On Monday, legislative leaders will meet to discuss Maine’s options in bringing our Clean Election Act into compliance with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on matching funds provisions. Our options are to either preserve or maim clean elections, a process by which qualifying state candidates have access to public money to fund campaigns. Maine […]
Maine
Posted inMaine, sj-web
OSHA proposes fine for accident that killed Windsor, Monmouth men
KENNEBUNKPORT (AP) — Federal workplace safety officials are proposing nearly $17,000 in penalties following the death of two men working in a sewage tank in Kennebunkport, Maine. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the employer for four safety violations, including failure to ventilate the area where the men were working and failing to test […]
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Posted inAdvertiser Democrat, River Valley, The Franklin Journal
Maine regular firearms season on deer starts Saturday
RUMFORD — It’s time to start wearing the blaze orange vests and hats if you intend to walk in or along Maine forests. Resident hunters take to the woods on Saturday, Oct. 29, when the 25-day regular firearms season on deer begins. That means Halloween is opening day for nonresidents. The season ends on Nov. […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Eat local and celebrate Food Day
There is a growing movement connecting farmers with consumers. Newspaper coverage of last week’s “Chemicals, Obesity and Diabetes: How Science Leads Us to Action” forum held at Colby College should act as a serious wake-up call for all of us. Maine Medical Center pediatrician Dr. Michael Dedekian did not mince words when he dubbed obesity […]
Posted inLetters
Students’ voting rights
Are we still beating a dead horse? I refer to yet another article about the voting rights of college students (Oct. 18). A moot issue at that, as the students were exonerated after an investigation and because Maine still allows same-day registration, for now, at least. Do those Maine public officials, with their salaries paid […]
Posted inOur View
LURC group needs to balance reform and reality
When we argued in January that Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission was too important to scrap, online commenters made a pair of interesting points. “I have served on my town’s planning board,” wrote John Enos of Denmark, “so I can understand the complexities of the planning process.” Enos explained that towns have spent years developing […]
Posted inOp-Eds
The best reform begins with compensation and accountability
Most likely you have already seen the statistics. A U.S. citizen who fails to graduate high school, even in a strong economy, will likely earn less than $20,000 per year. A bachelor’s degree, at least $40,000, a master’s $50,000-plus, a doctorate $70,000. The job creators seem to value the educated, or at least their skills. […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Inconsistent energy policies spell trouble
Nobody has ever accused Paul LePage of being a deep thinker. But Maine’s freshman governor is usually at least consistent on his major themes. He believes government spends too much, at all levels, for instance, and that welfare benefits create long-term dependence in many families. You may not agree with his stance, but if you […]
Posted inLocal Sports
An old art to stalking deer
“If Hitler had ever spent a fall…watching the bucks go by on our running boards, he never would have dared reoccupy the Rhineland.” – E.B. White Soon we will be out in the deer woods. Depending upon our personal hunting styles, we will be spending long hours in a tree stand waiting for a big […]
Posted inOp-Eds
COLrooks081411
There are many issues concerning Maine’s substandard transportation system, but it mostly comes down to money. Maine struggles with a large network of state roads, at least a quarter of which have never been brought up to standard. David Bernhardt, a career engineer at the Department of Transportation, was Gov. Paul LePage’s surprise choice as […]