made the list of major topics lawmakers plan to tackle this session.
State disputing claimof Medicaid overcharges
AUGUSTA -- A new federal audit says Maine overcharged the Medicaid program, which is funded jointly by the state and federal governments, by $44.2 million in 2002 and 2003 and the state should reimburse the federal government $29.7 million for its share. But state officials insist that Maine's Bureau of Child and Family Services calculated the costs correctly so the state does not owe the federal government a refund.
Jail readyto staff up
AUGUSTA -- Uncooperative inmates and double shifts are part of the job for Kennebec County sheriff's deputies, but relief is in sight now that the hiring of 16 new corrections officers has been approved.
Maine courtsstumble online
If you want to see a document from a case in Maine's court system, you have to visit the appropriate county courthouse, wait in line and review the hard copy. In some instances, you need a docket number or other information to find the file.
Editorials:
Historic sitesbill is investmentin Maine's future
The sight of empty brick mills and other old industrial buildings -- windows broken, pigeons perched on the roof -- is all too commonplace in Maine. Across the state, these symbols of our state's vibrant past have been abandoned and deemed too expensive for developers to rehabilitate. And when they lie unused and deteriorating, they can suck the life from their towns and cities.
JIM BRUNELLE : Lawmakers need spirit ofJanuary to conquer problems
This is my time of year, the season of optimism and cycle of the fresh start.
MORNING SENTINTEL:
Maine courts moving to put records online
If you want to see a document from a case in Maine's court system, you have to visit the appropriate county courthouse, wait in line and review the hard copy. In some instances, you need a docket number or other information to find the file.
EDITORIAL: Historic sites bill is investment in Maine's future
Veteran: Care received at Togus is 'excellent'
SUN JOURNAL:
Firefighters get grants from feds
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday it has awarded $869,626 in grants to nine Maine fire departments. The money is provided through the "Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program," a news release from U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, D-Maine, stated.
LTE: Crisis centers need funding
Gov. Baldacci recently curtailed $38 million to balance the state budget, including money earmarked by the Legislature for the prevention of sexual and domestic violence initiatives.
MPBN:
Snowfall Strains Municipal Budgets Statewide
It's been snowing in Maine--more than usual for this time of year. According to the National Weather Service, Portland residents shoveled and plowed nearly 40 inches of snow in December, making it the city's 3rd snowiest December on record. Barbara Cariddi reports.
Feds To Cut Drug Enforcement Funding To Maine
At a time when Maine is seeing more drug-related homicides - five in 2007- and more drug related violence than ever before, the federal government is slashing funds used to support the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and drug prosecutors in district attorneys' offices around the state. The cuts are not unique to Maine, but as Susan Sharon reports, a state budget shortfall and other fiscal contraints are likely to make it even more challenging to fund Maine's war on drugs.
Maine Legislature Opens Its Doors For Business
Maine lawmakers returned to the State House today vowing to make finances their top priority as they weigh a budget deficit totalling 95 million dollars over the next two years. A little more than a third of that have will have to be closed prior to the end of the fiscal year in June, and lawmakers are gearing up for some intense debate over how to achieve those savings. A.J. Higgins reports.
THE TIMES RECORD:
'Big box' study law scrutinized A law passed in 2007 designed to make it tougher for big-box stores to come into town and take business away from local retailers will be up for discussion again in 2008, with an amendment proposed to allow communities to opt out of the new rule.
Clipped wingsMaine's tax policy reads more like political satire every day, but it's no laughing matter. It's embarrassing.
COURIER-GAZETTE:
'Kiddie' tax grows up
If you had a plan to shift some of your tax burden to your youngster, it's time to consider devising a Plan B. Due to Congressional action last year that officially extended childhood from age 14 to age 18 for purposes of calculating tax on invested income, the so-called "kiddie tax" is growing up.
THE ELLSWORTH AMERICAN:
Local Control Battle Looms In Augusta
AUGUSTA — With legislators returning this week to continue their debate on the new school consolidation law, expect a battle over allowing local school committees to maintain control over their kindergarten through grade 8 schools in newly formed "super unions."
EDITORIAL: The Consolidation Debacle
BLOGS:
As Maine Goes: Dem Consensus on Redistribution of Income"There's a real Democratic consensus now," said Rep. Barney Frank. The "reality of stagnant income for most Americans" is shaping Democratic priorities. "What you've got, essentially, is a movement on the Democratic side [toward] the view that growth alone is not enough, and concern about the distribution of income has to be part of the equation."
As Maine Goes: Bye Bye, Light Bulb Just like that--like flipping a switch--Congress and the president banned incandescent light bulbs last month. OK, they did not exactly ban them. But the energy bill passed by Congress and signed by President Bush sets energy-efficiency standards for light bulbs that traditional incandescent bulbs cannot meet.
Maine Web Report: Phase 2 of the Baldacci Tourism Marketing PlanGovernor Baldacci's efforts to accelerate a small-business diaspora continue. This time, Baldacci's economic stormtroopers are trying to stamp out the last vestiges of potential tourism revenue from airfield hangers across the state. Here's the AP report:
Turn Maine Blue: Portland ME Schools and Birth Control--UpdateThe right wing made two attempts to challenge this, and both have failed.
Turn Maine Blue: Open ThreadMaine Today is reporting that Maine has joined California in suing the EPA over its recent ruling to not grant a waiver that would set a higher NOx standard than that of the Fed.
Maine News: "Poll: If the election were held today, who would you vote for in the Maine Senate Race? (Alphabetical)" As of Wednesday, January 2 at 11:30 pm, the results of the poll were as follows:Laurie Dobson 70%Tom Allen 25%Susan Collins 3%
EarthNews: EPA approves Northeast states' mercury plan Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), have called for stronger federal regulation of mercury.
2 Jan 08 January, USA National Stalking Awareness Month Washington, DC U.S. Senators Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced a resolution designating January as National Stalking Awareness Month.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Maine News for Wednesday, January 2, 2008
PRESS HERALD:
From Today:
MAINE VOICES: Allen may be misreading discontent over warIraq doesn't seem to have been the driving issue for Maine voters in 2006, and likely won't be this year.
Petitions for recall election fall shortThree Portland School Committee members appear likely to withstand an effort to remove them from office for their support of a controversial birth-control measure.
Rise in number of Maine drug killings worries policeA shootout in which a man was gunned down over a drug debt in a Saco parking lot underscores an alarming trend: drug killings increased in Maine in 2007.
EDITORIAL: Situation in Somalia calls for humanitarian aid -- and caution — Competing rallies by Somali refugees in Portland recently carried a message to policy-makers: There's no easy solution to the current fighting in Somalia, and not every Somali thinks the return of Islamist rule is the best guarantee of progress.
EDITORIAL: Towns should pay for seawall upgrades themselves Federal disaster funds should be used to repair damage, not make improvements.
LTE: Plum Creek plan a quality investmentI am writing on behalf of Raft Maine, an association of professional white-water rafting outfitters, in support of the Plum Creek concept plan.
LTE: Feed-in tariff law would help cut cost of electricity Maine can produce clean, green electricity and take a step toward energy independence.
From January 1, 2008:
EDITORIAL: U.N. force may be too small to stop violence in DarfurThe Sudanese government's limits could hamper a peacekeeping mission.
EDITORIAL: Time for new starts and old businessMaine's elected officials will be busy finishing the work left over from 2007.
MAINE VOICES: State needs to rebuild transportation bureaucraciesWidening roads is an outdated solution to this century's problems, and doesn't serve Mainers.
BANGOR DAILY:
New federal budget slashes MDEA fundsPolice across the state are reeling from a huge cut in federal funds used to pay for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, a cut that some believe threatens the ability of law enforcement to wage any sort of significant war on drugs.
Bucksport seeks new sources of energy In an effort to counter rising energy costs, the town of Bucksport is set to look at ways to produce and distribute its own lower-cost power using wind, natural gas, tidal power or a combination of those sources.
EDITORIAL: Disrespecting Ron PaulRon Paul is the Rodney Dangerfield of Republican presidential candidates: He can't get no respect, especially from the media.
Steve Cartwright: The train solutionThe haunting, wistful whistle of the Maine Eastern Railroad drifts three miles from the crossing to my house. It's a pleasant sound, and a reminder that midcoast Mainers are missing a good bet.
LTEs: Shortsighted cuts; Lay off sick leave
KENNEBEC JOURNAL:
Lawmakers back to work today AUGUSTA -- Five new lawmakers, including Pat Jones of Mount Vernon, will be sworn in today as the Legislature begins the 2008 session.
System angers soldierVisit to Togus failsto provide pain help RANDOLPH -- U.S. Army Cpl. Travis Berry was in pain and needed to refill his prescription.
First Alfond grant goes to Waterville baby WATERVILLE -- Gabriella May Frain entered the world just two hours into the new year and already she has $500 saved for her college education.
New parents facedaunting costs Congratulations! The child has arrived. But did you plan for the cost of raising that kid?
MORNING SENTINEL:
COLUMN: Consolidation turns out to be enemy of freedom Local control is the casualty of consolidation. Your voice is being muted; your influence is waning. Bigger is better. Small is no longer beautiful.
COLUMN: Another way to solve consolidation problems LTE: Foreign policy decisions by U.S. shameful
SUN JOURNAL:
In N.H., same-sex couples' wait ends Dozens of gay and lesbian couples celebrated the arrival of civil unions in New Hampshire in the early moments of New Year's Day, bundling up against below-freezing temperatures for a group ceremony as soon as the unions became legal after midnight.
Primary system has U.S. fed upCONCORD, N.H. - All eyes may be on Iowa and New Hampshire, but many of them are rolling.
COLUMNIST: Bhutto's death a warning; will anyone heed it? On Friday, the day of Benazir Bhutto's burial in her ancestral village, Pakistanis were still struggling to grasp that she was dead.
LTE: We don't need border wallPeople may not realize that the U.S. government wants to build a wall from California to Texas, along the border with Mexico, to keep out illegal aliens. History has shown that high walls have not kept the intended people out.
LTE: We must get involved in DarfurWhen it became clear that the Nazis were responsible for the deaths of millions of Jewish people, the world was horrified. Everyone wished there could have been intervention before this tragedy occurred. Yet today, something reminiscent of the Holocaust is unfolding before our very eyes.
keepMEcurrent
Will merged districts keep local school boards? Stay tunedThere will be a battle over allowing some local school committees to maintain control over their kindergarten-Grade 8 schools in newly formed regional school units when legislators return this week to continue their debate on the new school consolidation law.
Laws governing big-box development could be tweaked A law passed in 2007 designed to make it tougher for big-box stores to come into town and take business away from local retailers will be up for discussion again in 2008, with an amendment proposed to allow communities to opt out of the new rule.
PORTSMOUTH HERALD:
Low fuel assistance funds may leave some Mainers in coldFor 26 years, The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has helped low-income residents curb high energy bills for 26 years, but this year may be different.
KENNEBEC JOURNAL:
SYSTEM ANGERS SOLDIER: Visit to Togus fails to provide pain help U.S. Army Cpl. Travis Berry was in pain and needed to refill his prescription. So his grandfather, Charles Berry of West Gardiner, drove him to the nearby veterans hospital at Togus. But officials there last week refused to refill his grandson's medication because he is an active-duty soldier, the elder Berry said. They also declined to help him find another way to get more medicine.
BLOGS:
As Maine Goes: ME's Subprime Foreclosure Rate Forecast at 22.8 PercentA Senate committee recently estimated that Maine has 24,460 outstanding subprime loans and expects 5,583 to end up in foreclosure between July of this year and the end of 2009. While the raw number of expected foreclosures here is tiny compared to California (191,144 foreclosures expected) and Florida (157,341), Maine's foreclosure rate on subprime loans is forecast to be 22.8 percent, above a national average of 18 percent.
Turn Maine Blue: How not to announce a candidacyFrom my e-mail today. This was sent to every county officer an e-mail could be found for across the state, it looks like.
White Noise Insanity: Ralph Nader throws his support to John Edwards?
LAWRENCE JOURNAL WORLD AND NEWS
Bill a threat to civil libertiesAs the media daily reports government abuses of individual civil and constitutional rights in the name of the "war against terrorism," and as the now Democratic-controlled Congress continues to hold public hearings on the worst of these abuses, a new threat to the civil liberties of Americans quietly wends its way through the halls of Congress.
From Today:
MAINE VOICES: Allen may be misreading discontent over warIraq doesn't seem to have been the driving issue for Maine voters in 2006, and likely won't be this year.
Petitions for recall election fall shortThree Portland School Committee members appear likely to withstand an effort to remove them from office for their support of a controversial birth-control measure.
Rise in number of Maine drug killings worries policeA shootout in which a man was gunned down over a drug debt in a Saco parking lot underscores an alarming trend: drug killings increased in Maine in 2007.
EDITORIAL: Situation in Somalia calls for humanitarian aid -- and caution — Competing rallies by Somali refugees in Portland recently carried a message to policy-makers: There's no easy solution to the current fighting in Somalia, and not every Somali thinks the return of Islamist rule is the best guarantee of progress.
EDITORIAL: Towns should pay for seawall upgrades themselves Federal disaster funds should be used to repair damage, not make improvements.
LTE: Plum Creek plan a quality investmentI am writing on behalf of Raft Maine, an association of professional white-water rafting outfitters, in support of the Plum Creek concept plan.
LTE: Feed-in tariff law would help cut cost of electricity Maine can produce clean, green electricity and take a step toward energy independence.
From January 1, 2008:
EDITORIAL: U.N. force may be too small to stop violence in DarfurThe Sudanese government's limits could hamper a peacekeeping mission.
EDITORIAL: Time for new starts and old businessMaine's elected officials will be busy finishing the work left over from 2007.
MAINE VOICES: State needs to rebuild transportation bureaucraciesWidening roads is an outdated solution to this century's problems, and doesn't serve Mainers.
BANGOR DAILY:
New federal budget slashes MDEA fundsPolice across the state are reeling from a huge cut in federal funds used to pay for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, a cut that some believe threatens the ability of law enforcement to wage any sort of significant war on drugs.
Bucksport seeks new sources of energy In an effort to counter rising energy costs, the town of Bucksport is set to look at ways to produce and distribute its own lower-cost power using wind, natural gas, tidal power or a combination of those sources.
EDITORIAL: Disrespecting Ron PaulRon Paul is the Rodney Dangerfield of Republican presidential candidates: He can't get no respect, especially from the media.
Steve Cartwright: The train solutionThe haunting, wistful whistle of the Maine Eastern Railroad drifts three miles from the crossing to my house. It's a pleasant sound, and a reminder that midcoast Mainers are missing a good bet.
LTEs: Shortsighted cuts; Lay off sick leave
KENNEBEC JOURNAL:
Lawmakers back to work today AUGUSTA -- Five new lawmakers, including Pat Jones of Mount Vernon, will be sworn in today as the Legislature begins the 2008 session.
System angers soldierVisit to Togus failsto provide pain help RANDOLPH -- U.S. Army Cpl. Travis Berry was in pain and needed to refill his prescription.
First Alfond grant goes to Waterville baby WATERVILLE -- Gabriella May Frain entered the world just two hours into the new year and already she has $500 saved for her college education.
New parents facedaunting costs Congratulations! The child has arrived. But did you plan for the cost of raising that kid?
MORNING SENTINEL:
COLUMN: Consolidation turns out to be enemy of freedom Local control is the casualty of consolidation. Your voice is being muted; your influence is waning. Bigger is better. Small is no longer beautiful.
COLUMN: Another way to solve consolidation problems LTE: Foreign policy decisions by U.S. shameful
SUN JOURNAL:
In N.H., same-sex couples' wait ends Dozens of gay and lesbian couples celebrated the arrival of civil unions in New Hampshire in the early moments of New Year's Day, bundling up against below-freezing temperatures for a group ceremony as soon as the unions became legal after midnight.
Primary system has U.S. fed upCONCORD, N.H. - All eyes may be on Iowa and New Hampshire, but many of them are rolling.
COLUMNIST: Bhutto's death a warning; will anyone heed it? On Friday, the day of Benazir Bhutto's burial in her ancestral village, Pakistanis were still struggling to grasp that she was dead.
LTE: We don't need border wallPeople may not realize that the U.S. government wants to build a wall from California to Texas, along the border with Mexico, to keep out illegal aliens. History has shown that high walls have not kept the intended people out.
LTE: We must get involved in DarfurWhen it became clear that the Nazis were responsible for the deaths of millions of Jewish people, the world was horrified. Everyone wished there could have been intervention before this tragedy occurred. Yet today, something reminiscent of the Holocaust is unfolding before our very eyes.
keepMEcurrent
Will merged districts keep local school boards? Stay tunedThere will be a battle over allowing some local school committees to maintain control over their kindergarten-Grade 8 schools in newly formed regional school units when legislators return this week to continue their debate on the new school consolidation law.
Laws governing big-box development could be tweaked A law passed in 2007 designed to make it tougher for big-box stores to come into town and take business away from local retailers will be up for discussion again in 2008, with an amendment proposed to allow communities to opt out of the new rule.
PORTSMOUTH HERALD:
Low fuel assistance funds may leave some Mainers in coldFor 26 years, The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has helped low-income residents curb high energy bills for 26 years, but this year may be different.
KENNEBEC JOURNAL:
SYSTEM ANGERS SOLDIER: Visit to Togus fails to provide pain help U.S. Army Cpl. Travis Berry was in pain and needed to refill his prescription. So his grandfather, Charles Berry of West Gardiner, drove him to the nearby veterans hospital at Togus. But officials there last week refused to refill his grandson's medication because he is an active-duty soldier, the elder Berry said. They also declined to help him find another way to get more medicine.
BLOGS:
As Maine Goes: ME's Subprime Foreclosure Rate Forecast at 22.8 PercentA Senate committee recently estimated that Maine has 24,460 outstanding subprime loans and expects 5,583 to end up in foreclosure between July of this year and the end of 2009. While the raw number of expected foreclosures here is tiny compared to California (191,144 foreclosures expected) and Florida (157,341), Maine's foreclosure rate on subprime loans is forecast to be 22.8 percent, above a national average of 18 percent.
Turn Maine Blue: How not to announce a candidacyFrom my e-mail today. This was sent to every county officer an e-mail could be found for across the state, it looks like.
White Noise Insanity: Ralph Nader throws his support to John Edwards?
LAWRENCE JOURNAL WORLD AND NEWS
Bill a threat to civil libertiesAs the media daily reports government abuses of individual civil and constitutional rights in the name of the "war against terrorism," and as the now Democratic-controlled Congress continues to hold public hearings on the worst of these abuses, a new threat to the civil liberties of Americans quietly wends its way through the halls of Congress.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Maine News for Monday, December 31, 2007
Happy New Years Everyone!
PRESS HERALD:Elite Guardsmen to train Afghan troopsThe 16 Maine soldiers draw lessons from Lawrence of Arabia as they prepare to guide and fight beside their hosts.
Somali rallies give voice to division over homelandLocal gatherings present different views of the role of Ethiopia in Somalia.
Federal funds to repair towns' seawalls may fall shortBut FEMA's aid estimates aren't final, and Wells and Kennebunk have options to appeal for more money.
Steady hands needed at the helms The precarious financial nature of most Maine nonprofits makes strong leadership vital to their survival.
EDITORIAL: With toll roads, not all miles created equalA completely fair toll system is hard to conceive, and might not be the best policy.
EDITORIAL: If emitting less mercury here is good, what about the Midwest?Federal approval of regional targets is fine, but they can't solve all of the problem.
MAINE VOICES: Kids learn when time is rightWe have turned our schools into assembly-line factories, but our children aren't widgets.
LTE: FDA was right to advise limiting Mevacore useLTE: Rail service would bring better roads, cleaner airLTE: Mainers don't need added taxes to fund illegal aliens
BANGOR DAILY:
Baldacci: More efficiency needed in '08Gov. John Baldacci says 2008 will be the year state and local governments reorganize to be more efficient and save money or it will be the year when many programs at all levels of government will be cut or eliminated.
Long-term funding needed for Maine's aging bridgesTwo state-funded reports and one privately financed study this year point out Maine's need to replace its aging bridges before time runs out.
EDITORIAL: Energy efficient schoolsIt's a typical below-freezing Maine winter day, and as you drive by the neighborhood school, you notice a door propped open, or windows in the second floor raised to let in the fresh air. Balancing heat and humidity in a building — especially an older one — with a couple hundred children in it, who at times are running around a gym, or eating plates of steaming spaghetti, isn't easy. But as a taxpayer, knowing what it costs to heat that building each winter, the scene can drive you to distraction.
Editorial: Honesty in health carePolls show that health care is a major issue — rivaled only by the Iraq war — in the current presidential campaign. Complaints about the present system include the mounting cost, the many left out, poor service and too much paperwork.
Paul Averill Liebow: Knowledge of chemicals in products is lackingLegislators will soon consider a bill to protect our children from dangerous toys and other products (such as phthalates in IV bags in hospitals) from every country, a problem far more prevalent than Chinese lead paint poisoning.
LTEs: Another school option; Plum Creek support; Ethanol enthusiasm
MORNING SENTINEL:
Longley 'took it serious' leading the stateJim Longley was running a successful Lewiston insurance agency in 1972 when Gov. Ken Curtis asked him to lead a state government cost-cutting commission.
LTE: Prohibition is not the answer for alcohol issuesLTE: The answer for Maine's economy: Stop spending
KENNEBEC JOURNAL:
SAD 9 SAVES MONEY BY REMOTE CONTROL Hit the switch from home
Slates' fire, new cancer center, rail trail rated by readers as top stories Readers selected the fire at Slates' restaurant, the opening of the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care and the completion of the Kennebec River Rail Trail as the top three local news stories for 2007.
2007 took toll on prominent residents of Augusta area People in the capital area mourned a number of prominent individuals who died in 2007.
LTE: Baldacci cuts aid for sex-abuse victimsSpeaking as a woman, mother, sister, daughter, friend and long-time advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, I am appalled and disgusted at the decision made by the governor to cut essential funding to services and prevention efforts for survivors of sexual assault and abuse.
PORTSMOUTH HERALD:
In Maine, school 'leadership drain' begins The Maine school consolidation law certainly played a part when Edward McDonough, superintendent of the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District, decided to apply for an opening in Exeter, N.H.The Republican Journal & The Waldo Independent
Energy-saving challenge proposed Local advocate takes aim at causes of global warming
MPBN:
Closed Furniture Maker Back In Business
Over the past year, there's been no shortage of mill closings and downsizings in Maine. In February, it was Moosehead Manufacturing that closed its plants in Monson and Dover-Foxcroft, putting more than 100 people out of work. But this story is different than most, the mill is reopening, with a pared-down product line, more focus, and new owners. Murray Carpenter reports.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/071228moosehead.asx
Food Bank Reports Sharp Increase In Demand
Maine's largest food bank is reporting a 25 percent increase in the demand for food over last year. And the director of the Good Shepherd Food Bank expects that demand from more than 600 soup kitchens, shelters, group homes and food pantries will only intensify as Mainers are pinched by higher prices for heat, gas and food. As Susan Sharon reports, feeding the hungry is becoming a greater economic challenge than ever before.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/071228foodbank.asx
BLOGS:
PolitickerME: New Year's Resolutions We all make them.....and break them. Here are a few suggestions for a number of Maine Politicians and other public officials.
AS MAINE GOES: Democrats: Redeploy troops from Iraq "Congress is challenging the administration's strategy in Iraq in favor of a better one that will effectively combat terrorism and create stability in the Middle East," she said. "Time and time again, we voted for a strategy to redeploy troops out of Iraq...to focus our mission on anti-terrorism, and we won't give up."
WHITE NOISE INSANITY: Osama bin Laden is STILL safe as we go into 2008 and we need to be grateful for the White House's effortsAs we head into 2008, which is a very important election year for our country, we should be thankful that George Bush & Dick Cheney continue to protect, harbor, and fuel Osama bin Laden's good name. Oh yes! We should be proud of our leaders for NOT going after Osama for the past six years and as we head into 2008, we'll be entering another year where this man is allowed to remain free. Freedom is for Osama, people! Don't you forget it either.
PRESS HERALD:Elite Guardsmen to train Afghan troopsThe 16 Maine soldiers draw lessons from Lawrence of Arabia as they prepare to guide and fight beside their hosts.
Somali rallies give voice to division over homelandLocal gatherings present different views of the role of Ethiopia in Somalia.
Federal funds to repair towns' seawalls may fall shortBut FEMA's aid estimates aren't final, and Wells and Kennebunk have options to appeal for more money.
Steady hands needed at the helms The precarious financial nature of most Maine nonprofits makes strong leadership vital to their survival.
EDITORIAL: With toll roads, not all miles created equalA completely fair toll system is hard to conceive, and might not be the best policy.
EDITORIAL: If emitting less mercury here is good, what about the Midwest?Federal approval of regional targets is fine, but they can't solve all of the problem.
MAINE VOICES: Kids learn when time is rightWe have turned our schools into assembly-line factories, but our children aren't widgets.
LTE: FDA was right to advise limiting Mevacore useLTE: Rail service would bring better roads, cleaner airLTE: Mainers don't need added taxes to fund illegal aliens
BANGOR DAILY:
Baldacci: More efficiency needed in '08Gov. John Baldacci says 2008 will be the year state and local governments reorganize to be more efficient and save money or it will be the year when many programs at all levels of government will be cut or eliminated.
Long-term funding needed for Maine's aging bridgesTwo state-funded reports and one privately financed study this year point out Maine's need to replace its aging bridges before time runs out.
EDITORIAL: Energy efficient schoolsIt's a typical below-freezing Maine winter day, and as you drive by the neighborhood school, you notice a door propped open, or windows in the second floor raised to let in the fresh air. Balancing heat and humidity in a building — especially an older one — with a couple hundred children in it, who at times are running around a gym, or eating plates of steaming spaghetti, isn't easy. But as a taxpayer, knowing what it costs to heat that building each winter, the scene can drive you to distraction.
Editorial: Honesty in health carePolls show that health care is a major issue — rivaled only by the Iraq war — in the current presidential campaign. Complaints about the present system include the mounting cost, the many left out, poor service and too much paperwork.
Paul Averill Liebow: Knowledge of chemicals in products is lackingLegislators will soon consider a bill to protect our children from dangerous toys and other products (such as phthalates in IV bags in hospitals) from every country, a problem far more prevalent than Chinese lead paint poisoning.
LTEs: Another school option; Plum Creek support; Ethanol enthusiasm
MORNING SENTINEL:
Longley 'took it serious' leading the stateJim Longley was running a successful Lewiston insurance agency in 1972 when Gov. Ken Curtis asked him to lead a state government cost-cutting commission.
LTE: Prohibition is not the answer for alcohol issuesLTE: The answer for Maine's economy: Stop spending
KENNEBEC JOURNAL:
SAD 9 SAVES MONEY BY REMOTE CONTROL Hit the switch from home
Slates' fire, new cancer center, rail trail rated by readers as top stories Readers selected the fire at Slates' restaurant, the opening of the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care and the completion of the Kennebec River Rail Trail as the top three local news stories for 2007.
2007 took toll on prominent residents of Augusta area People in the capital area mourned a number of prominent individuals who died in 2007.
LTE: Baldacci cuts aid for sex-abuse victimsSpeaking as a woman, mother, sister, daughter, friend and long-time advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, I am appalled and disgusted at the decision made by the governor to cut essential funding to services and prevention efforts for survivors of sexual assault and abuse.
PORTSMOUTH HERALD:
In Maine, school 'leadership drain' begins The Maine school consolidation law certainly played a part when Edward McDonough, superintendent of the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District, decided to apply for an opening in Exeter, N.H.The Republican Journal & The Waldo Independent
Energy-saving challenge proposed Local advocate takes aim at causes of global warming
MPBN:
Closed Furniture Maker Back In Business
Over the past year, there's been no shortage of mill closings and downsizings in Maine. In February, it was Moosehead Manufacturing that closed its plants in Monson and Dover-Foxcroft, putting more than 100 people out of work. But this story is different than most, the mill is reopening, with a pared-down product line, more focus, and new owners. Murray Carpenter reports.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/071228moosehead.asx
Food Bank Reports Sharp Increase In Demand
Maine's largest food bank is reporting a 25 percent increase in the demand for food over last year. And the director of the Good Shepherd Food Bank expects that demand from more than 600 soup kitchens, shelters, group homes and food pantries will only intensify as Mainers are pinched by higher prices for heat, gas and food. As Susan Sharon reports, feeding the hungry is becoming a greater economic challenge than ever before.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/071228foodbank.asx
BLOGS:
PolitickerME: New Year's Resolutions We all make them.....and break them. Here are a few suggestions for a number of Maine Politicians and other public officials.
AS MAINE GOES: Democrats: Redeploy troops from Iraq "Congress is challenging the administration's strategy in Iraq in favor of a better one that will effectively combat terrorism and create stability in the Middle East," she said. "Time and time again, we voted for a strategy to redeploy troops out of Iraq...to focus our mission on anti-terrorism, and we won't give up."
WHITE NOISE INSANITY: Osama bin Laden is STILL safe as we go into 2008 and we need to be grateful for the White House's effortsAs we head into 2008, which is a very important election year for our country, we should be thankful that George Bush & Dick Cheney continue to protect, harbor, and fuel Osama bin Laden's good name. Oh yes! We should be proud of our leaders for NOT going after Osama for the past six years and as we head into 2008, we'll be entering another year where this man is allowed to remain free. Freedom is for Osama, people! Don't you forget it either.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Maine News for Friday, December 21, 2007
PRESS HERALD:
Five Maine Guardsmen talk about life after Mosul
Lott's Senate departure sends ripples felt in Maine The state's senior U.S. senator – a friend of the retiring Mississippi lawmaker – stands to gain committee influence.
FairPoint deal gets closer to PUC vote Parties in the Maine case settle more issues, making regulator approval of the Verizon sale more likely.
Double duty: Soldier, activist Chris Rushlau protested the Iraq war, but served and was wounded.
College pledges scholarships for Mainers Unity College officials hope their $2,000 offer to 2008 enrollees will erode money barriers.
EDITORIAL: Why can't spending cuts go with tax change? Once again, gridlock leads to a larger federal deficit, and the economy loses.
LTE: Who should fund Downeaster?
LTE: Health-care providers' moral convictions matter
BANGOR DAILY:
The warmth of kindness Friday, December 21, 2007Bangor, Maine - Eastern Maine program helps low-income residents heat, weatherize their homes
Baldacci eyes railway expansionFriday, December 21, 2007AUGUSTA, Maine - Gov. John Baldacci said Thursday that he remains committed to expanding freight and passenger rail systems in the state's future, despite a recent $95 million setback in the two-year budget cycle that began July 1.
PUC hearing finds deal fair to all parties Friday, December 21, 2007AUGUSTA, Maine - Several parties involved in the proposed sale of Verizon’s land lines in northern New England to FairPoint Communications agreed Thursday to amend a settlement accord they had reached last week.
EDITORIAL: The county cop optionFriday, December 21, 2007If Abraham Lincoln was the Great Emancipator, Gov. John Baldacci may go down in Maine history as the Great Consolidator. The governor’s efforts to merge state departments, school administrative districts and jails are well-intentioned steps toward reduced government spending.
Editorial: Christian prioritiesFriday, December 21, 2007At a time when the state is cutting back assistance to the elderly, children and the poor, you might reasonably assume that the Christian Civic League of Maine would have larger concerns than the bathroom practices of an elementary school student.
John Richardson: Support Maine by buying locallyThis holiday season: think Maine. As the winter, snow and holidays descend upon us, I started thinking of all the little ways people can make their holiday traditions have a bit more of Maine in them.
Friday's Letters to the Letter … Smelling the flowers … Valley land correction … Buy up the poppies … One human race … Moosehead equilibrium … Something fishy
KENNEBEC JOURNAL:
Lott's resignation and move to lobbying may help Snowe shape Maine's economy WASHINGTON -- When Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., announced in July that he would hold an informal "seersucker suit Thursday," Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, scoffed at the idea.
AUGUSTACharter review blasts off AUGUSTA -- The newly formed group with the ability to propose sweeping changes to nearly every aspect of city government started right off with a spirited debate while electing a chairperson Thursday.
On Maine Politics
Local merger plans gain approval The proposed consolidation plan of every local school district now complies with a state school reorganization law, with the exception of one small school system already working on coming into line.
CONSOLIDATIONChelsea finds a partner WHITEFIELD -- Whitefield School Committee members agreed this week to include Chelsea in its consolidated regional school unit.
Baldacci to next Prez: Help us at home
EDITORIAL: Funding lock for Downeaster is premature In 1991, 90,000 signatures were submitted to the Maine Legislature requesting the return of passenger rail service to the state. That led to adoption of the Passenger Rail Service Act later that year and the ultimate establishment of the Downeaster train service between Portland and Boston.
L. SANDY MAISEL : Most candidates won't win, but they earn honors anyway As 2007 draws to a close, in this, my final column of 2007, I want to recognize some of those who have contributed to this special year.
MORNING SENTINEL:
Old bridge's fate unclear NEW SHARON -- State representatives promised Thursday night to work with local selectmen in finding a solution to the closed Main Street bridge over Muddy Brook.
LTE: Bush telling truth about nuclear weapons Frankly, I'm tired of hearing all agitprop about how Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
LTE: Put the 'public' back in PUC What part of the word "public" does the Public Utilities Commission not understand? When I read in the Morning Sentinel (Dec. 12) that they were having "secret" meetings, I knew it would only be a matter of time before the "deal" was OK'd.
SUN JOURNAL:
Bangor Hydro gets OK for rate dropBANGOR (AP) - Bangor Hydro Electric Company customers are getting a Christmas present from the utility.
LTE: Built to collapsePresident Bush is requesting more money for Iraq and Afghanistan. Billions of tax dollars have been wasted on the wars and reconstruction of Iraq. I believe much of the reconstruction money has been mismanaged, stolen and squandered. The total mismanaged money is around $8.8 billion, including Iraq money.
TIMES RECORD:
BLRA's mission accomplishedBRUNSWICK— The mood was largely celebratory and nostalgic on Wednesday afternoon, as the Brunswick Local Redevelopment Authority ended its nearly two...(full story)
Feds: Maine owes $30M over Medicaid issueAUGUSTA — The Office of the Inspector General says Maine needs to pay back the federal government nearly $30 million because services that money...(full story)
LTE: Directive to CongressWhen did President Bush learn that Iran "halted its nuclear weapons program" in 2003 as the U.S. director of national intelligence recently reported? According to Bush's own...(full story)
MPBN:
Banks Create Fund To Refinance Motgage LoansMainers facing the spector of increased interest payments on their home mortgages could get some relief from a new program announced by the New England banking industry in Boston today. Five banks have joined forces in initiating a $125 million fund to help certain borrowers refinance out of their adjustable rate mortgages, before they jump to higher rates. Keith Shortall reports.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/071220mortgages.asx
Maine DEP Commissioner Blasts EPA DecisionMaine's commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection is joining environmentalists from Maine and around the country in condemning a decision by the Bush Administration to reject California's request to establish greenhouse gas emission standards for motor vehicles. In the absence of federal action, Maine and more than 16 other states had been seeking similar approval to combat climate change. As Susan Sharon reports, Congress and the courts are likely to take up the EPA's position.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/071220epa.asx
Effort Launched To Make Oil Last LongerAs social service agencies scramble to provide heating oil for needy Mainers, a collaboration of Eastern Maine non-profits and businesses is kicking off an effort to make each gallon of oil go further. At a Bangor trailer park today, Eastern Maine Funders said that dollars spent on weatherization bring five times the return of those spent directly on filling oil tanks. Murray Carpenter reports.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/071220weatherization.asx
PORTSMOUTH HERALD:
Federal budget bill delays Canadian border passport requirement
POLITICKERME.COM:
Pingree picks up a set of endorsements
Democrat Chellie Pingree, the former State Senate Majority Leader and Common Cause president who is running for the First Congressional District seat, is announcing a set of endorsements of thirty-five current and former lawmakers. read more »
Kerry fundraises for Allen
Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry is running for re-election in 2008 and today he has sent out a fundraising appeal to supporters– except it’s not for himself. It’s for U.S. Senate candidates Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Mark Udall of Colorado, Tom Allen of Maine, and Jeff Merkely of Oregon. read more »
MULTI HOUSING NEWS:
NLIHC Praises Senate Introduction of Bill to Create National Housing Trust Fund ...
The bill was introduced by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) with the tripartisan co-sponsorship of Senators Olympia Snow (R-ME), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Edward Kennedy (D-MA).
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY:
Maine’s Lower Penobscot Forest Project Awarded $3.25 Million in ...
BANGOR, MAINE — December 20, 2007 — Federal funding for the Lower Penobscot Forest Project was announced today by Maine’s Congressional delegation, Maine Department of Conservation, The Nature Conservancy and The Forest Society of Maine. The project received $3.25 million in Forest Legacy funding in the FY08 federal budget—the largest award this project has ever received. … “I am pleased that this budget deal includes substantial support for the Lower Penobscot Forest project," said Senator Susan Collins. "This significant commitment acknowledges the importance of protecting tens of thousands of acres of unspoiled land, including the largest unfragmented forests in Central Maine, for generations of Maine people to enjoy.” … "For several years now, I have successfully led the effort in the House to advocate for additional funding for the Forest Legacy program,” added Congressman Tom Allen. “This year, I was very pleased that we were able to designate these funds for the Lower Penobscot project. This innovative conservation initiative will preserve this truly remarkable area for future generations and serve as a model for Forest Legacy projects nationwide."
HARD BEAT NEWS (CARIBBEAN):
Elliot Spitzer – Hoist By His Own Petard
Over a dozen states including Maine, Georgia, Massachusetts, Montana, New Mexico, Washington, and New Hampshire have opted out the REAL ID ACT. Senators Daniel Akaka, D-HI, and John Sununu R-NH, have introduced legislation to repeal the Real ID act, while congressman Tom Allen (D.ME) have introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to repeal act.
BYM NEWS (SPAIN):
USA. New energy bill addresses recreational boating industry's ...
In June, Congressmen John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) and Charlie Melancon (R-La.) sponsored an amendment to the original bill to include a review process before considering raising the ethanol content above ten percent that was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Earlier this month Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) sent a letter to President Bush urging his administration to carefully evaluate the effects of ethanol blends on equipment not designed to operate on fuels greater than E10.
BLOGS:
Condoleeza Rice, Charlie Summers & the AMG Mug
The Barrel’s Bottom: New Tax Ideas for Maine!
Unused rollover minutes. Cans, bottles languishing behind the barn, never returned for their 5 cents. Cable channels you never watch. Re-gifted Christmas presents.
Congress OKs VA-Tech Gun Bill: Will It Become Law?
The bill would more easily flag prospective gun buyers who have documented mental health problems.
EPA Rejects Maine's Greenhouse-Gas Limits on Cars
The Bush administration Wednesday derailed an attempt by California and 12 other states to enact the nation's first greenhouse gas-limits on new vehicles.
The Opposite of Progress is Congress…
This little video is a nice statement on the concept of just what it means to look at life from a progressive perspective.
Why Maine - and our nation - needs Tom Allen in the Senate
Atrios and Digby both point to something that has been in plain sight for months: that the strategy of the GOP will be to obstruct most efforts by the Democratically controlled Congress. This report (pdf warning) by the Campaign for America's Future details what the mainstream media refuses to tell us: that Republicans in the Senate are using the same tactics that they lamented just last year to block legislation that they object to.
Mizrahi staying at The Israel Project
The Israel Project also announced that five U.S. senators and one member of Congress have joined its board of directors. They are Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) and Susan Collins (R-Me.), and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.). Americans beware. The Israel Project is a pro-Israeli outfit which was behind some of the campus witchhunts of recent years.
Five Maine Guardsmen talk about life after Mosul
Lott's Senate departure sends ripples felt in Maine The state's senior U.S. senator – a friend of the retiring Mississippi lawmaker – stands to gain committee influence.
FairPoint deal gets closer to PUC vote Parties in the Maine case settle more issues, making regulator approval of the Verizon sale more likely.
Double duty: Soldier, activist Chris Rushlau protested the Iraq war, but served and was wounded.
College pledges scholarships for Mainers Unity College officials hope their $2,000 offer to 2008 enrollees will erode money barriers.
EDITORIAL: Why can't spending cuts go with tax change? Once again, gridlock leads to a larger federal deficit, and the economy loses.
LTE: Who should fund Downeaster?
LTE: Health-care providers' moral convictions matter
BANGOR DAILY:
The warmth of kindness Friday, December 21, 2007Bangor, Maine - Eastern Maine program helps low-income residents heat, weatherize their homes
Baldacci eyes railway expansionFriday, December 21, 2007AUGUSTA, Maine - Gov. John Baldacci said Thursday that he remains committed to expanding freight and passenger rail systems in the state's future, despite a recent $95 million setback in the two-year budget cycle that began July 1.
PUC hearing finds deal fair to all parties Friday, December 21, 2007AUGUSTA, Maine - Several parties involved in the proposed sale of Verizon’s land lines in northern New England to FairPoint Communications agreed Thursday to amend a settlement accord they had reached last week.
EDITORIAL: The county cop optionFriday, December 21, 2007If Abraham Lincoln was the Great Emancipator, Gov. John Baldacci may go down in Maine history as the Great Consolidator. The governor’s efforts to merge state departments, school administrative districts and jails are well-intentioned steps toward reduced government spending.
Editorial: Christian prioritiesFriday, December 21, 2007At a time when the state is cutting back assistance to the elderly, children and the poor, you might reasonably assume that the Christian Civic League of Maine would have larger concerns than the bathroom practices of an elementary school student.
John Richardson: Support Maine by buying locallyThis holiday season: think Maine. As the winter, snow and holidays descend upon us, I started thinking of all the little ways people can make their holiday traditions have a bit more of Maine in them.
Friday's Letters to the Letter … Smelling the flowers … Valley land correction … Buy up the poppies … One human race … Moosehead equilibrium … Something fishy
KENNEBEC JOURNAL:
Lott's resignation and move to lobbying may help Snowe shape Maine's economy WASHINGTON -- When Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., announced in July that he would hold an informal "seersucker suit Thursday," Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, scoffed at the idea.
AUGUSTACharter review blasts off AUGUSTA -- The newly formed group with the ability to propose sweeping changes to nearly every aspect of city government started right off with a spirited debate while electing a chairperson Thursday.
On Maine Politics
Local merger plans gain approval The proposed consolidation plan of every local school district now complies with a state school reorganization law, with the exception of one small school system already working on coming into line.
CONSOLIDATIONChelsea finds a partner WHITEFIELD -- Whitefield School Committee members agreed this week to include Chelsea in its consolidated regional school unit.
Baldacci to next Prez: Help us at home
EDITORIAL: Funding lock for Downeaster is premature In 1991, 90,000 signatures were submitted to the Maine Legislature requesting the return of passenger rail service to the state. That led to adoption of the Passenger Rail Service Act later that year and the ultimate establishment of the Downeaster train service between Portland and Boston.
L. SANDY MAISEL : Most candidates won't win, but they earn honors anyway As 2007 draws to a close, in this, my final column of 2007, I want to recognize some of those who have contributed to this special year.
MORNING SENTINEL:
Old bridge's fate unclear NEW SHARON -- State representatives promised Thursday night to work with local selectmen in finding a solution to the closed Main Street bridge over Muddy Brook.
LTE: Bush telling truth about nuclear weapons Frankly, I'm tired of hearing all agitprop about how Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
LTE: Put the 'public' back in PUC What part of the word "public" does the Public Utilities Commission not understand? When I read in the Morning Sentinel (Dec. 12) that they were having "secret" meetings, I knew it would only be a matter of time before the "deal" was OK'd.
SUN JOURNAL:
Bangor Hydro gets OK for rate dropBANGOR (AP) - Bangor Hydro Electric Company customers are getting a Christmas present from the utility.
LTE: Built to collapsePresident Bush is requesting more money for Iraq and Afghanistan. Billions of tax dollars have been wasted on the wars and reconstruction of Iraq. I believe much of the reconstruction money has been mismanaged, stolen and squandered. The total mismanaged money is around $8.8 billion, including Iraq money.
TIMES RECORD:
BLRA's mission accomplishedBRUNSWICK— The mood was largely celebratory and nostalgic on Wednesday afternoon, as the Brunswick Local Redevelopment Authority ended its nearly two...(full story)
Feds: Maine owes $30M over Medicaid issueAUGUSTA — The Office of the Inspector General says Maine needs to pay back the federal government nearly $30 million because services that money...(full story)
LTE: Directive to CongressWhen did President Bush learn that Iran "halted its nuclear weapons program" in 2003 as the U.S. director of national intelligence recently reported? According to Bush's own...(full story)
MPBN:
Banks Create Fund To Refinance Motgage LoansMainers facing the spector of increased interest payments on their home mortgages could get some relief from a new program announced by the New England banking industry in Boston today. Five banks have joined forces in initiating a $125 million fund to help certain borrowers refinance out of their adjustable rate mortgages, before they jump to higher rates. Keith Shortall reports.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/071220mortgages.asx
Maine DEP Commissioner Blasts EPA DecisionMaine's commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection is joining environmentalists from Maine and around the country in condemning a decision by the Bush Administration to reject California's request to establish greenhouse gas emission standards for motor vehicles. In the absence of federal action, Maine and more than 16 other states had been seeking similar approval to combat climate change. As Susan Sharon reports, Congress and the courts are likely to take up the EPA's position.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/071220epa.asx
Effort Launched To Make Oil Last LongerAs social service agencies scramble to provide heating oil for needy Mainers, a collaboration of Eastern Maine non-profits and businesses is kicking off an effort to make each gallon of oil go further. At a Bangor trailer park today, Eastern Maine Funders said that dollars spent on weatherization bring five times the return of those spent directly on filling oil tanks. Murray Carpenter reports.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/071220weatherization.asx
PORTSMOUTH HERALD:
Federal budget bill delays Canadian border passport requirement
POLITICKERME.COM:
Pingree picks up a set of endorsements
Democrat Chellie Pingree, the former State Senate Majority Leader and Common Cause president who is running for the First Congressional District seat, is announcing a set of endorsements of thirty-five current and former lawmakers. read more »
Kerry fundraises for Allen
Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry is running for re-election in 2008 and today he has sent out a fundraising appeal to supporters– except it’s not for himself. It’s for U.S. Senate candidates Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Mark Udall of Colorado, Tom Allen of Maine, and Jeff Merkely of Oregon. read more »
MULTI HOUSING NEWS:
NLIHC Praises Senate Introduction of Bill to Create National Housing Trust Fund ...
The bill was introduced by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) with the tripartisan co-sponsorship of Senators Olympia Snow (R-ME), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Edward Kennedy (D-MA).
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY:
Maine’s Lower Penobscot Forest Project Awarded $3.25 Million in ...
BANGOR, MAINE — December 20, 2007 — Federal funding for the Lower Penobscot Forest Project was announced today by Maine’s Congressional delegation, Maine Department of Conservation, The Nature Conservancy and The Forest Society of Maine. The project received $3.25 million in Forest Legacy funding in the FY08 federal budget—the largest award this project has ever received. … “I am pleased that this budget deal includes substantial support for the Lower Penobscot Forest project," said Senator Susan Collins. "This significant commitment acknowledges the importance of protecting tens of thousands of acres of unspoiled land, including the largest unfragmented forests in Central Maine, for generations of Maine people to enjoy.” … "For several years now, I have successfully led the effort in the House to advocate for additional funding for the Forest Legacy program,” added Congressman Tom Allen. “This year, I was very pleased that we were able to designate these funds for the Lower Penobscot project. This innovative conservation initiative will preserve this truly remarkable area for future generations and serve as a model for Forest Legacy projects nationwide."
HARD BEAT NEWS (CARIBBEAN):
Elliot Spitzer – Hoist By His Own Petard
Over a dozen states including Maine, Georgia, Massachusetts, Montana, New Mexico, Washington, and New Hampshire have opted out the REAL ID ACT. Senators Daniel Akaka, D-HI, and John Sununu R-NH, have introduced legislation to repeal the Real ID act, while congressman Tom Allen (D.ME) have introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to repeal act.
BYM NEWS (SPAIN):
USA. New energy bill addresses recreational boating industry's ...
In June, Congressmen John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) and Charlie Melancon (R-La.) sponsored an amendment to the original bill to include a review process before considering raising the ethanol content above ten percent that was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Earlier this month Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) sent a letter to President Bush urging his administration to carefully evaluate the effects of ethanol blends on equipment not designed to operate on fuels greater than E10.
BLOGS:
Condoleeza Rice, Charlie Summers & the AMG Mug
The Barrel’s Bottom: New Tax Ideas for Maine!
Unused rollover minutes. Cans, bottles languishing behind the barn, never returned for their 5 cents. Cable channels you never watch. Re-gifted Christmas presents.
Congress OKs VA-Tech Gun Bill: Will It Become Law?
The bill would more easily flag prospective gun buyers who have documented mental health problems.
EPA Rejects Maine's Greenhouse-Gas Limits on Cars
The Bush administration Wednesday derailed an attempt by California and 12 other states to enact the nation's first greenhouse gas-limits on new vehicles.
The Opposite of Progress is Congress…
This little video is a nice statement on the concept of just what it means to look at life from a progressive perspective.
Why Maine - and our nation - needs Tom Allen in the Senate
Atrios and Digby both point to something that has been in plain sight for months: that the strategy of the GOP will be to obstruct most efforts by the Democratically controlled Congress. This report (pdf warning) by the Campaign for America's Future details what the mainstream media refuses to tell us: that Republicans in the Senate are using the same tactics that they lamented just last year to block legislation that they object to.
Mizrahi staying at The Israel Project
The Israel Project also announced that five U.S. senators and one member of Congress have joined its board of directors. They are Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) and Susan Collins (R-Me.), and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.). Americans beware. The Israel Project is a pro-Israeli outfit which was behind some of the campus witchhunts of recent years.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Maine News for Thursday, December 20, 2007
PRESS HERALD:
Cash fails to boost racino backers Gambling supporters outspent opponents by almost two to one in their losing campaign.
Panel adopts blueprint for future use of BNASThe next step for reuse planners is to build relationships with prospective tenants.
College stakes a green claim to fame College of the Atlantic says it is the nation's first to reduce its atmospheric carbon impact to zero.
Education plan targets rural poverty The community college system pledges $6.2 million in programs and aid for low-income areas.
EDITORIAL: FCC ruling relies on faulty reading of current trends Allowing broadcasters to own newspapers in larger markets will concentrate media power.
Rep. Gary ConnorEvery child needs a blood test for lead A pending bill would require such a test before any child could enter kindergarten.
LTE: Find new direction on energy policy
LTE: CIA's destruction of tapes damages case, reputation
LTE: Strimling's wage proposal won't bridge income gap
BANGOR DAILY:
Plan expands education in rural areasThursday, December 20, 2007AUGUSTA, MAINE - The Maine Community College System has unveiled a $6.2 million program designed to expand its reach into rural Maine.
State to hear comments on spring salmon seasonThursday, December 20, 2007HALLOWELL, MAINE - State officials plan to hold a public hearing in late January on a potentially controversial proposal to allow fishing for Atlantic salmon on the Penobscot River this spring.
Supplemental budget to uphold cutsThursday, December 20, 2007AUGUSTA, MAINE - Lawmakers who dislike Gov. John Baldacci's $38 million budget curtailment order are sure to complain when they get his supplemental budget proposed to fill the remaining hole in the two-year state budget.
Milbridge: Wyman’s to assist workers, community with heating fuelThursday, December 20, 2007MILBRIDGE, MAINE - Current and retired employees of Jasper Wyman & Sons and residents in nearby communities will get a windfall to help them with the rising costs of heating fuel and food.
Winkin transferred, to begin acute rehab
The list of well-wishers has included Sen. Olympia Snowe, Sen. Susan Collins and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, along with many members of the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Canada accused of lumber pact
BANGOR - Just slightly more than a year after signing a softwood lumber agreement, the United States and Canada are again at odds over the amount and price of Canadian lumber in the U.S. market. … The coalition has been working with U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and Rep. Mike Michaud of Maine and wants Canadian provinces to allow fully open market competition to determine the price of timber.
EDITORIAL: Petro Dollars and SenseThursday, December 20, 2007When it comes to oil prices, there are many things the U.S. can't control - the weather and political instability in the Middle East and South America, for example.
Thursday's Letters to the Editor … Support Bt corn … Impeding development
KENNEBEC JOURNAL:
Story of family's plight leads to ridicule via Web AUGUSTA -- An Augusta family whose struggle to find enough money to stay warm this winter was told on the front page of Wednesday's Kennebec Journal unexpectedly found itself the subject of ridicule.
Community college system reaching into rural Maine FAIRFIELD -- The Maine Community College System announced Wednesday it will broaden educational opportunities to rural Maine residents with investments, outreach, scholarships and programs for rural high schools.
JIM BRUNELLE : State investment flap gives incentive to revise rulesLegislature appoints 4 high state officials, regardless of qualifications If nothing else, the current political fuss in Augusta over a corporate bond investment by the state treasurer that went sour gives us a chance to re-examine one of the murkier aspects of state government -- our constitutional officers.
LTE: Security was warranted at public hearing A recent letter by Steve Cartwright (Dec. 7) needs to be addressed.
LTE: Preventive measures can make good citizens We were pleased to participate in the recent Governor's Summit on Early Education and applaud the event organizers for bringing together business, community, education, law enforcement and public policy leaders to talk about what the state does, and doesn't do, to invest in our youngest citizens.
MORNING SENTINEL:
Spending money didn't assure victory for racino AUGUSTA -- Money may be the mother's milk of politics, but finance reports from last month's referendum over gambling in Washington County show that a lot of cash on hand does not guarantee victory at the ballot box.
EDITORIAL: Appeals court mostly correct in parade ruling The U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last Friday that significant portions of Augusta's parade ordinance are unconstitutional. The decision was a clear victory for the First Amendment, but not a total one.
SUN JOURNAL:
Federal heating help on the wayWASHINGTON (AP) - Cash-strapped families who depend on home heating assistance can expect more federal dollars this winter.
Fuel costs raise fearsLEWISTON - The cost of heating oil this year is more than discouraging. Fire officials say it can also be dangerous.
EDITORIAL: The first cut, but not the deepestWith respect to Neil Young, the soundtrack to Maine's budget is "The Gift Cards and the Damage Done."
LTE: Divide, and conquerRepublicans and their propagandists continue to place party loyalty above all else. They reduce anything that does not conform to a particular rigid ideological standard in every scenario as "liberal."
TIMES RECORD:
Federal zoning eyed for BNASLEWISTON — Unique zoning in Lewiston and Auburn that shelters imports from U.S. Customs fees could be extended to benefit companies eyeing a future...(full story)
OP/ED: Early investments cut crime later...(full story)
LTE: New approach to warGen. Petraeus, the commander of our military forces in Iraq, is known to friends and admirers as a brilliant, military tactician. His Princeton University doctoral thesis...(full story)
ELLSWORTH AMERICAN:
Senators Seek Aid for Lobstermen Facing Cost of Whale Rules
ELLSWORTH — In a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, nine United States senators have asked the Bush administration for at least $14 million to help New England lobstermen pay the cost of new gear they will have to buy to comply with new rules designed to protect endangered right whales.
Gov. Baldacci Slashes State Spending by $38 Million
AUGUSTA — Governor John Baldacci Tuesday signed an emergency order to cut $38 million out of state spending to help fill a $95 million hole in the budget.
Feds: State DHHS Owes $30M
AUGUSTA — The Office of the Inspector General says Maine needs to pay back the federal government nearly $30 million because the services that money paid for didn’t meet the requirements of the Medicaid program.
Verizon-FairPoint Talks Move Ahead
AUGUSTA — Verizon’s plan to sell its landline phone business in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to FairPoint Communications for $2.7 billion appears to be back on track, at least for now.
Senator Releases “Hit List” of Possible State Job Eliminations
AUGUSTA — The state senator who pushed for the creation of a budget-cutting commission to look at trimming administrative costs in state government has released a hit list of possible job eliminations.
Maine’s Retirement Fund
Millions of Americans who will look to Social Security as a major part of their retirement income expect to work well into their 60s in order to qualify for the full benefit. For those folks, the notion of retiring at the age of 55 or even 60 — even if they wanted to — is outside the realm of possibility. But for thousands of Maine state employees and teachers, the issue of early retirement has become the centerpiece in an ongoing debate over a legislative proposal to restore some $90 million in benefits that were reduced for some workers in order to balance the state budget back in 1993.
Maine’s Energy Future
Governor John Baldacci’s well-intentioned but ill-conceived plans to consolidate Maine school districts and place county jails under a state framework are receiving plenty of deserved condemnation as 2007 winds its way down. But on another front, the Governor is right on target. Baldacci took sharp issue last week with Maine’s treatment at the hands of ISO-New England, the agency that coordinates the electricity markets and transmission systems in Maine and its five Northeastern neighbors.
LTES:
Questioning the Greatness of War
Written by Craig Idlebrook
While I’ve enjoyed the stories in “The Greatest Generation” series, I’m troubled by its title.
Congress Must Draw the Line on Iran
Written by Suzanne Anderson
It sounds so eerily familiar, the White House claiming a Middle Eastern country is threatening America and freedom in general. This time that country is Iran.
LINCOLN COUNTY NEWS:
State Owes Feds $30 Million, Audit Claims
The Office of the Inspector General says Maine needs to pay back the federal government nearly $30 million because the services that money paid ... Budget Axe Targets Support Staffers, Contract Jobs in Augusta
The senator who pushed for creation of a budget-cutting commission to look at trimming administrative costs in state government has released ... Governor Orders Cuts in Spending
Gov. John Baldacci Tuesday signed an emergency order to cut $38 million out of state spending to help fill a $95 million hole in the budget, ... State Treasurer 'Snookered by Professionals' on $20 Million Investment
The Legislature's budget oversight committee has voiced confidence in state Treasurer David Lemoine despite his $20 million investment in a ... From the Legislature -- Rep. Jon McKane
Hunting, fishing licenses available online The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) has announced that hunting and fishing ...
Federal Defense Bill Includes Newcastle Woman's Vaccination Scrutiny for Military
U.S. Rep. Tom Allen successfully amended the defense authorization bill for 2008 to include an assessment by the Department of Defense of its ...
VILLAGE SOUP:
Rockland Fire Department awarded $22951 grant
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec 19): U.S. Rep. Tom Allen announced Wednesday that a $22,951 Assistance to Firefighters Grant has been awarded to the Rockland Fire Department.
MPBN:
Social Service Agencies Brace For Cuts Social service agencies around the state are trying to figure out how to tighten their belts in the wake of Governor Baldacci's order yesterday to cut state spending by $38 million dollars. Much of those savings will come from cuts in programs that serve mentally ill adults and children who don't qualify for the state's Medicaid program, known as MaineCare.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/071219budgetcuts.asx
State Community College System Seeks Boost In Rural Enrollments The state's community college system today announced a financial boost of more than 6 million dollars aimed at enrolling more residents of rural Maine. The combination of gifts, grants and community college funds will be used to launch several new initiatives, including a special rural student scholarship program, and child care funding for students with young families. A.J. Higgins reports.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/071219colleges.asx
WCSH:
Maine Softwood Lumber Producers Upset Over Canadian Practices
DOVER-FOXCROFT (NEWS CENTER) -- We've been hearing a lot recently about how the slumping housing market is hurting the lumber industry. But Maine softwood lumber producers say the housing market isn't their only problem.
They said the government of Canada is disregarding a trade agreement, and as a result, underpriced Canadian lumber is flooding the U.S. market. …. Both Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe have written to the U.S. Trade Representative for a more immediate solution to this problem. The arbitration is not expected to be settled until at least February.
PORTSMOUTH HERALD:
State budget cuts could hit local school districts
KITTERY, Maine — With Maine facing a budget shortfall, Gov. John Baldacci on Tuesday ordered $38 million in state spending cutbacks, saying they avoid hitting Maine's most vulnerable residents and will cause no layoffs.
YORK WEEKLY:
Augusta seeks consolidation relief
In an effort to make consolidation feasible for some school districts, the Legislature's Education and Cultural Affairs Committee last week voted 10-2 in favor of a Department of Education bill that removes some financial barriers under the current...
PORTLAND PHOENIX:
Everyone’s a neocon now: Looking back on state politics — and forwardIn the eight years I’ve covered the State House for the Portland Phoenix, I’ve been struck by the depressingly constant themes.
Verizon angles to keep state business: CanoodlingDemocratic governor John Baldacci had a private sit-down with Ivan Seidenberg, the president and CEO of Verizon, November 30.
Plum Creek watchdog: Press releasesThanks to a Phoenix reader, Maine residents now know something the Portland Press Herald was not telling them.
Kill the house lights: Politics and other mistakesAs we celebrate the solstice on December 21, take comfort in knowing that state officials are doing all they can to make it even darker. And, like Tax Day, more expensive.
POLITICKERME.COM:
2008 Legislative candidates
The following candidates plan to run for the Legislature in 2008.
This list is complete per Ethics Commission filings, and was last updated Dec. 19. Other candidates not listed may have mentioned intent to run in another forum.
Strimling swipes at Bush
With President Bush today signing into law today a bill requiring higher fuel efficiency standards for automobiles, Democrat Ethan Strimling, who is running for the First Congressional District, saw an opportunity to take a swipe at Bush.
Patrick to run for county commissioner
Rep. John Patrick, D-Rumford, will run for Oxford County Commissioner next year.
Term limits prevent him from seeking another term.
California man joins Snowe’s staff
Sen. Olympia Snowe’s new press secretary has never been to Maine, and the bitter cold and mountains of snow are a far cry from what he knew growing up.
Kurt Bardella, 24, grew up in San Diego. He started in Snowe’s office today.
“You can’t get any further apart geographically,” Bardella said.
The Influential Staffers
I’ve put together a list of 10 that rise to the top of the heap. Here are the top 5, with the next 5 to come.
Where Fools Rush In
Governor Baldacci took some time away from his Christmas shopping yesterday to announce an executive order that would “curtail” state spending immediately in a number of areas.
DOWNEAST MAGAZINE:
Best Political Slugfest
Tom Allen and Susan Collins take off the gloves.
One of the problems with politics in Maine is that they are, by and large, boring. Incumbents are rarely unseated, and the state hasn’t seen a really tough, hard-fought, outcome-in-question political race above the local level since 1996. Not coincidentally, that was the year Susan Collins defeated former governor and congressman Joseph Brennan to win her first term as a U.S. senator.
WASHINGTON POST:
Stronger Whistle-Blower Protection Passes Senate
The bill, sponsored by Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), was approved on a voice vote late Monday.
THE HILL:
GOP turning its message to healthcare
Emphasizing expanded access to healthcare could be appealing to voters in a number of states where Republicans are in tight races. According to 2006 data compiled by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, in Minnesota, where Sen. Norm Coleman (R) is running for a second term, more than 440,000 people are uninsured; in Sen. John Sununu’s (R) New Hampshire, there are 137,000 people without insurance; in Maine, Sen. Susan Collins (R) faces more than 120,000 without insurance; and in Oregon, where Gordon Smith (R) is running for a third term, more than 615,000 people are uninsured.
ASSOCIATED PRESS:
Dems Lose Defense, Foreign Policy Debate
Left on the cutting room floor this year were other bipartisan proposals, including one by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Ben Nelson, D-Neb., that would have restricted the mission of U.S. troops to non-combat roles in Iraq but not set a date for troop withdrawals.
OP/ED NEWS:
Senate Challenger Laurie Dobson, MaineThe fifty-one-year-old mother of three who is running to unseat Senator Susan Collins spares no Democrat.
LAND LINE MAGAZINE:
Maine truckers consider protesting at state capitol about fuel prices
Besides truckers, Sidelinger said several state lawmakers attended the meeting, including U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-ME.
BLOGS:
Wednesday Tidbits
Maine: Jeezum Crow! Less than a week after the Kennebec Journal ran a pro-Susan-Collins letter to the editor written by a College Republican chapter Chair without identifying him as such, the same paper runs another pro-Susan-Collins letter to the editor written by a Republican state legislator again without identifying him as such! Are the Kennebec Journal's editors incredibly lazy or incredibly partisan?
CILLIZZA Well look here s what I think is Liquid
Broaden your search by using fewer words. Com i msnbc Components Art SITEWIDE Icons iSlides. Then Congress can vote on whether to give the president the rest of the war funding money. I won t be the only Republican or one of two Republicans demanding a change in our Andrea neal of troops in Iraq at that point. I think everybody knows that, I really do, Senator Susan Collins of Maine concurring, I think a lot of us feel that way. Take a look at what s going on on the ground, take a look at what goes on in the neighborhoods, because if you want to measure progress, you got to report it.
Sens. Collins/Snowe Vote Against Democrat Troop Withdrawal Amendment
What Will the Energy Bill Do to Food Prices?
Congressman Tom Allen Visits the Pirates
Portland, Maine - On Saturday, December 15 Congressman Tom Allen was a special guest at the Pirates game. Allen dropped the puck at the beginning of the game.
Don Surber on Harry Reid: "Every line he has drawn in the sand has ...
How out of touch with reality is he to describe Senators such as Chuck Hagel, Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, Gordon Smith, Susan Collins, and others as puppets? If Reid couldn't work with these Senators, then he's not capable of working ...
Editorials Nationwide Rain Scorn on Senate Farm Bill
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins sounded like a very regretful Robin Hood last week after passage of the bill:
"I am particularly disappointed that this bill does not include an amendment, that I supported, that would have capped payments to farmers at $250,000. In addition, another amendment that was defeated would have prohibited payments to individuals who earn more than $750,000 per year. These amendments would have provided assistance to farmers who truly need the help, and denied assistance to giant corporate farms and individuals who unfairly receive it.
House boosts funding for key homeland security projects
“It is important that we strike a balance between the security of our nation’s borders and the free flow of commerce and travel to and from the United States,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “The delay of this initiative is welcome news.”
Don Surber on Harry Reid: "Every line he has drawn in the sand has ...
How out of touch with reality is he to describe Senators such as Chuck Hagel, Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, Gordon Smith, Susan Collins, and others as puppets? If Reid couldn't work with these Senators, then he's not capable of working ...
Congress Approves $9.4 Million for Asbestos Abatement
At the same time that Patty Murray’s legislation to ban all asbestos in the U.S. is being whittled away (see “Who Threw the Monkey Wrench in Mrs. Murray’s Asbestos Bill?” posted 15 November), Maine senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins say they have managed to get $9.4 million included in the FY 2008 budget for the purpose of removing an asbestos-contaminated pipeline that supplied jet fuel from the Brunswick (Maine) Naval Air Station to Mitchell Field in Harpswell for forty years.
Cash fails to boost racino backers Gambling supporters outspent opponents by almost two to one in their losing campaign.
Panel adopts blueprint for future use of BNASThe next step for reuse planners is to build relationships with prospective tenants.
College stakes a green claim to fame College of the Atlantic says it is the nation's first to reduce its atmospheric carbon impact to zero.
Education plan targets rural poverty The community college system pledges $6.2 million in programs and aid for low-income areas.
EDITORIAL: FCC ruling relies on faulty reading of current trends Allowing broadcasters to own newspapers in larger markets will concentrate media power.
Rep. Gary ConnorEvery child needs a blood test for lead A pending bill would require such a test before any child could enter kindergarten.
LTE: Find new direction on energy policy
LTE: CIA's destruction of tapes damages case, reputation
LTE: Strimling's wage proposal won't bridge income gap
BANGOR DAILY:
Plan expands education in rural areasThursday, December 20, 2007AUGUSTA, MAINE - The Maine Community College System has unveiled a $6.2 million program designed to expand its reach into rural Maine.
State to hear comments on spring salmon seasonThursday, December 20, 2007HALLOWELL, MAINE - State officials plan to hold a public hearing in late January on a potentially controversial proposal to allow fishing for Atlantic salmon on the Penobscot River this spring.
Supplemental budget to uphold cutsThursday, December 20, 2007AUGUSTA, MAINE - Lawmakers who dislike Gov. John Baldacci's $38 million budget curtailment order are sure to complain when they get his supplemental budget proposed to fill the remaining hole in the two-year state budget.
Milbridge: Wyman’s to assist workers, community with heating fuelThursday, December 20, 2007MILBRIDGE, MAINE - Current and retired employees of Jasper Wyman & Sons and residents in nearby communities will get a windfall to help them with the rising costs of heating fuel and food.
Winkin transferred, to begin acute rehab
The list of well-wishers has included Sen. Olympia Snowe, Sen. Susan Collins and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, along with many members of the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Canada accused of lumber pact
BANGOR - Just slightly more than a year after signing a softwood lumber agreement, the United States and Canada are again at odds over the amount and price of Canadian lumber in the U.S. market. … The coalition has been working with U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and Rep. Mike Michaud of Maine and wants Canadian provinces to allow fully open market competition to determine the price of timber.
EDITORIAL: Petro Dollars and SenseThursday, December 20, 2007When it comes to oil prices, there are many things the U.S. can't control - the weather and political instability in the Middle East and South America, for example.
Thursday's Letters to the Editor … Support Bt corn … Impeding development
KENNEBEC JOURNAL:
Story of family's plight leads to ridicule via Web AUGUSTA -- An Augusta family whose struggle to find enough money to stay warm this winter was told on the front page of Wednesday's Kennebec Journal unexpectedly found itself the subject of ridicule.
Community college system reaching into rural Maine FAIRFIELD -- The Maine Community College System announced Wednesday it will broaden educational opportunities to rural Maine residents with investments, outreach, scholarships and programs for rural high schools.
JIM BRUNELLE : State investment flap gives incentive to revise rulesLegislature appoints 4 high state officials, regardless of qualifications If nothing else, the current political fuss in Augusta over a corporate bond investment by the state treasurer that went sour gives us a chance to re-examine one of the murkier aspects of state government -- our constitutional officers.
LTE: Security was warranted at public hearing A recent letter by Steve Cartwright (Dec. 7) needs to be addressed.
LTE: Preventive measures can make good citizens We were pleased to participate in the recent Governor's Summit on Early Education and applaud the event organizers for bringing together business, community, education, law enforcement and public policy leaders to talk about what the state does, and doesn't do, to invest in our youngest citizens.
MORNING SENTINEL:
Spending money didn't assure victory for racino AUGUSTA -- Money may be the mother's milk of politics, but finance reports from last month's referendum over gambling in Washington County show that a lot of cash on hand does not guarantee victory at the ballot box.
EDITORIAL: Appeals court mostly correct in parade ruling The U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last Friday that significant portions of Augusta's parade ordinance are unconstitutional. The decision was a clear victory for the First Amendment, but not a total one.
SUN JOURNAL:
Federal heating help on the wayWASHINGTON (AP) - Cash-strapped families who depend on home heating assistance can expect more federal dollars this winter.
Fuel costs raise fearsLEWISTON - The cost of heating oil this year is more than discouraging. Fire officials say it can also be dangerous.
EDITORIAL: The first cut, but not the deepestWith respect to Neil Young, the soundtrack to Maine's budget is "The Gift Cards and the Damage Done."
LTE: Divide, and conquerRepublicans and their propagandists continue to place party loyalty above all else. They reduce anything that does not conform to a particular rigid ideological standard in every scenario as "liberal."
TIMES RECORD:
Federal zoning eyed for BNASLEWISTON — Unique zoning in Lewiston and Auburn that shelters imports from U.S. Customs fees could be extended to benefit companies eyeing a future...(full story)
OP/ED: Early investments cut crime later...(full story)
LTE: New approach to warGen. Petraeus, the commander of our military forces in Iraq, is known to friends and admirers as a brilliant, military tactician. His Princeton University doctoral thesis...(full story)
ELLSWORTH AMERICAN:
Senators Seek Aid for Lobstermen Facing Cost of Whale Rules
ELLSWORTH — In a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, nine United States senators have asked the Bush administration for at least $14 million to help New England lobstermen pay the cost of new gear they will have to buy to comply with new rules designed to protect endangered right whales.
Gov. Baldacci Slashes State Spending by $38 Million
AUGUSTA — Governor John Baldacci Tuesday signed an emergency order to cut $38 million out of state spending to help fill a $95 million hole in the budget.
Feds: State DHHS Owes $30M
AUGUSTA — The Office of the Inspector General says Maine needs to pay back the federal government nearly $30 million because the services that money paid for didn’t meet the requirements of the Medicaid program.
Verizon-FairPoint Talks Move Ahead
AUGUSTA — Verizon’s plan to sell its landline phone business in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to FairPoint Communications for $2.7 billion appears to be back on track, at least for now.
Senator Releases “Hit List” of Possible State Job Eliminations
AUGUSTA — The state senator who pushed for the creation of a budget-cutting commission to look at trimming administrative costs in state government has released a hit list of possible job eliminations.
Maine’s Retirement Fund
Millions of Americans who will look to Social Security as a major part of their retirement income expect to work well into their 60s in order to qualify for the full benefit. For those folks, the notion of retiring at the age of 55 or even 60 — even if they wanted to — is outside the realm of possibility. But for thousands of Maine state employees and teachers, the issue of early retirement has become the centerpiece in an ongoing debate over a legislative proposal to restore some $90 million in benefits that were reduced for some workers in order to balance the state budget back in 1993.
Maine’s Energy Future
Governor John Baldacci’s well-intentioned but ill-conceived plans to consolidate Maine school districts and place county jails under a state framework are receiving plenty of deserved condemnation as 2007 winds its way down. But on another front, the Governor is right on target. Baldacci took sharp issue last week with Maine’s treatment at the hands of ISO-New England, the agency that coordinates the electricity markets and transmission systems in Maine and its five Northeastern neighbors.
LTES:
Questioning the Greatness of War
Written by Craig Idlebrook
While I’ve enjoyed the stories in “The Greatest Generation” series, I’m troubled by its title.
Congress Must Draw the Line on Iran
Written by Suzanne Anderson
It sounds so eerily familiar, the White House claiming a Middle Eastern country is threatening America and freedom in general. This time that country is Iran.
LINCOLN COUNTY NEWS:
State Owes Feds $30 Million, Audit Claims
The Office of the Inspector General says Maine needs to pay back the federal government nearly $30 million because the services that money paid ... Budget Axe Targets Support Staffers, Contract Jobs in Augusta
The senator who pushed for creation of a budget-cutting commission to look at trimming administrative costs in state government has released ... Governor Orders Cuts in Spending
Gov. John Baldacci Tuesday signed an emergency order to cut $38 million out of state spending to help fill a $95 million hole in the budget, ... State Treasurer 'Snookered by Professionals' on $20 Million Investment
The Legislature's budget oversight committee has voiced confidence in state Treasurer David Lemoine despite his $20 million investment in a ... From the Legislature -- Rep. Jon McKane
Hunting, fishing licenses available online The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) has announced that hunting and fishing ...
Federal Defense Bill Includes Newcastle Woman's Vaccination Scrutiny for Military
U.S. Rep. Tom Allen successfully amended the defense authorization bill for 2008 to include an assessment by the Department of Defense of its ...
VILLAGE SOUP:
Rockland Fire Department awarded $22951 grant
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec 19): U.S. Rep. Tom Allen announced Wednesday that a $22,951 Assistance to Firefighters Grant has been awarded to the Rockland Fire Department.
MPBN:
Social Service Agencies Brace For Cuts Social service agencies around the state are trying to figure out how to tighten their belts in the wake of Governor Baldacci's order yesterday to cut state spending by $38 million dollars. Much of those savings will come from cuts in programs that serve mentally ill adults and children who don't qualify for the state's Medicaid program, known as MaineCare.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/071219budgetcuts.asx
State Community College System Seeks Boost In Rural Enrollments The state's community college system today announced a financial boost of more than 6 million dollars aimed at enrolling more residents of rural Maine. The combination of gifts, grants and community college funds will be used to launch several new initiatives, including a special rural student scholarship program, and child care funding for students with young families. A.J. Higgins reports.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/071219colleges.asx
WCSH:
Maine Softwood Lumber Producers Upset Over Canadian Practices
DOVER-FOXCROFT (NEWS CENTER) -- We've been hearing a lot recently about how the slumping housing market is hurting the lumber industry. But Maine softwood lumber producers say the housing market isn't their only problem.
They said the government of Canada is disregarding a trade agreement, and as a result, underpriced Canadian lumber is flooding the U.S. market. …. Both Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe have written to the U.S. Trade Representative for a more immediate solution to this problem. The arbitration is not expected to be settled until at least February.
PORTSMOUTH HERALD:
State budget cuts could hit local school districts
KITTERY, Maine — With Maine facing a budget shortfall, Gov. John Baldacci on Tuesday ordered $38 million in state spending cutbacks, saying they avoid hitting Maine's most vulnerable residents and will cause no layoffs.
YORK WEEKLY:
Augusta seeks consolidation relief
In an effort to make consolidation feasible for some school districts, the Legislature's Education and Cultural Affairs Committee last week voted 10-2 in favor of a Department of Education bill that removes some financial barriers under the current...
PORTLAND PHOENIX:
Everyone’s a neocon now: Looking back on state politics — and forwardIn the eight years I’ve covered the State House for the Portland Phoenix, I’ve been struck by the depressingly constant themes.
Verizon angles to keep state business: CanoodlingDemocratic governor John Baldacci had a private sit-down with Ivan Seidenberg, the president and CEO of Verizon, November 30.
Plum Creek watchdog: Press releasesThanks to a Phoenix reader, Maine residents now know something the Portland Press Herald was not telling them.
Kill the house lights: Politics and other mistakesAs we celebrate the solstice on December 21, take comfort in knowing that state officials are doing all they can to make it even darker. And, like Tax Day, more expensive.
POLITICKERME.COM:
2008 Legislative candidates
The following candidates plan to run for the Legislature in 2008.
This list is complete per Ethics Commission filings, and was last updated Dec. 19. Other candidates not listed may have mentioned intent to run in another forum.
Strimling swipes at Bush
With President Bush today signing into law today a bill requiring higher fuel efficiency standards for automobiles, Democrat Ethan Strimling, who is running for the First Congressional District, saw an opportunity to take a swipe at Bush.
Patrick to run for county commissioner
Rep. John Patrick, D-Rumford, will run for Oxford County Commissioner next year.
Term limits prevent him from seeking another term.
California man joins Snowe’s staff
Sen. Olympia Snowe’s new press secretary has never been to Maine, and the bitter cold and mountains of snow are a far cry from what he knew growing up.
Kurt Bardella, 24, grew up in San Diego. He started in Snowe’s office today.
“You can’t get any further apart geographically,” Bardella said.
The Influential Staffers
I’ve put together a list of 10 that rise to the top of the heap. Here are the top 5, with the next 5 to come.
Where Fools Rush In
Governor Baldacci took some time away from his Christmas shopping yesterday to announce an executive order that would “curtail” state spending immediately in a number of areas.
DOWNEAST MAGAZINE:
Best Political Slugfest
Tom Allen and Susan Collins take off the gloves.
One of the problems with politics in Maine is that they are, by and large, boring. Incumbents are rarely unseated, and the state hasn’t seen a really tough, hard-fought, outcome-in-question political race above the local level since 1996. Not coincidentally, that was the year Susan Collins defeated former governor and congressman Joseph Brennan to win her first term as a U.S. senator.
WASHINGTON POST:
Stronger Whistle-Blower Protection Passes Senate
The bill, sponsored by Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), was approved on a voice vote late Monday.
THE HILL:
GOP turning its message to healthcare
Emphasizing expanded access to healthcare could be appealing to voters in a number of states where Republicans are in tight races. According to 2006 data compiled by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, in Minnesota, where Sen. Norm Coleman (R) is running for a second term, more than 440,000 people are uninsured; in Sen. John Sununu’s (R) New Hampshire, there are 137,000 people without insurance; in Maine, Sen. Susan Collins (R) faces more than 120,000 without insurance; and in Oregon, where Gordon Smith (R) is running for a third term, more than 615,000 people are uninsured.
ASSOCIATED PRESS:
Dems Lose Defense, Foreign Policy Debate
Left on the cutting room floor this year were other bipartisan proposals, including one by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Ben Nelson, D-Neb., that would have restricted the mission of U.S. troops to non-combat roles in Iraq but not set a date for troop withdrawals.
OP/ED NEWS:
Senate Challenger Laurie Dobson, MaineThe fifty-one-year-old mother of three who is running to unseat Senator Susan Collins spares no Democrat.
LAND LINE MAGAZINE:
Maine truckers consider protesting at state capitol about fuel prices
Besides truckers, Sidelinger said several state lawmakers attended the meeting, including U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-ME.
BLOGS:
Wednesday Tidbits
Maine: Jeezum Crow! Less than a week after the Kennebec Journal ran a pro-Susan-Collins letter to the editor written by a College Republican chapter Chair without identifying him as such, the same paper runs another pro-Susan-Collins letter to the editor written by a Republican state legislator again without identifying him as such! Are the Kennebec Journal's editors incredibly lazy or incredibly partisan?
CILLIZZA Well look here s what I think is Liquid
Broaden your search by using fewer words. Com i msnbc Components Art SITEWIDE Icons iSlides. Then Congress can vote on whether to give the president the rest of the war funding money. I won t be the only Republican or one of two Republicans demanding a change in our Andrea neal of troops in Iraq at that point. I think everybody knows that, I really do, Senator Susan Collins of Maine concurring, I think a lot of us feel that way. Take a look at what s going on on the ground, take a look at what goes on in the neighborhoods, because if you want to measure progress, you got to report it.
Sens. Collins/Snowe Vote Against Democrat Troop Withdrawal Amendment
What Will the Energy Bill Do to Food Prices?
Congressman Tom Allen Visits the Pirates
Portland, Maine - On Saturday, December 15 Congressman Tom Allen was a special guest at the Pirates game. Allen dropped the puck at the beginning of the game.
Don Surber on Harry Reid: "Every line he has drawn in the sand has ...
How out of touch with reality is he to describe Senators such as Chuck Hagel, Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, Gordon Smith, Susan Collins, and others as puppets? If Reid couldn't work with these Senators, then he's not capable of working ...
Editorials Nationwide Rain Scorn on Senate Farm Bill
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins sounded like a very regretful Robin Hood last week after passage of the bill:
"I am particularly disappointed that this bill does not include an amendment, that I supported, that would have capped payments to farmers at $250,000. In addition, another amendment that was defeated would have prohibited payments to individuals who earn more than $750,000 per year. These amendments would have provided assistance to farmers who truly need the help, and denied assistance to giant corporate farms and individuals who unfairly receive it.
House boosts funding for key homeland security projects
“It is important that we strike a balance between the security of our nation’s borders and the free flow of commerce and travel to and from the United States,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “The delay of this initiative is welcome news.”
Don Surber on Harry Reid: "Every line he has drawn in the sand has ...
How out of touch with reality is he to describe Senators such as Chuck Hagel, Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, Gordon Smith, Susan Collins, and others as puppets? If Reid couldn't work with these Senators, then he's not capable of working ...
Congress Approves $9.4 Million for Asbestos Abatement
At the same time that Patty Murray’s legislation to ban all asbestos in the U.S. is being whittled away (see “Who Threw the Monkey Wrench in Mrs. Murray’s Asbestos Bill?” posted 15 November), Maine senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins say they have managed to get $9.4 million included in the FY 2008 budget for the purpose of removing an asbestos-contaminated pipeline that supplied jet fuel from the Brunswick (Maine) Naval Air Station to Mitchell Field in Harpswell for forty years.
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