Let them write it down where all this money is spend and why.It will end up in a big black hole .Gone by by .Where the money go I don,t know will be the answer.It,s none of your business your just a tax payer you don,t count.

Looks like the Augusta is going to vote themselves a big raise..............................

the drool is running down the capital steps already....

Oh No!! Does this mean that Baldy won't be able to use most of the "stimulus" money to pay overdue bills to hospitals and boost Dirigo and other social programs that Maine is noted for? God forbid it actually gets spent on projects like roads, bridges, and schools, that might actually have some long term benefits!

untill we stop wanting goverment to solve all our problems they will spend the money any way they want and tell us it was for the children or the poor or the elderly and if you are critical of them you are just being mean and hateful

Boy I sure hope this works. It's going to get scary if it doesn't.

It already is scary, any time you give that amount of money to the politicians to spend, watch out.........

so collins and snowe sold us out and we don`t even get our fair share.

Lets see: 785 billion in stimulus money.

50 states.

Maine gets less than a billion.

Maybe Collins and Snowe should have worried more about what they could deliver to their constituents instead of what they could cut from the package.

Getting less than a billion out of 785 billion is a pathetic return for the citizens of Maine. It is .0011% of the total or one tenth of one percent of the package.

One percent would have been 7.85 billion.

You elect your officials to deliver good and services to your state. Your senators have failed monumetally miserably here. They should be ashamed for the pittance of return their state is getting.

Great job, gals!

Remember the $56-million that 'disappeared' over at MeDHHS because of a 'glitches' in a new computer system?

Makes you wonder just how much of this $900-million will vanish without a trace.

So, where is the incentive to cut government spending going to be now? Does this mean schools can go back to their regular districts and get rid of the poorly thought out RSU's? I can only hope that the money will be used to encourage private business thereby increasing employment and the number of tax PAYERS rather than tax takers!

looks like Baldacci got his hair treatment plan payment...

COBURN FOR GOVERNOR '12!!!!

ronfromdowneast, It looks like maine senators votes are real cheap.

If thats all the money the state got then they did some really bad negotiating.Collins and Snowe sold out for nothing.Good luck to them next voting season,if the people of maine remember when they go into the booth.All the state got was the CHANGE.-Secure the borders and drill for oil or did everyone forget those problems.

Ronfromdowneast - I was sure that a couple of weeks ago they were talking about 1.4 billion, and now it's down to 900 mil. That is pretty bad, a 500 million drop. This is all we get from two SENIOR senators - I thought if you had SENIOR senators that was an advantage for your state! I guess not!

Snowe and Collins were so busy working to pass this "stimulus" package for Obama, they forgot about their constituents and how little we have here. They were both in an ideal situation to negotiate a lot of money for Maine as their votes were critical for this thing's passage. And this is how little Maine is going to get!!?? My fellow Mainer's, we just got the shaft, TWICE!

shame on snowe and collins....they let me DOWN....as well why is it all I hear about is roads and bridges and schools....where does all the excise tax money go? where does all the property tax go? oh wait right the town government hires their own police forces rather then use the sheriff office now and of course they need offices everywhere..lol...and of course these small towns use the police cars like their private vehicle we fit the gas bill...OBAMA said change and what he meant was clinton years are back..was that good? time will tell...government means CROOKS

How about we spend it on route two east west highway.

So is any of this money coming to us residents of Maine? I really hope so. I am so far in debt, the freakin collection agency called me yesterday and said hey Bank Of America wants to bring you to court for unpaid credit card payments...Im like I am in commission only sales and since no one is hiring, I cant seem to find another job. So for all of you that didnt realize, if you dont make your credit card payments, even on a not so large balance...the banks are cracking down and I was told Im going to get a summons that BOA wants to press Fraud charges against me. Freaking CRAZY

for how many people live in maine i think maine did ok.

if they need more in augusta they will just raise tax's, but then they are #1 in the nation already arn't they ???

Our 2 Senators should have made sure that Maine would receive enough money to extend I95 from Houlton To Madawaska (about 600 million). We have been waiting since 1968 and this project would have been a perfect fit. Aroostook County would benefit greatly from this and the cost is peanuts compared to other spending projects in other States. Collins and Snowe sold out too cheaply me thinks!

Let's stop the mad dash to find a future place to spend this money..

Let's do the old way PAY OUR OVER DUE BILLS TO HOSPITALS

AND MEDICAL CENTRES ETC> If we do not do this we may have closed hospitals

the next time we need one....!! We owe it , pay it.....!

I say we all stop paying and wipe the slate clean. Personally, I'm sick of bailing out these companies who have the ability to do credit checks. and those corporations that had CEO's earning billions of dollars, let them go into bankruptcy... Let another company blossom where the others failed. When the housing market soared for no reason; other than Banks wanted to lend money for homes that were overpriced to begin with... our financial planners etc...should have seen the economic down turn coming like a truck with red headlights. The banks won that game... then they lost... let them fail! This country needs a good cleaning!

Note to Governor Baldacci and his fellow Love-To-Spend & Tax democrats: We will be watching these expenses very closely, and you will be held accountable for all wasteful spending! If they happen to spend it wisely, they will receive all due credit...but we shouldn't hold our breath on that wish.

Collins and Snowe must have known that Obama needed their votes, the fact that Maine isn't getting a few extra pet projects completed shows their incompetence. Don't get me wrong I am glad they voted to pass it and it was the right thing for them to do, but we could have done better.

Watch the slieght-of-hand in Augusta!!

I saw where Collins and Snows hard wrk will be spent. Lewiston and Portland roads.

Screw this State

Blind or fools??

"The vast majority of these funds are going for very specific purposes."

I am not what anyone would refer to as an obama supporter. I have been and remain very suspicious of him.

However, I do try to keep an open mind. During the past few years of his term, george dubya made what I thought were incredibly stupid blunders.

The last one nearly blew me away. In the name of mortgage bailout he authorized billions of dollars to the biggest crooks on the planet...BANKS... Literally a blank check.

Think about that for a minute. We threw a pile of money at the banking industry with the insane notion they could be trusted to do the right thing with it. Talk about letting a fox guard the henhouse.

Now we are scratching our heads wondering where the money went and howcome nobody's mortgage ever got 'bailed out'. Look at the next banker you see closely for feathers stuck to his pinstripes.

At least this time, under obama, it seems the money is going to be watched closely and put into places where it will do some good. Nobody is going to receive a blank check like the banking industry received. I daresay it appears there might be some accountability.

I dunno....I have historically disliked the democratic party for its lliberalism, taxation, abortion and gun control. On those issues I cannot and will not compromise. At the same time, looking back at 8 years of republicanism I have to wonder. A lost war, a failed economy and a society on the brink of self destruction. If the dems can pull us out of this spiral I might have to reconsider. Frankly I'm skeptical; and that's on an optimistic day.

I mentioned in my previous post that I disliked the dem party for it's liberalism, taxation, abortion and gun control. After 8 years of republicanism we still have liberals, taxes are still way out of control, elective abortion is still used for birth control and no gun laws have been rescinded.

Well, maybe. Federal taxes, for me at least, did decrease; and the 1994 klinton crime control bill died from it's own poison.

Like I said; I try to keep an open mind.

With a little state of Maine having a $6.1 billion dollar budget, how much goes to DHHS? Half?

The east west highway would make a lot of sense for future growth in the state

I have read some of the comments. And I did not vote Senators Collins and Snowe into office as I have not seen them do anything well in Congress of late. In My Opinon and this goes to prove the point evenfurther.

I am a little concerned by what happened to 1.4 bill that we are now getting only 900mil.

I am delighted it is coming to Maine at least. Let's all face it, it is needed for many state programs that have been severely cut.

I do believe it would be used in the proper places..

As Obama has warned if it is not he is going to call out the Governor's of the states and find out why it was used for what it was used for and not for the intentions it was supposed to be used for.

And I like that we have a website to see the spending for both our government in Maine as well for the US with Obama's site.

It is about time we are able to see where this money is going to and hopefully that is where it is going to.

We will see what happens with our government and Governor and what is done with this money. Hopefully it all works where it is supposed to go. Hopefully..

I have read some of the comments. And I did not vote Senators Collins and Snowe into office as I have not seen them do anything well in Congress of late. In My Opinon and this goes to prove the point evenfurther.

I am a little concerned by what happened to 1.4 bill that we are now getting only 900mil.

I am delighted it is coming to Maine at least. Let's all face it, it is needed for many state programs that have been severely cut.

I do believe it would be used in the proper places..

As Obama has warned if it is not he is going to call out the Governor's of the states and find out why it was used for what it was used for and not for the intentions it was supposed to be used for.

And I like that we have a website to see the spending for both our government in Maine as well for the US with Obama's site.

It is about time we are able to see where this money is going to and hopefully that is where it is going to.

We will see what happens with our government and Governor and what is done with this money. Hopefully it all works where it is supposed to go. Hopefully..

I don't know if it will be spent "right." But I got my hand washed and my palm all shaved up pretty....

Sweet the we get to pay higher taxes, higher houseing costs, higher food costs, and still stay the poorest state. This state is so pathetic

Our Maine youth will be paying taxes for the length of their lives to pay back these these borrowed (5% interest) funds to bail out california, Mass, and new york. Weeze been robbed. Maine only got 1/1000 of this ill voted bill. Collins and Snowe should be impeached.

The money will disapear within a week or two, and baldacci will have a new head full of hair...

YUP

bobseigler wrote: "for how many people live in maine i think maine did ok".

Lets look at the numbers: 787,000,000,000 or 787 billion in stimulus.

Estimated population of the United States: 304,000,000 or 304 million.

304 million goes into 787 billion approx 2589 times (rounded off).

That means $2589 for every person in the United States.

Estimated population of the State of Maine: 1,314,780 (last census) or about 1.32 million (rounded off).

1,314,780 people times $2,589 for every person equals $3,403,723,223 or about $3.4 billion dollars for the state of Maine.

Maine is only getting 900,000,000 or 900 million.

Divide 900 million by 3.4 billion and that is about 26% of what Maine should get if you base the stimulus on a per capita return like bobseigler did.

bobseigler must have flunked math. We should take some of that stimulus money and buy bobseigler a clue. And while we are at it buy a few clues for Snowe and Collins who must have been taking a nap when the stimulus money was being handed out.

Maine got robbed and Snowe and Collins were accomplices.

The cigarettes and dunkin donuts coffees that are daily in the hands of the shelter residents are only the tip of the iceberg. The 6 drug dealers and sex offenders arrested last Tuesday across from Doughty Middle School all have their rent paid for by your tax dollars, and free medical paid by the state, and free foodstamps courtesty of the governor...that leaves their untaxed drug profits from the middle schoolers who frequent there daily all for them....the system has failed us all....please complain to your city welfare about this injustice with our tax dollars....it has been going on many years too long, and the public needs to know.

If this State had managed its money better we would not even be talking about this.

Are you sick of the same old Crap coming from our fearless leaders in the State House? Is the Obama Administration and the far left liberals in congress just making your stomach turn? Well you are not alone, millions of Americans are feeling the exactly the same way. Help preserve the constitution and curb wasteful government spending by joining Paint Maine Red. http://www.paintmainered.ning.com

I have started this group to provide information on the politics of Maine. There are interesting links about the history of Maine as well as links to the state house and news media. Please use these links to write the Governor, Senators and Representatives. I also encourage you to contact the media, comment on Blogs and write to the editor's. It is my intention to seek out people for office who hold True Conservative values. I am open to any and all suggestions.

The Republican Party dominated Maine politics for a full century, from the birth of the GOP in 1854 until 1954 It is time to Paint Maine red

It is my intention to have people think. I am hoping that we can engage in meaningful discussion and maybe learn from each other. We all have to open our minds and look for the TRUTH.

The purpose of this group is to provide information about the State of Maine and it Politics as well as preserving the Constitution.

We have drifted away from the roots of the Republican Party. It is time for a new group of Conservative leaders to take charge and lead this State and Country into the future. We must elect officials who think and act more like our Founding Fathers,Ronald Reagan, who follow our constitution and listen to We the People

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mae8150-------- Could you perhaps be a little plainer about where these "people" were actually arrested? Across from the Doughty school? Was this from a residence? Or were they just hanging around outside?? This is extremely close to where I live and I would really like to know! Thank you. I didn't hear or read anything about this.

Thursday's BDN, Feb. 19, page B2. The residence is 72 Pier St.. None of the occupants are employed. They have dealt drugs there for many months now, with the city welfare paying their rent. Some of the drugs confiscated were from the methadone clinic, as many of those get sold on the street for big profits. Maybe you can find out the landlord's name, but he likely has no rights to evict them as the city pays their rent. That should be illegal for our tax dollars to pay for dealers and child molesters who just refuse to ever work.

Perilous Time y'all!

I say we move the homeless shelter from down town to a country setting and make them work on a farm to grow there own food and teach them life skills.They could grow veg and raise cows and pigs and Chickens.Move the home shelter some place safe.No more free ride grow up and work for a living I have to.Does anyone agree?

We have all here,rich get richer and the poor get poorer, A poor person workes all day and they still get poorer,what is that? they pay tax just like the rich right.Or do rich realy pay tax?They say they do,so they must be speeking truth,right,or are they?Has any one read that any of the poor will be getting a check cut to them in the near future out of any so called stimulus money? Would Susan Collins please stand up and anwser this question with a yes or no.And if so how much?I see her standing up with a bunch of little children saying look at me I am the great insurance provider along with her sister in arms Snow,They realy eat it up,they want people looking at them and saying O look at the nice things they are doing,there with the little children,isnt that sweet,But realy what are they doing?There wont be any money for the poor hard working people,just the rich people that take atavange of the poor.It doesnt matter which side of this so called goverment you are with,its the same old story.So go on all you poor people,keep feeding the rich and geting poorer,somebody has to do it right?

Tell me again how injecting fiat, worthless, unearned, freshly printed currency created from debt into the system is going to stimulate it.

They all get shinny new Cadilacs!! I think they will need to revamp their offices as well. Maybe some hair plugs & up date his web page. The money should be put into construction on our roads and cities. They are so worried about getting what hey can get that they dont think it through. We needs to start repairing what we have here. With that comes spending. I expect nothing so that I am not let down!!!

U.S. to donate more than $900 million for Gaza reconstruction; i guess its not just the states getting money ,the keyword in that headline DONATE,,i dont remember voting on that do any of you

Here's a NEW Web Site some of you may want to check out, this stimulus watch dot org tells which state is get how much "$" and which town/city may get "$" for whatever. http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_state

Interesting ways for the State to spend your hard earned money!!!!!!!!

check this out! per: http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_state/ME

"Skateboard Park at Dougherty Field" Portland, ME $2,000,000

"Establishment of Two (2) Dog Parks" Lewiston, ME $50,000

"Purchase a Bus Washer" Lewiston, ME $500,000

Does this mean we don't have to pay the new $35 motor vehicle registration fee??

What it means is that Obama is going to match that 900 million that Maine gets and give another 900 million to repair Gaza.