Why is it always the State Employees that have to take the rap for the short fall in the State budget? I think EVERY state check should be cut so everyone feels the crunch not just the employees.

The shutdown days will certainly inconvenience some people, but the outrageous Maine taxes are making it very difficult for people to stay in this state... and it's going to get even worse on January 1st when all of the higher and far-reaching taxes kick-in. Just wait; taxes are going up in a BIG way for most Mainers, but a lot of people don't seem to know it yet. Get ready for the People's Veto of the so-called tax reform, LD 1495, as the signature petitions are now beginning to get out on the streets.

It’s time for these wasteful political games with our tax dollars to stop! Although it won't be easy, it must get done! If you believe the state should cut spending, come join the solution at Maine Taxpayers United, www.MaineTaxpayers.com

and now on Facebook. BTW, the mission of ‘Maine Taxpayers United’ is to reduce the Maine tax burden and promote prudent government spending. We The People run this state and country, despite what the crooked politicians might want to believe.

i think the fact govt. workers had the choice to salary reductions or unpaid days off and they chose the latter. me personally i would have taken the reduction. choices like this arewhy state workers work ethic is perceived poorly in the private sector.

BTW, Here's another good website for us concerned taxpayers of Maine: Citizens Alliance of Maine @ http://mainealliance.com.

We The People deserve more accountability from our "state leaders" in Augusta.

State workers are overpaid anyways.

To Ralphmcdevitts: You used the term, "state workers." That is an oxymoron. State, "employees" perhaps, but certainly the term workers does not apply in most cases.

I agree Nixonwasmyhero ... awwwww have to pay PART of their own health insurance ... give me a break ... I've known a few people employed by the state and their pay and benefits are unreal ... time to start adjusting to reality folks, welcome to the real world.

The vast majority of state employees are dedicated, hard workers. I know. I've been one for over 20 years. As for you who think I earn too much, come and do my job for a while and then see you still we're overpaid! Oh, that's right, some of you wouldn't be able to pass the background check and polygraph exam to get my job...

It should have read "and then see if you still think we're overpaid!" I got distracted while typing it

I really feel bad that anyone has to lose pay. But most people would be greatful to have four day weekend around each holiday!

State employees get twenty days off with no pay, the gov only gets 10 . 1/2 pay for 1/2 a governor .

State employees had a choice of pay reduction or shutdown days? As a state "worker" I do not recall the choice yet i got both. Boy am I lucky to still have a job.

musician ~ No matter what you do for work, you are still not any better than the rest of the working world. I don't give a **** if you work at a redemption center or as a brain surgeon, the enitltement attitude sux ... you don't work any harder than a LOT of people who get paid half of your pay and with little to NO benefits ... you work hard well good for you; the vast majority of working "non-state employees" feel they do as well!

I don't blame state workers for the fact that the governor and the people in Augusta can't manage a budget. The state worker is probably doing a fine job at what they do. It shouldn't be a fight between state workers and non-state workers. It's the same old politicians who are unwilling to make the right decisions that put all of us in a tough spot.

With all the people out of work the state workers are lucky to have a job with benefits. Stop whinning. Or offer to take a 20% pay cut in exchange...

Go get your liscense renewed to see how the state workers work. Takes a half a day for something that should take 10 minutes. Can't blame the gov. and legislatures for that. Blame the state workers union

Ralphmcdevitts- I'm not sure where you're getting your information, but state workers were not given a choice between salary reductions or unpaid days off. Frankly, as a state worker, I'd rather the unpaid day off, either way I lose the same amount of money and this gives me an opportunity to make it up somewhere else, I find it hard to believe that you would take any reduction willing, let alone a reduction where you had to do the same amount of work. It's sad but "state workers" are clumped together and often hated, but the reality is that the public's concept of the many jobs that State workers do is minimal. I went to college and got a Bachelors degree to do the job I do, I continue to pay off student loans, and make much less in my job after 6 years than many careers do starting off directly out of college. I didn't pick this career for the money, I picked it because I wanted to help people and make a difference. Many of the State's clients come in expecting something for nothing, and many of them take advantage of the system. These people receive services from the State (and the number is high when you consider the many services that the State provides) take what the workers do for granted. Without the State workers they wouldn't get the services. I can't wait to hear the clients complain about not being able to get what they want or need because state offices are closed. You can't have it both ways. Sorry.

i get $11.24 an hour to plow snow in the winter,so stop griping about state workers,seems like every snow storm ,no matter how bad,every one is trying to get to wal-mart. if you think it is so easy ,get off your ases and do it yourself.maybe all the shut down days should be during storms,shut the whole state down!

Kate123 you say it took you half day to get you license renewed how come ?? what time of day did go ? how many windows were open ? How many people were a head of you ? I went an got my license renewed an it took me 12 mins to get it done. an you people want to cut state workers an you think the what is long now what will you do when one window has to do EVERYTHING not just renew license. Kate why do you go an get a job there an show them how to do the work you know so much about it ?

garryr42 lets take that one step futher you only plow snow durn you normal worken hrs. witch i beleve is 7 to 330 if its still snowen when it gets near 330 put the plow truck away till 7 am the next day an fishinish plowing an if its on a weekend or a holiday dont plow the roads

MUSCIAN, IT IS YOUR ATTITUDE THAT IS SO PREVELANT WITH A LOT OF STATE WORKERS, HENCE SOME OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE WAY THE "REST" OF THE STATE TAKES SUCH EXCEPTION TO YOUR COMMENTS....THE STATE NEEDS TO DOWNSIZE AND OUTSOURCE JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD, THEN SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT......WELCOME TO OUR WORLD.....

im more then willing to have a 4 day weekend if it helps benefit the state

when we plow ,it is for the duration of the storm,not 7-3:30....maybe you should go to summer school....or winter school and learn how to spell valgal10...bet your state check is already on your state debit card you moron

As a state worker with 10 shutdown days and loss of longevity pay is about a $2400 paycut for me. Just thought you would like to know. By the way everyone on food stamps got an increase this past April. http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/OIAS/snap/snap_benefits.shtml

The hard working and honest state workers have been shafted by both sides - our Maine legislators and their greedy union bosses at MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 whom only seemed concerned about themselves and not the members. It's time for Belcher to get replaced with a more qualified leader.

LETS VOTE IN ANOTHER DEMOCRAT....

Yeah just look what a great shape 8 years of a Republican regime left the country in.

"Yeah just look what a great shape 8 years of a Republican regime left the country in. "

While I agree with you that Bush left things in a sorry state, I think that people are beginning to realize that, about a year from now, we may be longing for the way Bush left things; basically we were at a stalemate between the legislative branch (Democrat controlled) and executive branch (Republican controlled) and nothing was getting done at the federal level (i.e. people were more or less being left alone).

Because his predecessor was a complete incompetent is no excuse for Obama to steer the country off a cliff.

Two observations:

1) Please post up here if today's government shutdown day greatly affected you

2) Why were the governor, his staff, and the legislators' pay not cut by a proportionate amount if this is such a good idea? Maybe if the legislators had 10 more days off a year we'd get less debates about taxing plastic bags and more debates about retaining jobs.

ACTUALLY THE SHUT DOWN DAY IS MONDAY 07/06/09, AND IT HAS AFFECTED THE WAY I DO MY JOB AS I DEAL WITH STATE GOVT PEOPLE ALL DAY LONG AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT ON MONDAY...AND I AGREE, THEY ALL SHOULD HAVE THE WAGES AND BENEFITS CUT BY 10 DAYS AS WELL.....START AT THE TOP AND WORK YOUR WAY DOWN, WHEN THE BUDGET IS BALANCED STOP AND LET THE REST GO TO WORK AND GET THEIR BENEFITS. INSTEAD, THEY START AT THE BOTTOM AND WORK THEIR WAY UP....NOT FAIR, NOT FAIR AT ALL....

It's also not fair that the union/PAC bosses which represent most of those state workers are still sitting fat & happy with no cuts...why is that? Can't the state workers get rid of the union bosses, or at least demand cuts from them as well?

For example, here is a partial list of the 2008 total compensation packages for MSEA-SEIU Local 1989:

$96,782 = Timothy Belcher as Executive Director

$89,144 = Mary Anne Turowski as Political Director

$82,617 = Steven J Butterfield as Director, Information Ser

$25,487 = Steven J Butterfield II as Field Representative

(He’s now a State Legislator who sits on the Labor Committee)

$80,920 = Michael Sylvester as Director, Organizing

$79,507 = Rodney Hiltz as Director, Field Services

$77,577 = Roberta de Araujo as Legal Counsel

$74,489 = C. Patrick Reardon as Field Representative

$70,747 = Frank E Porter III as Field Representative

$67,257 = Elizabeeth M Cousins as Director, Finance & Admin

$61,162 = Thomas Farkas as Communications

$66,578 = Chester G Hillier as Reclass Representative

$65,377 = Pamela Morin as Field Representative

$60,730 = Stephanie von Glinsky as Field Representative

Those are some pretty fat compensation packages, especially in light of the upcoming shutdown days...

valgal10,

What did you find offensive about my comments?

As for "WELCOME TO OUR WORLD" ... I've been there. I wasn't born as a State employee. I worked in the private sector, applied for a State job, passed all the prerequisites, and was hired. I've been doing my job for 23 years, and I have nothing about which to be ashamed. I've worked hard serving the citizens of our state and our visitors from outside Maine. I'll retire in 3 more years.

Proud to be a US veteran and a Maine State employee!

State workers are an easy target. If they are to be looked at so closely, how about looking at the CMP guy and the impact his overtime has on your electric bill, how about looking at the phone guy and ask him to work a day or two less and reduce your phone bill, how about limiting garbage pick up to twice a money or decrease the people checking you out at Shaw's etc etc. Teachers and state workers are hard working, dedicated people who keep us registered, take our tools, teach our most critical resource but they are always the first lambasted by the public when things get tight, the first to be laid off, the first to be asked to take days without pay..........We are in it up to our armpits, stop looking to the easy target and get used to doing without in all situations from all services......time to stand up and stop hitting the easiest target......

I wonder if good ole JB loses any pay during the shutdown days??? Some how I seriously doubt it. It really is time to clean out the current government.

I admit it, I am from away. Massachusetts to be exact. Everybody here is chomping at the bit that State workers should be cut or have furlough days or that,that should not be the case.

As I write this, there are thirty four comments and some make excellent points. The critical problem here is we are trying to balance a state budget based on how many dollars we can save by furloughing state workers and saving thirty bucks on flags. What is going to balance the state budget is ATTRACTING MORE BUSINESS TO THIS STATE.. Our elected officials need to create tax incentives, not increases, to attract businesses here. The largest industry in this state is our prison system, what does that say about us? If we do not increase the number of people living here, then there are fewer of us to absorb all of the costs! That is not the way to improve our economy.