On Monday, I played witness to an event which has not happened often in the past two-plus decades the Maine Energy Recovery Company incinerator has loomed over the twin cities. Sitting around the large conference room table at the Saco Transportation Center, officials from Biddeford, Saco, the Maine Legislature and executive branch, along with third […]

Within a matter of three hours on Wednesday, Maine left its relative northern New England obscurity behind, thrust upon the national stage by the approval of one piece of legislation. Governor John Baldacci’s signature of the gay marriage bill, passed by hefty margins in both the House and Senate, made our state only the fifth […]

Judging from the 12 to 1 vote by the Legislature’s State and Local Government Committee, Old Orchard Beach Rep. George Hogan’s bill, LD 1119, seems to be gaining traction. The nearly-unanimous vote by the committee sends a message to the Legislature in general that the bill ought to pass. We agree. Hogan’s bill proposes to […]

Recent appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court have been exercises of political partisanship, and that’s not likely to change this time. The pending retirement of Supreme Court Justice David Souter sets the stage for another court drama, with commentary, investigation, questioning and debate. In 2004 and 2006, George W.  Bush strengthened the court’s conservative wing […]

The credit card industry is heading toward a well-deserved day of reckoning as Congress takes aim at hidden fees, unexpected rate hikes and complicated contracts. Members of the industry are warning that strict limits on the way they do business could make credit more expensive, and harder to get. But the deceptive and exploitive tactics […]

The world, as we know it, is becoming “greener.” Communities across the country, and especially here in Maine, are working diligently to reduce their carbon footprint, the amount of solid waste produced going to incinerators or landfills, and seeking out alternative forms of energy, such as windmills. Saco has been the front-runner in York County […]

As the old saying goes, “Never look a gift horse in the mouth.” For the Old Orchard Beach Town Council, that “gift horse” is coming in the form of unused reserve funds in the bank account of the soon-to-be defunct School Department. The council was advised by Superintendent Jack Turcotte that $350,000 in reserve funds […]

Gay marriage remains one of the most contentious topics in the United States, and much media attention has been turned on our state to see how our legislators will vote. It is hard to tell whether approval in the Legislature will bring about the change here: Gov. John Baldacci has, in the past, opposed such […]

During the summer of 2008, gas prices peaked at a historic high, forcing many drivers to make life-changing choices. People began cutting back on travel, buying fuel-efficient or hybrid automobiles (including motorcycles and scooters) and, most importantly, choosing to either carpool or ride public transportation to commute. Ridership on the Shuttle Bus and ZOOM Bus […]

Congress should find time in its schedule to relieve states of an expensive federal mandate and protect the privacy of most adult Americans. It can do this by fixing problems with the Real ID Act, legislation that was hurried into law in 2005 over the objections of civil libertarians and many in state government. The […]