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05/18/2008

Editorial: Our unpatriotic legislators
Federal politicians’ irresponsibility and hypocrisy about energy are marvels. First we have the recommendation of Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain that the gasoline excise tax be suspended during the summer. And now, we have the unpatriotic if probably popular decision to halt deposits into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, to allegedly cut gasoline prices. Sadly, President Bush on Friday went along with the Congressional demand to stop the deposits.

Editorial: Speaker DiMasi under siege
Massachusetts House Speaker Sal DiMasi was first elected to the legislature in 1978. For years he was a back-bencher whose influence slowly rose to the point that he was, in effect, a political fixer for his immediate predecessors, Speakers Charles Flaherty and Thomas Finneran. They were both bright and flamboyant men, but ethically challenged. Working behind the scenes, Mr. DiMasi was all but unknown to the public, and far from flamboyant. Few expected much of him as speaker.

05/17/2008

Editorial: What a deal in Newport!
A major complaint by visitors to Newport is the difficulty of finding free parking downtown, and, when they are willing to pay for a space, getting hit with a $15 charge — or more. Time for a re-evaluation. It happens that there’s a fabulous parking deal in Newport. But most people just don’t know about it.

05/16/2008

Editorial: Certifiably green
Bragging rights for new green buildings are claimed with increasing fervor these days. We were reminded recently of one local project that deserves more recognition than it has thus far received for its sustainable qualities.

Editorial: Farm-bill follies
The farm bill that emerged last week from a House-Senate compromise effort still does too little to curb massive subsidies. The $300 billion measure would govern farming for the next five years, continuing to distort agricultural practices while burdening taxpayers with unnecessary costs. If Congress does not send this plan back to the drawing board, President Bush should veto it.

05/15/2008

Editorial: Dubious voting ‘reforms’
Secretary of State Ralph Mollis is pushing some dubious legislation to change elections in Rhode Island. Meanwhile, he opposes measures to encourage political competition, particularly for General Assembly seats, and changes that would provide greater protection against voter fraud.

Editorial: Assault on ‘Automobile Row’
Real-estate interests in Manhattan want to cover a glorious old building in glass. The venerable General Motors building, near Columbus Circle, is a survivor of what was called “Automobile Row.”

Editorial: Brown brave about Basra
In Britain, the ruling Labor Party has fallen on hard times. Boris Johnson, a quirky Conservative, has ousted Ken Livingstone, a quirky Laborite, as mayor of London. Around the nation, the Labor Party fared badly in local council elections held on May 1. Prime Minister Gordon Brown is being second-guessed for not calling a national election soon after succeeding Tony Blair last year, and he is generally being skewered as a bungler in the London tabloids.

05/14/2008

Editorial: Then try this job?
How odd: Governor Carcieri has removed Ellen Nelson as director of the Rhode Island Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals and will not name a new director. But he will keep Ms. Nelson on in the same ($127,000) salary as an adviser on hospital acquisitions and mergers. The governor has not told the public why he made the change but does say that the new position is temporary.

Editorial: Collegiate cornucopia
For the many young New Englanders who didn’t get into the colleges of their choice, or perhaps no colleges at all, there’s plenty of hope.

05/13/2008

Editorial: Safety up in the air
It was bad enough when the flying public recently learned that required airplane inspections were routinely being skirted. Now comes word that air-traffic controllers in Texas have been hiding their errors — a problem that supposedly had been detected, and corrected, once before.

Editorial: Boris won’t bore us
Voters feel crushed by energy costs, rising joblessness and a credit crunch, and they are not happy about it. This is turning into a scary year to be an incumbent in office.