Singing in the rain

Torrential rains during the first week of June probably doused most Mainers’ thoughts of summer.

But don’t despair. The Maine State Music Theatre offers a weather-proof celebration of the season.

The Brunswick-based company kicks off — in every sense of the word — its 54th summer with a dynamic production of “A Chorus Line.”

Not to be missed, the show runs through June 23 at Pickard Theater. Three other productions will follow, rounding out MSMT’s season and reminding us that many joys of a Maine summer can’t be dampened by a little — or a lot of — rain.

Underwriting decay

Alan Krueger, chairman of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers, told National Public Radio’s Scott Horsley on Friday that the loss of 28,000 construction jobs and 8,000 education jobs contributed significantly to the dismal May jobs report.

Our education system lags further behind other nations. Our infrastructure crumbles, opening competitive advantages for others in the global market.

Instead of addressing these problems directly, private sector “job creators” spend millions to fund political mud baths.

Meanwhile, political professionals with a vested interest in gridlock collect the cash and do nothing. Like unemployed builders and teachers, this system doesn’t work.

Friends with benefits

Kudos to Bath for numbering among the first nine municipalities in Maine to collect a “business-friendly community designation” from state government.

The latest in Bath’s burgeoning list of accolades recognizes efforts by the city’s municipal, business and community leaders to promote job growth and create an environment conducive to development.

Taking nothing away from Bath’s achievement, aspects of the program, initiated by Gov. Paul LePage’s administration, might need some tweaking.

A component described as “pending” on the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development website would award “bonus points” for Community Development Block grants to municipalities with the “business-friendly” designation.

Unless the administration can provide far more specific eligibility criteria for the business-friendly designation, the grant award bonus should be eliminated. Government’s role is to ensure fairness. Much of the public discontent with government derives from the perception that politicians play favorites and extend preferential treatment to those favorites.

Awarding bonus points for competitive grants to municipalities deemed “business friendly” as a result of a process that reveals any appearance of subjectivity would deepen that distrust.

The selection panel, made up of LePage advisers, DECD staff and representatives of the state’s major business organizations, also seems short on direct input from Maine’s small business community. Recognizing that bigger businesses aren’t always friendly to smaller businesses, a voice for merchants imperiled by big box development would be appropriate.