THUMBS DOWN to the ongoing debate over debates, which has unfortunately come to the forefront in a number of important political contests that should instead be about the issues.

In Maine, it first prominently appeared in the gubernatorial race, when Republican Gov. Paul LePage first refused to take the stage with his opponents, Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud and independent Eliot Cutler.

After some time, the governor cited what he saw as a dishonest ad by Michaud supporters as his reason for refusal. Michaud then countered by saying he would only participate if all three candidates took part, leading Cutler to put out an ad featuring himself alongside two empty podiums.

The matter eventually was settled when LePage relented, and the candidates took part in forums Wednesday in Portland and Thursday in Waterville.

Political calculations were behind the moves by the three candidates, as part of LePage’s strategy is bolstering Cutler, while Michaud wants to paint the campaign as a two-way race between himself and LePage.

The same dynamic is occurring in the 2nd Congressional District race, where Republican Bruce Poliquin is balking at debates that include conservative independent Blaine Richardson, while Democrat Emily Cain has said she will debate only if all three candidates appear.

Maine is not alone in this matter. As reported by The Washington Post, candidates in some of the most competitive statewide races are opting out of debates, preferring to make their case through easily controlled advertisements.

That is bad for the average voter, who wants only to hear from candidates about what they will do for Maine. Candidates should be happy to defend their records and speak about their plans for the state whenever possible, regardless of the circumstances.

THUMBS UP to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency showing gas mileage on new cars and trucks in the U.S. hit a record high of 24.1 miles per gallon last year.

That is good news for consumers and the planet, but bad news for the Highway Trust Fund, which relies on the gas tax to fund road repairs. The gas tax has been stuck at 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993 amid improving gas mileage, leading to perpetual billion-dollar shortfalls in the Highway Fund.

Congress, which continues to punt the issue further down the line, needs to increase the gas tax and index it to inflation, or else find another, better way to fund road repair.

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