Columnist Al Diamon has taken the opportunity of the Porltand Phoenix's ten-year anniversary to take a look back at the Maine political scene in 1999 and compare it to today. His conclusion?

"If there's anything the last decade should have taught us, it's that money — or the lack thereof — makes absolutely no difference in the way the governor, the Legislature, and the state bureaucracy do their jobs. In both good times and bad, they fuck things up."

The feature is an indictment of just about everyone who has set foot in Augusta for the past ten years, and you can tell it was cathartic to write. Diamon also provides some advice for setting things right. Here's one suggestion:

"Stop delaying tax reform. Baldacci has proposed cutting the income tax at least four times in the last seven years without ever actually doing it. Legislators have studied expanding the sales tax for so long they should have doctorates by now. Quit stalling. Show some balls."